Showing posts with label family nutrition. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family nutrition. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Resolution Solution--Set GOALS

Year after year I "resolve" to do x,y,z, which means I resolve to lose weight, save money, be a better Mom..pretty vague hence how do I even know if I've succeeded? I don't, so even if I've made progress I mentally wrestle with the feeling that it wasn't enough, all because I resolved (which sounds icky and like someone is ripping something precious away from you finally just give up and let them have it) rather than laying out a PLAN.

 I love the fresh start of a brand stinking NEW Year all laid out ahead of me like a chose your own adventure game board- the Year is my Oyster right now- delicious! So THIS year I resolved to toss the resolutions and set some GOALS- even though I have no idea what awesomeness this year holds, by mapping out where I'd like to GROW I will have a better basis for making choices in harmony with my heart!


Happy Goal Setting in 2014!

Healthy New Year, Family Goal Planning, Goal Setting for Busy Mom
Courtesy of AdvoArmy

Healthy New Year 24 Day Challenge Virtual Coach


Monday, October 7, 2013

Healthy Family Meals Made Easy; 2hrs-7 Crockpot Meals

healthy family meals, easy nutrition, healthy crock pot meals
In brainstorming things I could improve to reduce stress in my day it became apparent to me though I have really great intentions of having healthy food in the house for dinner- I fail when it comes to anything resembling an action plan. Like packing for a trip, I like to have many options available even through I may not actually use some of the choices this actual week. I figure if I have a big enough variety eventually everything gets used. The problem is though I am great at freezing things, it doesn't become handy at 6pm to cooked with a rock solid protein, and I have a HUGE habit of not using all my produce before it goes bad and that makes me a little nuts...

- enter crockpot frozen meals-


I've been intending to do these for a while, so after scoring a bunch of discounted meats at the local store last night I decided to make a different choice and actually freeze the meals, not just the meat and see if that helps me stay sane this week.

A couple of them were my own recipes, just prepped and tossed in a freezer bag, and the others were Pinterest finds- if you are eating Advo-friendly and on Pinterest then you will definitively want to follow my Sparkedmom Challenge Friendly AdvoCare Recipes board. Here are the recipes I pulled from there:

Super Easy Crockpot Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs
12 Paleo Crockpot Meals


Pot Roast Beef:
Roast
Rub Seasoning (1T salt, 1/4T garlic powder 1/4T pepper)
Vegi's; cut up onion, potatoes, baby carrots, celery, garlic (or other vegi's) to liking
~ rubbed down the roast with seasoning, and tossed all vegi's into the bag- wrote on it to add 1C broth

I particularly liked this idea because by the time I get around to actually making a roast I froze at some point the vegi's have gone south or I'm missing some on hand and it's so irritating!

So that's it- one Spark, 2 hours (including shopping) and I was done cooking for a week- I call that a win! Fingers crossed that it becomes my saving grace! Happy Monday =D

Monday, August 5, 2013

Crockpot Rotisserie Chicken- A Sparkedmom Recipe for Your Healthy Family

This week was a blur, I have no idea where it went nor if I made it to half the things I committed to and the weekend went even faster- story of my life! I have always been a multitasker but becoming a Mom really amplified it and moving into a work from home Mom threw it into overdrive. I have really been focusing lately on slowing down, dialing life back and taking it all in. I'm learning that life can wait- but kids are only little for a short time. It's going to be on ongoing processes, believe me!

When I'm on the top of my game I make breakfast AND pull together a great homey Sunday meal- this week I pulled off my "baked" Crockpot Chicken- not only does it make your house smell like you slaved away for hours, it delicious, moist and SO easy!
child nutrition program, family and nutrition, family nutrition, healthy family, kids nutrition, nutrition for families, nutrition for kids, healthy family recipes,
What I Used:
Seasoned chicken leg quarters
1/2 C chicken stock

What I Did:
Stack chicken quarters in your crockpot gently and pour in stock. Cook on high 4-5 hours or until chicken is cooked through an chicken is tender. Gently remove each quarter from crockpot and place on cookie sheet or broiling pan and place under broiler until browned to your liking.

I love this recipe for the summer when it's too hot to bar-b-que, cook, clean, leave the house...hey, it's AZ- that could actually go on for weeks! I look for the pre-seasoned ones but if you want to get fancy you could totally season yourself and get your Martha Stewart on- me, I'm leaving it to Albertsons this week. It's early in the month, I need to spread my kitchen adventure over many days or we'll be living off turkey burgers and broccoli (my go-to I didn't plan dinner, or shop, or even realize it was past dinner- meal). I do make a mean turkey burger though- McCormick Hamburger Seasoning is DA-BOM- get you some!

What's your go to meal in a pinch?


Thursday, August 1, 2013

Lemon Pepper Shrimp- A Sparkedmom Recipe for Your Healthy Family

This Momma loves her some shrimp scampi, and I had scored a 2lb bag of frozen peel and eat a while back so I threw together this little number in about 15 min- gotta love that! Perfect meal when paired with some steamed vegi's (we had broccoli on hand) or you could use for a salad topper, over brown rice, whole wheat pasta- you get the idea- just make sure your portion size is hearty enough to meet a full serving of protein. See chart on Eat This tab for suggested portion sizes by weight.

child nutrition program, family and nutrition, family nutrition, healthy family, kids nutrition, nutrition for families, nutrition for kids,
 
 
 
 
 
 



What I used:
1lb of Raw Shrimp
2 TBS of coconut oil
1/2 fresh lemon
2 fat garlic cloves minced (or crushed)
Mrs Dash Garlic & Herb, and Pepper




What I did:
Thaw frozen shrimp in cool water. Sauté garlic in oil over med/high heat while you rinse/drain shrimp. Add shrimp to pan, squeeze lemon half and throw in pan, season with Mrs. Dash, and pepper to taste. Sauté until shrimp is pink and firm- only takes a couple minutes and delish! This batch served 2, so make sure you double/triple if you are making for the fam-bam- it's finger lickin' for sure!

One thing I really miss about not living closer to the coast is fresh, inexpensive seafood- it's not on the list of preferred nutritious protein choices due to being a "bottom feeder" but every so often it's a great treat for those summer nights you want to pretend your on vacation. If you have kids, you are totally with me on that one!

What is your favorite Vacation Destination? I love Hawaii!!




Monday, July 29, 2013

Nutrition Battle Plan for Busy Families

I can't speak for your house but in my reality making nutrition a priority really takes a WAR-like mindset. Everyday our families are bombarded by advertisements, billboards, signs, checkout lanes, vending machines, coupons for crap (don't even get me started on that conspiracy), we are literally getting hit from all sides even in our own homes. So with little athletic ability I have I can tell you that I do know this- when it comes to nutrition and family- the best defense is a GREAT OFFENSE!

You've heard a hundred-and-one times; preparedness REALLY IS half the battle when it comes to having nutritious meal options for your healthy family. Unfortunately for my family that skill is lacking in my DNA makeup so I really have to focus on making sure I have things on hand to make quick meals- planning my day I do pretty good- planning our food is more of a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants type of action. DO NOT ask me what's for dinner any minute prior to me actually cooking it (you may lose a body part- most likely your head), and sometimes even when it's in process I still couldn't tell you.

We generally stick to the same basic nutrition options (see Eat This ) so it makes sense money wise to buy the staples that you can in bulk. I generally shop three options

1. My AdvoCare products for quick, portable, nutritious Breakfast/Lunch/Snack options:


a healthy family, child nutrition, child nutrition program, family and nutrition, family nutrition, healthy family, kids nutrition, nutrition for families, nutrition for kids,
Meal Replacement Shakes


a healthy family, child nutrition, child nutrition program, family and nutrition, family nutrition, healthy family, kids nutrition, nutrition for families, nutrition for kids,
AdvoBar AM

a healthy family, child nutrition, child nutrition program, family and nutrition, family nutrition, healthy family, kids nutrition, nutrition for families, nutrition for kids,
AdovBar Meal

a healthy family, child nutrition, child nutrition program, family and nutrition, family nutrition, healthy family, kids nutrition, nutrition for families, nutrition for kids,
AdvoBar Fruit & Nut

2. My local Sprouts for the best deal on fresh fruits and produce

3. Costco for the majority of my nutritious protein options, complex carbs, and NUTS- we eat a lot of nuts and you really can't beat the prices- check the baking isle for the best deals:

a healthy family, child nutrition, child nutrition program, family and nutrition, family nutrition, healthy family, kids nutrition, nutrition for families, nutrition for kids,


Now obviously FRESH produce is BEST but I really struggle at having enough fresh produce on hand to last the week as my schedule generally permits only one shopping trip to Sprouts. So I like to keep a gigantic bag of frozen broccoli on hand in case of emergency- better a frozen vegi than no vegi at all :)  Which reminds me, one of the biggest lesson I've learned over the past year is that it's not one meal or binge or blizzard or (insert your guilty pleasure here_____________) that's going to derail all your efforts- sometimes making healthy choices for your family is just about picking the BEST of the WORST, and that's perfectly fine because over time it all adds up- so have grace on yourself!

Where do you find the best produce deals in your area?

Saturday, July 27, 2013

Chocolate Protein Pancakes- A Sparkedmom Recipe for a Healthy Family

If I can swing pancakes on Saturday that's major Mom bonus points and sneaking in some extra protein and fiber for my healthy family shoots me right to Super-Nutritious-Mom status! The fact that I didn't get them on a plate until 11ish is completely irrelevant so hand me my cape already- I need it to distract people from the fact that I slept in this shirt ;)

nutrition, family nutrition, healthy family, healthy family recipes, kids nutrition, nutrition for families, nutrition for kids,
Chocolate Protein Pancakes
What I Used:
1 large Egg
1 C Whole Wheat Flour
1/4 C Quick Cooking Oats (yes, mine are Walgreens brand- no judging!)
1 C Almond Milk
1 Tbs Agave Nectar
2 Heaping Scoops of Chocolate Protein Powder
2 Tbls coconut oil
3 tsp baking powder

What I Did:
Beat egg in large bowl until fluffy looking, and then added all remaining ingredients and mix until smooth- pour onto hot griddle or pan and flip once when bubbles form or edges look puffy (I assume nothing, so please don't be offended that I just explained how to flip a pancake...heck I still stress out as to when to flip the dang things and 9 times out of 10 the first one goes in the trash as my "practice" one. I just found out today you can flick water on the pan and if it sizzles your ready...way to leave us in the dark Food Network!)

These were a hit and are quite filling, one batch made 5 of the medium pan sized ones you see in the picture. You can also double/triple the batch, freeze and have the kids just pop them in the toaster for a nutritious on the go breakfast or after school snack.

Tried this healthy family recipe? Share your pics! Any fun mix ins?
How about banana? Super-Yummo!




Friday, July 26, 2013

All Season Legs; A Sparkedmom Recipe for a Healthy Family

Forget groundhog day, yesterday was one of those days that felt like an entire week wrapped up in a day- really not sure if that was a good thing or bad, still reeling!

Actually cooked something pretty to share, I think it would be classified as more of a "winter" dish, but since I don't actually know the rules I can't really be expected to follow them- right? Winter dishes to me means I cooked them when it was winter outside, which I'm in AZ so really, WHEN is that- December? It was stormy yesterday- maybe that counts for something..hopefully no one starts keeping track of my culinary missteps, although THAT could get entertaining- I digress..

Let me preface by admitting I pretty much just throw stuff together- this Momma's on the fly 99.9% of the time so I usually use what I have on hand and season to taste...that being said here's the closest I can get to a recipe for this dish so you can make for your healthy family:)

a healthy family, child nutrition, child nutrition program, family and nutrition, family nutrition, healthy family, kids nutrition, nutrition for families, nutrition for kids,
All Season Legs
What I Used:
1 package drumsticks (usually I do remove the skin but time and patience to do so was not permitting yesterday)
Seasoning; salt/pepper/Mrs Dash Onion/Mrs Dash Garlic- to taste
Vegi Mix of the day; zucchini, tomatoes, garlic, red onion

What I Did:
Salt and pepper my legs and browned over medium heat until brown on all sides. Chopped all my vegie's chunky-like while the legs were browning. Once the legs are browned to my liking, I seasoned with my on hand assortment of Mrs. Dash, tossed in the vegie mix, covered pan and cooed for 15 min or until chicken juices run clear. (if you want crispier legs you can also broil the pan in the oven until the outside crisp up a bit as well)

I don't cook drumsticks near as much as I should considering when it comes to kids and nutrition they kick a chicken nugget out of the park ALL DAY. Leftovers make easy lunches the next day, and they are so versatile, portable, portion controlled, easy to eat- note to self...more leg!

What's your favorite thing about legs?


Thursday, July 25, 2013

Under Construction

a healthy family, child nutrition, child nutrition program, family and nutrition, family nutrition, healthy family, kids nutrition, nutrition for families, nutrition for kids, Okay, I've had a little hiatus from Blogging- still been living the AdvoLife and LOVING it, getting involved in my church, my community, writing an article for our community magazine......
a healthy family, child nutrition, child nutrition program, family and nutrition, family nutrition, healthy family, kids nutrition, nutrition for families, nutrition for kids,


..and THEN a good friend suggests.....




"You should do a BLOG!!".....and here we are again- TA-DA!!



So bear with me while a re-vamp the blog in a different direction so it's a bit more RELAVANT and USEFUL. Excited to see where it goes this time around and in the meantime enjoy my 15 seconds of fame!

<3 Melanie
My Journey