A Quickie ;)

Ready for the quickest blog post ever?

Breakfast:

Spinach, banana, SFH grass fed chocolate protein, sunflower seed butter, and almond milk.

Lunch:

Leftover sausage, peppers, and onions with a drizzle of maple mustard sauce.  That combo was incredible.  I went back for another bowl.

Dinner:

Two eggs, two egg whites, and my massaged kale salad.  I threw the kale in when the eggs were almost done cooking.  YUM!  I love it cooked!

Why did I bother with a blog post if it's going to be boring and quick?  I use this blog as a food journal so it's nice to log what I eat!

Do you keep track of what you eat?

An Easy Day

This was the easiest day ever for food.  Most of it was already made during my meal prep!

Breakfast:

One egg, two egg whites, spinach, leftover sausage.  Plus unpictured coffee.

Gym:  Push day- chest press, tricep dips, flys, tricep kickbacks, shoulder press, lateral raises.  Plus 30 minutes on the treadmill just brisk walking at an incline.

See the snacks missing?  I'm cleaning up my diet.  No snacking unless I need it.  That breakfast was filling!

Lunch:

Pork sausage, peppers, and onions cooked in coconut oil- made on Sunday!

Dinner:

Tilapia grilled on my george foreman and roasted carrots- made on Sunday!  I squeezed some fresh lemon juice on the fish.

Do you eat regular snacks?  If so, what do you eat?

Meal Prep Tips

Yesterday was my third Sunday in a row making my meals for the week.  At first it was a little rocky but now that I've got the hang of it I really find it beneficial.  Here's a couple of things I've learned while doing it that I thought you might find useful.

1- Make your meal plan and stick to it.  Here's what mine looked like:

Breakfast- always smoothies or eggs (no prep needed besides pre-chopping stuff)

Lunch- one full meal (protein+veg)

Dinner- two full meals (protein+veg)

Snack- (chicken breast+carrots)

You could just do two big meals for lunch and dinner but I like to make a more smaller meals for variety.

So yesterday I made:

• Smoothie packs for smoothies (banana+spinach in ziplocs in the freezer)

• Chicken sausage with peppers and onions (meal 1- mainly for lunch)

• Grilled tilapia with roasted carrots (meal 2- I only made two filets so that covers 2 dinners)

• Grilled burgers (meal 3- for sliders)

• Homemade guacamole (one avocado, 1/4t garlic salt, lots of lime juice- for a slider topping)

• Bacon for a slider topping

• 3 baked chicken breasts for snacks

• I peeled and chopped carrots for snacks
• I also made the kids pancakes and granola bars

2-  When you get home from the grocery store pre-chop all veggies before you even put them in the fridge.  Onions, peppers, kale, carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower all last long in the fridge even when chopped in advance.  This makes your meal prep so much easier!

3-  Set aside quiet time with minimal interruption.  I meal prep during naptime or put my kids in front of a movie while I do it.  

4- Start out with an immaculate workspace.  Wipes counters down.  Wash, dry, and put dishes away....

5-  Start with the most time consuming thing.  Yesterday the first thing I did was get the carrots in the oven.  While they were cooking I did a lot of the other stuff.  

6- Invest in some good tupperware.  Plastic for storage and glass for reheating.  I use mainly plastic because I'm at home and can just dump everything onto a plate to reheat.


7-  Clean up as you go.  Put things back in the cupboards, wash dishes, wipe down counter tops. Less mess for you to clean up at the end!

Do you have any meal planning/prepping tips?

RECIPE: Massaged Kale

I ate this every single day last week and I just made a new batch today so I could eat it all this week.  Kale is my favorite vegetable.  I love it made all ways but this way is my favorite.  This recipe/technique is simple, delicious, and so nutritious.  Such an easy way to get some greens in.


You pull all the leaves off of a big bunch of kale.  Take extra care to leave the stem behind and only pull off the leaves.  Also make sure you wash it really well.  Since it will be eaten raw you don't want any grit.

You make a simple dressing.


Then you literally massage it until it wilts.


Need the specifics?

Massaged Kale

About 10 cups of kale.  I just used a big bunch- stems removed, torn into bite sized pieces, washed, and dried
1T olive oil
1t fresh lemon juice
1/4t salt
1 garlic clove grated or minced

Put the kale into a large bowl.  Mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and garlic.  You could also add a teaspoon of honey if you wanted.  Massage the dressing into the kale for a few minutes or until the kale changes color and becomes soft.

This is great to make ahead of time to let the flavors settle.  It lasts all week in the fridge for me and never changes texture.  Remember this is very basic so you might want to jazz it up a bit.  My favorite way is with toasted almonds and apple juice sweetened dried cranberries.


What is your favorite green to use for salads?

Yoga Class and Cod Liver Oil

I'm really focused on this "lean out" you guys... Today was an awesome day with eating.  I was a little hungry this morning but you know what...?  It's OK to be hungry!

Breakfast:

I'm steering clear of bananas so you'll be seeing a lot more eggs for breakfast.  I'm still debating on the Sunday pancake thing so we'll see!

This morning was one whole egg, two egg whites, and fresh spinach cooked in one teaspoon of ghee.  I need to be more mindful of how much fat I use to cook things in that's why I measured out the ghee.  I'm so used to just throwing a spoonful in.


I topped my omelette with a little bit of avocado.

I was told today by a stranger that I looked "glowy".  They were talking about my skin.  A few months ago I started taking the fermented cod liver oil that Diane Sanfilippo raves about.

I was a bit skeptical about it so I didn't order it for a long time.  It's pricey and I have a tendency to burp up fish oil.  Gross huh.

Of course the paleo diet is ahhhmazing for your skin but I really really think this stuff has made a huge difference.  My skin looks so different.  It's brighter and I do almost have a glow.  Plus my hair and nails are growing at a ridiculous rate.  It's hard to explain but y'all know what I'm talking about.

Gym:

I was so brave today.  I walked into a yoga studio and took a class... all by myself.  I was so nervous!  I've only taken yoga at the gym so it's not real yoga.  Plus yoga puts me totally out of my element and out of all of my comfort zones.  I'm not flexible, I'm not gentle, I'm not a calm person, and I don't really like to be touched.  I'm used to loud music, weights thudding on the ground, feet pounding on the treadmill, and people ignoring me because I have my headphones in.  While I was sitting on my mat before class I could hear everyone talking about some yoga person... and I had no idea what they were talking about.  Like I said I was really nervous.  I ended up loving the class and loving everyone in it.  I made fast friends with the girl beside me and could do almost all of the poses without a problem.

I'm so excited to start a new form of exercise!

Lunch:

This is the point in the day where I was hungry.  I forgot my snack at home.  I had a tuna patty (like how those turned out? haha) and massaged kale.

Snack:

I also had one date stuffed with sunbutter around 3.  One thing I learned today... Don't waste your time buying pitted dates.  They are so dry and hard.  Get the ones with the pit.


So good!

Dinner:

One pound of ground beef cooked in one large jar of Raos marinara sauce.  Plus spaghetti squash.  So simple!

What's the newest exercise you've tried?

Cracking Down

You guys totally eased my mind about my kids... I really thought about it yesterday and honestly there is only so much I can do.  I can only offer them healthy foods.  They will have to learn to accept it!  I really appreciate all of your comments.  It's exactly what I needed!

On to my day!

Breakfast:

A simple smoothie.
-1 cup unsweetened almond milk, a few handfuls of spinach, a banana, 1 scoop vanilla protein powder.  

Of course right after I wrote a post about how I've been struggling with my kids diet they started eating better...


Gym:  A serious leg workout.  I almost passed out afterwards.  No joke.  My trainer and I talked about my diet today and he said a few things that really made me think.  I am totally happy with where I am right now but I still have some baby belly fat I'd like to lose.  He said it would only take a few months to get rid of it but I have to be super strict on my food intake.  I knew that...  He said no cheats.  He said you have to get where you want to be and then work in cheats and treats.  Makes sense to me.

I have 7 months and I want my hubs to be totally surprised when he sees me!  So if you see things measured out more often and no treats now you know why!

While I was making breakfast this morning I packed a snack for after the gym.


No matter what I eat in the morning I'm starving after the gym.  This time I came prepared!


2oz. chicken, carrots, and a coconut water.

It kept me going until lunch time!

Lunch:

We ate at Chick-fila for lunch today.  I just had a grilled chicken salad with a little berry balsamic dressing.

I also stopped at Starbucks on the way home for a decaf coffee.

I brought my own almond milk!

Dinner:

Leftovers from Sundays cook up!  Porkchop, brussels, and massaged kale salad.

I'm getting more kale on Saturday to do a massaged kale recipe on Sunday.  I have been inhaling it all week.  It's so different from sautéed kale or even raw kale.  I love it!

What's something new you've tried?

Kid Food Help

Y'all I feel like I'm failing a little as a parent.  I need some advice.  These past few months my kids have gone from amazing eaters to the typical kid.  If it were up to my kids they would eat Tyson chicken nuggets, cupcakes, and chocolate chips for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  They will not try anything new and everything is "yucky".  If I were forceful and didn't make them something different for meals they would literally starve.  I've actually had them throw up at the dinner table because I made them try something they didn't like.  

I never wanted my kids to be "typical" eaters.  By typical I mean grilled cheese sandwiches, goldfish crackers, pudding cups, boxed mac-n-cheese...  I feel like a hypocrite.  I give all of this nutritional advice to people but I don't feed my kids the way I think everyone should eat.  The more focused I get on my kids nutrition the more I feel like we slip into that typical lifestyle.

For instance, here's what I normally offer them:

Breakfast- Kashi waffle with grass fed butter, pure maple syrup, and berries.
They eat all of this.


Lunch- Plain triscuits, carrot sticks, organic string cheese, organic deli turkey, and a pickle.
They eat the crackers.


Afternoon Snack- Apple and parmesan cheese.
They eat all of this probably because they didn't eat much for lunch.


Dinner- Ground turkey, brown rice, broccoli, squash.
They eat the rice.

What I'm offering looks great but they don't eat a lot of it.  "The turkey is yucky".  "I only like parmesan cheese".  "I don't like carrots".

Where did I go wrong? or did I even go wrong?

-Am I too hard on them?  Am I too focused on nutrition?

-Am I too relaxed?  Do they get too many treats too often?

-Are they exposed to too many junk food situations?

-Are my expectations unreasonable?  Should I expect them to actually like kale chips and green smoothies?  I mean most kids eat poptarts, lunchables, and pizza rolls for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

-Is this just a phase?  Are they just being "kids"?

I've tried pulling in the reins a little tighter.  No treats, no eating out, no snacking... I've tried being more relaxed.  Cupcakes for dinner?  Sure!  I can't find a happy medium and I feel like it's a constant battle.  So much food goes to waste because they pick at it or throw it at the dogs.

It might seem silly to be so concerned with all of this but I feel like the way they eat now teaches them how to eat later in life.  Obviously America isn't teaching anyone a thing about nutrition so it's up to me...

What are your thoughts?  I'd love any advice on this.

A Simple Day

Breakfast:

I've made those blueberry lemon pancakes a few times now.  Each time I've tried to do one big pancake it always ends up as a scramble.  This morning was the third time it happened.  The big pancake just won't stay together!  I had to edit the recipe to say to just make three small pancakes.  The scramble was good but not nearly as pretty!

Gym:  Between me being in a funky mood and the kids being sick we haven't been to the gym in a few days.  I needed it today but the kids just weren't up to it.  Instead we did a Namaste Yoga together.


I spent the majority of the time giggling at them!

Childs pose?

Lunch:

Lunch was leftovers from Friday night.  A simple stir fry using this recipe.  I didn't use fresh ginger so I added 1/2t powdered and I added a tablespoon of coconut aminos.

Dinner:

A simple porkchop seasoned with salt, pepper, and rosemary cooked in coconut oil.  I took the porkchop out of the pan and put the brussels sprouts in.  Then I deglazed the pan with chicken stock and put the lid on it until they were tender.  Such a simple dinner.

Plus I added some of this on those brussels sprouts.  Amazing.


What kind of workouts do you like to do at home?

RECIPE: Blueberry Lemon Paleo Pancakes

It's obvious that I have a love for pancakes.  When you eat them more than five days a week you might call it an obsession.  I'm pretty much obsessed with pancakes.  Especially these.


Blueberry Lemon Paleo Pancakes

1/4 cup mashed banana
1 egg
1 egg white
1/4 cup almond flour
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
1/4 cup fresh blueberries
Grass-fed butter for the top

Make sure your banana is mashed really well in a bowl.  Whisk in your egg, egg whites, almond flour, lemon juice, and lemon zest.  Stir in your blueberries.  Melt a teaspoon of coconut oil in a pan on medium-low heat. Pour in the pancake batter to form three small pancakes.  I've tried several times to make one big pancake but those blueberries won't let me.  It always falls apart.  Let the pancakes cook for about five minutes on one side.  You don't want to try to turn them too soon or they will fall apart.  Low and slow is the key.  You may have to peek and see if they are ready to flip.  When they look golden brown flip them over and let the other side cook for about two minutes.


Top with your grass fed butter.


See other paleo pancake recipes here!

Snow!

Y'all it never snows in North Carolina!

Well it never snows where we live.

No food post today.
 

We had too much fun playing in the snow!

Cheater Cheater Yogurt Eater!

Well yesterday was short and sweet but today it seems like everything has a story!

Breakfast:

Pickin's were slim in the fridge this morning.  I ended up with three eggs scrambled.  They were our chickens eggs so they are pretty tiny.  Plus some blueberries that needed to be eaten.  I'm thinking I need to do more egg whites instead of the whole eggs?  Hmm...

I dropped the kids off at school and headed to Whole Foods... ALONE.  I've never been by myself before.  I saw Whole Foods in a whole new light.

I got to pick out my groceries without having a potty break mid shop or to stop to have to pick up a snack cup that was dumped out of the cart.  Ahhhh.... Boy was it nice!  $50 over budget nice.  Next time I'll have more control.

Lunch:

I can't lie and say I don't miss things that I used to eat.  I mean come on... I've spent the past 29 years eating pasta, bread, milk, cheese, beans, ect... All I've ever known is not paleo and my comfort foods and emotional connections with food are not paleo.  I miss sandwiches.  I really do.  I miss fresh sourdough bread with turkey, mayo, cheese, pickle, and lettuce.  I miss fresh whole grain bread with ham and swiss.  I've wanted a sandwich all week so today I improvised.

I did a not so primal thing and got some deli meat.  It was organic so give me a little break.  I added mustard, a fat, and some pickled things.

I wrapped it all up...

And it was almost like the real thing.

Then I added some chips...


And a soda.

Then it was perfect!

So I hate using the word "cheat" in association with food.  The husband has people talk to him all the time about paleo (people never talk to me about paleo... it's no fair) and he always uses the word "cheats" for off limits foods.  It drives me nuts because he also says things like "no carb/low carb".  I like saying "no grains"... I also like the words splurge or indulge.  "Cheat" sounds like such a bad thing...

Well this afternoon I cheated.  Big time.

There was no splurge or indulge in that hot mess.  That's plain grassfed full fat greek yogurt (the kids eat it) with Paleo Krunch.  At first I just wanted to see what it tasted like.  I had forgotten how much I love yogurt and granola.  Things got a little out of control.  I ate an 8oz container of yogurt with paleo granola in about three bites.  Redonk.

Dinner:

Since my little mistake this afternoon I kept it simple with some chicken and stir fry veggies.

Do you "cheat" or "indulge"?