7 Easy Ways to Eat Healthier This Week

How are you doing on your New Year's Resolutions?  Have you burst into a ball of flame yet? Have you turned into Cindy Crawford?  Me Neither, but that is mostly because I didn't actually make any New Year's Resolutions - that's one way to be wildly successful, isn't it?!

The way I feel about things, is that living a healthy life takes life changes. Things that you do forever and ever, evermore, and not just for 30 days or until you reach a goal weight or until you stumble across that sleeve of stale Oreos in the back of the pantry.

In my life, I try and make the best choices that I can in the moment. That means Meal Planning when I can (because I know that makes me successful). Prepping food and snacks "before" instead of saying that I will get to it later. And making the little things count - and not giving up the whole show when something doesn't go right.

Maybe this week - Try Baking with Some Healthy Substitutions.  It is much easier than you think, and you don't have to go all out - You can cut the sugar in half, or substitute half the flour for a whole grain flour. You don't have to give up chocolate chip cookies and only eat carob. You don't even have to be so brave as to add or cut half, do half or a half. One little step in the right direction, is Still in the right direction.

Try an in-season fruit or vegetable that you’ve never had. If you like summer stone fruits like peaches and plums, you’ll probably love persimmons, too. Have you eaten fresh cranberries, or tried a new citrus fruit - what about artichokes? Eating in Season not only is so much better for you, but foods taste better when they are fresher and they cost quite a bit less.

Stuck in a Rut with Pasta or Rice - Eat Well Utah - has some amazing information and recipes on cooking with whole grains. Use quinoa instead of rice, add barley or groats to your menu. What about making some veggie "noodles" with zucchini or rocking it old school with spaghetti squash!

Make-Over a Comfort Food - Instead of frying chicken, bread it and bake it in the oven. Try a creamy macaroni and cheese recipe, you can find recipes that are for beginning healthy eaters all the way to recipes that use cauliflower to make the "cheese" sauce. Use a substitution that is better for you than heavy cream to thicken a soup, use something besides mayonnaise to make a salad creamy.

Choose Your Beverages Wisely -  One of the best things that we can all do for our bodies is to Stop drinking soda.  Choose to drink more water, eat whole fruit instead of drinking juices, make low-fat and skim milk part of your healthy habits.

Change Up Your Breakfast - Start your day by making a choice to take better care of yourself.  Start your day with a whole grain - or how about adding some veggies to your breakfast.  If you aren't someone who regularly eats breakfast, start a new habit that will make you feel great. Lots of us feel like we don't have time to make a big healthy meal in the morning, and that makes weekends great for preparing freezer breakfast burritos or sandwiches to put in the freezer. You can pop something in the microwave and have breakfast made in less time than it takes to brush your teeth.

Choose Fruit - When those late night snack cravings happen, Choose Fruit. When you get that afternoon slump or those terrible 10am "how can it NOT be lunch yet?!" feelings. Choose a piece of fruit.

Try just one way to be healthier this week, or try each time once. Try something else that you have had on your list of things you want to do - Keep being brave, keep moving forward!

89 Simple Swaps for a Better Life

Just one smart change to be the first step (or the next step) to living your Best Life!

This  for  That  !! 

Fitness

1. Dynamic for Static Stretching

2. Interval Workout for Relaxed Run

3. Incline for Flat Treadmill

4. Zumba for Elliptical

5. Planks for Crunches

6. Warming up for Rushing Right To It

7. Standing for Sitting at a Desk

8. Exercise Ball for Office Chair

9. Gym for Napping

10. Free Weights for Machines

11. Pull-Ups for Biceps Curls

12. Squats for Leg Press

13. Personal trainer for Guessing Games

14. Foam Rolling for Static Stretching

15. Exergames for Mario Kart

16. Rowing for Biking

17. Stairs for Escalator

18. Fun Workout for Dreaded Workout

19. Active Date for Dinner and a Movie

20. Parking Farther Away for Getting A Spot Up Close

21. Walking Farther for Running Shorter

22. Working Out With a Pal for Exercising Alone

23. Hands-Free Running for Holding Handles

24. Cherry Juice for Muscle Medicine

25. Homemade Post-Workout Snack for a Protein Bar

Health

26. Cooking at Home for Eating Out

27. Whole Fruit for Fruit Juice

28. Pan-Fried for Deep-Fried

29. Local Produce for Supermarket Veggies

30. Oil and Balsamic for Other Dressings

31. Raw Spinach for Iceberg Lettuce

32. Greek Yogurt for Sour Cream

33. Cinnamon for Sugar

34. Salsa for Cream Cheese Dips

35. Frozen Grapes for Popsicles

36. Sparkling Water for Soda

37. Fresh Fruit for Syrup at Brunch

38. Air-Popped Popcorn for Chips

39. Doggy Bag for Food Coma

40. Brown Rice for White Rice

41. Whole-Wheat Pasta for White Pasta

42. Oatmeal for Sugary Cereal

43. Biking to Work for Driving

44. Packing Lunch for Eating Out

45. Eating Three Meals for Skipping and Snacking

46. Mustard for Mayo

47. Avocado Toast for Butter

48. Lean Meats for Fatty Ones

49. Marinara Sauce for White Sauce

50. Red Wine or Beer for a Margarita

51. Chewing Slowly for Speed Eating

52. Eating at the Table for Chowing in Front of the TV

53. Eating Breakfast for Hitting Snooze (Again)

54. Black Coffee for Latte

55. Toast for Bagel

56. Medium Plate for Large One

57. Eating From the Bowl Over Digging Into the Box

58. Hard-Boiled Eggs for Fried

59. Chopsticks for Forks

60. Grocery Shopping When Full for Shopping Hungry

61. Stopping When Full for Cleaning the Plate

62. Raw Nuts for Nut Butter

63. Power Nap for Energy Drink

Happiness

64. Gratitude for Complaining

65. Outside for Inside

66. Book for Television

67. Meditation for Comfort Food

68. Yoga for Facebook

69. Being Upfront for Acting Passive Aggressive

70. Breathing for Being a Stress Mess

71. Working at a Desk for Working in the Bedroom

72. Fun Alarm Clock Song for Annoying Ringer

73. Fancy Silverware for Plastic

74. Carpooling for Driving Alone

75. Journaling for Emotional Eating

76. Smiling for Frowning

77. Color for Drab Shades

78. Keeping the Same Bedtime for Winging It

79. Little Milestones for Big Goals

80. Clean Workspace for Clutter

81. Venting to a Friend for Bottling It Up

82. Self-Love for Self-Criticism

83. Focusing on the Future Instead of Dwelling on the Past

84. Moderation for Deprivation

85. Calling a Friend for Texting

86. Honesty for Excuses

87. Comfy Shoes for Fancy Footwear

88. Saying No for Over-Committing

89. Planning for Procrastination

Maple Roasted Pumpkin and Veggies

When I first started trying to follow My Plate I had no idea how I was going to feed my family all those vegetables. I didn't know how I was going to eat all those vegetables.  Trying to achieve half a plate at every meal seemed like a nearly impossible task. 

But as I have learned through Food $ense classes and just putting the things I have learned into practice, it isn't as hard as you might think - and actually can be really really delicious. 

I began first by adding a green salad to lunch and dinner. It was easy, the kids could help me prepare it, and my bigger kids could easy do it on their own. Everyone could choose their own dressing and so I never had to face any, "but I don't like salad" complaints.  It quickly became habit and I felt really good about the changes we were making. 

Something else that I have recently started doing, is roasting up all the veggies that I have left in the fridge on Saturdays during my meal prep. I always add a great big onion to them, toss them in a little bit of olive oil spread them out on two baking sheets (because I make a LOT) and then sprinkle them with a little bit of salt and pepper.   I used these veggies as a go-to side dish all week until I run out of them. 

That means that without even having to think about it, I have added a green salad and then a side of roasted veggies to my plate without even having to think about it.  Then when I make dinner during the week, I can plan much smaller portions of protein and grains because I already know we have lots of vegetables to fill up on.  I don't even worry about "do roasted veggies go with this" because you don't think that for a second about a green salad, it just goes with everything, I feel that way about roasted veggies. 

Ingredients

2 lbs cubed pumpkin (sweet potatoes or winter squash)

1 lb brussels sprouts 

2 red onions, peeled and each onion cut into wedges

1/4 cup walnuts (or other sturdy nut like almonds or pecans)

3 tbsp maple syrup

3 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tbsp dried chili flakes, adjust to taste 

1/2 tsp salt

Black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400F.

Peel and dice the pumpkin into 1“ cubes, If your brussels sprouts are large, cut them in half.

Place the pumpkin, brussels sprouts, onion and walnuts onto a large baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil and maple syrup, then mix with your hands until it is evenly coated.

Sprinkle the veggies with the dried chilli flakes, salt and pepper.

Roast for 25 minutes, or until the pumpkin is browned and cooked through. 

Toss once at around 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven, Serve immediately.

Easy Wellness Tips for a Busy Life

I am the guiltiest person in the world of saying, " I am just too busy to ___" (insert work-out / activity here)  I'll be honest, I don't really enjoy it, and it is pretty much the last thing that I want to do with my free time.

But I am trying to change that. I remind myself that I feel So Much Better when I am being active.

Every little bit does count, and the more activity you can get into your life, the more you will be able to do. Even when you feel your busiest, take a few minutes to do something for yourself.

Something as simple as parking the car far away from the entrance and taking a few minutes to yourself as you walk into work, try each day to be more active than you were the day before. You'll enjoy how strong, happy and energized it makes you feel.

Here's some Tips -

Try Out Interval Training.
Nobody feels like they have extra time in the day, so make those active minutes count. You only need 20 minutes to get a great workout with short bursts of high intensity exercise. If you don't feel like you can spend a lot of time, spend just a little bit of time and work extra hard. The energy boost, better sleep and increased productivity will have you thinking that 20 minutes is totally worth it.

Desk - ercise.
Just because you are sitting doesn't mean you just have to Sit there. You can get all kinds of movements and stretches in while you are waiting for email replies, files to download and thinking deeply about work projects. You might feel a bit self conscious at first, but getting your body moving can beat that 2pm run to the snack machine for increased energy.

Workout Your Body With Your Body.
For me, getting out of bed early can be a monumental task, if I add to it, getting to the gym, that a mountain that I just can't climb first thing. So at home workouts using my body weight are good for me. A few sit-ups, crunches and lunges means I can still do them in my pajamas in my bedroom. Starting my morning with a 15 minute yoga workout is a great option for me, when having to drag myself to the gym was an easy excuse not to do anything.

Walk it Out.
From driving to work, sitting at our desks, commuting home, sitting down for dinner and relaxing on the couch, we spend an awful lot of our day sitting. Some studies say 70% of our day! Take every chance you can get to stand up and walk around. Take the stairs at the office, park a little farther away. Taking advantage of every opportunity to move a little bit can really have those steps adding up.

Turn Your TV time into Active Time.
I know I don't want to miss out on the newest episodes of my favorite shows. When faced with the option of indulging in a few episodes of your favorite show or heading out to the gym, it takes some serious will power for the gym to win. But it doesn't have to be that way. If you are watching at home, do some body weight exercises or stretching while you are watching your show. If you attend the gym, most machines have TVs right in front of them or you can always watch on your phone.

Take Advantage of Full-Body Moves.
If you don't have all day (and who does) to be working out individual parts of your body, go for the whole body moves and get it all done at once. Swimming is a great exercise for this, as well as yoga and Pilates.

Reduce Stress Immediately.
Stress in our lives leads a lot of us to deal with it in unhealthy ways. Try and reduce the stress in your life, and manage the stress that is inevitable. Learn some breathing exercises, try some gentle stretching or take a calming walk around the block.

Stay Hydrated.
One of the best tips to getting well and staying feeling that way, is to be sure that you are getting enough water. Most of us spend a lot of our days drinking our calories and filling up on sugary drinks, fancy coffee and avoiding water. But getting plenty of water can help you recognize real hunger, feel energized and stay focused. Start by replacing some of the other things you are drinking with good old water.

Meditate.
You don't have to sit on a the floor with your legs crossed but taking a few minutes each day to gather your thoughts and focus on yourself can make for more productive days and better sleep at night. Use this time to connect with your life goals, your daily goals and give yourself some love for all the positive changes that you are making in your life.

Turn off  the Technology.
I have had to do this one myself and it has been a struggle. The constant pop-ups and notifications had me checking my phone every few minutes and spending scrolling though other people's lives and neglecting my own. Examine your own use of phones, tablets and laptops and set limits for yourself. Is being connecting causing you to disconnect to your life and the people around you?

Easy Nutrition Tips for a Busy Life

There probably isn't a single one of us that doesn't feel busy. That doesn't feel at times, like we are too busy or too tired from being busy to make the healthy choice and instead we opt for the easy choice.

We've all been there, chances are 99% of us will be there again at some point. That's okay, but if we make some of the easy nutrition choices when we can, it doesn't make the easy unhealthy choices our lifestyle.

And having good food in our body, makes our bodies feel better and we are able to get more done and feel better about it.

Don't worry about making ALL healthy choices at once, try adding one or two a week.

Make friends with your Microwave -
If you are cooking in the microwave you aren't limited to a scary frozen dinner. We like to scramble eggs,  and make oatmeal. You can also cook Salmon or Tilapia. I always defrost the chicken breasts that I forgot to get out. It is also easy to cook the rice and veggies that I want to serve with that chicken.  Microwaves do a lot more now than just heat up items that you buy on the frozen food aisle.

Make Simple Meals - 
Peanut butter and Jelly might spring to your mind, but there’s an million easy and delicious combinations out there. There in a whole internet full of three-ingredient-meals. Make a baked potato or stuff sweet potatoes, breakfast for dinner, or chili, (or almost any soup!)

Be Sure You are Getting Your Nutrients -
If you are filling your body with empty calories with no nutrition, you aren't going to feel your best. For example, not eating enough iron can cause fatigue and even depression. Don't assume that morning multivitamin is going to make up for all poor choices that you might make in a day. Get your iron naturally by eating oatmeal, lentils, and lean meats. You can also get iron from spinach, so go ahead and add a handful of the green stuff to your morning smoothie. Whole foods are the very best way to nourish our bodies.

Turn to Soups and Stews - 
I love making soups, you can make them ahead of time and put them in a slow cooker, or you can open a few cans and throw them together at the last minute. You can pack them full of veggies and beans. And they can be on the healthiest comfort foods out there, who doesn't enjoy sitting down to a hot bowl of soup?  You can make a large batch and freeze servings for later, you can arrange a soup swap with friends. They make great lunches to take to work.  They can be very inexpensive with lots of added veggies, beans and potatoes. And don't worry that you'll get bored, there are a zillion healthy soup recipes on the web. Try a new one this week.

Like a Scout, Be Prepared - 
Choose a time that works best for you, grab a helper (or two) and meal prep for the week. Chop  your fresh veggies, cook large batches of brown rice, roast a chicken or put enough chicken breasts for several meals in the slow cooker and then separate and store in portions that you need. Making a meal plan that uses ingredients multiple times and cooking several things at once while you are in the kitchen can make for easy weeknight assembly at dinner time.

Be A Smooth Operator - 
Smoothies are a great way to fill up on tons of nutrients with minimal effort. To make them quick and even easier, We prepare smoothie bags at our house. Add to a ziploc bag berries, bananas, sliced fruit and your spinach or other greens. When you're ready to make a smoothie, just take a bag out of the freezer and add your water or yogurt and you're ready to blend. This is also a fantastic way to use up that last bit of fruit that is getting a bit too ripe, but isn't going to be eaten - save it for a smoothie.

Eat Mindfully - 
At one time in my life, I kept a food journal, and I was shocked to realize all the food that I had eaten and hadn't even realized it. I hadn't enjoyed it, I had just consumed it. Sitting down and enjoying a meal or even a snack mindfully helps you to feel more satisfied, to relax and enjoy the food and the experience and take time from our busy lives to reconnect with the people around us.

Embrace your Slow Cooker - 
It seems like there isn't anything that this multi-tool can't do, from meats, soups, breads and oatmeal, all you do is add the ingredients and give it some time to work its magic. Talk about being a kitchen  dream come true.

Spice up Your Life - 
Spices do more than just make things taste amazing. One of the hidden benefits of cooking with amazing spices is that you use less of the other (not so good for you) things that make food taste amazing... like butter, fats and salt. Instead of cheese on your eggs, try some Tabasco, instead of mayonnaise on that sandwich, try some mustard or a dash of oil and vinegar. Experiment with new seasonings and see what new flavors you can fall in love with.

Let Someone Else do the Shopping -
Almost as long as we have been married Joseph has been our grocery shopper. I am very lucky. But now, the rest of you can be that lucky. Most huge grocery stores and lots of the the smaller ones are now offering free grocery pick up. Making a menu plan, creating a shopping list and letting someone else do all that wandering through the store can save you a ton of money.  It also can free up your time to do things that you really enjoy - unless you really enjoy grocery shopping.

Add Veggies to Absolutely Everything -
Adding some salsa to your scrambled eggs or spinach in a smoothie is a pretty common thing. But what are other ways that you can pack more veggies into your day. Add them to your omelet, or pile them onto your sandwiches. Make them your snacks and you can even add them to dessert. This is one tip all nutritionists agree one, Eat More Veggies.

Roasted Broccoli, Sweet Potato and Chickpea Supper

Having an all vegetable meal can have a huge impact on your health, on your budget and on the environment. You have probably seen the Meatless Monday movement on social media. I think it is a really great idea, but I am after wondering.. what else am I going to make besides spaghetti and red sauce. 

This recipe for an all vegetable supper feels hearty and satisfying. It is flavorful and has lots of amazing textures. I was so proud of myself when I made this. And I loved it so much, I made it again a few days later. 

It may make you totally hooked on having a meatless meal once a week and having it be a really special night where you eat really great food not just a night where you are focusing on going without something. Enjoy!! 

Ingredients

VEGETABLES

1 large or two small sweet potatoes

1 head broccoli, chopped into large bite size pieces

2 Tbsp olive

Healthy pinch each salt and black pepper

optional: 1 tsp dried dill or 2 tsp fresh dill

optional: 1 thinly sliced red bell pepper (leave raw or roast with broccoli)

CHICKPEAS

1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained, rinsed, thoroughly dried

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp curry spice

Healthy pinch sea salt

optional: pinch cayenne pepper or red pepper flake

GARLIC DILL SAUCE

1/3 cup hummus 

3 large cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp dried or 2 tsp fresh dill

2 Tbsp lemon juice

Water to thin

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper (or grease lightly).

Add rinsed dried chickpeas to a mixing bowl and season with oil, curry spice, and salt. Toss to combine.

Add sweet potatoes and chickpeas to one sheet, and the broccoli to another. Drizzle the vegetables with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper - toss to combine. Sprinkle with dill (optional). Then arrange in a single layer.

Bake both for a total of 20-25 minutes, rotating the pans once near the halfway point. You can flip the sweet potatoes over to encourage even baking, but it's not necessary. You'll know the broccoli is done when it's golden brown, the sweet potatoes will be tender, and the chickpeas will begin firming up and taking on a slight crunch. Set aside.

While vegetables and chickpeas are baking, prepare dressing by adding hummus, garlic, dill, and lemon juice to a small mixing bowl and whisking to combine. Then add only enough water to thin until pourable. Set aside.

To serve, divide vegetables and chickpeas between two serving plates and drizzle with dressing, or serve on the side.

When Kids Eat Healthy, So Do Parents

I would be willing to bet that almost every parent has uttered the phrase, " I am not running a restaurant" - I would be willing to bet that even the parents who actually run a restaurant, do not feed their kids that way.  It is impossible to run a family and cook each person a different breakfast, a different lunch and a different dinner. 

" You get what you get, and you don't throw a fit" probably originated at the dinner table. 

But studies are finding that children who eat better have parents who eat better.  On this journey to love a healthier life, I have been the one lagging behind, I am the one with doubts, the one with weird food hang-ups and the one who resists change the most. It is probably because I have had my bad habits the longest. 

Our kids are open to trying new things, they are brave and adventurous and if we didn't put all our anxiety on them, they'd lead us the way into healthy lifestyles.  Kids love to play, when did we as adults stop playing? When I take my kids to the farmer's market, they want to discover everything, they want to feel it and smell it and taste it. I am the one thinking, " I have heard that ____ is really bad / strange / yucky" 

Not only are our children great examples to us, but they inspire us.  I want my children to leave long lives, full of health that allows them to be anything they want to be.  By choosing to provide them food that is unhealthy, I am not only depriving their bodies of nutrition that they need, but I am planting the seeds for bad habits that will last a lifetime. 

I struggle still in my quest to be a healthier person. I struggle with being active and having a piece for fruit instead of an ice cream. But I am motivated for my children. There are lots of things I won't do for myself, but I will do for my children. These choices aren't easy ones, and I am certainly not always perfect, but the people that I am doing it for are the most important people in the world and they are helping me to be a better person for myself and them. 

10 Healthy Tips Almost Everyone Can Agree On

Can you believe that I just typed "Everyone Can Agree On" and "Healthy" in the same blog title. 

I actually can't think of too many things that more people seem to disagree on (and feel really strongly about) than food and nutrition. 

There is so much confusing information out there, so many studies, big ones and small ones, and most of them seem to completely disagree with each other. 

So what are you suppose to believe, even people with the very best intentions to make healthy lifestyle changes can hardly know where to turn with arguments coming from all sides. 

Nothing is true 100% of the time. - and nothing is perfect for every single body, body type, situation and budget, But these tips are pretty accurate most of the time, for most body types, most situations and most budgets. 

Mostly, the Most. 

* Start Your Day With Breakfast

Eating is much better for you than not eating. It's that simple. 

 * Eat Less Fast Food

The portions, the fat, the salt, the chemicals, the eating on the run. Nobody could argue it was good for us - we should do it less. 

* Eat Real Food

This one is a compromise for almost all of us. Yes! you can grow every single thing you put into your mouth yourself, but most of us don't do that. Buy things that are as "real" as you can get and read your labels. And then make the decision for yourself and your family, "what is the best choice that I can make here" - do that, and you'll be doing just fine. 

* Listen To Your Body

We all start out as babies, eating when we are hungry and stopping when we are full. Along the way, we get really confused about when, why and how much we are eating. Get back to listening to your body. Learn to read your own cues, are you thirsty and not hungry, are you bored, are you eating because you just need something to do with your hands? Listen to your body tell you what it needs. You'll be surprised at how smart you already are. 

* Eat More Vegetables

This one is about as 100% as we are going to get. There isn't anyone that doesn't think you should be eating your veggies - Including your mom!  Follow this pattern : Fresh, Frozen, Canned - any veggies are better than no veggies. 

* Drink Water

There isn't a single thing that is better for you to hydrate with than water. Sports Drinks, soda companies, energy drink makers - they're all trying to sell you something that you don't need. Your body needs water, it doesn't "need" any of those other things. 

* Don't Skip Meals

There are a lot of different reasons behind this one, Metabolism effects, binge eating later, being hungry messes with your brain .. and on and on.  But it all boils down to the fact that our bodies need fuel to run. Fuel your body the best way that you can - and you'll be just fine. 

* Snack If You Need To 

This could be a whole argument all on its own, but it just comes down to the truth that eating healthy food is better than not eating.  Joseph gets to work early in the morning, so he has breakfast before 7am, that makes him hungry for lunch around at 11 (and really hungry by 12) - he gets the 3:00 slump and isn't home from work until 6:30 - From 11:00 to 6:30 is a really long time if you are Hungry.  Kids who come home from school are in exactly the same situation, eating something healthy is always always better than not eating at all. 

* Avoid Soda

Sugar, I don't think I need to say more. 

* It is Okay Not to Eat Perfectly

Being healthy is a journey, it is a process and it changes as much year to year as it does daily. Every single body, and every lifestyle and every situation have different needs.  Maybe you are a man who works long hours at a very physically demanding job, perhaps you are a mom with young kids and running on no sleep, hormones, activity levels, budgets and time - they all have an effect on what we can and do put in our bodies. 

Don't beat yourself up because you aren't Perfect - perfect according to who, to what standards, in what situation. Make the very best decision that you can in that moment and keep on making that best decision in that moment that you can. 

Those best decisions still aren't going to add up to a perfect way to eat, because that doesn't exist (and people who are telling you it does aren't being truthful) so be kind to yourself, you are here and that means you want to be healthier and choice by choice you'll be moving in that direction. 

Salt and Vinegar Roasted Potatoes

You know when you get a craving for something and you just don't think anything else will do. I get that something fierce for salt and vinegar. I used to reach for a bag of chips to get that fix, but I have found out that I can make something at home and it is even better at hitting that craving spot and I have no guilt after about what I have eaten  (food guilt is the Worst!)

I can have this made in the time it would take me to run to the store and with all the new potatoes and baby red potatoes starting to appear at the farm stands and farmers' markets. You have got to try this recipe. You'll be hooked. 

Ingredients

2 lb. potatoes, cut into chunks
2 tbsp. olive oil
3 tbsp. apple cider vinegar, divided (white and red wine vinegar would also work)
1 tsp. salt, divided
¼ tsp. ground black pepper



Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut potatoes into 1 ½ inch chunks.

In a large bowl, add the oil, 2 tablespoons of the vinegar, ½ teaspoon of the salt, and the pepper. Whisk until well combined.

Add the potatoes to the bowl. Stir to evenly coat the potatoes in the vinaigrette.

Pour the potatoes onto a large baking sheet and spread into an even layer.

Cook for 25 minutes. Use a heavy spatula to scrape the potatoes up from the baking sheet and flip them over. Cook for 20 minutes more. Again, use the spatula to scrape the potatoes from the baking sheet.

Drizzle the potatoes with an additional tablespoon of vinegar and ½ teaspoon of salt.

Stir the potatoes to evenly coat them in the additional salt and vinegar.

8 of the Healthiest Foods to Eat on a Budget

A lot of us have been believing a huge misconception, that eating healthy costs a lot. 

Perhaps some of us are learning the basics, cook at home as much as we can, buy food when it is in season and at local markets, buy in bulk if you are going to use it and can afford it. 

But a lot of us are still believing that to eat healthy, we have to buy expensive food, use expensive ingredients and that eating on a budget means ramen noodles. 

It just isn't true, it does take learning a new way of thinking and learning a few new skills, but feeding your family healthy foods on a budget is not only possible, but opens a whole new amazing world. 

Brown Rice -

Rice is a basic food for a lot of places around the world because it is so inexpensive. Lots of times rice (and all carbs) can get a bad reputation for being healthy, but your body actually needs carbohydrates to function. Especially ones that are whole grain, they'll have you stay full longer, are lots higher in nutrition and have fiber. 

Non-fat Greek Yogurt - 

You made have heard Greek Yogurt called a superfood, that is another food buzzword that I don't like much, but it is really good for you. It is packed with nutritional value and one of the best things about it is that you can substitute it for a lot of things that aren't great for you, like sour cream. It is great source of protein. You can add it to your diet and include good things while reducing less that good things. 

Old fashioned oatmeal - 

Oatmeal can be one of those foods that you love to eat or you just can't stand. But with all the health benefits and the inexpensive prices - it is worth putting in your pantry. You can use it to make energy bites, cookies and granola bars. Try overnight oats and eat them cold if you don't like hot cereal. Plus you can make it savory as well as sweet. Avoid buying instant oatmeal and really avoid the sugar and chemical filled packets. They are more sugar than oatmeal anyway. 

Beans - 

Black beans, red beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, there are almost as many kinds of beans as there are people. And there are twice as many ways to add beans to your diet. When you buy canned beans, be sure you are buying the Low-Sodium or No-Sodium ones, or even better, buy dry and make your own. (You can freeze them!) They not only add fiber to your diet, but they are an excellent source for inexpensive protein. So add some to your salads, to your tacos, mash them up and spread them on your sandwiches.  I have heard you can even put them in your brownies. 

Canned Tuna -

Canned tuna is another in expensive protein. It has the benefit of being light on fats and full of Omega-3's - those are the healthy fats that help your brain function and repair our cells. Talk about the mercury levels in tuna has caused a lot of scares in the news, especially for kids and pregnant women, but the best rule is to just eat it in moderation. 

Sweet Potatoes -

There probably isn't a person left in the world that doesn't know sweet potatoes are good for you. But I think that most of us don't realize just how good they are for us. They contain 377% of our daily recommended intake of vitamin A. They also contain vitamin B6, potassium, vitamin C, and fiber. The list goes on and on, it is embarrassing really to be so darn healthy and taste so good. Since they are nutrient dense and full of fiber, you'll feel fuller longer when you eat them. You can eat them sweet or savory, make soup out of them, or roast them, even put them on top of salads. 

Apples and other In Season / Low-cost Fruits - 

Fresh fruits are always a good idea when it comes to eating healthy, but out of season they can cost a pretty penny.  When avocados are in season, I can find them for half the price of what they are during the winter months. Learn what fruits are in season in your area and buy them then. Also keep in mind that apples, and bananas are almost always less expensive the mangoes and pineapple. - And fresh fruit is better for you, more filling and costs less than juice. 

Broccoli, Cauliflower and other Low-Cost / In Season Veggies - 

My favorite budget friendly veggie tip is to buy the veggies as close to their natural state and "process" them yourselves. Buy a bag of whole carrots and cut them into snacking size yourself. Buy whole heads of cauliflower and broccoli and use up those broccoli stems in stir-fries, casseroles and cole slaw.  Keep your eyes open for sales on 50 lb boxes of potatoes during the fall and clearance sales on squash at the farm stands. These will keep in a cold storage area for months. ( I keep mine in my unheated garage).  

Yes, it does take learning some new ways of thinking, and for sure some new ways of eating. but you really can eat healthy food without breaking the bank. You can feed your family food that is high quality and will nourish them without spending a fortune. You don't have to spend a ton to eat well. 

Spicy Honey Roasted Almonds

Nuts can be a really great snack. They can leave you satisfied and feeling full when you eat them. 

These are great on their own or you can add them to yogurt, top salads with them or add them to trail mixes. 

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups raw, unblanched almonds

1 tablespoon sugar

1 ½ tbsp honey

½ tsp ground chipotle chili powder

¼ tsp ground cumin

¼ tsp salt

 

Instructions:

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet. 

Place the almonds in a medium nonstick skillet; cook over medium heat for 6 minutes or until lightly toasted, shaking pan frequently. 

Combine the sugar, chipotle powder, cumin and salt in a 2-cup glass measuring cup. Microwave on HIGH for 30 seconds. 

Add honey mixture to pan, and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. 

Arrange almond mixture on prepared baking sheet in a single layer; let stand 10 minutes. Break apart any large pieces that have stuck together.

Health Advice I am Giving You Permission to Ignore

As I have been learning from my Food $ense classes and experiences, I have learned so much about nutrition, I still have a lot to figure out, but I feel like I have a good handle on what is true and what is not true.

That has given me a new desire to focus a little more on getting my body active and moving, I am learning there too.

It is shocking how much misinformation and just lies there are out there. If you have believed any of these, don't feel alone - I have believed them ALL. But that is the beauty of making changes, you learn and then you do better. We make better choices together.

And I give you my special official permission to no longer believe any of these myths!

1. Carbs are making you fat

While it’s true that most carbs are high in calories, they’re not the real problem—overeating is! You can still lose weight even if you eat carbs. The key to being healthy and being at a weight that is good for you is controlling calorie intake.

So instead of eliminating carbs from your diet, reduce simple carbs and switch to whole grains!


2. Exercising more is better

You don’t have to run on the treadmill for two hours to be fit. Or spend hours in the gym, or give up sitting down to watch and enjoy a movie.

You can get the benefits of a one-hour workout in 20 or 30 minutes. You just need to reduce the rest period between sets, do full body exercises and avoid distractions while exercising.

Don’t wait until you have time for a one-hour workout to start exercising—do short workouts when you have time.

3. Eating at night will make you fat

There are some many diets out there that recommend eating at certain times. But health is determined by how much and what you eat, not when you eat.

Yes, there are studies showing that late night eaters gain more weight. But this is based on the fact that late night eaters binge eat and munch on unhealthy foods. 

4. You’ll burn more calories if you exercise in the ______

There are all sorts of claims on the best time to exercises—morning, evening, afternoon. But exercising at a particular time won’t help you burn more calories.

But ultimately, exercising consistently and progressing is what will transform your body. Set your workout time based on your schedule, not on how much fat you’ll burn.

5. A certain type of food is evil. 

In recent years, carbs have been blamed for weight gain, while proteins and fats are considered the key to weight loss. Well no specific type of food is all good or all bad. You need Carbs, Fats and Protein in all your meals everyday. Visit ChooseMyPlate.gov to see how best to balance your diet and make sure you are getting some of everything your body needs to be the best.


6. Strength training makes women bulky or is just for men.

Some women avoid strength training because they’re afraid it’ll make them look too muscular. But it can be more difficult for women to be muscular due to low testosterone levels. For a woman to be extremely muscular she has to do intense strength training or use drugs.

Strength training is important for men as it is for women. It’ll increase your bone density, enhance fat loss, boost metabolism and much more.

7. Eating frequently will boost your metabolism

First off, food has a very small effect on your metabolism. The thermic effect of food accounts for only 10 percent of the total calories you burn in a day.

Secondly, the body release energy depending on the amount of food consumed not how frequently you eat.

The key to boosting your metabolism is to increase lean muscles mass. Having a healthy body just runs better - that will increase your metabolism.

8. No pain, no gain

While it’s okay to push yourself to do a few extra reps, don’t train until you feel pain. While it might be "a Pain" to get up and make those habits or changes, You should NOT feel pain when you are being active.

********

For the most part, being healthy and fit is common sense. Avoid advice that goes against eating unprocessed foods and exercising regularly, and do what feels good and challenging for your body.

... For When You See Me at The Drive-Thru

Years ago when I was asked to start this Food $ense journey and share it all with you. I had so many emotions. I was scared and excited and I was incredibly motivated to change my life.

In the first three months, I attempted to give up any grain that wasn't whole, sugar entirely, and in a whole separate universe of giving stuff up, I was going to give up my Coke.  - all in three months. 

I was obviously going to sprint my way to good heath, and hopefully get it done in under... oh say, 6 months at the max, at least for sure before Christmas and the holidays rolled around. 

It was a new world, I had all the tools, I had all the support, I even really really wanted to succeed. 

..... and then....  life just got so normal. 

And while I had made great changes, and I was moving forward in my journey. I began to compare myself to every food blogger, every nutrition expert, every before and after photo. And there wasn't a single time that I didn't come up short. 

It suddenly didn't matter that I had switched to a fresh bread made by my local bakery. I was still eating bread. It didn't matter that I was having more meals with my family. I wasn't having ALL meals with my family and some members were still pretty grumpy about it. I felt better, but I certainly didn't look any better. Where were my victories that I could post on Facebook about. 

How were people supposed to know all the changes that I was trying to make if I didn't look completely different?

I started to feel so self-conscious in my own skin. I analyzed every part of my life and worried constantly that it wasn't going to be enough. That I wasn't going to be enough for you. That my story and my hope to inspire you and take this journey with you would be invalid because I wasn't perfect. 

It sounds silly to type that and say, I want to be your friend and help you through this really hard journey, but since I haven't gotten it perfect 100% of the time, I can't be your friend doing it. 

Something deep inside us makes us not want to struggle, to have it be hard, to have to earn it. 

And I personally have such a hard time with there not being a Perfect 10 diet. For every person and every different body and different daily situation there are different needs - how can I know that I am doing well at this, if I don't realize where gold medal / world record is. 

And here is the answer -- To Honor the progress.  Honor All forms of Progress. 

I'm just gonna let that sink in for a bit. 

If you feel like you aren't measuring up on the scale, or with the weights or the times on the treadmill, look for other victories. Emotional, Mental, Behavioral and not just physical. Step a few steps back, maybe quite a few, so you can see the whole big picture - the great big wide - across a lifetime picture.  I bet you're doing better now than you were. If for no other reason.. that because you are HERE and you WANT to do better. 

Don't just acknowledge that progress, I want you to honor it. 

And if you see me at the drive-thru, you can be sure I'll smile and wave and not give up on myself or my goals or my family. This healthy lifestyle is a long journey and the most important part is that we don't give up and perhaps even enjoy this process that is making us so much more than we could have been.  Drive-thru's, missed days at the gym, birthday cake for breakfast and All. 

Beginner Steps to Eating Your Best

The Ultimate food trigger word right now is "Clean"

Clean Eating - everyone is doing it, the rest us think we should be doing it, some of us (me!) aren't even sure we know what it means. 

I have done some pretty scientific internet searches and I have come to the conclusion that no one can agree on what it means at all.

That leads me to believe that somebody is trying to make money off all this confusion. But that isn't the point of this post - so don't get me started. 

So, Let's drop the Clean title and let's talk about some really basic ways that we can start to eat better. If you are already doing some of these, Great! take on another one, then another.

• Get Rid of Added Sugars and Artificial Sweeteners - I don't even have to throw any crazy facts or numbers at you. We both know that sodas, packaged cookies, chemical sweeteners and basically ANY nutrition label that has "sugar" as one of the first ingredients isn't good for you.  We might still crave them, enjoy them, and really want to consume them, but it we want to start eating better, we need to cut down on them and eventually quit them entirely. 

• Read Your Food Labels - I am so guilty of not doing this. Sometimes I am in a hurry, sometimes I am lazy (it seems overwhelming and So confusing), and to be honest, sometimes, I just want to know the bad news. But if any of us hope to make changes for the better, we have got to start knowing what we are putting in our body. There are so many levels of food label reading, but for starters, just begin with the ingredients. What is IN your food. The more ingredients that you recognize and can pronounce the better. The more you know the better choices you can make. At least with starting to read labels, you can make the actual choice to put something in your body or not. 

• Think Vegetables and Fruits First - Are you feeling like a snack, got a craving for something sweet - looking for a crunchy something? Try fruits and vegetables first. Keep the ones that you really like on hand - We always try and have snap peas on hand, my kids will eat them by the handful and I really enjoy them when I am looking for that crunchy something I usually try and satisfy with chips. We also keep lots of canned fruit around. It isn't a snack that I would choose but my teenage boys eat more canned fruit that I can even know what to do with. Pears, peaches and oodles and oodles of mandarin oranges. If you haven't found something that you like yet, just keep trying new things, frozen blueberries, freeze-dried corn, there are so many ways to eat them and so many of them to eat. You're sure to find ones that you really really enjoy. 

• Balance Your Plate - Choose My Plate One of the first signals that a diet is to be avoided is that it eliminates entire food groups. Anyone telling you to completely give up Carbs or Dairy doesn't have the interest of your best health in mind. There are exceptions - that you Dr. can help you with, but most of us, most of the time, should be choosing foods from All the food groups. Keeping your diet balanced is the best way to keep your health and your body that same way - balanced. 

None of those were too scary, some might be a little bit harder than others, especially if you like an ice cold Coke as much as I do. But I am learning to drink more water and use something like a coke as a rare treat instead of beverage that I consume the most of.  

I always want to encourage us (me included) to keep making steps forward. To try and do a bit better each day, don't give up on ourselves and our families. We are absolutely worth the effort, the challenges and the rewards.