Video: Healthy Fruit Dip

I am a huge snacker.Everyone who knows me knows that I constantly eat. The old healthy rule that states you should eat 5-6 small meals a day is no problem with me. The more meals the better in my opinion!  I have a great snack fruit dip that is healthy and delicious. I love to eat it with apples but any fruit would do. My son eats it up as well!  Here is a short video on how to make it.

Single Serving Recipe
1/4 cup plain non-fat greek yogurt
2 tsp. natural creamy peanut butter
2 tsp. honey
Cinnamon (to taste)

Full Recipe
1 cup plain non-fat greek yogurt
3 Tbls natural creamy peanut butter
3 Tbls honey
Cinnamon (to taste)

125-130 calories per serving depending on your brand of peanut butter.

Proof that kids love it too. My son ate this with blueberries and a banana. Here is his before and after picture!

Enjoy!

H20

We all know how important it is to drink water. It not only keeps us hydrated but it helps our bodies properly function.  In general you should aim to drink half your body weight in ounces of water per day.  For example if you weigh 150 pounds you should be drinking at least 75 ounces of water per day.  I have found that everyone likes their water differently. Some like it cold, some with ice, some room temperature, some with lime and the list goes on and on.  My preference is cool water with no ice. I find that I can drink more water per day when I drink it this way.

I recently went in search of a water bottle that I could keep with me to help me drink more every day. I also wanted to get away from buying water bottles because of their very high price tag and the fact that they aren't great for the environment. I came across a Camelbak eddy Bottle at my local Target and decided to give it a shot. I am hooked on this water bottle. It holds just over 30 ounces so I just fill it up 3 times a day and I'm all set! Bonus is that it has a lifetime warranty.  I also want to purchase the kids version because my son wants to use my water bottle more than his sippy cup! I think he will be getting one as part of his birthday present in July...I mean how cute is that dinosaur!  I encourage you to find a way to enjoy your water so you get more in each and every day.

Buffalo Chicken Salad

I had a delicious lunch yesterday that I wanted to share with you. Although the picture doesn't look that great because I stirred it up before I took a picture, I assure you it tasted amazing!  Here are the instructions:

1. Put 2 cups of romaine lettuce on a plate
2. Top with 3 ounces of grilled chicken
3. Place 1-2 Tbsp of feta cheese on top of chicken
4. Sprinkle with as much hot sauce as you like (I used Texas Pete extra hot)

Voila-Buffalo chicken salad!  It tastes like you are biting into a delicious buffalo wing without all the guilt. You could also use blue cheese on the salad for some more zing or add chopped celery or carrots. My husband had this salad in a whole wheat wrap yesterday along with a little drizzle of ranch dressing and he loved it! when I make this in a wrap I half the lettuce amount and add a little more chicken.

Healthy Popsicle

My son (who is almost 2) is very interested in popsicles now. He loves how they are cold and sweet. As we are approaching summer and already having close to 90 degree heat I decided it was time to make some homeade popsicles for him that have a much healthier twist than the store bought, sugar and dye filled ones.  Here was the recipe I made although this could be done thousands of ways.

100% mango, pineapple juice
Strawberries
Blueberries
Spinach (yes Spinach)

I didn't measure any of it out but just threw it all in my Ninja and blended until smooth. Once it was all blended I poured it in my popsicle molds (found at my local grocery store) and then stuck them in the freezer.  My only complaint is that once I poured them in the molds the fruit separated from the juice.  I think next time I will add greek yogurt to them so it is a thicker starting consistency causing the fruit to stay distributed throughout. I'll keep you posted once I try those!

As you can see these were a huge hit with my son! He's eaten two already this week and begs for more. It's nice to feel good about the snacks he eats! He loves them for the sweet taste and I love them for all of the fruits, veggies and vitamins that he is eating.

Portion Sizes

Growing up, the term "portion size" was not a part of my vocabulary.  As a kid who grew up playing basketball and running track and cross country I would serve myself seconds, thirds or even fourths of my mom's southern casseroles with large side of very sweet tea. I was a bottomless pit which at the time worked since my metabolism was in high gear. To you moms out there who haven't yet figured it out (probably only 0.0007% of you) your metabolism will slow down...immensely! I have stayed active most of my adult life and at only 29 I can already say first hand that it gets harder to keep the weight off...but that's not going to stop me.

As we get older it is important to keep our portion controls in check.  One heaping serving spoon of peanut butter may taste delicious and seem appropriate but in fact even the regular recommended serving size of 2 Tbsp is still well over 200 calories alone.  That bowl of ice cream that seemed so small, well it's likely 3+ servings because a regular serving of ice cream is 1/2 cup...that is tiny!  I'm a big believer in "everything in moderation" so if we are able to keep our portion controls in check (on both healthy foods and treats) it helps us stay on track without feeling deprived. And yes, you can overeat healthy food as well.

Here are easy comparisons of proper portions that will help you determine how much of each food group you should be eating:

Grains
1 slice of bread=CD Cover
1/2 cup cooked brown rice, quinoa, whole wheat pasta, etc.=1/2 baseball

Vegetables
1 cup raw or cooked vegetables=baseball
2 cups raw leafy salad greens/spinach=softball

Fruits
1 cup raw fruit=tennis ball
1/2 cup dried fruit=2 golf balls

Milk
1 cup lowfat or fat free milk or yogurt=baseball
1 ounce of natural cheese= 9Volt batteries

Protein
3 oz of lean meat or poultry=deck of cards
3 oz of fish=checkbook

Oils/Healthy Fats

2-3 tsp olive or coconut oil=tip of thumb
2 Tbsp Hummus=golf ball
1/4 medium avocado

There are of course far more foods that those listed but this should give you a good starting point.

Food Prep

For years I have heard people say how crucial it is to prepare your food in advance for the day/week so you have quick easy healthy foods to stay on track. I kind of took this advice the same way I did for the people who say how life changing a kid will be, how much you will love them, etc. Well as a mom who has now experienced the latter I can also say the former is true. These people were speaking the truth. Weeks when I don't prepare a meal plan, groceries and/or actually cook things in advance I am absolutely more likely to fall off track by making last minute unhealthy decisions or eating out. If you tell yourself in advance what you are eating for the week you have already set yourself up for success.  Here are a few of my best meal prep tips.

1. Plan out your meals for the week. Planning out your meals not only makes your week easier so you don't have to think about what you are cooking but it helps you keep your grocery budget down. If we go to the store only once a week and get exactly what we need for the weekly meal plan you aren't going to be making misc. trips to the store or the drive thru saving you time and money.

2. Prep as much food as possible in advance. I find that if I have food ready in the fridge to grab I eat so much healthier.  As a mom I'm always needing things that are quick, easy and healthy.  This week I prepped some grilled chicken, roasted sweet potatoes (also great finger food for toddlers), lettuce (for salads, wraps, etc.) and pineapples.

Grilled Chicken
I get the family pack of boneless skinless chicken breasts and cut each one in half longways to make them thinner and to get more out of the package.  I use a non-stick griddle with a little bit of non-stick cooking spray as well as some salt-free seasoning blend. The salt-free blends are a great way to add flavor and spice things up without adding sodium.  Once they are cooked I cut them into cubes and portion them out into ziploc baggies for the week. I can use the chicken to eat by it self, in a wrap, on a salad, in a stir fry, etc.

Sweet Potatoes
I took three sweet potatoes and peeled and diced them into 1/2 inch cubes. I drizzled 2 tsp of olive oil along with some black pepper. I bake them at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes and then portion them out into bags as well. My son loves these and so do I.  They are good right out of the fridge or heated up.

What items do you like to prepare in advance? I would love to hear your ideas as well.

Workout Pants (aka Life Changer)

I'm someone who usually buys relatively cheap workout clothes. I buy most of my workout clothes at Target or Old Navy (love me some champion C2 sports bras.) While I realize they don't always have the best quality stuff, the items I have bought have held up really well and served their purpose. One thing I hate about some workout pants/capris is how the waist band cuts in and you constantly have to pull them up (is it just me??) This weekend I was doing some shopping with my birthday money and I went into LuLuemon just to "take a look." I made the mistake of trying on a pair and my life changed...I'm not kidding it changed!  I left with a pair of $78 workout capris that I would have spent $178 on. They are the most comfortable well fitting workout pants I've ever worn. Their seamless fit made me a believer.  I quickly announced to my husband that I'll need to begin budgeting for these pants so I can get some in every color. He gave me a quick "sure dear" which means not happening. I can't wait to workout in them tomorrow morning. I'll let you know how they do in action but I'm already convinced that they are a little peice of heaven.  Please do yourself a favor and go buy some...NOW!

In The Flow Crop II