Cooking More At Home

Well one thing that this pandemic situation has created is the opportunity to eat more meals at home. And by more meals at home, I am ALL the meals at home. That has meant several things for our family - 1) we are spending more on food at the grocery and then 2) we are cooking all those meals ourselves. We have gotten carry out from a few restaurants, but the vast majority of our meals have been made by ME at home!

This could definitely be seen as a negative, but I also think it should be looked at as a positive opportunity. We have been able to make some delicious meals and try some new things. My favorite new recipe discovery has been a salmon patty recipe that is delicious - CLICK HERE to check it out. I love salmon and try to incorporate it in our diet about once a week, but sometimes that regular salmon fillet get a little old. If you haven’t already, try to find some new recipes, to switch up our routine and try something new.

Being at home and finding yourself in the kitchen more often, trying to figure out what to prepare can be overwhelming. That is why taking some time and putting together a meal plan for the week and then a grocery list is super helpful. If you haven’t taken the time to meal plan, take a moment when you are getting ready to go grocery shopping to write down meal ideas for the week. I normally try to aim for like 5-7 different meal options for the week. I organize our meals like this: Breakfast (cereal, bagel, eggs, sausage, yogurt, oatmeal), Lunch (sandwich of some type, leftover, fresh veggies and fruit with dip) and then Dinner (the prepared meal I had planned for that day). Since both myself and husband work, we make lunches as easy as possible and then I am normally the one who prepares dinner. I try to include a fruit and vegetable with each meal. Some days the dinner meal option is super easy, like heating up fish sticks and cooked veggies and sometimes it is more in depth like making homemade mac n’ cheese with a side salad. If you need some ideas on some new recipes to try - CLICK HERE for some healthy weeknight meal ideas.

After I write down those 5-7 dinner meal ideas, I figure out what ingredients I need to buy. Then I write those items down on my grocery list. I add in staples that I buy every week - bread, eggs, cheese, milk, bananas, etc. Then guess what, the meal planning and grocery list are both done. I have 7 meal ideas that I can make for dinner throughout the week and then I have a list of things I need to buy at the grocery.

Our routine is that I will go to Aldi and buy as much as I can from my grocery list. Any items that aren’t available at Aldi, I will put on ClickList order and go to Kroger and pick it up. This process has worked super well for us over the past several months. I have been doing this meal planning/grocery shopping routine for several years now to help us stick to a budget. If you are curious about how we budget and meal plan - CLICK HERE for a post I did last year on the topic.

Tips to Remember for Cooking at Home

1. Write out meal ideas for the week (aim for 5-7 meals).

2. Use those meals for the start of your grocery list.

3. Add your weekly staple items to your list.

4. Head to the store and grab the things you need and stick with your list.

Getting Back Into A Healthy Routine

It is the middle of August and school is back in swing. The summer is officially wrapping up. That means that fall is just around the corner. Now is a great time to get back in healthy lifestyle habits. Over the summer we are all on crazy schedules, between vacation time, traveling, eating delicious fried foods at your local fair and going to cook outs, we all need to get our health plan re-prioritized. I love the summer festivities as much as the next person, but some times it is nice to get back in a healthy routine. 

So where do you start? What do you start thinking about first? Let's begin with food ... what you choose to put in your mouth. 

1. Make the choice to bring a healthy lunch to work. Believe or not this is huge. Eating out can be such a stumbling block to your health. Take the extra time to plan some easy, healthy lunches to take with you to work. If you are stuck and can't think of anything new then CLICK HERE for some great ideas. You can prepare these foods ahead of time and then pack them up so they are easy to grab when you head out the door.
2. Pack healthy snacks for the day. Most of us all get hungry between meals and that is perfectly normally. We should be eating 3 meals a day with 1-2 snacks. So picking healthy snack options is so important. Something that provides fiber, nutritional value and some protein will help keep you filling full until your next meal. For some good healthy snack ideas, CLICK HERE.
3. Meal plan during the week and schedule your grocery shopping. In order to be able to put together healthy lunches and snacks for the week you need to take some time to head to the grocery store. Always make out a list of things that you need and stick to that list. This will help ensure that you are choosing healthy options and that you are not spending too much money. For some good tips to navigating the grocery store, check out this post from earlier in the year - Navigating the grocery store in a healthy way.
4. Only have healthy foods on your counters. This might not seem like a big deal, but what you have visible in your kitchen will have a huge influence on what you end up eating. For example, I had some delicious, candied popcorn out on my counter from a party last week and every time I walked past that popcorn I would eat some. It got to the point that I had to put the left-overs into the cabinet so that they were out of sight out of mind. Needless to say, after moving that popcorn my strong desire to eat it ALL quickly faded. Set yourself up for success and have healthy food items within easy reach if you are hungry.

What you eat is of course important, but your physical activity has a huge role to play in your overall health as well. 

1. Schedule your work out time. If you want to start a new habit, then you need to set a time to practice that new habit. This applies to working out. Pick a time each day that you are going to do some intentional exercise. It doesn't have to be the exact some time everyday (if you schedule is varied), but you need to plan at the beginning of the day to exercise at a certain time. If it is helpful, set an alarm or a reminder in your phone to encourage you to get up and exercise. 
2. Find some time of special class/activity that you really enjoy. I think this is important. Find a class or some type of activity that you enjoy and pay to participate. I have taken up prenatal yoga classes and every Tuesday night I spend 1.5 hours at the yoga studio doing yoga and it is awesome. I look forward to those classes each week and it is such a treat to get to take that time for myself. If could be a class at a gym, spinning at a studio or even joining a running group in your local community. 
3. Get some new work out clothes/shoes and get invested. When you spend a little money on something you are just a little more invested. Go ahead and get that new pair of running shoes and then schedule regular times to run. Find a running buddy and enjoy this social time in your new running shoes/outfit. Also signing up for a race can provide great motivation in helping to ensure that you are actually training and getting ready for the event. So whatever it is you decide to do, get invested! 

So I have something fun for you ... a GIVEWAY! Take a couple minutes and fill out the form below. I have a gift card to Marsh Supermarket for you (this give away is not sponsored by or associated with Marsh). Write out 2 goals that you have for yourself to help make your health a priority. I want to encourage you to set goals and then work on accomplishing them! Good luck and I am excited to get lots of entries!

Enter to Win a $25 Gift Card from Marsh

Eating Healthy on the Run

With the summer starting to wrap up and school gearing up in next few weeks, I thought it would be helpful to take a look at some tips to eating healthy on the run.  We are all busy with the craziness of school schedules, evening activities and our jobs, it can be nice to have a plan to keeping your health and wellness on track! 

1. Meal Planning
   • Take time to set out a meal plan for the week. Pick a day, the same time each week for this menu planning.
   • Make a grocery list and stick with it. 
   • Keep the MyPlate in mind for meals.
2. Have Go To Snacks
   • Purchase individual snacks or bag up your own. 
   • Stick with the portioned sized snack product. 
   • Toss the snacks in your bag, car or purse so you have them when you get hungry.
3. Do NOT Skip Lunch
   • Even if you are busy, grab a bite to eat. 
   • Pack a healthy lunch the night before or pick something healthy up from the cafe. 
   • If you wait to eat you will be famished later. 
4. Brew Your Own Coffee/Tea
   • If you want to save $$$, make your favorite beverage at home. 
   • You can control the additive (cream, sugar) and this can = less calories. 
   • Get a a good thermos and take  your favorite beverage with you. 
5. Follow the 3-P's
   • Plan - Create a menu plan for the week. Find quick and easy recipes online. Save these recipes and create a cycling menu. 
   • Purchase - Shop when you are NOT hungry to avoid buying unhealthy foods. Stick with your list. 
   • Prepare - Plan to take the time to cut up your produce when you get home and cook meals on the weekends to take as lunches throughout the week.