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Microwave Sweet Potato Mug Cake

June 12, 2019 by Lindsay 33 Comments

This Microwave Sweet Potato Mug Cake is perfect for a quick, healthy dessert or snack. Ready in two minutes, you can top it with yogurt for breakfast or ice cream for dessert.

*Originally posted Sept 2015. Updated June 2019*

Hi Friends!

I originally shared this Microwave Sweet Potato Mug Cake back in September of 2015 and I still make it regularly. Have you ever tried a microwave mug cake? It’s basically a nice, warm dessert that’s ready in two minutes and doesn’t require an oven. Just mix a few ingredients, pour into a coffee mug or mason jar and pop it in the microwave.

This is my favorite way to make dessert after a long day when I don’t have much energy left. However, I’ve also been loving this as a snack lately! I leave out the maple syrup and just add a handful of chocolate chips. This recipe is essentially a small batch of my Sweet Potato Banana Bites cooked in the microwave instead of the oven, so you could also add some mashed banana instead of maple syrup for sweetness if you want!

This Microwave Sweet Potato Mug Cake recipes makes the perfect amount to split between two mugs, mason jars or ramekins and share with a loved one. Topping it with ice cream is pretty much a must in my book. To make this on the fly, you’ll first need to cook your sweet potato. I just poke a few holes in mine and then microwave for five minutes. To make this even easier, I cook a sweet potato on the weekend and save it in the fridge so I have some mashed sweet potato ready and waiting whenever I want one of these!

Here’s how you make it:

See how easy it is? Especially if you have the sweet potato already prepped, this treat comes together in a flash! You could also try this recipe with pumpkin or roasted squash.

Life’s short. Eat dessert. Like cake. But when you don’t have time to make a full cake, make this!

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

What To Do With Hard Boiled Egg Yolks

June 6, 2019 by Lindsay 11 Comments

Ever wondered what to do with hard boiled egg yolks if you or your kids only like the white part? Here are some easy ways to use them so they don’t go to waste!

Hi friends!

Just popping in today to talk about hard boiled eggs. More specifically, what to do with leftover hard boiled egg yolks. We eat a lot of hard boiled eggs around here, but when I serve them to my kids, I typically only serve the white part. Every time I share a photo of their plate on IG stories, I get at least 10 people that ask me why I don’t serve the yolk. The reason is simple: they don’t like hard boiled egg yolks. And I can’t blame them. Neither do I.

They have no problem eating the whole egg if it’s scrambled, fried, made into an egg wrap, etc but give them a hard boiled egg yolk and it is either ignored or ends up in a crumbly mess all over the counter and floor. So while every so often I continue to offer it, I usually leave it out to avoid the mess.

For a while I was, admittedly, wasting the egg yolks by just throwing them away. Or feeding them to the dog. But I had so many people ask me what I do with the yolks that I finally decided to get my act together and come up with some ways to use them. They’re full of healthy fats and important nutrients like choline!

So now I serve my kids the hard boiled egg whites and put the yolks in my yolk jar. Here are some ways I use them throughout the week. They don’t really have a strong taste and crumble easily so you can add them to lots of things without them being very noticeable. Note that hard boiled eggs (all parts) should be eaten within a week of being boiled.

Ways to Use Leftover Hard Boiled Egg Yolks

Mash and mix with avocado, plain yogurt or mustard to make deviled eggs
Crumble and mix into tuna/chicken/chickpea salad, macaroni and cheese, bolognese spaghetti sauce (anything that’s already kinda chunky)
Spread onto toast and cover with mashed avocado for avocado toast
Crumble/smash and mix with hummus, mashed avocado/guacamole, ranch or bbq sauce and add to sandwiches, quesadillas, grilled cheese etc.
Mix with ranch and spoon a little into the hard boiled egg whites (squish likes them this way)
Crumble and stir into cooked blueberry oatmeal (oatmeal is kinda lumpy already and the purple from the wild blueberries makes them not noticeable)
Grate them over a salad like you would a block of cheese.
Add one to your smoothie to thicken/add some creaminess
Mix into any pureed baby foods you’re giving baby
Smash and mix with red wine vinegar, garlic, oil, salt and pepper to make a salad dressing
Add one or two to cookie dough to make it more tender.

Hope that helps! If you have more ideas, leave them in the comments!

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

Fun Sandwich Ideas For Kids

May 30, 2019 by Lindsay Leave a Comment

Try these fun sandwich ideas for kids to change things up and make lunch or dinner more fun if you find yourself stuck in a rut! Simple twists on your favorite classics.

Thanks to the Grain Foods Foundation for sponsoring this post.

Hi friends!

Let’s talk about lunch today, shall we? Specifically kid lunches. I don’t know about you but for me, lunch is the easiest meal of the day for me to get stuck in a rut. My family loves breakfast. We all have our favorites and we happily eat them each morning. Dinner is when I tend to flex my creative muscles in the kitchen and I rarely have trouble coming up with dinner ideas.

But lunch? Whew. I don’t know if it’s the time of day or what, but I struggle with lunch ideas every single week. So I decided it was time to do some brainstorming and come up with some new, kid-friendly ideas for you. And guess what they all include? Bread!

This post is part of the #yestobread campaign and when the Grain Foods Foundation reached out to me about participating, I immediately jumped on board. It really couldn’t be a more perfect fit for me. I know low-carb, paleo and keto are all the rage right now but if you know me at all, you know that for me, carbs are life. And I hate that will all these new diet trends, carbs, and more specifically bread are getting a bad reputation. So many people are decreasing their bread consumption because celebrities and influencers are telling them it’s one of the main reasons they are gaining weight, feeling bloated etc.

As a Registered Dietitian, I’m here to tell you that for most people, bread can most certainly be part of a healthy, balanced diet. Especially if you ENJOY eating it! Can bread cause discomfort for some people? Sure! But you don’t have to live your life on an extreme diet that “doesn’t allow” bread just because someone else is telling you that you should. You also don’t have to eat bread all day every day. Aiming for a well-balanced diet is a much more enjoyable (and sustainable) way to live! And for me that means saying #yestobread!

Of course, not all bread is created equal and I recommend choosing 100% whole grain bread in most cases. It is a great source of:

Fiber, which aids in digestion.
Complex carbohydrates that provide energy and fuel for workouts and daily life.
Important nutrients like iron and B vitamins.

It also pairs well with all sorts of foods including fruits, vegetables, meat, cheese, eggs etc to help you create nutritious, balanced meals.

Since my kids are fairly burnt out on boring, traditional sandwiches, I came up with a few more creative ideas for you!

Fun Sandwich Ideas For Kids

Waffle French Toast PB&J

Peanut butter and jelly is a go-to favorite around here but everybody gets tired of their favorites now and then. With just a few simple tweaks I revived this old favorite and made it fresh and exciting again! Start by turning the bread into french toast! And if you’re not thrilled with the idea of standing around flipping it on a griddle or in a skillet, just throw it on a waffle iron. So easy. Then add your peanut butter or nut butter of choice. And take advantage of berry season by replacing jelly with freshly smashed berries. My kids love doing the smashing and I love that there’s no added sugar!

Fruit and Veggie Face Avocado Toast

My two year old is actually not that crazy about sandwiches. There’s something about the top piece of bread covering up whatever is inside that she doesn’t like. But give her the exact same thing on two open-faced pieces of bread and she is ALL FOR IT. She’s a huge fan of avocado toast and both my kids love using whatever fruits and veggies we have on hand to make silly faces on top. We call it monster toast. If your kids don’t like avocado, you could try hummus!

Turkey Sandwich Kabobs

Sometimes with kids, it’s all about novelty. If I gave my four-year-old a turkey, cheese and apple sandwich, there’s about a 50% chance on any given day that he would eat it, depending on his mood. But if I take that same sandwich, cut it into pieces and thread it on a skewer, the odds of him eating the entire thing go up to about 90% every time.

I don’t like to use my giant metal grilling kabob skewers for this so I use straws. Sometimes I use a strong stainless steel straw to poke the holes, then thread everything onto a paper straw so I can trim the ends.

Egg in a Hole Grilled Cheese

This is basically just two classics combined into one. Egg in a hole and a grilled cheese sandwich. My kids LOVE cutting out the circle, cracking the egg into it and then eating the circle while I make the grilled cheese. If you’re feeling fancy, add some avocado and red pepper slices. Or some turkey or pulled pork!

So there you go! Hope this post sparked a few new ideas for ways you can say #yestobread! For more reasons to love bread, click here!

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

Paleo Shrimp Scampi

May 17, 2019 by Lindsay 19 Comments

This Paleo Shrimp Scampi is made with just five ingredients and is ready in 15 minutes. Light and refreshing, it’s the perfect summer dinner!

*Originally published July 2015. Post and photos updated May 2019*

Hi Friends!

This Paleo Shrimp Scampi recipe is another oldie but goodie from the blog. Originally published back in 2015, it’s pretty much the perfect summer dinner. Ready in 15 minutes. Super easy to make and full of flavor. Plus it’s paleo and gluten-free. You could make it dairy-free by subbing oil for butter.

In case you’re looking for more zoodle recipes, you should also check out my Shrimp Curry Noodle Bowls, Zoodles with Chicken and SpicyAlmond Butter Sauce or my Mexican Chicken and Veggie Bowls.

Paleo Shrimp Scampi

The ingredients for this Paleo Shrimp Scampi are super basic. It’s just butter, onions, garlic, shrimp and zoodles. All the flavor comes from the herbs! Lots of basil and oregano, some cayenne to spice it up a little and topped off with some fresh parsley.

Here’s how you make it:

That’s it! Pretty simple, right?!

Like I mentioned in the recipe notes – white wine and parmesan cheese will add a little more flavor if you choose to add them!

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

Paleo Turkey Sweet Potato Meatballs

May 13, 2019 by Lindsay 36 Comments

These Paleo Turkey Sweet Potato Meatballs are easy to prep ahead of time and taste good warm or cold. They make a great post-workout snack and can be served with a dipping sauce and side salad for an easy lunch or dinner.

*Originally posted 6/2015. Recipe and photos updated 5/2019*

Hi Friends!

It’s time to bring these Paleo Turkey Sweet Potato Meatballs back into the spotlight. I originally shared them on the blog four years ago and I’m still enjoying them regularly so I thought I would reshare. Plus a lot of you have been loving the Carrot Pineapple Turkey Meatballs I posted a couple of weeks ago so you’ll probably like these as well. When I made these originally, they quickly become my favorite post-workout snack. Call me weird, but I don’t mind eating meatballs cold and I love how many different flavor combinations you can come up with. They’re so easy to just grab and eat for a quick serving of protein.

Plus these have turkey AND sweet potato which means you get some protein & carbs all in one for post-workout muscle recovery. That’s a win in my book! I spiced these meatballs up with jalapeno but you could easily leave that out if you’re not into spice. I also occasionally add bacon for extra flavor but that’s optional as well.

Paleo Turkey Sweet Potato Meatballs

I love dipping these in bbq sauce but you could also serve them with marinara and your choice of zoodles or noodles. Or toss them over a salad or with a side of roasted veggies. The possibilities are endless. Did I mention with your fingers straight out of the fridge??

Here’s how you make them:

I originally made these for the paleo crowd so I used almond meal but if you’re not eating paleo, feel free to use breadcrumbs!

These Paleo Turkey Sweet Potato Meatballs are easy to prep ahead of time and taste good warm or cold. They make a great post-workout snack and can be served with a dipping sauce and side salad for an easy lunch or dinner.

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

Cook Once, Eat Twice: Chicken

April 23, 2019 by Lindsay 1 Comment

Cook Once, Eat Twice: Chicken. Prep just a few simple ingredients and learn how to turn them into two completely different meals that you can prep ahead of time and eat for lunch or dinner all week.

Hi friends!

Over the weekend, I shared on IG stories how I decided to cook once, eat twice this week. I honestly wasn’t planning to share it on the blog but I got a great response from people saying they loved these type of easy meal ideas.

Here’s the basic idea – I pick a handful of ingredients that I have on hand, and then come up with two ways to use them in meals that can be prepped ahead of time. My goal is to make two dishes that contain similar ingredients but are uniquely different so that I feel like I’m eating two different meals, but it’s less work on my part because a lot of the ingredients are the same.

When you approach something like this, start by choosing your staple ingredients. For me this week that was:

chicken
broccoli slaw
roasted sweet potatoes
peppers
apples

I started with the idea for one dish. I wanted to recreate a salad that I had while we were out to dinner over the weekend. Once I’d finalized that recipe, I came up with another way to use the ingredients to make a cold noodle dish.

A few things that can help set dishes apart:

Hot vs cold
Veggie-based vs grain-based
Salad vs soup or casserole
Filling vs stand-alone
Flavoring/Sauces (ie mild vs spicy, Asian vs Indian)

This week I went with one that’s more salad-like with a base of kale and broccoli slaw and one that’s more noodle-based with added veggies. The nice thing about these are that they’re flexible. If you’re looking for the simplest, easiest way, use the same greens, grains and proteins for both. If you have a little more time, look for things that are similar but different, perhaps things that have similar cooking times.

For example, I used couscous in one and rice noodles in the other. Both cook in about 10 minutes so I could cook them simultaneously on the stove. However, I could have used noodles in both or couscous in both to save time.

I used chicken in one and chicken sausage in the other. Since chicken sausage comes pre-cooked, all I had to do was cook the chicken. You could easily pick one and use it in both. You could also differentiate even more but still keep it simple by firing up the grill and grilling steak for one and chicken for the other. Or using canned beans or chickpeas in one and chicken in the other.

By choosing a few of the same fruits and veggies for both meals, you can do all your chopping at once and then just divide between the two meals (ie what i did for the peppers, apples and sweet potatoes).

Also, remember that sauces can go a long way in setting two dishes apart. This week I made a Maple Mustard Vinaigrette for the salad and a sweet and spicy peanut sauce for the noodle salad.

You can grab the recipe for the Crunchy Kale Salad with Couscous here.

The recipe for the Asian Peanut Noodles is not exact. Feel free to adjust quantities based on how much you want to make.

Asian Peanut Noodles

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add 4 ounces rice noodles (I use Thai Kitchen) and half to one bag broccoli slaw. Cover, remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes. Drain the water and return to pot. Mix in 3-4 chopped chicken sausages (or any kind of cooked chicken), 1 large chopped apple and 1 large chopped bell pepper and stir to combine.

In a bowl combine 1/4 cup peanut butter, 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 1-2 tsp fresh ginger, 2 Tbsp sweet chili sauce and 1/4 cup chicken broth. Taste and adjust if needed. Add some sriracha if desired.

Pour peanut sauce over noodle mixture and stir to combine.

Hope this was helpful!

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

Crunchy Kale Salad with Couscous

April 22, 2019 by Lindsay Leave a Comment

This Crunchy Kale Salad with Couscous is perfect for food prep. Throw it together on Sunday and enjoy for a quick, healthy lunch or dinner all week long.

Hi friends!

I whipped up this Crunchy Kale Salad with Couscous this weekend after eating something similar at one of our favorite restaurants. You guys know that I’m typically more of a fan of prepping food components and putting them together each day to make quick meals. But this week I wanted to change things up. I’m still trying to play catchup after being sick and we have a couple of busy days so I decided to just make myself a couple of meals ahead of time that I can just pull out and eat quickly without doing any work during the week.

To make my life even easier, I started with a bagged salad kit – a mix of kale, romaine and cabbage because I liked how everything was pre-washed and chopped. However, next time I’ll likely just prep my own kale and mix it with a bag of broccoli slaw or coleslaw because I didn’t even use the dressing and some of the toppings included in the salad kit.

Crunchy Kale Salad with Couscous

This is a flexible salad so you can really customize it to your liking. Here are a few choices:

Star with a base – Aim for a mix of kale and something crunchy like cabbage, broccoli slaw and/or romaine
Choose a grain – I used tri-colored couscous. You could also use something like farro.
Pick a protein – I used chicken that I cooked in the Instant Pot. Grilled chicken or steak would also be good, as well as chicken sausage
Add more veggies – peppers, roasted sweet potatoes and tomatoes are what I had on hand but carrots, onions etc would work too
Top it off – I added Craisins and apple for a little sweetness and some candied pecans for crunch. Sliced almonds would also be good.

To tie everything together, I whipped a Maple Mustard Vinaigrette but you could use whatever homemade or store-bought dressing you like best.

Here’s the recipe:

So there you have it. Perfect for quick and easy lunches and dinners during a busy week and easy to customize so you don’t get bored.

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

Thai Chicken Meatballs

April 17, 2019 by Lindsay 26 Comments

These gluten-free Thai Chicken Meatballs are bursting with fresh Asian flavors and are perfect for a quick, easy lunch or dinner. Make a batch during your next food prep session and enjoy them warm or cold!

*Originally posted 3/2016*

Hi friends!

I first shared these Thai Chicken Meatballs over three years ago. Back in the days when I only had one kid and I thought it was hard to eat lunch because I was so busy. I have no doubt that I was busy back then, but suffice it to say that I am no less busy now, and I’m still struggling to eat lunch. So, over the years these meatballs have remained a favorite of mine.

I love them because they taste even better as leftovers so I make a batch or double batch during food prep and enjoy them all week They also taste equally good hot or cold. Since lunchtime is a bit crazy around here, I love that I can just grab and eat them without having to worry about a microwave, or even a fork most days. I eat them without dipping sauce but you could definitely mix together some ketchup, sriracha and chili sauce for a fun dip!

If you’re looking for more Asian-inspired recipes, try this quick Healthy Beef and Broccoli.

If you’re not quite as pressed for time as I am, you can serve them warm with rice and veggies and actually sit down and eat them with a fork!

Here’s how you make them:

Like I mentioned, it’s super easy to double the recipe to have extras or freeze some for later.

Let’s chat: Are you a meatball lover?
Yes?
No?
Only with spaghetti?

If you like these, you might also like my Paleo Turkey Sweet Potato Meatballs.

These Paleo Turkey Sweet Potato Meatballs are spicy, flavorful and delicious. Enjoy them plain, with a dipping sauce or over noodles.

(Apparently I think all meatballs should be served with broccoli).

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

Red Lentil Pancakes

April 8, 2019 by Lindsay 15 Comments

These Red Lentil Pancakes make a quick, kid-friendly breakfast or snack. Prep a batch ahead of time to reheat during the week or freeze some for a quick snack.

Red Lentil Pancakes topped with blueberries and peanut butter

Hi friends!

Care to join me for a batch of these Red Lentil Pancakes?! Ever since I tried these Red Lentil Cookies from Real Mom Nutrition, I’ve been on the hunt for more ways to use them. They cook more quickly than other lentils and have even less flavor so it’s easy to blend them into things!

It took a couple of tweaks to get these pancakes just right but once I did, my two year old gobbled them up. I top them with peanut butter or yogurt and sprinkle them with hemp seeds and berries. Also, lentils are a good source of iron, so pairing them with a fruit high in Vitamin C like strawberries or oranges will help increase that iron absorption!

Red Lentil Pancakes

These would also be a fun addition to school lunches! Or spread some peanut butter between them and stack them up for a fun sandwich at snack time. Plus they are so so easy. Just throw everything in a blender and blend until smooth. When you’re cooking the lentils, make a double batch and freeze half so you can just pull them out when you’re ready for another batch of pancakes.

Here’s how you make them:

See what I mean? So easy!

These Red Lentil Pancakes make a quick, kid-friendly breakfast or snack. Prep a batch ahead of time to reheat during the week or freeze some for a quick snack.

Want more pancakes? Try my Butternut Squash Pancakes, Green Smoothie Pancakes or Sweet Potato Protein Pancakes.

And if you love lentils, try these:

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

Easy Broccoli Slaw Recipes

April 5, 2019 by Lindsay 2 Comments

These Easy Broccoli Slaw Recipes are made using simple ingredients that can during food prep on the weekend and thrown together during the week for quick, healthy dinners or lunches.

Thanks to Mann’s Fresh Vegetables for sponsoring this post.

Hi friends!

It’s time for another round of 4×4 food prep. In case you missed the previous posts in this series, you can check out:

In each posts, I give you four ingredients to prep on Sunday (with suggestions for additional prep work if you have time) and show you how to turn them into four quick and easy meals during the week.

This week’s recipes all feature Mann’s Broccoli Cole Slaw. This is one of my favorite things to buy because it comes shredded and ready to go, has a great crunchy texture, and is so easy to add to tons of recipes for a boost of nutrients and an extra serving of veggies. Mann’s also has some other great Veggie Slaw Blends, as well as veggie noodles and veggie rices! I’ll share a couple of ways to incorporate those into this week’s meals as well!

The Game Plan

What’s on the menu this week?

Instant Pot Asian Peanut Noodles
Taco Sweet Potato Toasts
Broccoli Slaw Egg Roll in a Bowl
Greek Chicken Flatbreads

Here’s what you need to prep to make this menu easier:

Spiralized veggies– Spiralize large carrots until you have approx 4 cups spiralized carrots and spiralize 2 bell peppers
Ground beef with broccoli slaw– saute 2 pounds with half a bag of broccoli slaw (roughly chopped) mixed in
Chicken two ways– 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken cooked in the Instant Pot or slow cooker and shredded and 1 pound kept raw but chopped into bite-sized pieces
Roasted veggies of choice – these will just be extra for side dishes. I made roasted green beans and cauliflower this week.
2 bags of Mann’s Broccoli Cole Slaw – cook half a bag with the ground beef and save the other half of the bag for the IP Peanut Noodles. Use about 1 cup for the flatbreads and the rest of the bag for the egg roll bowls.

Need some options?

If you don’t like shredded chicken you could grill it.
Not a beef eater? Sub ground turkey, pork or chicken.
Don’t have a spiralizer? Make carrot ribbons with your vegetable peeler and finely slice the peppers. Or buy Mann’s Kohlrabi linguine or sweet potato fettuccine.

Have more time?

Prechop the veggies for the flatbreads.
Premake the peanut sauce for the asian noodles.
Make some muffins for snacks or some egg wraps for breakfast.
Saute some peppers and onions to go on your sweet potato toasts.

Ok, so let’s dive into the recipes shall we? They’re very forgiving and don’t really require exact measurements. They’re also easy to scale so you can make the amount you need for the number of people you’re cooking for.

Instant Pot Asian Peanut Noodles

Ingredients
1 – 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless breasts
1 red bell pepper, spiralized
2-3 cups spiralized carrot noodles
2 cups Mann’s broccoli slaw
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp sweet chili sauce
1/3 cup peanut butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 tsp fresh ginger, grated (or paste)
2 cups chicken broth
3 oz rice noodles, broken in half
optional toppings: green onion, chopped peanuts, sriracha

Directions

Add the chicken you diced on Sunday to the Instapt Pot along with the carrots and peppers you spiralized. Then add the Mann’s broccoli slaw and rice noodles and stir well.
In a bowl, mix together soy sauce, sweet chili sauce, peanut butter, ginger, garlic and half cup broth. Mix well and taste. You can add more sweet chili sauce or some brown sugar for a sweeter sauce if desired. (This can be made in advance and just dumped in when ready to cook)
Pour sauce, along with remaining 1.5 cups broth into Instant Pot and mix everything up really well, ensuring sauce covers all the noodles and vegetables.
Lock lid in place, press manual and adjust the time to 3 minutes.
Release pressure immediately when finished and stir well. You can let it simmer for a few minutes or serve. Top with green onions and peanuts and add sriracha to achieve the desired level of spiciness.

Notes
– I sometimes sub Mann’s Kohlrabi Linguine for half the carrot noodles just to change things up!
– You could also use Mann’s Sweet Potato Fettuccine instead of or in addition to the peppers and carrots.
– You can easily halve this recipe for a smaller batch.

Taco Sweet Potato Toasts

Ingredients (serves 4)

2 large sweet potatoes
1 large avocado
1 pound cooked ground beef with broccoli slaw (prepped ahead of time)
1.5 cups diced peppers and onions (can saute these during food prep, or before assembling toasts)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed (optional)
1 Tbsp taco seasoning
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese (optional)
diced tomato

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 F. Cut the ends off the sweet potato. Slice lengthwise to make toasts. Spray with oil and bake for 20 minutes, flipping once.
Saute peppers and onions for 5 min over med-high heat. Add beef, beans and taco seasoning and heat through.
Mash avocado and spread on sweet potato toasts.
Spoon beef mixture onto sweet potato toasts and top with cheese.
Broil for 2-3 min to melt cheese.
Top with tomato. You can eat these with a fork or attempt to pick them up- depends how much you pile on top!

Notes:
– For a vegetarian version, skip the beef and just saute some roughly chopped broccoli slaw with the peppers and onions.
– If you sauteed your veggies ahead of time you can also just mix everything in a bowl and let it heat under the broiler after you put it on the toasts or pop the bowl in the microwave to reheat before building your toasts!

Greek Chicken Flatbreads

Ingredients (makes 4)

1 pound cooked shredded chicken from your food prep
2 tsp Greek seasoning (or a mix of paprika, oregano, pepper, garlic powder)
1 red pepper, diced
2/3 cup diced onion
1 cup Mann’s broccoli slaw, chopped
3/4 cup diced tomatoes
3/4 cup diced cucumber
1/4 cup crumbled feta (more if desired)
1/2 cup hummus (whatever flavor you want!)
4 pieces of your favorite flatbread (I use frozen naan from Trader Joes)
plain yogurt or tzatziki for drizzling, optional

Directions

Warm flatbreads if desired and top with hummus.
Roughly chop chicken and mix with seasoning. Taste and add more if needed. Heat chicken if you want to. Spread on flatbreads.
Mix peppers, onions, broccoli slaw, tomatoes, cucumber and feta in a bowl (This can be done ahead of time) and add to flatbreads.
Top with plain yogurt or tzatziki.

Notes
-To make this vegetarian, skip the chicken and use chickpeas instead!

Broccoli Slaw Egg Roll in a Bowl

Ingredients

1 pound cooked ground beef with broccoli slaw (from your weekend prep)
2-3 cups Mann’s Broccoli Cole Slaw
2 cups carrot noodles and 1 spiralized pepper (from your weekend prep)
2-3 tsp fresh ginger (or ginger paste), to taste
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sweet Thai chili sauce (optional)
Sriracha, optional
green onions to top

Directions

Roughly chop carrot and pepper noodles.
Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add carrots, peppers, broccoli slaw and saute for 5 minutes.
Add beef, ginger and soy sauce and chili sauce/sriracha if using and stir to combine.
Heat through and top with green onions.

Notes
– You could chop some of the Mann’s Sweet Potato Fettucine and fry in oil as a sub for wonton strips (or use real wonton strips) for a fun topping.
– If you like cabbage, you could add some shredded cabbage as well. Or swap the broccoli slaw for a bag of Mann’s Power Blend which has brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, kale, kohlrabi and carrots!

Here’s a general grocery list that I made for you. Be sure to read through the recipes and adjust the list for the quantities you personally need, any substitutions you plan to make and anything else you may have on hand/need:

Grocery List

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (or thighs)
4 bell peppers
2 giant carrots from bulk section (or 1# bag of large carrots)
2 bags Mann’s Broccoli Coleslaw
soy sauce
sweet thai chili sauce
peanut butter
1 bulb garlic
1 knob fresh ginger or ginger paste
1 qt chicken broth
1 box rice noodles
green onions
peanuts
Sriracha
2 large sweet potatoes
2 medium yellow onion
1 can black beans
taco seasoning
2 pounds ground beef (or turkey)
Shredded Mexican cheese
1 pint cherry tomatoes
avocado
Greek seasoning
cucumber
crumbled feta
hummus
Flatbread or naan
plain yogurt or tzatziki

Follow along with me over on IG stories this weekend and next week and prep/make these meals right along with me!

Be sure to follow Mann’s for more great recipe ideas.

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

Costco Favorites

April 1, 2019 by Lindsay 13 Comments

Hi friends!

This post has been about 2 years coming and I FINALLY got around to putting it together for you! I get asked all the time what I buy at Costco so I wanted to share all our favorites. We’re lucky enough to have a Costco right down the road so we go every weekend! There’s also a lot of great options at Costco that we don’t necessarily buy, so I tried to share some of those too! Plus, some non-food items we’ve purchased there that you might not know were available. Also note we don’t buy a ton of stuff from the frozen and refrigerated section so I’m sure there are some good pre-packaged options not included in this post simply because I haven’t tried them.

Here are the food items we buy regularly:

Fresh fruit (mostly berries, peaches, pears, other depending on season)
Baby carrots
Avocados
Dates
Little Potato Company potatoes
Sweet potatoes
Organic eggs
Organic hard boiled eggs
Organic 2% milk
Coffee
Organic Valley String Cheese
Aussie Bites
Wine (hubby buys Kirkland Sonoma County Old Vine Zin 2016 by the case)
Dave’s Killer Bread
Cheerios
Quaker Oats
Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts
Chia seeds
Almonds
Vanilla extract
Avocado oil
Spray avocado oil
Olive oil
Kirkland brand maple syrup
Honey
Rx Bars
Kodiak Cakes pancake/waffle mix
Bottled water
RW Garcia Sweet Potato Crackers
Kirkland Brand animal crackers
Kirkland Organic Ground beef
Honey Smoked Fish Co Smoked Salmon
Tortellini
Feta
Kirkland Brand pesto
Frozen wild blueberries
Frozen Beef Burgers
Plainville Organic turkey deli meat
Trailmix
Pretzel chips
Simple Mills Almond Crackers
Lotus Foods Brown Rice Ramen

Non-food items we buy as needed:

Baby wipes
Laundry detergent
Dish detergent
Swiffer wipes
Lysol
Trash bags
Paper towels
Contact solution
Allergy medicine (Allertec and Flonase)
Lightbulbs
Batteries
Ziplocs
Sponges

Other food options I like. We don’t buy all of these but do buy some occasionally:

Hummus
Guacamole
Perfect bars
Trident Salmon burgers
Kirkland brand marinara sauce (Rao’s is also good)
Fruit in 100% juice
Dried Fruit
Almond butter
Quinoa
Made in Nature figgy pops/snacks
Chopped salad kits or leaf lettuce
Any of the frozen fruit and veggies
Any of the fresh fruit and veggies
Canned tuna and salmon
Chicken broth/stock/bone broth
Brazi Bites
Jerky
Larabars
Nuts and nut/seed mixes
Protein powder/Creatine (if that’s your thing- my husband buys them)

Not pictured

Rotisserie chicken
Steak
Frozen fish/shrimp
Wild Brine Sauerkraut
Amylu Kale & Mozz Chicken Burgers
Coconut Oil
Almond Flour
Gluten-free Flour Mix
Canned beans
Cholula/Tabasco
Avocado Mayo
Balsamic Vinegar
Banza chickpea pasta
Skinnypop popcorn
Baby formula
Greenridge farm refrigerated beef sticks
Don Lee Farms Grilled Chicken Patties (frozen)

Like I mentioned, we buy A LOT of stuff at Costco. I tried to remember some of the things we’ve purchased over the years so if you’re looking for some of these things, you might want to consider Costco as an option!

Eyeglasses
Novaform Mattress (we haven’t actually bought this yet but it’s on our to do list)
Patio furniture
We’ve gotten our flu shots there
Water bottles
Pots and pans
Printer
Printer ink
TV
Dexcom transmitters (for husband’s glucose monitor)
LG Soundbar
External hard drive
Tires
Dog bed
Paper/plastic party supplies
My husband buys pretty much all his clothes there and we also get the kids some stuff
Books
Furniture (our under-tv console, ladder bookshelves…)
American flag
Lawn and leaf bags
Stamps
Fertilizer
Garden hose
Giant poof (bean bag)
Photo prints/canvases
Patio lights
Ladder
Pressure washer

Hope that helps! Would love to hear some of your Costco favs!

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

Easy Pulled Pork Recipes

March 29, 2019 by Lindsay Leave a Comment

These Easy Pulled Pork Recipes can also be made with chicken or another protein source. Prep four simple ingredients on the weekend and combine for four quick, healthy meals during the week.

Hi friends!

I’m here to share these Easy Pulled Pork recipes with you guys as another 4×4 flexible food prep idea! I actually made two recipes with pulled pork and two with chicken thighs but you could make all of them with either….or mix and match like I did.

If you missed the first two 4×4’s, be sure to check out these Easy Farro Recipes and Easy Egg Recipes as well!

In each post, I’ll give you four ingredients to prep (at a minimum). You should be able to prep these four ingredients in under an hour so I also give you suggestions of other things you can prep if you have additional time.

Easy Pulled Pork Recipes

This week’s recipes:

Mini Pepper Pulled Pork Nachos
Pulled Pork and Egg Sandwich
Ginger Soy Lettuce Wraps
Chicken Tinga Bowls

Here’s what you need to prep:

Pulled pork: I used a 4-pound pork shoulder, cut into big chunks and cooked in the instant pot with some broth for about an hour
Chicken (thighs or breasts): I used 2 pounds chicken thighs in the instant pot with broth cooked for 10 min. Shred or leave whole and slice
Roasted Sweet Potatoes: Dice and roast at 400 for 20-30 minutes stirring occasionally
Rice (or another grain): Cook as desired on the stovetop or in the instant pot

Let’s talk options:

If you want to do all your meals with one meat, you could prep some additional veggies (roasted/steamed/sauteed) for your fourth item, or prep something totally separate like hb eggs to snack on, muffins for breakfast, an egg bake, etc
If you’re not a fan of using mini peppers for the nachos, use chips instead!
Tired of sandwiches? Take all the sandwich components and serve them in a bowl over some roasted sweet potatoes or rice
Don’t want to make the tinga sauce? Used a store-bought simmer sauce (Frontera makes good ones, or an Indian curry sauce)

Have more time?

Make some fajita veggies or an avocado crema for your tinga bowls or just make the tinga chicken ahead of time.
Prep some snacks or breakfast items for the week.
Roast a red pepper to add to your sandwiches or some extra veggies for side dishes.
Wash and dry lettuce leaves for the lettuce wraps.
Make the whole filling for the lettuce wraps so all you have to do is reheat.

Time for the “recipes”. I’m reluctant to even call them recipes because they are so easy and flexible. You really don’t need to measure ingredients for any of these and you can make the meals as large or small as you’d like depending on how many people you’re serving so this week I’m just giving you basic directions for most of them and letting you fill in the specific quantities.

Mini Bell Pepper Pulled Pork Nachos

Grab a boneless pork shoulder/boston roast/whatever you can find at the store. If you’re using the instant pot, cut it into large chunks, add one cup broth or water, and cook for 60 minutes. Quick release and check to see if it shreds easily with a fork. If not, reseal and cook another 10-15 minutes. Shred and store.

To make the nachos, cut the mini peppers in half and remove seeds/stems. (This could be done ahead of time). Arrange them on a foil-lined pan. Top with pulled pork, roasted sweet potatoes, black beans, onions, cheese, etc. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes. Add salsa and avocado. I like to bake mine because it softens the peppers just a bit but if you want them extra crunchy, you can also just broil for a minute or two to melt the cheese. If you don’t want to use peppers, use regular chips!

BBQ Pulled Pork and Egg Sandwich

This is a replica of my all-time favorite sandwich from a cute little restaurant spot in downtown Columbus. Grab some delicious bread from the bakery and cut two thick slices. Top one slice with pulled pork, red pepper (roasted if you have it), bbq sauce, cheese (I used Gouda) and a fried egg. Smash avocado onto the other slice and put it on top. Add butter to the outsides of the bread and throw it on a griddle or panini press. Enjoy.

Ginger Soy Lettuce Wraps

This can easily be done with either pork or chicken. I used chicken thighs cut into chunks. In a skillet, sauce some garlic, onions, chopped carrots and peppers for 5-10 minutes until soft. Add roasted sweet potatoes and cooked chicken. Add a few Tablespoons of soy sauce and some fresh ginger (I use ginger paste). I also like to add a Tablespoon of dijon mustard and a splash of maple syrup but that’s optional. You could also mix in some of your cooked rice instead of sweet potatoes if you wanted. Stir well and heat through. Spoon into lettuce cups and top with sriracha, green onions and chopped peanuts.

Chicken Tinga Bowls

One of our favorite taco places serves these AMAZING Chicken Tinga Tacos that I get every time we go there. They’re full of tinga chicken, red onions, feta cheese and an avocado crema and they’re out of this world. I finally got around to looking up exactly what a tinga sauce is and it’s so easy to make at home! I turned these into bowls and ran out of time to make the crema but I’ll definitely be making Chicken Tinga Tacos next time.

1 (14.5 oz can) fire roasted crushed tomatoes
2-3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1/2 cup diced onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin
1 pound cooked chicken

In a pan, or small pot, saute garlic, onion and spices with some oil for 3-4 minutes. Chop the chipotle peppers (number depends on how spicy you want it) and add them to the pan along with your chicken. Pour in half the can of crushed tomatoes, stir to combine. Taste and add salt or additional peppers if needed. Decide what sauciness level you want. I like mine a bit less tomato-y so I usually only use half a can of tomatoes but you can add the whole can if desired!

Serve over bowls of rice, beans, roasted sweet potatoes etc and top with crumbled feta, avocado and green onions. Feel free to throw in some other roasted veggies if you want!

Here are some things you might need at the grocery store:

pork shoulder
chicken breasts or thighs
mini bell peppers
sweet potatoes
black beans
onion
green onion
tomatoes/salsa
avocados
shredded Mexican cheese
bread for sandwiches
eggs
roasted red peppers
cheese for sandwiches
bbq sauce
Bibb lettuce
ginger
soy sauce
carrots
garlic
peanuts
sriracha
fire roasted crushed tomatoes
chipotles in adobo (in a can in the mexican aisle)
oregano
cumin
rice

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

Peanut Butter Avocado Cookies

March 27, 2019 by Lindsay 94 Comments

These Peanut Butter Avocado Cookies are gluten-free, dairy-free and packed with healthy fats! Enjoy one for an afternoon snack or for dessert after dinner!

**Originally published May 2013. Photos updated March 2017**

Hi friends!

I’m resharing these Peanut Butter Avocado Cookies today because even though it’s been six years since I first shared them, I still make them regularly and love them just as much! They’re packed with healthy fats and a fun way to change things up from a regular chocolate chip cookie. Plus, I promise you can’t taste the avocado. Check out how easy they are to make!

When I originally made them, it took about 4 tries to get them right. But now I’ve zoned in on the correct recipe and even my kids love them. I even entered AND WON a recipe contest with these little beauties several years ago!

Here’s how you make them:

These cookies are so simple even my toddler can make them! Be sure to try them out next time you have an extra avocado laying around!

Dig in, friends.

Let’s chat! Have you ever baked with avocado?

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

Should I See A Pelvic Floor Specialist?

March 25, 2019 by Lindsay 9 Comments

The answer to Should I See A Pelvic Floor Specialist and other questions relating to what the pelvic floor is, signs of damage, whether new moms should see one during pregnancy or after delivery and more!

Hi friends!

Should I see a pelvic floor specialist? That’s a question I found myself asking a few months ago so we’re taking a break from food today to talk about the pelvic floor. A couple of months ago I mentioned that I went to see a pelvic floor therapist for the first time after having baby 3. It’s something I should have done after each kid but if you want the truth, 4 years ago I had never even heard of a pelvic floor. Enter Instagram and a huge rise in the number of people talking about it, which left me wondering- should I see a pelvic floor specialist?

After a little research, I decided I should. I met with a PFPT, who did an internal exam, asked lots of questions etc, determined I didn’t have any major issues. I went on my way and kind of forgot about it. A few weeks later, I was having intense hip pain. I’ve always struggled with hip pain and have actually been seeing a muscle activation specialist for about 2 years now. They’ve gotten a lot better but after baby, they were pretty much back where they started. We determined that the problem could actually be stemming from my pelvic floor. Mind blown.

When I mentioned this on my IG stories, I got a huge number of questions about the pelvic floor and it is clearly not my area of expertise. But i think this is a super important topic, especially for moms, so I knew I wanted to help educate. I reached out to 3 physical therapists who specialize in pelvic floor/women’s health and asked them to answer some of the questions my followers had! And then I compiled them all into a blog post for easy reference!

Huge thanks to these ladies for their expertise:

Krystle Howard, PT, DPT of Expecting and Empowered
Jessica Valent, PT of Jessica Valent Pilates
Allison Bell, PT, DPT

Ready to learn? Here we go!

What is the pelvic floor and how does it work?

The “pelvic floor” is a group of muscles that are housed inside your pelvis. It forms a basin-like structure that spans from your tailbone to your pubic bone. Together they form a sling of muscles that provide support and help stabilize EVERYTHING above, including your bladder, uterus, rectum/bowels & all your abdominal cavity contents. The muscles themselves work like any other skeletal muscle in the body (think biceps) they contract to help hold in urine/stool/gas and relax to help empty bladder/bowel. They are also a critical player in “core stability” so they help to stabilize our body against outside forces. The pelvic floor should work on its own without a lot of help from us, but in many cases, trauma or injury can occur which means we need to help re-educate and train the muscles again!

Should you see a pelvic floor therapist while pregnant or after delivery? How long after delivery should you wait before seeing one?

During pregnancy, you should definitely see a PFPT (pelvic floor physical therapist) if you’re having pain or significant incontinence. Internal work is only recommended in certain cases during pregnancy because it could disrupt the membranes and potentially cause contractions. However, external work can definitely be done during pregnancy and some PFPTs may specialize in pregnant patients and could help you prepare for delivery by training your pelvic floor and hip muscles, practicing positions, pushing techniques, etc.

After baby 100% YES! EVERY woman should see a PFPT after delivering children, regardless of how “easy” delivery was. If only to learn how to recruit their pelvic floor & that they are “okay”. Delivering a baby IS a major trauma to your body so proper recovery is necessary. A pelvic floor PT can re-teach you how to properly use your muscles after delivery.

It’s best to be cleared from your OB prior to PT postpartum, they will likely (& should) do an internal assessment to determine the health of your pelvic floor and most want you to be cleared first.

An additional factor to consider is your insurance… some only give 60 CONSECUTIVE days of therapy PER calendar year, so if that’s the case, waiting until you’re postpartum may be the better option.

How long after giving birth is it too late to see a therapist?

It’s never too late!!! Early intervention is always best but it’s NEVER EVER TOO LATE! Anyone having incontinence, pain with sex or pelvic pain, even ten years after giving birth, could benefit from the proper training. Both a Women’s health PT and an orthopedic PT are great options because an orthopedic PT can also help with other postpartum problems such as back pain, carpal tunnel, and other problems related to being a mom.

Should only moms see pelvic floor therapists? If not, who else might benefit?

Everyone has a pelvic floor & pelvic floor dysfunction is NOT isolated to pregnancy & postpartum. Or even just women. Men have a pelvic floor and can have problems as well and there is also a need in the transgender community as transitional surgeries become more common. You should see a PFPT if you experience urine leakage, pain with intercourse, pain with tampon insertion, endometriosis, pain in your pelvis…), have bowel troubles (both constipation and bowel leakage) or anything else that doesn’t “seem right”. This could be heaviness or pressure that’s new or changing.

PFPTs are seeing more and more women in their 60’s and 70’s who benefit tremendously from pelvic floor PT. As our estrogen decreases with age, our muscle elasticity also decreases. That means the musculature in our vaginal wall and pelvic floor loosens. Prolapse becomes very common as well as incontinence.

How can you find a pelvic floor therapist in your area? What should their title be? What degrees/certifications should they have?

This can be the hardest part!!! Finding a good PFPT is tough, the field is still small. Start by asking around. Ask your OB, your primary care doctor, friends or other health care professionals you know (chiropractor, PT, OT, acupuncture, etc). Look online by searching “women’s health PT” or “pelvic floor PT” in your area or go to www.apta.org, click search for a PT and choose the Women’s health category.

Their title will likely just be Physical Therapist but they should specialize in “women’s health” or “pelvic health”, they should have continuing education courses which have trained them in treating the pelvic patient.Degrees necessary are at minimum a masters or doctorate in physical therapy (DPT or MSPT).

More than anything you want someone you have a personal rapport with and who you trust. This can be a frustrating and scary and confusing time and it obviously involves a personal part of your body. If you meet someone and you don’t feel listened to or cared for or you don’t see a clear plan in place, find someone else. Keep searching and advocating for yourself until you get the care you need.

Is it really necessary for all moms to see one?

Likely, yes. If you had major knee surgery, you wouldn’t expect to just go home, rest for 6 weeks and then resume normal activities on your own. You’d expect surgery, healing and then rehab. Pregnancy is a traumatic event that happens to our body. We go through 9 months of physical changes, then months of hormonal changes while caring for a newborn. We need to change the stigma that women should be “normal” after a few weeks giving birth.

This doesn’t mean every woman will have pelvic floor problems postpartum but many do. And even more can have problems develop months or years after giving birth. That means you can feel great after birth, start running right away and being hard on your body, and not know you are causing damage. It would be great for everyone to know how to protect their bodies for the long term. Pelvic floor PT isn’t a bad thing. It can be extremely beneficial and can open your eyes to things you didn’t think we wrong & should be normalized. In many European countries (Sweden, Norway, France, Germany) its standard practice for women to be AUTOMATICALLY sent to PT postpartum regardless of birth event or symptoms. Preventative Rehabilitation is key for long term health & wellness.

The problem with moms though is that they will fall off the bandwagon, meaning that they’ll come in for one or two sessions (when really they need 6) until its partially better and then their follow through is poor. Resources like the Expecting & Empowered Guides are meant to “pre-hab” these injuries before they happen, if they happen, and after they happen. The strength training is specific to moms and can help provide a long term fix.

How would you even know you have an issue/What sort of issues could your pelvic floor be causing?

pain: in pelvic floor, with intercourse, during menstruation, with tampon insertion…
Pressure “down there”
Urinary incontinence: none is normal… running to the bathroom, leaking when coughing/sneezing/laughing/lifting/exercising, waking at night to go to the bathroom
Bowel problems: constipation, pain with bowel movements, leaking stool…
Diastasis recti
Back pain
Prolapse

Your pelvic floor could be leading to many problems, for example, it could even lead to a foot problem because if your pelvis can’t stabilize, then you have SI and pubic symphysis problems, thus leading to foot pain. The pelvic floor in an essential part of making things automated in your body.

What exercises can be done during pregnancy to help prevent problems?

While pregnant it’s important to learn how to recruit and use your pelvic floor muscles. You should also learn how to manage pressure systems (breath, core, pelvic floor) by working on diaphragmatic breathing and activation of the deep core muscles (TA). . It can be beneficial to avoid certain exercises like planks, jumping, lunging, twisting etc when you reach a certain point in pregnancy and not return to them too quickly postpartum.

Sometimes problems can’t be avoided. They can often be caused by long labors, long pushing and the use of vacuums and forceps. Anyone who has experienced those would benefit from pelvic floor PT.

What are the best at home exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor and how often to do them?

There is no specific exercise that is best for your pelvic floor. The best is a combination of exercises that changes the angle that the pelvic floor is at. The best thing to do is to start BREATHING PROPERLY and then start turning on your pelvic floor as you do things so that you can begin to automate this system. ex. Kegel in quadruped

Expecting and Empowered has fitness guides for each trimester of pregnancy (which also teach diaphragmatic breathing) as well as a postpartum guide. You can find some pelvic floor exercises in this video from Jessica. You can also check out this course from Julie Wiebe, PT which is a series of videos which are written for the female and can teach you how to find your pelvic floor & how to recruit it with your breath.

Hope this was helpful! There is obviously so much more information about the pelvic floor out there and lots more to learn. I encourage everyone (especially moms) to consult with a pelvic floor PT if you haven’t already! Here are a few more people to follow on Instagram for more pelvic floor info:

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

Easy Egg Recipes

March 22, 2019 by Lindsay 1 Comment

These easy egg recipes are perfect for lunch or dinner. You can add salmon to many of the recipes for an extra dose of omegas and heart-healthy fats. Use food prep to make mealtime even easier!

Hi friends!

We’re back for another edition of the 4×4 Flexible Food Prep Method. I’m so glad you guys enjoyed the Easy Farro Recipes. In case you’re new here, I developed this component food prep method and series because I favor prepping ingredients versus full meals on the weekend. I like having prepped ingredients on hand that I can throw together quickly during the week.

This is the second post in the series. In each post, I’ll give you four ingredients to prep (at a minimum). You should be able to prep these four ingredients in under an hour so I’ll try to give you suggestions of other things you can prep as well if you have additional time. This week we’re focusing on eggs and salmon.

Easy Egg Recipes

Alright, so what’s on the menu this week?

Salmon Breakfast Quesadillas
Salmon Cakes
Everything Bagel Avocado Toast with Eggs
Shrimp Cobb Salad

Here’s what you need to prep to help make this week’s meals easier:

Baked salmon (I did two 12 oz packages. Just place on a baking sheet lined with foil, bake at 400 for 12-20 min depending on the thickness of the salmon. Seasoning however you want!)
Grilled shrimp (1 pound. Put them on skewers and throw them on the grill for 2 min per side. I did mine on the George Foreman grill on the counter)
Hard Boiled Eggs (One dozen. I cook mine in the instant pot on the rack with 1 cup water. 5 minutes, 5 min natural release, 5 min ice bath)
Roasted veggies or a grain (your choice!) I ended up roasting green beans and asparagus (and also made farro)

Let’s talk options:

Not crazy about baked salmon? Pan sear it! You could even make some extra to enjoy pan-seared Sunday night.
Don’t like salmon or shrimp? Use tuna for the salmon cakes or make some chicken for the quesadillas and/or cobb salad.
Have extra salmon? Throw some on your avo toast along with the eggs!
If you don’t like one of these recipes, you could easily make a few minor adjustments and swap one of yours into the meal plan.

Have more time?

You can actually make the salmon cakes ahead of time and just reheat during the week (or eat cold).
Roast some extra veggies or cook a grain to use as side dishes.
Bake some bacon.
Prep the lettuce for your salad.
This week I ended up prepping my lettuce, baking bacon and roasting green beans and asparagus.

Now let’s dive into the recipes. Again, these recipes are quite forgiving. You can use the ideas and sub in different proteins based on your personal preferences and you don’t need exact quantities. And you can easily make a small or large amount depending on how many people you’re prepping for. Enjoy them for lunch or dinner!

Salmon Cakes

Ingredients

12 ounces salmon, cooked
1/2 cup mashed sweet potato
1/4 cup hummus
1/2 cup onion (or green onion)
3 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
1 tsp paprika
1 egg
1/2 cup breadcrumbs

Directions

In a large bowl, flake salmon apart into pieces.
Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
Form into 8 cakes, place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and bake at 400 for 18 minutes, flipping once.

Notes
-To make the mashed sweet potato I just poke holes in a sweet potato and microwave for 5 minutes.
-For an easy dipping sauce, mix thai chili sauce and sriracha with plain yogurt to taste.
-For an easy side dish, I mixed some of the farro and roasted asparagus I prepped on Sunday with some crumbled feta, a little balsamic and a scoop of pesto!
– If you don’t like salmon, you could swap two cans of tuna!

Shrimp Cobb Salad

Ingredients (makes 4 salads)

8 cups leaf lettuce (or greens of your choice)
6 hard boiled eggs
1 pound grilled shrimp (or chicken)
1 large avocado
6-8 strips bacon, chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced
shredded cheese

Directions

Divide lettuce between 4 bowls.
Halve hard boiled eggs and add 1.5 to each bowl, along with 4 ounces of shrimp, avocado, bacon, cheese and tomatoes.
Serve with your favorite dressing.

Notes
– If you’re not a shrimp lover, make some grilled chicken, steak or even extra salmon to use on the salad.
– Switch up your greens and use spinach, kale or a spring mix.
– Add some nuts/seeds for a little crunch.

Hard Boiled Egg Avocado Toast

Ingredients (serves 4)

8 slices of bakery bread of choice
2 large avocados
6 hard boiled eggs
chopped cooked bacon
chopped tomatoes
cooked salmon, flaked (optional)
everything but the bagel seasoning
lemon juice

Directions

Slice bread to desired thickness and toast.
Spread with mashed avocado. Squeeze lemon juice on top if desired.
Top with sliced hard boiled eggs, bacon, tomatoes (and salmon if desired)
Sprinkle with everything but the bagel seasoning.

Notes
– I like to save this meal until later in the week because it’s super easy, great for lunch or dinner and a good way to use up any leftover salmon/shrimp/chicken you might have along with some hard boiled eggs which keep well all week.
– Bake the bacon over the weekend so you don’t have to do it when you’re making these to make them even quicker!
-Swap out sweet potato toast if you’re not a bread eater.

Salmon Breakfast Quesadillas

Ingredients (serves 4)

6 scrambled eggs
12 ounces salmon, cooked and flaked
3/4 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
shredded Mexican cheese
4 whole wheat tortillas
salsa and avocado for topping

Directions

Spread scrambled eggs, flaked salmon, beans and cheese onto half of a tortilla.
Fold over and cook in pan, on griddle, on George Foreman, in microwave.
Repeat with remaining tortillas.
Cut into wedges and serve with salsa and avocado.

Notes
– Make these vegetarian by leaving out the salmon or swap salmon for grilled chicken, chicken sausage or other protein.

Here’s a basic grocery list for you. Be sure to double check it and remove items you already have and read the recipes to see if you’re going to make any changes and adjust the grocery list accordingly.

2 (12-oz) packages salmon (frozen or fresh)
1 pound raw shrimp (i buy wild caught, peeled and deveined with tail on)
1 large sweet potato
hummus
1 medium onion
1 bulb garlic
dijon mustard
paprika
2 dozen eggs
breadcrumbs
1 large head leaf lettuce
4 large avocado
1 package bacon
1 container cherry tomatoes
Shredded mexican cheese
bakery bread for avocado toast (I used multigrain)
everything but the bagel seasoning
1 lemon
1 can black beans
whole wheat tortillas
salsa
optional: chicken or other protein to sub for salmon if desired. Tuna for cakes if desired.

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

White Bean Muffins (or Bars!)

March 18, 2019 by Lindsay 69 Comments

These White Bean Muffins (or bars!) pack an entire can of great northern beans into a dozen muffins. They’re full of protein and fiber and perfect for breakfast or snack time!

Hi friends –

So excited to share these White Bean Muffins with you guys! I’ve been testing them for a few weeks now and even had several of you test them out on your families to see if they needed any tweaks!

The good news about these muffins is that you can’t taste the beans at all. I use great northern beans which have a very mild flavor to begin with and after you add in the nut butter, the taste is undetectable. They’re also gluten-free (use certified gluten-free oats if needed) and dairy-free. (PSST! If you need a nut-free version, try my Sweet Potato White Bean Bars!)

White Bean Baking Recipes

Want more bean baking recipes? Try these:

The first few times I made these, I used almond butter because I think it has a stronger flavor and I wanted it to cover any bean flavor. But I’ve tested them with peanut butter and the beans still go unnoticed. I also made them as bars at first and they’re great. My personal preference is muffins but you decide!

White Bean Bars with almond butter, craisins and coconut

You can also choose your favorite mix-ins. I’ve used just chocolate chips in a few batches and have also made bars that included Craisins and shredded coconut.

Here’s how you make these little beauties:

See how easy it is?

These White Bean Muffins (or bars!) pack an entire can of great northern beans into a dozen muffins. They're full of protein and fiber and perfect for breakfast or snack time!

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

Easy Farro Recipes

March 15, 2019 by Lindsay 11 Comments

These Easy Farro Recipes can be made quickly throughout the week after prepping four simple ingredients during your food prep session. Component food prep is the key to saving you time during the week while still keeping your meal plan flexible.

Thanks to Bob’s Red Mill for sponsoring this post.

Hi friends!

I am SO excited to kick off this new 4×4 series on the blog. You guys have been asking for something like this for a long time now and I finally got my act together. You know I love food prep but my deeper, more specific love, is for component food prep. Instead of prepping full meals ahead of time, I like to prep ingredients and then quickly throw them together to make meals during the week.

Many of my readers have told me that they like the concept of component food prep but they’re unsure how to execute it. They can make the ingredients but then can never figure out how to put them together during the week so that they don’t end up eating the same thing over and over. Well, I’m here to teach you.

This is the first post in the series. In each post, I’ll give you four ingredients to prep (at a minimum). You should be able to prep these four ingredients in under an hour so I’ll try to give you suggestions of other things you can prep as well if you have additional time.

Today the four recipes I’m sharing feature Bob’s Red Mill farro. Farro is one of my favorite things to food prep. If you’ve followed me for any length of time you know I make it pretty much ever week. And I always get lots of questions about what exactly it is, what it tastes like, how to cook it, how to eat it, etc so I thought this would be a good way to introduce you to it!

Farro (pronounced FAR-oh, although i’ve always called it FAIR-oh) is an ancient grain and relative of modern day wheat. It’s not gluten-free but it does have less gluten than wheat and it’s a good source of protein and fiber. Although similar in shape to rice, it’s much chewier (which I love), but it can be used in most recipes that call for rice. Bob’s Red Mill’s farro grains are lightly scratched for a faster cooking time. Although the bag says to cook for 30 minutes, I’ve found mine to be done in 15.

To cook it, I simply add to a pot, cover with water (you don’t have to measure because you can just drain the excess water when it’s done cooking) and then put a lid on the pot and bring it to a boil. Once it’s boiling I crack the lid and reduce the heat and let it simmer for 15 minutes.

Some sources say 1 cup dry farro yields 3 cups cooked but I’ve found that for me 1 cup dry yields just over 2 cups cooked as farro doesn’t expand as much as some grains do when cooked.

I hope you’re excited to try farro if you haven’t already because it’s definitely a favorite around here.

The Game Plan

Alright, so what’s on the menu this week?

Chicken Farro Enchilada Bake
Chicken and Farro Spinach Salads
Farro Power Bowls with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Italian Meatball and Farro Soup

Here’s what you need to prep to help make this week’s meals easier:

Grilled Chicken (2 pounds. You’ll use one pound in the enchilada bake and one pound for the salads)
Turkey Meatballs (recipe below)
Farro (about 3 cups dry)
Roasted veggies (3-4 cups carrots, 1 pound green beans and 2 whole red peppers)

Let’s talk options:

Too cold to grill or don’t have a grill? Make some shredded chicken in the Instant Pot or Crockpot or even just chop and saute it on the stove.
Not into meatballs? They’re for a soup so you could make it vegetarian by just cooking some dried beans.
Don’t like green beans or carrots? Check out the recipes below and pick another vegetable to sub. Broccoli, cauliflower or sweet potatoes would all be good options!
If you don’t like one of these recipes, you could easily make a few minor adjustments and swap one of yours into the meal plan.

Have more time?

You can actually prep the entire enchilada bake and/or soup ahead of time and just reheat during the week.
Roast some extra veggies to use as side dishes.
Make the roasted red pepper sauce ahead of time.
Hard boil some eggs or saute some shrimp for your power bowl.
If you want to use kale in the salad and soup instead of spinach, you could prep that ahead of time.
Prep the salad dressing.

Now let’s dive into the recipes. What I love about these recipes is that they’re very forgiving. You don’t need exact quantities or measurements. You can add or subtract things according to your taste preferences. And you can easily make a small or large amount depending on how many people you’re prepping for. Enjoy them for lunch or dinner!

Chicken and Farro Enchilada Bake

Ingredients

1.5 – 2 cups cooked farro (about 3/4 cup dry)
1 pound cooked chicken, chopped
1 red pepper, diced
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup corn kernels (fresh, frozen or canned)
1/2 cup diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup hummus (plain or spicy)
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese, optional
1 Tbsp taco seasoning
1 (10 oz) can enchilada sauce (mild or hot)
avocado and salsa for topping

Directions:
1. In a skillet, saute peppers, onions, corn and garlic for 5 minutes over medium-high heat to soften.
2. Transfer to a large bowl with remaining ingredients and mix well.
3. Pour into casserole dish, cover with foil and bake at 375 for 20-25 min until heated through.

Notes:
-Make it vegetarian by omitting the chicken and adding extra beans.
-Make it dairy-free by leaving out the cheese and adding some extra hummus.
-Make it even quicker by sauteing the veggies, then just adding the rest of the ingredients to the skillet and stirring until it’s heated through…no baking required.

Chicken & Farro Spinach Salad

Ingredients (for 4 salads)

2 cups cooked farro
1 pound grilled chicken
8 cups baby spinach (or kale)
2 cups chopped apples
3 cups roasted carrots
1 cup diced red onion, to taste
1 cup diced cherry tomatoes
Crumbled feta, Craisins and pecans (or other nuts) to taste

1/4 cup avocado oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced (or a little garlic powder)
splash of honey or maple syrup, to taste

Directions:
1. Divide salad ingredients between four bowls.
2. In a jar or small bowl, combine garlic, red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, honey or maple syrup and oil and whisk or shake until well mixed. Pour over salads and enjoy!

Notes:
-Don’t like carrots? Try roasted sweet potatoes or another veggie of your choice!
-Don’t like feta? Try goat cheese!
-Don’t like honey mustard dressing? Use your favorite – storebought or homemade.
-Swap massaged kale for spinach to change things up.

Farro Power Bowl

Ingredients (for 4 bowls)

2-2.5 cups cooked farro (about 1 cup dry)
1 large avocado
3/4 cup sliced red onion
1 pound roasted green beans, chopped
8 hard-boiled eggs (or other protein of choice)
2 medium sweet potatoes (or other roasted vegetables of choice)

2 roasted red peppers, skin, seeds and stem removed
juice from and zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup avocado oil
3-4 cloves garlic

Directions
1. Slice sweet potatoes into rounds. Spray with oil and sprinkle with curry powder and paprika. Bake at 425 for 20 minutes flipping once.
2. In a blender, combine roasted red peppers, lemon juice and zest, oil and garlic and blend until smooth. Taste and add additional garlic or lemon if desired.
3. Assemble the bowls. In each bowl, place a heaping 1/2 cup farro, 2 hard boiled eggs, some sweet potato rounds, avocado, onion and green beans. Top with red pepper sauce and serve.

Notes:
-This is a vegetarian option. You could skip the eggs and top with some sauteed shrimp instead…or even grill some extra chicken to throw on top.
-If you don’t like green beans, try broccoli.
-If you’re not a fan of roasted red pepper sauce, mix some salsa with hummus or plain yogurt and use that as a dressing!
-To bulk up the red pepper sauce, add some almonds or plain greek yogurt. You could also roast some garlic along with the peppers during your prep and use the roasted garlic in the sauce.

Italian Meatball Farro Soup

Ingredients

1 pound ground turkey
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
2 cloves garlic
1 egg
2 Tbsp parmesan cheese (optional)
1 tsp parsley (or 2 Tbsp fresh parsley)
1 tsp oregano

1 cup cooked farro (about 1/2 cup dry)
1-quart broth
2-3 handfuls baby spinach
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup diced onion
1 red pepper, diced
2 Tbsp oil
More oregano, fresh lemon juice or fresh parsley to season if desired.

Directions:
1. Make meatballs during food prep: Combine first 7 ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Form into tablespoon-sized mini meatballs (I got about 24) and bake at 400 for 12 min or until internal temp reaches 165 degrees, flipping once.
2. To make soup: Heat oil in a dutch oven.
3. Add onion, pepper and garlic and saute for 5 minutes. Add meatballs, broth and farro. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in baby spinach until wilted. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
4. Top with extra parmesan if desired and serve with bread!

Notes:
-This soup could easily be made ahead of time and simply reheated.

Grocery List

Bob’s Red Mill Farro (approx 3 cups dry)
2# boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 red peppers
1 can black beans
1 cup frozen corn
1 large yellow onion
1 large red onion
Plain hummus
Shredded Mexican cheese
Taco seasoning
1 can enchilada sauce
2 bags baby spinach
2 apples
4 large carrots
Feta or goat cheese
Craisins
Pecans (or other nuts)
Cherry tomatoes
Large avocado
1 pound green beans
8 Eggs to hardboil (plus one raw egg)
2 lemons
Avocado oil
1 bulb garlic
1 # ground turkey
Breadcrumbs
Parmesan cheese
Fresh parsley (or dried)
1 egg
Oregano
1 qt chicken broth
Dijon mustard
Honey or maple syrup
Red wine vinegar
Veggies of choice to roast
Almonds or plain yogurt, optional

Join me over on IG stories this weekend and next week to see me prep these ingredients and make these meals right along with you! And be sure to grab a bag of Bob’s Red Mill farro before you get cooking!

Oh, and if you have extra farro and are looking for another idea, try this Berry Breakfast Farro!

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

Resources for Feeding Kids

March 1, 2019 by Lindsay Leave a Comment

This Resources for Feeding Kids PDF bundle is designed to make feeding toddlers and young kids easier. Bundle includes a Create Your Plate guide, tips for picky eaters, snack ideas and a printable chart to encourage them to try new foods!

Hi friends!

Just popping in to let you know my Kid Food PDF Bundle is now live and available to purchase. From now until Sunday 3/3/19 at 11:59 PM PST you can snag it for $7.99 before the price increases! Just CLICK HERE or click the the “I Want This” button below.

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Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

My Go-To Energy Ball Recipe

February 13, 2019 by Lindsay 21 Comments

My Go-To Energy Ball Recipe is perfect for kids, nursing moms, athletes and anyone looking for a healthy snack. They’re full of fiber, protein, and healthy fats and easy to prep ahead of time to keep your freezer stocked.

Hi friends!

Today I’m sharing my go-to energy ball recipe and I already know you’re gonna love it. I shared it on Instagram a few weeks ago and many of you have already tried and loved them! They’re super easy to make, packed with protein, fiber and healthy fats and perfect for stocking your freezer. I’ve become especially reliant on them while nursing. I find myself constantly starving having healthy, calorie-dense snacks like these on hand have been a total lifesaver while I’m feeding a tiny human and trying to keep my calorie intake up.

An added bonus? My kids also love them. They’re the perfect make-ahead snack that I can prep ahead of time on the weekend and have on hand to grab for them when they’re cranky and hungry.

This recipe is gluten-free and can be made dairy-free if you use non-dairy milk and dairy-free chocolate chips (I like Enjoy Life). I use peanut butter in mine but you could swap another nut butter or try sunflower seed butter for a nut-free version.

Here’s how you make them:

I’m not lying when I say we go through about two batches of these per week.

Let me know if you try them! If you like these, you might also like my Lemon Energy Balls and my No Bake Peppermint Chocolate Bites.

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

Kid-Friendly Smoothies with Vegetables

January 31, 2019 by Lindsay 4 Comments

These kid-friendly smoothies with vegetables are perfect for snack time. Packed with carrots, spinach or cauliflower, both kids and adults will love these simple, healthy smoothies or popsicles.

Hi friends!

Just popping in to share a few kid-friendly smoothies with vegetables what we’ve been loving around here lately. But before we get there, I want to give you a little back story.

I’ve never been a huge smoothie drinker. I’m not someone who makes a daily green smoothie to start my day. But, a few years ago, I realized that smoothies might be a good way to get some extra veggies into my kids. Since then we’ve tried MANY smoothie recipes and never really found a real winner. Some were complete fails. Some warranted a few sips or spoonfuls and that was it.

So this January, when Squish developed a bit of an obsession with popsicles (ideal timing right…in the dead of winter?) I went back to the drawing board, determined to find a combo that both kids liked so I could start whipping up smoothies and smoothie popsicles at snack time. And you know what I realized the key was? Simplicity.

When I was first making all those smoothies, I was trying to cram so many ingredients into each one…trying to make it the ultimate healthy snack. 3 kinds of vegetables, peanut butter or avocado, yogurt, chia seeds, kefir…basically, you name it, I was throwing it in. FAIL. But suddenly when I scaled back and just used 3 basic ingredients – vanilla yogurt, orange juice and a vegetable- BOOM! Instant success!

So here’s your reminder that sometimes with kids, simple is just best. Here are a few simple combos that my kids have been loving lately. I’ve been alternating between serving them as a drink and freezing them into popsicles. Squish has been particularly fond of the carrot combo, which was a total shock to me, but I love that he loves it. You could also serve them as a smoothie bowl with some peanut butter and granola.

If you’re serving these smoothies to your kids, let them watch you or help you make them. Show them the ingredients you’re putting in. This is not about hiding veggies. My kids are well aware that they’re eating a carrot popsicle or a spinach smoothie. It’s been a great way to show them that some veggies they think they don’t like…like spinach or cauliflower or roasted carrots…can actually be prepared in a way they enjoy!

Here’s how I make them. Keep in mind that smoothie measurements don’t have to be exact!

Like I mentioned in the notes, once you find a combo or two your kids loves, you can try moving to half plain/half flavored yogurt, plain yogurt with a little sweetener or adding extra veggies, nut butter, seeds, etc!

Be sure to let me know if you try any of these combos and share any new favs you discover!

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–