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Kale Panzanella with Chicken Sausage

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This no-cook Kale Panzanella with Chicken Sausage comes together quickly and tastes great! Make a batch to enjoy for lunch all week long.

This recipe for no-cook Kale Panzanella with Chicken Sausage comes together quickly and tastes great! Make a batch to enjoy for lunch all week long.

Hi Friends!

Just popping in to share another quick new recipe with you guys! It just might be my new favorite summer lunch, mainly because there’s no cooking involved! I used pre-cooked chicken sausage and canned beans so basically all you have to do is chop the veggies, add some sausage, beans and stale bread, toss in dressing and serve! So easy.

This recipe for no-cook Kale Panzanella with Chicken Sausage comes together quickly and tastes great! Make a batch to enjoy for lunch all week long.

This is a bit of a twist on traditional panzanella. First of all, I added a bunch of kale. I debated just calling this a kale salad but I think the bread does help keep it in the panzanella realm. But, if you’re not a bread lover, feel free to leave it out and enjoy it as a more traditional salad. Secondly, I added some chicken sausage and beans to up the protein content and make it more of a complete meal. Feel free to leave out the meat or beans if they don’t fit your taste preferences.

This recipe for no-cook Kale Panzanella with Chicken Sausage comes together quickly and tastes great! Make a batch to enjoy for lunch all week long.

Here’s how you make it:

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Kale Panzanella with Chicken Sausage

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This recipe for no-cook Kale Panzanella with Chicken Sausage comes together quickly and tastes great! Make a batch to enjoy for lunch all week long.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 cups kale, roughly chopped
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cup canellini beans
  • 2 chicken sausages, sliced
  • 1/3 cup diced onion
  • 1 medium tomato, diced
  • 2 cups cubed stale bread
  • juice from one lemon
  • 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1/4 cup crumbled feta

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, combine kale and 1 Tbsp olive oil. Use your hands to massage kale leaves.
  2. Let sit for at least 15 minutes.
  3. Add beans, sausage, onion, tomato and bread to bowl.
  4. In a small bowl, combine lemon juice, balsamic and oil and whisk to combine.
  5. Pour over kale mixture and stir gently to coat.
  6. Top with crumbled feta and serve.

This is definitely a must-try! Feel free to add more dressing if you want to!

This recipe for no-cook Kale Panzanella with Chicken Sausage comes together quickly and tastes great! Make a batch to enjoy for lunch all week long.

[Tweet “Kale Panzanella w/ Chicken Sausage – no cook and perfect for summer! via @leangrnbeanblog”]

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

A Week of Meals with Chicken

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Like chicken but always seem to make the same things? Here’s a week of meals with chicken to inspire you to try a different recipe!

A Week of Meal Ideas with Chicken

Hi Friends-

I’m back with another week of meal ideas for you. This week we’re focusing on chicken. All parts of it! I’m a chicken lover but tend to fall into a rut of prepping it the same couple of ways over and over. If you’re like me, hopefully some of these ideas will help inspire you!

A Week of Meal Ideas Featuring Chicken

There are ideas for every meal of the day! And if chicken isn’t your favorite…well you’re probably not reading this post…but if you are, you could sub in your favorite meat or even tofu in a lot of these!

Here we go:

Breakfast

A Week of Breakfast Ideas with Chicken

Lunch

A Week of Lunch Ideas with Chicken

Dinner

A Week of Dinner Ideas with Chicken

 

Want to do some food prep?

  • Make a batch of sausages
  • Prep the breakfast casserole or bake and reheat throughout the week
  • Roast the chickepeas for a salad
  • Prep a big salad and divide into containers for lunch
  • Prep foil packets so it’s easy to throw them on the grill
  • Make the watermelon BBQ sauce
  • Prep and wrap your pineapple jalapeno chicken

weekly meal plans

Want more weekly meal plans? Check out the full library here!

 

 

[Tweet “Love chicken? Here’s a week of recipe ideas to try featuring chicken from @leangrnbeanblog!”]

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

Grilled BBQ Chicken Salad

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A light and fresh summer lunch or dinner, this Grilled BBQ Chicken Salad is simple, healthy and full of flavor!

A light and fresh summer lunch, this Grilled BBQ Chicken Salad is simple, healthy and full of flavor!

Hi Friends!

I’ve decided that any time I need to serve salad for a crowd from now on, I’m doing it on a tray. So much easier to get the right ratio of greens to toppings. You know how it goes when you put it in a big bowl…you either have to take ALL the topping to get to the lettuce, or all the toppings fall to the bottom and all you get is lettuce.

A light and fresh summer lunch or dinner, this Grilled BBQ Chicken Salad is simple, healthy and full of flavor!

Trays solve that problem. Plus it makes it way prettier! I’ve had the idea for this salad in my head ever since I ran across this stunning caprese salad. Then earlier this week Erin posted this Peach Salad with Grilled Chicken earlier this week and it was just the kick in the pants I needed to get this post together!

I would file this salad under “delicious ways to use leftover chicken”. You guys know we often bake or grill up a lot of meat on Sunday’s during food prep and I’m always thinking about new and different ways to use it throughout the week. This week hubby grilled up some bbq chicken and I thought this salad would be a great way to eat some of it for lunch!

A light and fresh summer lunch, this Grilled BBQ Chicken Salad is simple, healthy and full of flavor!

I added nectarines because I pretty much live on them during the summer, avocado because, duh, red peppers and these cute little mozzarella balls! If i’d had my act together, I also would have added yellow cherry tomatoes and red onion…but I was fresh out. Next time!

Also, I used leftover chicken for this but if I was making it and serving it right away, I would’ve grilled the nectarines and red peppers and onions before adding them for some additional flavor.

A light and fresh summer lunch or dinner, this Grilled BBQ Chicken Salad is simple, healthy and full of flavor!

Here’s what you need:

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Grilled BBQ Chicken Salad

Grilled BBQ Chicken Salad 4
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A light and fresh summer lunch or dinner, this Grilled BBQ Chicken Salad is simple, healthy and full of flavor!

Ingredients

  • chicken
  • bbq sauce
  • avocado
  • peaches or nectarines
  • red bell pepper
  • mozzarella balls
  • red onions
  • tomatoes
  • mixed greens

Instructions

  1. Grill chicken. Baste with bbq sauce while cooking.
  2. Cover baking sheet with mixed greens.
  3. Add toppings of choice.
  4. Slice chicken once cooked and add to salad.
  5. Serve and enjoy!

Note- you could easily make this plain grilled chicken and skip the bbq sauce. I dressed mine with just a little balsamic vinegar…but use your favorite dressing- or check out this roundup I just did for Parade of 8 Simple Summer Salad Dressings. Any of them would be delicious on this salad!

A light and fresh summer lunch, this Grilled BBQ Chicken Salad is simple, healthy and full of flavor!

[Tweet “This Grilled BBQ Chicken Salad from @leangrnbeanblog is the perfect summer lunch or dinner!”]

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

Wild Blueberry Mini Muffins

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These Wild Blueberry Mini Muffins make a healthy and flavorful bite-size snack. Perfect for moms to enjoy with the kids after an afternoon nap!

These Wild Blueberry Mini Muffins make a healthy and flavorful bite-size snack. Perfect for moms to enjoy with the kids after an afternoon nap!

This post is sponsored by The Wild Blueberry Association of North America. I was compensated for my time. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Hi Friends!

This is the second in my series of summer posts with Wild Blueberries! In case you missed the first one, check out the delicious Wild Blueberry Energy Bars I shared last month!

As you may recall, this series is all about helping moms stay fit and healthy when life gets crazy caring for their littles! This month we’re talking about nap time workouts! You know the days. The ones where you can’t even think about leaving the house to get a workout in?

These Wild Blueberry Mini Muffins make a healthy and flavorful bite-size snack. Perfect for moms to enjoy with the kids after an afternoon nap!

Enter the nap time workout. We know how important working out is for our mental health, so  it’s important to have a few go-to workouts saved  in what I call my “nap time file”. With a little advanced planning, the kiddo’s nap time can be the perfect time to sneak in a workout on a busy day!

And then of course you’ll need to refuel after the workout…and that will probably coincide with the kids waking up, so I whipped up a healthy, kid-friendly snack you can all enjoy together!

These Wild Blueberry Mini Muffins make a healthy and flavorful bite-size snack. Perfect for moms to enjoy with the kids after an afternoon nap!

Let’s recap why Wild Blueberries are so awesome! Compared to regular blueberries:

  • They have twice the amount of andioxidants and more protective phytochemicals.
  • They’re frozen at harvest, which locks in their nutrients and taste.
  • They contain less water than regular blueberries, which makes them ideal for baking! Use them straight out of the freezer- no thawing required!
  • They’re available year round in the freezer section of many grocery stores and they’re a super convenient way to have this antioxidant-rich superfruit on hand at all times!

Click the link below to head on over to the Wild Blueberries blog to get the recipe for these adorable muffins, plus my tips for maximizing your  workout time and a fun nap time workout that requires just a pair of dumbbells and can be done quietly in a small area to avoid waking the kiddos.

Wild Blueberry Mini Muffins

[Tweet “These Wild Blueberry Mini Muffins via @leangrnbeanblog are perfect for snack time!”]

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

 

Vegan Ice Cream Sandwiches

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Made with just a 4 ingredients, these Vegan Ice Cream Sandwiches are gluten-free, dairy-free and make the perfect summer treat!

Made with just a 4 ingredients, these Vegan Ice Cream Sandwiches are gluten-free, dairy-free and make the perfect summer treat!
Hi Friends!

Time to highlight another recipe from the archives! I first shared these ice cream sandwiches about 2 years ago, but the pictures didn’t really do them justice. Since I find them to be the perfect summer treat and make them all the time myself, I figured it was worth re-sharing them!

Here’s the deal. These are super simple. The “ice cream” is the ever-popular banana soft serve (ie just blended up frozen bananas) and the “sandwich” part is made with dates and nuts! You just know i love that banana & nut butter combo! You don’t have to spend a lot of time making these look pretty. As you can tell by the photos, I didn’t. The edges aren’t perfect, there are a few cracks, the ice cream is lopsided in some. Trust me when I tell you it won’t affect the taste!

Made with just a 4 ingredients, these Vegan Ice Cream Sandwiches are gluten-free, dairy-free and make the perfect summer treat!

Here’s how you make them:

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Vegan Ice Cream Sandwiches

Vegan Ice Cream Sandwiches 2
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Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup dates, chopped
  • 1/2 c almonds
  • 1/2 c nut butter
  • 2–3 medium bananas, cut into chunks & frozen
  • unsweetened cocoa powder, optional

Instructions

  1. In a food processor, combine the ingredients and pulse until well combined.
  2. Transfer mixture to a piece of saran wrap, squeeze dough into a ball and freeze for 20 minutes.
  3. Unwrap, divide in half and place 1/2 the dough on a piece of parchment paper. Place another piece of parchment paper on top and press to flatten. Cut equal sized squares for your sandwiches, gather the scrap edges and repeat.
  4. Repeat with other half of dough then place all sandwich parts in the freezer.
  5. Place banana chunks in the food processor and process until a smooth ice cream/fro-yo consistency is reached.
  6. Put ice cream in freezer for 20 minutes to harden slightly.
  7. Remove everything from the freezer, spoon some ice cream onto one square, top with another and gently press top and bottom together to make an ice cream sandwich.
  8. Wrap each sandwich individually in saran wrap and place in the freezer until desired firmness is reached.

Notes

You have to work quickly or the ice cream will get too melty. [br]I’d recommend wrapping each one as soon as you make the sandwich and putting it in the freezer. If you try to set them on a plate or pan as you work, the ice cream will melt and the tops will slide off.

Please make sure to read the notes section in the recipe above or you’ll end up with a melty mess! I don’t use cocoa powder in mine but if you want a more chocolatey flavor for the ice cream part you could add some. I used a small glass to make my sandwich sides circle and help ensure they were all the same size! You can just eyeball it if you want.

Made with just a 4 ingredients, these Vegan Ice Cream Sandwiches are gluten-free, dairy-free and make the perfect summer treat!

[Tweet “These Vegan Ice Cream Sandwiches from @leangrnbeanblog are the perfect summer treat!”]

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

7 Non-Zucchini Spiralizer Recipes

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Use these Non-Zucchini Spiralizer Recipes to expand your love for your spiralizer. Everything from carrots to sweet potatoes to broccoli stems can be spiralized and added to healthy meals!

Hi All!

I originally published this post almost 2.5 years ago. I honestly wasn’t sure the spiralizer crazy was going to last but it is still wildly popular and people are now going way beyond the just the zucchini and getting so creative with their recipes!

So, I thought I’d update this roundup with some fresh new recipes to share with you!

spiralized cucumber salad

Greek Spiralized Cucumber Salad

cumin chicken stir fry with carrot noodles

Cumin Chicken Stirfry with Carrot Noodles

Broccoli Beef with Broccoli Stem Noodles

Broccoli Beef with Broccoli Stem Noodles

cinnamon apple waffle

Cinnamon Apple Sweet Potato Waffles

 

jerk chicken with plantain noodles

Jerk Chicken with Crispy Plantain Noodles 

garlic Sriracha hash browns

Garlic Sriracha Hashbrowns with Baked Eggs 

spicy roasted sweet potato spirals

Roasted Sweet Potato Spirals with Guacamole

For more inspiration, be sure to check out my friend Ali over at Inspiralized for hundreds of ideas!

Use these Non-Zucchini Spiralizer Recipes to expand your love for your spiralizer. Everything from carrots to sweet potatoes to broccoli stems can be spiralized and added to healthy meals!

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

Tex-Mex Migas

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Tex-Mex Migas – a simple, vegetarian recipe, perfect for breakfast or dinner. Add a simple sweet potato and black bean hash for extra protein and fiber!

Tex-Mex Migas are a simple, vegetarian recipe, perfect for breakfast or dinner. Add a simple sweet potato and black bean hash for extra protein and fiber!

Hi Friends!

First things first. You might notice things look a little different around here. My new header is courtesy of Megan Hogan, a local Columbus designer, and I love it. I was ready for a change and I love how clean and simple it is! Once I had my new header ready to go, the fabulous Julie at Deluxe Designs helped me get it up and running, change around some colors etc. I’m loving the new look and am so grateful for both of their help!

Now, let’s talk about the food.

You may be looking at these and thinking they’re not all that different from the Breakfast Nachos I shared a couple months ago…and you’d be correct. But here’s the deal. Nachos require full chips. This requires tortilla chip crumbs. An alternate title to this post would be – “the perfect way to use the crumbs at the bottom of a bag of chips”, but I didn’t feel like that would get as many hits in the search engines 🙂 But it’s the truth. I read somewhere that migas means crumbs? I’m not totally sure if that’s correct, but I’m going with it.

Tex-Mex Migas are a simple, vegetarian recipe, perfect for breakfast or dinner. Add a simple sweet potato and black bean hash for extra protein and fiber!

This recipe is super simple, vegetarian, gluten-free and delicious! It basically involved pumping up your standard scrambled eggs with some tortilla chips, veggies and cheese and then taking things to the next level by serving it alongside a spicy mixture of sweet potatoes and black beans. Top it all off with a little extra cheese, avocado and salsa and you’ve got yourself a nice little plate of deliciousness. 

Am I right?! Here’s the recipe:

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Tex-Mex Migas

Tex Mex Migas 1
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Tex-Mex Migas are a simple, vegetarian recipe, perfect for breakfast or dinner. Add a simple sweet potato and black bean hash for extra protein and fiber!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup diced sweet potatoes
  • 1/2 cup black beans
  • juice from half a lime
  • 1 jalapeno, minced (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 cup diced red pepper
  • 1/4 cup diced onion
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 Tbsp milk
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheese (cheddar or mexican blend)
  • 1 cup crumbled tortilla chips
  • avocado & salsa for topping

Instructions

  1. In a pan with a splash of oil or butter, saute sweet potatoes, garlic, jalapeno, lime juice and spices over high heat for about 10 minutes or until sweet potatoes reach desired softness.
  2. Add black beans, let heat through, then remove mixture from pan and set aside.
  3. Add red pepper and onion to pan and saute for 3-5 minutes.
  4. Add tortilla chips, eggs and milk and scramble eggs, cooking until desired level of doneness is reached.
  5. Add cheese and mix well.
  6. Serve warm with black bean mixture. Top with avocado and salsa.

Notes

To speed up the process, microwave the sweet potatoes for a minute or two before adding them to the pan to help them cook more quickly!

I could probably eat this every day and be happy.

Tex-Mex Migas are a simple, vegetarian recipe, perfect for breakfast or dinner. Add a simple sweet potato and black bean hash for extra protein and fiber!

You could easily add some chicken sausage or leftover chicken or beef to this if you wanted to!

[Tweet “These Tex-Mex Migas with Spicy Sweet Potato Hash via @leangrnbeanblog look delicious!”]

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

 

A Week of Meals featuring Blueberries

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Love blueberries? Here’s a week of meals featuring blueberries with recipes that feature them for every meal of the day!

A Week of Meal Ideas Featuring Blueberries

Hi Friends!

We’re changing up our meal plan theme this week just a little bit. Instead of focusing on a more general theme, we’re getting specific! I give you: A Week of Meals Featuring Blueberries.

A week of meal ideas featuring blueberries! Recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack and dessert!

Blueberries will forever and always remind me of summer. Every year while I was growing up, my mom would pick a summer day, load my sister and I into the car after an early morning swim team practice and take us blueberry picking. We’d drive for what seemed like forever, turn down a bumpy road and arrive at the blueberry fields.

There was a little shack where you’d stop and get a basket and then off you went. It was always brutally hot with no shade in sight, but I loved searching for the perfect berries to fill my basket.

When we were done, we transferred out berries to plastic bags, weighed them on the scale and headed home.

I introduced Squish to blueberries a couple weeks ago and I’m happy to say he loves them just as much as I do! So this week I rounded up a bunch of meal ideas that feature these little berries! Some use conventional blueberries, some use wild blueberries and all sound absolutely delicious!

Here you go:

Breakfast

A Week of Breakfast Ideas using bluberries!

Lunch

A Week of Lunch Ideas featuring blueberries!

Dinner

A Week of Dinner Ideas made with blueberries!

Snacks & Desserts

Snack and dessert ideas made with blueberries!

As an added bonus, I threw in a few snacks and desserts!

Want to do some food prep?

  • Make a batch of pancakes to reheat throughout the week.
  • Bake a loaf of blueberry banana bread for your parfaits.
  • Make some breakfast bars.
  • Make the maple clusters for your breakfast salad.
  • Cook the chicken for your wraps
  • Make a batch of dressing to use on your salads
  • Pickle some blueberries
  • Cook a steak for Sunday dinner so you have leftovers for lunches
  • Make a batch of turkey burgers to grill
  • Pick a sauce and make a batch for your meat.
  • Make some cookies
  • Make a batch of energy bites
  • Make some cashew bars for the freezer.

[Tweet “Like blueberries? Here are recipes to use them at any meal via @LeanGrnBeanBlog!”]

weekly meal plans

Want more ideas? Check out the full gallery of weekly meal plans here.

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

Mexican Layer Dip + 5 Healthy Black Bean Recipes

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This Mexican Layer Dip is easy to make and full of flavor! With layers of spicy black bean dip, homemade guacamole and fresh corn salsa it’s the perfect party appetizer or snack!

This Mexican Layer Dip is easy to make and full of flavor! With layers of spicy black bean dip, homemade guacamole and fresh corn salsa it's the perfect party appetizer or snack!

Hi Friends!

Today we’re doing something super fun! First of all, I have a delicious new recipe for you. If I were to judge the success of a recipe by how many times hubby requests it, this one would be a grand slam. I think he’s asked for it at least 4 times since I made it!

Secondly, this recipe is part of a healthy black bean roundup! I teamed up with a few of my favorite blog friends to celebrate our love for healthy foods and give you guys some creative inspiration about how to use some of our favorite ingredients. We’ll be bringing you these roundups every couple months and each roundup will have a different ingredient theme. For our first one, we picked black beans!

This Mexican Layer Dip is easy to make and full of flavor! With layers of spicy black bean dip, homemade guacamole and fresh corn salsa it's the perfect party appetizer or snack!

We’ve got pretty much all meals covered from breakfast to dessert!

But first, back to this dip!

I started out thinking this would be a more traditional 7 Layer Dip…then I got lazy and decided it was just easier to combine some of the layers. So, I mixed the bean, sour cream (except I used yogurt) and cheese layers into one, made some fresh guac and then topped it off with some fresh corn salsa. The second time I made it I also topped it off with some of my favorite storebought tomato salsa and it was delicious!

This Mexican Layer Dip is easy to make and full of flavor! With layers of spicy black bean dip, homemade guacamole and fresh corn salsa it's the perfect party appetizer or snack!

Are you drooling yet?! Here’s the recipe:

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Mexican Layer Dip

black bean dip
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This Mexican Layer Dip is easy to make and full of flavor! With layers of spicy black bean dip, homemade guacamole and fresh corn salsa it’s the perfect party appetizer or snack!

  • Author: Lindsay L
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

Scale
  • -For the bean dip layer-
  • 1 can black beans (no salt added)
  • 1/3 cup plain yogurt
  • 1/4 cup shredded Mexican cheese
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 – 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • -For the guacamole-
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1/2 cup chopped tomato
  • 1 large avocado
  • 1 jalapeno, diced
  • juice from 1 lime
  • 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
  • -For the corn salsa-
  • 3/4 cup diced red pepper
  • 3/4 cup corn
  • 3/4 cup tomato
  • 1/2 cup onion
  • 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
  • 1 jalapeno, diced (optional)
  • Tomato salsa for topping, optional

Instructions

  1. To make the bean dip, place the black beans in the bowl and smash using a fork or potato masher. Mix in yogurt, cheese and spices.
  2. To make the guacamole, smash avocado in a bowl and stir in onion, tomato, jalapeno, lime juice and cilantro.
  3. To make salsa, combine peppers, corn, tomato, onion and cilantro.
  4. On a large plate, spread black bean dip across the bottom. Spread guacamole on top of the bean dip. Top with corn salsa. Top with tomato salsa if desired.
  5. Serve with chips!

Pretty, isn’t it?!

This Mexican Layer Dip is easy to make and full of flavor! With layers of spicy black bean dip, homemade guacamole and fresh corn salsa it's the perfect party appetizer or snack!

And now, the fun part. Check out these drool-worthy recipes my friends came up with using black beans!! I can’t decide which to make first!

5 Healthy Ways To Use Black Beans

 

Are you as excited about these as I am? If so, please PIN the collage to share with friends!!

Now, here’s a close-up of all the goodies. Go check them out!!

Black Bean Naan Bowls + 5 Healthy Ways To Eat Black Beans

Black Bean Naan Bowls via Yeah…Imma Eat That

No Bake Black Bean Brownies + 5 Healthy Ways To Eat Black Beans

No-Bake Black Bean Fudge Brownies via The Big Man’s World

 Sweet Potato & Black Bean Collard Wraps + 5 Healthy Ways To Eat Black Beans

Sweet Potato & Black Bean Breakfast Wraps via The Roasted Root

Black Bean Zucchini Cookies + 5 Healthy Ways To Eat Black Beans

Black Bean Zucchini Cookies via Hummusapien

[Tweet “5 Healthy Ways To Enjoy Black Beans from breakfast to dessert via @leangrnbeanblog and friends!”]

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

Peanut Butter and Jelly Ice Cream Pie

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Love ice cream? Try this Peanut Butter and Jelly Ice Cream Pie! It’s like a grown up version of your favorite childhood sandwich, for dessert!

Love ice cream? Try this Peanut Butter and Jelly Ice Cream Pie! It's like a grown up version of your favorite childhood sandwich, for dessert!

Hi Friends!

Today we’re taking a break from Sunday Food Prep because it’s Recipe Redux day. The theme for this month was pie:

Pie Love

Tucked in a crust, nothing says love from the oven like pie. Whether it’s a twist on the all-American apple pie or a traditional recipe from your home country, give a healthy makeover to your favorite savory or sweet pie recipe.

So here’s the deal. I’m not usually a huge pie person. I should say, I’m not a huge pie filling person. I love pie crust. I rarely love the inside of a pie. It’s almost always too sweet and I dunno….I just don’t dig it.

Love ice cream? Try this Peanut Butter and Jelly Ice Cream Pie! It's like a grown up version of your favorite childhood sandwich, for dessert!

I am, however, a huge ice cream person. As I was thinking about this month’s challenge, my train of thought went something like this:
Pie crust = win.
Pie filling = lose.
Ice cream = win.
Pie crust + ice cream = double win.

Love ice cream? Try this Peanut Butter and Jelly Ice Cream Pie! It's like a grown up version of your favorite childhood sandwich, for dessert!

And that’s how the idea for this pie was born. When I was deciding on a flavor for the pie, I looked in the fridge and saw a batch of this chia jam along with approximately 5 different jars of nut butter and voila!

I wanted something simple for the crust so I veered away from traditional pie crust. I also didn’t want the filling to be overly sweet – so went with 1/2 ice cream, 1/2 plain yogurt and then added some sweetness back in with the chia jam. You’re welcome to use all ice cream if you want to!

Love ice cream? Try this Peanut Butter and Jelly Ice Cream Pie! It's like a grown up version of your favorite childhood sandwich, for dessert!

Sound like this pie is up your alley? Here’s how you make it:

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Peanut Butter and Jelly Ice Cream Pie

Ice Cream Pie 1
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Love ice cream? Try this Peanut Butter and Jelly Ice Cream Pie! It’s like a grown up version of your favorite childhood sandwich, for dessert!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups granola
  • 3/4 cup peanut butter + extra to drizzle
  • 2 cups vanilla ice cream
  • 1.5 cups plain full fat yogurt (Greek or regular)
  • 1 batch chia jam

Instructions

  1. Make chia jam according to directions.
  2. Mix granola and peanut butter and press into a pie tin.
  3. Bake at 350 degrees for 7 minutes.
  4. Let the jam and pie crust cool and take ice cream out of freezer to soften.
  5. Combine ice cream and yogurt in a bowl and mix until well combined.
  6. Pour half ice cream mixture into pie tin.
  7. Swirl in half chia jam.
  8. Top with remaining ice cream mixture.
  9. Swirl in remaining jam.
  10. Freeze until solid, cut and drizzle with peanut butter before serving

Isn’t it pretty?!  If you’re using a chunkier granola or one with more clusters and nuts you might want to place it in a ziploc bag and smash it up before mixing with the peanut butter, or throw it in the food processor and pulse it a few times to grind it up. Here’s the recipe for the chia jam. It makes about 1 cup and only takes about 10 minutes. Use your favorite fruit or fruit combo to make it!

Love ice cream? Try this Peanut Butter and Jelly Ice Cream Pie! It's like a grown up version of your favorite childhood sandwich, for dessert!

To cool the jam and pie crust faster, stick them in the freezer for 20 minutes. Feel free to use your fav nut butter! (Or this Maple Cinnamon Sunflower Seed Butter)

[Tweet “Your fav childhood sandwich in dessert form! PB and J Ice Cream Pie via @leangrnbeanblog!”]

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

Check out all the other delicious pie recipes in this month’s link up below:


A Week of Dairy-Free Meals

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Are you looking for some new meal ideas that don’t involve dairy? Here’s a week of dairy-free meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner to inspire you!

A Week of Dairy-Free Meals

Hi Friends!

Time for another round of meal plan ideas! I had a request for a week of dairy-free meals so that’s what I put together this week! As usual, you don’t have to be dairy-free to enjoy these meals and if you’re not looking for dairy-free recipes, you can easily sub dairy milk, yogurt, etc in many of these recipes!

A Week Of Dairy-Free Meal Idea! Recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner!

Here’s what I rounded up for you this week!

Breakfast

Dairy-free Breakfast Ideas

Lunch

Dairy-free Lunch Ideas

Dinner

Dairy-free Dinner Ideas

Want to do some food prep?

  • Make a batch of waffles or pancakes and reheat throughout the week. (Even better- make a double batch and put half in the freezer!)
  • Make a batch of sweet potato burgers
  • Prep the shrimp taco salad and eat for lunch all week.
  • Make the corn salsa for your tacos.
  • Cook some pork on the grill or in the oven.
  • Prep the veggies for your pot pies
  • Make a batch of cashew alfredo sauce
  • Cut your veggies and chicken for stir fry
  • Prep a batch of tandoori chicken

[Tweet “Looking for dairy-free meal ideas? @Leangrnbeanblog has you covered!”]

weekly meal plansWant more ideas? Check out the full library of weekly meal plans here. 

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

How To Make Chia Jam

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Have summer fruit that’s about to go bad? Learn how to make chia jam! It’s low-sugar, easy to make and the perfect way to extend the life of your favorite fruits. 

Summer is the perfect time to learn how to make chia jam. Use up your favorite fruits before they go bad and turn them into a low-sugar jam that's great for breakfast, lunch and snack time!

Hi Friends!

As promised I’m back with another super easy recipe for you today. This is actually more of a tutorial than a recipe. I’ve written about my love for chia jam before, but never actually posted a recipe for it.

Here’s the thing. Summer is the perfect time to jump on the chia jam train. Fresh fruit is everywhere and if you’re anything like me, you’re probably guilty of occasionally buy more than you can eat. Chia jam is the perfect solution! It’s super simple to make, can be made with a variety of fruit, requires just two ingredients (fruit & chia seeds) and extra ripe fruit is perfect for it because you’re going to mash it all up anyways and ripe fruit = extra natural sweetness!

Summer is the perfect time to learn how to make chia jam. Use up your favorite fruits before they go bad and turn them into a low-sugar jam that's great for breakfast, lunch and snack time!

Here are your directions:

How To Make Chia Jam

1) Put 2 cups of fruit in a small saucepan. I used nectarines (peeled and chopped) and raspberries.

2) Heat the pan on the stove. As the fruit starts to heat up, use a fork or spatula to mash it up until no chunks remain.

How To Make Chia Jam

3) Add 1.5 Tablespoons of chia seeds and stir to combine. Taste for sweetness (if you really think it’s necessary you can add a little maple syrup or honey for extra sweetness but if you’re using ripe fruit it will probably be sweet enough all on its own)

4) Transfer to a glass container (makes about a cup), let cool and store in the fridge for about a week. The chia seeds will help it thicken up as it cools.

Summer is the perfect time to learn how to make chia jam. Use up your favorite fruits before they go bad and turn them into a low-sugar jam that's great for breakfast, lunch and snack time!

Use your imagination to enjoy your chia jam! Put it on toast (pictured here with some Maple Cinnamon Sunflower Seed Butter). Use it as a pancake or waffle topping. Swirl some into your yogurt or ice cream. You get the idea!

Summer is the perfect time to learn how to make chia jam. Use up your favorite fruits before they go bad and turn them into a low-sugar jam that's great for breakfast, lunch and snack time!

[Tweet “Learn how to turn your fav summer fruits into Chia Jam via @leangrnbeanblog!”]

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

4 Ways To Drink More Water

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Thanks to Nestle for sponsoring this post. 

Hi Friends!

 

Let’s chat about water today! As a Registered Dietitian, I think any time is a good time to talk about positive nutrition choices but sometimes the seasons make it easier to chat about certain subjects . Winter brings the holidays, a perfect time to talk about making healthy choices at parties and family gatherings. Spring brings the opening of farmer’s markets which makes it easy to talk about upping your vegetable intake and eating locally. Summer brings hot weather, which means it’s the perfect time to talk about hydration, ways to drink more water and why it’s important!

You’re probably familiar with the My Plate image, but did you know that many health professionals are encouraging the government to add water to the diagram to remind people to drink more water? I think it’s a great idea!

proposed my plate with water

Healthy Hydration Toolkit

The reality is, there are far too many people out there drinking too many sugar-sweetened beverages and not enough water. Did you know that on average 20% of daily calories and nearly half of all added sugars come from beverages (not counting milk and 100% fruit juices)? Almost half of all kids and adults drink at least one sugar-sweetened beverage per day – ranging from coffee and tea to soft drinks to fruit and energy drinks.

where drink calories are coming from

Need another visual eye-opener? One 12 oz sugar-sweetened beverage has about 10 teaspoons of sugar! That’s over 3 Tablespoons!

So here’s the bad news- obesity rates (for both children and adults) are far higher than they should be and most people simply don’t drink enough water throughout the day. Americans purchase about one billion beverage servings (canned, bottled or in a cup) every single day and studies show that if bottled water isn’t an option, almost two thirds of people will choose soda or another sugar-sweetened beverage.

The good news is, people are starting to take action. Many studies have shown that the majority of Americans are interested in reducing their soda intake and bottle water sales are on the rise. The simple act of replacing one 12-oz (140 cal) sugar-sweetened beverage with water each day would cut 50,000 calories and more than 65 cups of sugar from your diet in a year!

When I talk to people about nutrition, I always make sure to address liquid calories. Beverages can quickly add hundreds of calories to your daily intake and many people fail to take this into consideration. In reality, your total daily calories from beverages should only be about 10-15%. That’s about 200-300 calories for a 2,000 calorie diet.

4 Easy Ways To Drink More Water

 

There are lots of reasons people don’t drink enough water but if you’re on a mission to increase your intake, here are four easy ways to make water more enticing:

  • Add bubbles.
    • Recently, my hubby made the switch from drinking mostly beer in the evenings to drinking unsweetened sparkling water and I’m so proud of him. It’s such a healthy change and for him, the carbonation and hint of flavor make it more desirable than plain water. He’s even lost a few pounds as an added bonus! And it’s cheaper than beer 🙂
  • Add flavor, but not sugar.
    • Buying unsweetened, flavored water or making your own flavored water using fruit or herbs can definitely make water more exciting.
  • Change the temperature.
    • If room temperature water doesn’t do it for you, change things up. Add lots of ice to make it ice cold, or heat it up. Remember that unsweetened tea can also be a great way to hydrate and add flavor!
  • Make it available.
    • The simple act of having water on-hand and available can also make a huge difference in your quest to make better beverage choices. As a general rule for many people, if something is there, they will eat or drink it. Take advantage of this built-in mentality and make water easily accessible. It’s easy to store in your lunch, purse, gym bag or car and just seeing the bottle is an easy way to remind yourself to drink more of it!

*Important note – During the summer months, when many people are more active and sweating more, it’s extra important to make sure you’re staying well hydrated and water should be your #1 choice! Be sure to bring water with you as you head to your workouts.

Let’s chat:

Are you happy drinking plain water or do you have to jazz it up a bit in order to get excited about drinking it?

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

A Week of Summer Meals

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A week of summer meals to inspire your menu next week. Get recipe ideas for breakfast, lunch, dinner, sides and salads – all full of fresh summer flavors!

A Week of Summer Meal Ideas

Hi Friends!

Time for another weekly meal plan! Since Summer is just about in full swing, this week I rounded up a week of summer meals for you to check out. I even added a bonus sides & salads section because there were just too many good recipes to choose from!

A Week of Summer Meal Ideas - breakfast, lunch, dinner, sides and salads!

I hope you find something that catches your eye! Add a few of these to your meal plan for next week to introduce your family to some fresh summer flavors!

Ready? Here we go:

Breakfast

A Week of Summer Breakfast Ideas

Lunch

A Week Of Summer Lunch Ideas

Dinner

A Week of Summer Dinner Ideas

Salads & Sides

A Week of Summer Sides & Salads

Want to do some food prep? You could:

  • Freeze some popsicles
  • Make a batch of hash
  • Head to the farmer’s market and stock up on fruits and veggies
  • Bake a batch of muffins
  • Grill some chicken burgers
  • Build a few mason jar salads for lunches
  • Marinate your pork
  • Make some peach salsa
  • Prep the crockpot for your chicken tacos
  • Make a couple salads to munch on all week

weekly meal plans

Want more ideas? Check out the full gallery of weekly meal plans here.

 

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

 

Frozen Yogurt Bites

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These Frozen Yogurt Bites are easy to customize and make a healthy snack or breakfast for both kids and adults!

This recipe for Frozen Yogurt Bites is easy to customize and makes a perfect healthy snack or breakfast for both kids and adults!

Hi Friends!

First of all, sorry about the other day when I posted a Fitness Friday post on a Wednesday. #mombrain. I think I originally had the post titled Crossfit After Baby so it wouldn’t matter when I posted it, but then I changed the title and didn’t really think things through! Whoops.

Anyways, we’re back to recipes today. This recipe is actually just a slight spin on one of my all-time favorites. About 2.5 years ago I posted these Frozen Yogurt Trail Mix Bars. They were wildly popular (for good reason) and I still make them all the time. However, I usually make them bite-sized instead cutting them into bars. I just find they’re less messy, easier to eat, more fun, etc!

This recipe for Frozen Yogurt Bites is easy to customize and makes a perfect healthy snack or breakfast for both kids and adults!

So, I thought since I changed things up a little, I’d make a brand new post! First of all, it’s summer and I wanted to remind all of you of these delicious treats. Secondly, I make these all the time during Sunday food prep and always get questions about them so I wanted to have a post I could direct you to so you can make them yourself! Third, they needed some new photos!

So anyways, you don’t really need specific quantities for these, which is another reason I like them. They’re totally customizable and so easy to make. If you end up mixing too much to fit in your ice cube trays, just eat the rest for a snack!

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Frozen Yogurt Bites

Frozen Yogurt Bites 1
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5 from 2 reviews

This recipe for Frozen Yogurt Bites is easy to customize and makes a perfect healthy snack or breakfast for both kids and adults!

Ingredients

  • Yogurt (all plain, or half plain, half flavored)
  • Mix-ins: nuts, seeds, fruit, chocolate chips, granola, etc

Instructions

  1. Mix everything together in a bowl.
  2. Spoon into ice cube trays.
  3. Freeze.
  4. Use a knife to gently pop frozen cubes out of mold and store in an airtight container in the freezer.
  5. Let sit for a couple minutes before eating if they’re too hard to bite into!

My favorite mix-ins are chopped almonds, chocolate chips and chopped fruit. Use any yogurt you like – greek, regular, full-fat, fat-free, non-dairy, whatever!

This recipe for Frozen Yogurt Bites is easy to customize and makes a perfect healthy snack or breakfast for both kids and adults!

[Tweet “These Frozen Yogurt Bites from @leangrnblog are perfect for breakfast or snack time!”]Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

Wild Blueberry Energy Bars

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These Wild Blueberry Energy Bars are packed with healthy ingredients like Wild Blueberries, pumpkin seeds and almonds. They’re the perfect way to refuel after a morning workout!

These Wild Blueberry Energy Bars are the perfect way to refuel after a morning workout!

This post is sponsored by The Wild Blueberry Association of North America. I was compensated for my time. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Hi Friends!

If you’ve been reading for a while now, you might remember last summer I partnered with The Wild Blueberry Association to share several delicious Wild Blueberry recipes! In case you missed them, check out the links below:

Wild Blueberry Turkey Burgers
Wild Blueberry Ice Cream Sandwiches
Wild Blueberry Zucchini Bread
Wild Blueberry Ice Cream

The summer we’re teaming up again for a fun series specifically geared towards helping moms stay fit and healthy!

workout with baby

As a mom, finding time to fit a workout in during the day can be extremely challenging. If you’re finding yourself skipping workouts due to a busy schedule, learning how to sneak in an early morning workout before your family starts the day may be just what you need!

It doesn’t need to be long or complicated. Even waking up 25 minutes early for a quick workout can help get your day off to a great start! Take advantage of having your spouse or significant other home in case the kids need anything and head downstairs to work up a sweat.

When you’re done, it’s important to refuel. Since mornings can get a little, your best bet may be a homemade energy bar that you can prep ahead of time and eat quickly.

I developed some Wild Blueberry Energy Bars for a quick, grab and go breakfast option!

These Wild Blueberry Energy Bars are packed with nutritious ingredients and perfect for refueling after a workout!

They’re packed with nutritious ingredients like Wild Blueberries, almonds and pumpkin seeds.

A few fun facts about Wild Blueberries compared to regular blueberries:

  • They have a more intense blueberry flavor because they come from fields that contain hundreds of thousands of different blueberry plants. The mixture of berries from all the plants combined gives Wild Blueberries their unique flavor!
  • They have twice the amount of andioxidants and more protective phytochemicals.
  • They’re frozen at harvest, which locks in their nutrients.
  • They’re available year round in the freezer section of many grocery stores and offer a convenient way to get your “Daily Dose of Wild Blue.”

These Wild Blueberry Energy Bars are packed with nutritious ingredients and perfect for refueling after a workout!

Head over to the Wild Blueberries site to get the recipe:

 Wild Blueberry Energy Bars

AND check out a fun bodyweight Rise & Shine Workout you can knock out before the sun comes up!

[Tweet “These Wild Blueberry Energy Bars from @leangrnbeanblog are perfect after a morning workout!”]

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

A Week of Grilled Meals

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Fire up the grill and keep the heat out of your kitchen. Use this week of grilled meals plan to inspire your summer cooking!

grilled meals

Hi Friends!

We’re back with another weekly menu that’s jam-packed with delicious recipes. This week’s menu features the grill- a summer staple in many households. Read on for a week of grilled meals. I even covered breakfast! No need to heat up the kitchen…head outside to do your cooking.

A Week of Grilled Meals - recipes you can make for breakfast, lunch and dinner on the grill!

And remember that in the winter months, or if you don’t have a grill, many of these can be made using a grill pan!

Let’s get started!

Breakfast

Recipes you can make on the grill for breakfast!

 Lunch

Delicious recipes you can make on the grill for lunch!

Dinner

Grilled dinner Ideas

 

As an added bonus this week, I found you a few grilled sides to make as well! Check out:

Sriracha Beer Butter Grilled Corn
Grilled Romaine Salad with Corn & Avocado
Lemon Rosemary Grilled Artichokes
Grilled Polenta with Tomatoes & Mozzarella

 

Want to do a little food prep? You could:

  • Grill enough bacon for the week.
  • Grill some extra potato slabs.
  • Grill several different kinds of fruit to top with yogurt throughout the week.
  • Make a sweet potato salad to pack for lunches.
  • Make a batch of chicken and veggies for fajitas.
  • Grill up a pork tenderloin and enjoy the leftovers.
  • Assemble your Greek chicken kabobs.
  • Make the pesto for your pizza.

weekly meal plansWant more ideas? Check out the full gallery of weekly meal plans here.

Enjoy!

–Lindsay–

How To Modify Baby Led Weaning

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Learn how to modify baby led weaning to make it work for you if you like the concept but are scared of baby choking.

Hi Friends!

I’ve been meaning to write this post forever and I’m finally getting around to it! I get questions all the time about how I feed Squish and now that we’ve been at it for about 3 months now, I thought I’d try to put everything I’ve done so far in one post for easy reference!

How To Modify Baby Led Weaning

 

To give you some background information, Squish has always been a good eater. He was a big baby (9 pounds when he was born) and due to my struggles with breastfeeding he’s been formula fed for a while now. When we went to his 4 month appointment, our pediatrician advised us to hold off on solid foods until as close as six months as we could but to also pay attention to max formula recommendations.

I loved the idea of baby led weaning but wasn’t ready to commit 100% at first, so here’s how I modified it to work for me. In case you’re unfamiliar, the general concept of baby led weaning is allowing your child to feed themselves (no purees) and choose what they want to eat from the very beginning.

By 18 weeks, Squish was making it quite clear that he wanted to eat food.

Little man tried sweet potato today! Seems to be a hit. #firstfood #18weeks

A video posted by Lindsay L, RD (@theleangreenbean) on

 

–If the videos aren’t displaying, click the caption and it should take you to the instagram post so you can watch them–

We gave him a few tastes of things here and there (that video was March 6, 2015, he was born Oct 29, 2014)  over the next two weeks but I wanted to hold off a bit longer to give his digestive system as much time to mature as possible.

baby with cucumber

I also let him nom on some cold cucumber slices and raw carrot sticks just for texture.

By 20 weeks he was able to sit up unassisted for short periods of time, he was always very interested in what we were eating and he constantly made attempts to grab food off our plates. He was also maxing out the daily recommended amounts of formula at 35-36 oz per day.

graco high chair

We decided it was time so we ordered him a high chair and dove in! (For your reference, the high chair we have is the Graco Blossom 4-in-1 Seating Systemir?t=thlegrbe00 20&l=as2&o=1&a=B005XJ2VGE and we love it! Just before he turned 5 months we started giving him a little solid food almost every day. I decided from the beginning that I didn’t really want to give him a lot of purees. I like the baby-led weaning approach because it helps introduce them to different textures and practice chewing at an early age. It was actually pretty amazing how good he was at chewing from the very beginning. Although I like the theory of baby-led weaning, I knew I’d need to make a few changes for my own comfort.

We’re learning! Getting better each day at grabbing pieces by himself! #babyledweaning #blw #20weeks A video posted by Lindsay L, RD (@theleangreenbean) on


From the very beginning I let him practice grabbing things for himself. His first two foods were sweet potato and avocado and those first couple weeks he also tried carrots and butternut squash. I cut the veggies into sticks and then alternated between roasting and steaming them. At this point, he seemed to prefer steamed to roasted. For the avocado I just cut it into chunks and gave it to him.

Although I wanted him to practice his coordination, giving him total control of how much he bit off still scared me a bit so I watched super closely and took larger pieces out of his mouth occasionally. For the avocado I just cut it into chunks and fed it too him since it was too slippery for him to pick up. After letting him practice a little each day, I usually just broke the veggies into chunks and fed those to him one at a time so he could chew them.

baby eating oatmeal

I also started giving him oatmeal around this time. I made my own from the very beginning using this recipe- Homemade Oat Cereal For Babies.

I went back and looked at my five month letter to him and according to that here’s what he was eating when he hit 5 months:

Right now you’re eating solid foods twice a day. Usually around lunch time I’ll give you a few finger foods – 2-3 slices of avocado and 2-3 veggie sticks. It can get a bit messy but you actually manage to get almost all of it in your mouth. Around dinner time you eat about a tablespoon of oatmeal.

You’re still drinking your formula as well. We bought these Born Free Glass Bottlesir?t=thlegrbe00 20&l=as2&o=1&a=B006VIJOPW and absolutely love them! Now that you’ve started eating some solid foods, you’re drinking 5-6 bottles a day…anywhere from 24-31 ounces.

IMG_4918

Over the next month we didn’t make a whole lot of changes. I gave him a few new foods, including roasted red peppers, bananas and peaches. Here’s what I wrote in his six month letter:

You love to eat and have been eating solids for over a month now. We didn’t really try any new foods this month. You still love avocado and sweet potato and roasted red pepper strips are another favorite. We switched you to all 6 oz bottles and you typically get 5 of them per day and then around lunch time i’ll give you some solid foods while daddy eats his lunch- usually a couple strips of red pepper, a couple sweet potato or squash sticks and some avocado.  I usually give you a couple tablespoons of oatmeal and some fruit in the evening.

IMG_6377

Admittedly I got a bit lazier over the next couple of months and found it just easier to feed him chunks of food and let you chew them, rather than letting him try to feed himself as much. I still let him practice, just not as often. I felt good about it because he was still chewing, experiencing different textures, etc but I also had greater control over the size pieces he were getting.

IMG_6404

At his six month appointment, he got the all clear to eat pretty much anything that wasn’t a choking hazard (like chips, popcorn, etc). Previously it was recommended you wait a bit longer to try certain foods due to food allergies, but that’s no longer the case, especially since our family doesn’t have a history of food allergies. He also got the ok to start drinking water from a sippy cup.

IMG_6877

Right about 6 months he started sitting in a high chair when we went out to eat. I don’t give him a ton of water but I keep a sippy cup in the diaper bag for when we’re out because it’s a good distraction…and I’ll give him some after we go on a walk if it’s hot out.

IMG_7448

I also started giving him Gerber Puffs while we were out to eat because they were a good distraction. I started with these because I thought they dissolved most easily, but I learned that Cheerios are actually specially formulated to dissolve easily for babies so I’ve switched to those since I eat them anyways.

IMG_6798

We tried several new foods after he hit the six month mark. Here’s what I wrote in my seven month letter (about what he ate during month 6)

Eating is going well. You LOVE food. About halfway through the month we dropped your early morning feeding so you currently get 4 (6oz) bottles a day. They’re usually around 9am, 1pm, 5pm and 9:30pm. I feed you Cheerios in the morning while I eat my oatmeal to keep you from sticking your hands in my bowl. Around 12pm you have lunch with daddy when he comes home from work. You tried a bunch of new foods this month. After your six month appointment, we started working our way through some of the 8 major allergens. You’ve tried:

  • eggs (scrambled, fried and hard boiled)
  • tree nuts (almond butter)
  • wheat (pancakes and puffs)
  • fish (salmon)

We still have milk, shellfish, soy and peanuts left to try. You’ve also started eating meat. You’ve had chicken thighs and pork tenderloin so far. You’re still loving all your favorite fruits and veggies from previous months as well. Depending on our schedule for the evening, sometimes I’ll give you some more food while we’re eating dinner to keep you busy…other times you’re sleeping while we eat. Around 9pm I give you some oatmeal mixed with scrambled egg and prunes. (You have some issues with pooping regularly so we give you prunes every day).

baby seven months

During this month he also tried little pieces of chicken thigh, pork tenderloin and turkey meatballs.

Now that he’s getting fairly comfortably with eating regularly, my goal is to start encouraging him to feed himself more and more. Every morning I give him a few Cheerios to practice grabbing. He’s getting better about getting them with his two fingers, but he has trouble getting them into his mouth. I also want him to start choosing what he wants to eat more and more out of the foods I offer him.

Every weekend I prep a few veggies and some oatmeal with an egg for him while I’m doing my Sunday Food Prep. Over the next few months, I anticipate he’ll he more and more of what we’re eating. I’ll be back with Part 2 in a couple months!

Again, I realize this isn’t exactly baby led weaning, but it’s definitely a different approach than starting with all purees. For us, it’s been a nice combination approach that’s been working well for us!

If you have any questions, let me know!

[Tweet “Want to learn more about baby led weaning? Here’s how @Leangrnbeanblog made it work for her!”]

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

 

 

 

A Week of No-Cook Meals

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A week of no-cook meals is just what you need during those hot summer months, or any busy time during the year!

A Week of No Cook Meals

Hi Friends!

Time for another roundup of meal ideas! Summer is almost here and that means HOT weather for most of us. Hot weather means I have little or no desire to turn on the oven or stove, so I rounded up a week of no-cook meals to help you eat well while staying cool!

A Week of No-Cook Meal ideas to help you through the hot summer months!

Do you have a favorite no-cook meal? Leave a link in the comments so everyone can check them out!

Meanwhile, here’s what I found for you:

Breakfast

No-Cook Breakfast Ideas


Lunch

No-Cook Lunch Ideas

Dinner

No-Cook Dinner Recipes

Want to do a little food prep? You could:

  • Make a batch of breakfast cookies.
  • Prep a few jars of overnight oats.
  • Make a batch of 3 bean salad or pad thai.
  • Prep your tuna salad.
  • Make enough pin wheels for a couple days of lunch.
  • Blend up some gazpacho.
  • Prep some kabobs.
  • Make a batch of raw marinara.

weekly meal plans

Want more ideas? Check out the full gallery of weekly meal plans here!

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

Shrimp and Edamame Succotash

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Bursting with summer flavors, this Shrimp and Edamame Succotash is a fun twist on the traditional and makes the perfect weeknight dinner.

Bursting with summer flavors, this Shrimp and Edamame Succatash is a fun twist on the traditional and makes the perfect weeknight dinner.

When I was in school, I spent a year working a few nights a week at a retirement home. All my residents had their favorite meals but one side dish that everyone seemed to love, no matter what their dietary preferences were, was succotash. If I’m being honest, I’ve probably only eaten succotash once in my entire life. It’s traditionally made with lima beans, which are not my favorite, and it just wasn’t something we ate a lot of growing up.

As summer rolls around, I’m on a mission to clear some space in my freezer so that I have room for important things like Healthy Ice Cream Sandwiches, Freezer PB Cups and lots of fresh summer fruits and veggies that I can freeze for winter! Last week, while taking stock of what’s currently in the freezer, I came upon a back of frozen edamame. I honestly can’t even tell you how long it had been in there but I decided it needed to be used. It just so happens that shelled edamame looks a lot liked lima beans and the package happened to be sitting next to a bag of corn. Seeing those two together immediately made me think of the succotash I served at the retirement home.

Bursting with summer flavors, this Shrimp and Edamame Succatash is a fun twist on the traditional and makes the perfect weeknight dinner.

I decided to play around with that idea and try to make a quick summer meal that the hubby and I would enjoy. Whenever I think quick, I think shrimp because they’re literally ready in just a few minutes. I decided grilled shrimp would be the perfect addition to this dish to keep it light and fresh.

Ready to give it a try?

Print

Shrimp and Edamame Succotash

Shrimp and Edamame Succotash 3
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Bursting with summer flavors, this Shrimp and Edamame Succatash is a fun twist on the traditional and makes the perfect weeknight dinner.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 slices of bacon, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup onion, minced
  • 1 cup corn kernals
  • 1 red pepper, diced
  • 1.5 cups frozen, shelled edamame
  • 1 pound shrimp, raw, peeled & devined
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 Tbsp melted butter
  • optional toppings: basil & goat cheese

Instructions

  1. In a large saute pan, cook bacon, onion, garlic and peppers over medium heat for 5 minutes.
  2. Cook edamame according to package directions. Add to pan along with corn and cook 3 minutes more.
  3. Set aside.
  4. Place shrimp on skewers, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with paprika. Grill 2 minutes per side.
  5. Plate succotash mixture, top with shrimp and add fresh basil and goat cheese if desired.

Notes

If you don’t want to grill your shrimp you can easily cook them in the pan. [br]Feel free to sub your favorite bean for the edamame.

This meal comes together really quickly. I grilled my shrimp, or rather hubby did, but you can easily cook them in the pan if you don’t feel like grilling!

Bursting with summer flavors, this Shrimp and Edamame Succatash is a fun twist on the traditional and makes the perfect weeknight dinner.

Don’t like edamame? Use lima beans another bean you enjoy. Feel free to add fresh tomatoes, squash or other summer veggies if you want!

[Tweet “Try this Shrimp and Edamame Succotash from @leangrnbeanblog for a quick weeknight dinner!”]

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–