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Hi Friends!

Have you finished your shopping? Wrapped your presents? We’re a little behind this year but I still thought we were pretty much done, until last night! As I was making my list and checking it twice, I realized…Whoops! We forgot someone. With only 2 days until Christmas, and a little baby in the house, our chances to run out and get a last minute gift are limited. So what’s a girl to do?

Turn to food, of course! I rounded up 5 delicious homemade gift ideas you can put together quickly if you find yourself in my situation. All of them can be made in 30 minutes or less and 4 of them are no-bake!

You can find the recipe links below:

1.No Bake Protein Bars

2. Sweet & Spicy Almonds

3. Healthier Puppy Chow

4. Salt-Free Seasoning Mix

5. Blizzard Bites  

 Let’s chat:

Do you give homemade gifts? What’s your favorite thing to make?

[Tweet “Need a last minute holiday gift? Here are 5 ideas from @leangrnbeanblog!”]

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

This post was sponsored by some of our Elf4Health sponsors. I was compensated for my time. All opinions are my own. 

Hi Friends!

Elf 4 Health is drawing to a close and it’s been another awesome year. As we wrap things up, we just want to give a shoutout to some of our amazing sponsors! The purpose of these shoutouts is to introduce you to some of the amazing companies we work with by sharing our experiences with them and highlighting some of their products!

So here we go:

Manitoba Harvest

Manitoba Harvest is one of the largest manufacturers of hemp foods.

From their website:

When it comes to hemp foods, we want to know as much as possible and be involved at every level – from seed to shelf. Luckily we are! We are tremendously proud to be the world’s largest hemp food manufacturer to grow, make and sell our own line of hemp foods.

We make virtually everything on-site at our world class manufacturing facility. Our manufacturing plant has achieved the highest level of global certification in food safety and quality (BRC Grade A).

They’re committed to quality and making an environmental difference which makes them one of my favorite companies:

Not every seed is created equal, we are the first, and only, hemp food manufacturer to have a comprehensive in-house quality control lab. Seed entering the Manitoba Harvest facility goes through a series of tests at various stages of production before being released to you.

Our facility has been refitted with reusable materials, energy saving utilities, and low-flow water taps. We offset carbon omissions by partnering with renewable choice and purchasing renewable energy credits (REC). By purchasing RECs, we are trying to balance energy used with renewable energy sources. Our REC purchase is equivalent to planting 1,009 mature trees and saving 272,449 miles driven in a car.

Manitoba Harvest partners with like-minded companies. We evaluate our suppliers not just on price, but also on their commitment to social and environmental responsibility. For example, when recently re-evaluating our flavored protein powder sweetener we chose to upgrade to coconut sugar. Coconut sugar is a low glycemic index sweetner AND it is sustainability sourced from small farmers. Coconut sugar may cost a little more but the quality and how the ingredient is sourced is important to us.

Wanna know more about hemp? Here are some fun facts:

So, how can you eat them?

Try hemp hearts:

• Great tasting – Hemp Hearts have a slightly nutty taste, similar to a sunflower seed or pine nut.
• Easy to use – Simply sprinkle Hemp Hearts on salad, cereal & yogurt, add to smoothies and recipes, or eat them straight from the package!
• Nutritious – per 30 gram serving, Hemp Hearts contain 10 grams of plant-based protein and 10 grams of Omegas.

Or check out their Hemp Protein powder:

1. HempPro 70 – It’s water soluble and has a smooth texture! It’s also our higher protein option (the Original flavour has 20 grams of protein per 30 gram serving). We love this protein in a post run smoothie or yoga shake (yes, you can literally shake it with your favourite beverage and you’re good to go). Comes in three delicious flavours; Chocolate, Vanilla and Original.

You can also mix it into baked goods and I love using it in my homemade protein bars! Plus they have a few other varieties of protein powder you can check out here.

And if you need more recipe inspiration, check out all the delicious recipes on their site.

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Cook Smarts is another company I love and support wholeheartedly. Their mission is to empower home cooks by inspiring and educating them. They create tons of educational resources and develop weekly meal plans that you can purchase.

 They provide a meal plan- which you can customize to be gluten-free, vegetarian or paleo if necessary to fit your dietary needs, compile a grocery list for you and even tells you what you can prep ahead of time over the weekend. It also provides you with notes about ingredients, ideas for leftovers and cooking videos. Plus they have a great blog!

For more detailed info about how Cook Smarts works, check out THIS POST.

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Sweaty Betty is a fitness apparel company whose purpose is to “inspire women to find empowerment through fitness”. They sell workout, yoga and running gear, plus underwear, swimwear and accessories.

I got the opportunity to try out several pieces of their clothing and I’m totally in love.  They’re expensive, but the material is high quality and durable and well worth the price in my opinion!

Check out THIS POST for more a more detailed review of the pieces I got and be sure to check out their website and pick out something pretty for yourself!

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We’d also like to thank the rest of our Elf4Health sponsors for being so awesome.  Be sure to check them all out!

The 3 winners of Elf4Health will receive the following:

• 3 months of meal planning from Cook Smarts
• Beautiful workout gear from Sweaty Betty
• Chocolate & Vanilla hemp seed protein powder from Manitoba Harvest
• Swanson Health
• A mixed prize pack from Love Grown Foods
• Dark chocolate Nuttzo  + to go packets!
• A Legacy Cheese Gift Box from Cabot Cheese
• A Sampler Pack from Sizzlefish.

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

Hi friends!

Quick post today! I know as a food blogger I usually post my own recipes…but sometimes, when things get busy, it’s nice to rely on other people. And by people I mean cookbooks, magazines, online recipe sites and blogs. You know, the ones full of recipes that have already been tested and approved?

I have a huge collection of cookbooks and cooking magazines…and we all know I read a lot of blogs….but I’m pretty terrible about actually trying out all the recipes I collect. My mom, on the other hand, is great at it. Sure she has her favorite recipes that she makes time and time again, but she also reads a lot of cookings magazines and she actually tries out the recipes that sound good!

While she was here helping us out with baby while I was in the hospital, she did all the cooking. And before she left earlier this week, she cooked a couple of meals to feed us for the rest of the week.

We tried one of the meals the night she left and it was a huge hit with both hubby and me. I asked her where she got the recipe and she pointed me to Eating Well. I decided it might be fun to challenge myself to start cooking some of the meals I find and occasionally share a quick review with you guys!

So we’ll start with this one, even though I didn’t make it!

It was called a Cassoulet. Or, as hubby affectionately dubbed it- a meat pot.

The term meat pot is pretty accurate actually. It’s made with 3 different meats- chicken, pork and kielbasa sausage, plus beans and veggies. Hubby and I loved having a variety of meats all in one dish. I said if I were to make it again, I’d leave out the chicken. Hubby disagreed- saying the chicken was like a nice surprise after a few bites of sausage. We both agreed the pork was the best.

You cook it in a dutch oven and put it in the oven for a couple of hours so the flavors really develop. It’d be a great meal to make and let cook while you’re getting things done around the house on a weekend. Overall, the dish has great flavor and it makes a big batch so we were able to enjoy the leftovers for a couple of days. My mom had some extra meat, so we put it in the freezer and I can use it to make something else in the future OR repeat this recipe and already have a good head start!

If you’re interested in checking out the recipe you can find it here:

Eating Well: Cassoulet 

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

This post was sponsored by Sweaty Betty. I was compensated for my time. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Hi Friends!

It’s time to introduce you to another Elf for Health Sponsor. Elle and I developed this challenge to help people have a healthy holiday season and we wanted to cover all aspects of health- healthy eating, physical health and mental health. Sweaty Betty is one of our sponsors in the fitness area. They’re a fitness apparel company whose purpose is to “inspire women to find empowerment through fitness”. They sell workout, yoga and running gear, plus underwear, swimwear and accessories.

They have SO many cute things on their site that I struggled to pick out an outfit to try. Here’s what I ended up choosing:

Athlete Workout Vest 

Level Workout Leggings

Escape Luxe Jumper

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You guys, I love these clothes! I usually have trouble finding workout leggings that are long enough and fit at the waist so they’re not constantly falling down. These are perfect! Not too tight, but they definitely stay in place when squatting, etc. Plus they have a little zipper pocket in the back!

The tank top is so comfortable. It wicks away sweat AND it’s long enough to fit my torso and stay in place when I’m moving around.

The jumper might be my favorite. It’s SO soft and it has thumbholes – my favorite! I love how it looks like there’s a hood, but it’s just some extra fabric around the neck. It doesn’t get all bunched up under a jacket like a hood. It’s a little bit shorter style which I don’t typically go for, but I really like the way it looks with a tank top underneath!

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If I was putting a few things on my Christmas wish list, I’d pick:

Allegro Knit Dance Jumper 

Embrace Luxe Knit Shawl

Balasana Yoga Pants 

Visama Reversible Yoga Leggings 

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The only downside, in my opinion, is the price…but the high quality material makes it worth it. I think these are pieces that will hold up well over time, allowing you to get your money’s worth!

Huge thanks to Sweaty Betty for being an Elf for Health sponsor this year! All the elves are looking forward to their sponsored challenge on Monday- run or walk a mile as fast as you can!

If you’re in the market for some new fitness clothes, be sure to check out Sweaty Betty’s website! I mean, new clothes are pretty much guaranteed to improve your workouts right?!

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

Hi Friends!

Today I’m introducing you to a fellow Ohioan who has been helping me out behind the scenes on the blog for the past few months! She’s a soon-to-be RD and after receiving your responses to the survey I put out a few months ago, I asked her to do a little research about some of the topics you guys were most interested in. One of those was Apple Cider Vinegar!

Hi, Everyone!  My name is Meagan and I’m so excited to be with you today!  I am a graduate student in the Medical Dietetics program at Ohio State University which means in one more semester, I will be elegible to sit for the Register Dietitian exam and become an RD like Lindsay.  I’ve been working a little bit behind the scences with her this past Fall to learn about the planning and work that goes into creating an interesting, fun, and helpful nutrition blog.  What I’ve learned: it’s certainly a full time job and Lindsay definitely deserves some “maternity leave” for a few posts!

{Source}

Today’s post is about a topic that many of you who took the Reader Survey Lindsay put out back in September were interested in learning more about: vinegar! Specifically apple cider vinegar. It really seems to be having a moment right now with health endorsements from running the gamut from Dr. Oz to Katy Perry. I’ve done a lot of research on the topic and wanted to talk about the health benefits that have been scientifically proven to be true—not just the old wives’ tales!

First off, vinegar has been in use in nearly every field from medicine to homekeeping for thousands of years. Hippocrates (c. 420 BC), the Father of Medicine used vinegar as a wound treatment. It is rumored that Cleopatra used vinegar to dissolve pearls into a love potion for Marc Antony. Sung Tse, Father of Forensic Medicine, supported washing hands in vinegar to avoid infection during autopsies. And even today, vinegar is commonly used as a household cleaner.

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The word vinegar comes from the French vin aigre which means sour wine. It can be made from nearly any fermentable carbohydrate source including fruit, wine, beer, dates, grains, or potatoes. To make apple cider vinegar, apples are crushed and their juice is added to barrels or casks along with yeasts which ferment the natural sugars. The result is alcohol. Next, Acetobacter bacteria are added to convert the alcohol to acetic acid. Finally, the mixture is allowed to ferment for weeks or months, depending on the maker. During this time, nontoxic goo made up of yeast and acetic acid bacteria forms within the mixture; similar to kombucha, this is known as the mother. This part is usually filtered out and the remaining liquid pasteurized before selling. However, some people claim that the mother has health benefits and certain brands sell their vinegar including bits of the mother. At this time health claims regarding any benefit from ingesting the mother are unsubstantiated. On the other hand, I couldn’t find any research that claimed ingesting bits of the mother were harmful either.

{Source}

Medical Uses

There are many ways in which vinegar has been used to promote health. One of the oldest is to fight infections. This idea is based in science as vinegar is proven to have antimicrobial properties. However, today most experts advise against putting vinegar directly on wounds, as there are many other more effective treatments to kill bacteria and reduce infection.

There is ambiguous evidence that vinegar can improve blood pressure and cholesterol. It is speculated that vinegar ingestion improves calcium absorption, which through a complex chain of events involving hormonal regulation, can help to regulate blood pressure. This has been shown in animal studies BUT trials have not been done in humans. Further, a 2006 study in the British Journal of Nutrition found that acetic acid, the main acid in vinegar, reduced total cholesterol in rats when taken regularly with food.

Vinegar is equivocally associated with cancer fighting. It is a dietary source of polyphenols, which are synthesized by plants to defend against oxidative stress. In humans, polyphenols have been shown to enhance antioxidant protection and reduce cancer risk.

Finally, a 2004 study conducted by Arizona State University study suggested that vinegar consumption may influence blood sugars. The study had some people drink apple cider vinegar mixed with water while some participants drank a placebo. Then both groups ate a carbohydrate rich breakfast. Afterward the group who ingested the vinegar drink had a smaller rise in blood glucose than the group who drank the placebo. In fact, in insulin-resistant subjects (the early phase of Type 2 diabetes), vinegar ingested with a meal has been demonstrated to reduce post-meal blood sugar levels up to 64%. But even in those with Type 2 diabetes, vinegar consumption prior to the meal was associated with a slight improvement in post-meal insulin sensitivity.

{Source}

Unsubstantiated Claims

There are several health applications for apple cider vinegar that have been used for many years, but are not backed up by science. The first is using apple cider vinegar to treat acne. The acid in the liquid is thought to act as a natural toner thus improving skin texture while the antimicrobial properties aid in acne treatment.   Similarly, it has been used to as a dandruff remedy. Spray a mixture of 1 part apple cider vinegar to 1 part water on your scalp and put your hair in a towel for 15 minutes. Then wash as usual. It is claimed that the apple cider vinegar changes your scalp pH level making it inhospitable to the yeast that causes dandruff.  Finally, apple cider vinegar has been long used in Eastern medicine to treat an upset stomach. Adding 2T apple cider vinegar and a dash of honey to a cup of water and drinking is said to ease a rumbly tummy.

Safety

Vinegar has been used in in the diet for thousands of years and so may be labeled safe in that capacity: as a dietary flavoring agent. However, researchers are just beginning to take on vinegar as a natural medical remedy and more studies should be conducted before calling it “safe” outside of its normal dietary uses. Acids can cause tooth decay so you should be sure to rinse your mouth after drinking apple cider vinegar. And it should be noted that in a small number of cases, overconsumption of apple cider vinegar (drinking it daily) has been linked to lowered potassium levels and weakened bones.

The bottom line is that apple cider vinegar is not a magic bullet for any condition, but is a yummy and nutritious dietary flavor when added to a healthy lifestyle that includes a balanced diet and exercise.

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Thanks to Meagan for sharing some of her knowledge today! Hope you learned something!

Let’s chat:
What’s your favorite way to use Apple Cider Vinegar?

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

This post was sponsored by CookSmarts. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Hi Friends-

Today I want to introduce you to one of our Elf For Health Sponsors- A meal planning service called Cook Smarts! If you’ve been reading The Bean for a while, you may remember that I introduced you to them about a year ago when I reviewed them for the first time. Well guess what? I like them so much we’re going to talk about them again!

Our Elf4Health challenge for today is to plan and prep some healthy meals for the week and Cook Smarts is the perfect tool to help you do that! This year they’re giving our Elf  For Health winners a 3 month subscription to their meal planning service,  however, I think a lot of you could benefit from their services so I thought I’d tell you about them again in case you’re not familiar with them.

Cook Smarts was created by an amazing woman named Jess who was diagnosed with Hepetitis C in high school and decided while she was going through treatment that if she survived, she would dedicate her life to doing something that would help people!

From their website:

WHAT EXACTLY IS COOK SMARTS?

Cook Smarts’ mission is to empower home cooks with the inspiration and education needed to live their healthiest and happiest life in the kitchen. We do this by creating lots of practical cooking resources (think the Home Ec class you never got to take), free recipes that work for your busy life, and weekly meal plans that also teach you how to cook. I’ve been lucky to find a great team of kitchen cheerleaders to help me slowly expand the content, products, and services we offer.

WHY DID YOU START COOK SMARTS?

As I mentioned above, the need to start Cook Smarts was motivated by a personal promise. However, when I quit my job in October of 2011, I honestly had no clue what Cook Smarts was going to be when it grew up. All I had was a strong belief that the ability to cook simple and real food could contribute to a healthier and happier world. As someone who has always valued the power of education, I wanted to create a company that focused on giving people the smarts and tools they needed to succeed in the kitchen and take control of their health.

As a dietitian, there is SO much I love about this company. While I’m usually able to just wing it in the kitchen, I know there are lots of people out there who benefit from planning out their meals for the week. But let’s be honest, that can be a lot of work! Cook Smarts does that work for you! It provides a meal plan- which you can customize to be gluten-free, vegetarian or paleo if necessary to fit your dietary needs, compiles a grocery list for you and even tells you what you can prep ahead of time over the weekend. It also provides you with notes about ingredients, ideas for leftovers and cooking videos. Plus they have a great blog!

Here’s what it looks like:

When you sign up, they share several meal ideas each week. Here’s what’s on tap for next week:

You choose which meals you want to make and the ingredients are added to a grocery list:

The colored letters indicate which meal the ingredient is for and you can remove items you already have on hand at home.

You can also check out your instructions for things you can prep ahead of time over the weekend:

And when you’re ready to make a meal, they give you complete directions, along with links to instructional videos!

If you don’t like what’s on the menu for the week you can search their meals to add different ones to your meal plan:

Cook Smarts offers gift subscriptions that would be perfect for the holidays! You can give 3 months of meal plans for $21, 6 months for $42 or one whole year for $72. PLUS through Dec 3rd all subscriptions and gift subscriptions are 40% off!  If you’re reading this from Dec 3 – Dec 21st, use the code ELF4HLTH14 for 20% off subscriptions!

They have an awesome website with a great Resources section and you can check out their past meal plans to get an idea of what their recipes are like! And the best part? If you think this sounds good but you’re not ready to commit, they let you try 3 meal plans for free!

I made this Open Faced Turkey Pesto Avocado Melt last week and it was a delicious combo of flavors!

And next time my hubby asks for chicken tenders, I’m trying this version:

So, if you’re interested in learning more about Cook Smarts, check out their website! If you’re ready to give them a try, sign up HERE!

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

Hi Friends!

This whole week pretty much revolves around food since it’s Thanksgiving tomorrow, right? So I thought it’d be a good time to share another roundup of what some of my favorite busy moms feed their kids!

If you like this post, be sure to check out What Registered Dietitians Feed Their Kids and What Busy Moms Feed Their Kids – Part 1! Hope this gives you moms out there some new food ideas!

Brittany
Delights and Delectables (delightsanddelectables.com)
“Baby Delight” 8 months

1. What do your children typically eat for breakfast?
Right now, he is still mainly on formula.  However, about 1 hour after his morning bottle he has some form of “big kid” food.  That is when I introduce new foods every 4 days.

2. What do they typically eat for lunch?
Formula.  We pretend it is filet mignon though.  😉

3. Do you all sit down as a family for dinner?
Yes!  We want to institute that early in life.  We do the best we can with him.  Dinner is usually his “witching hour” so it can get interesting.

4. What happens if they don’t like what you’re making for dinners?
We try, try again.  I am dealing with trying to decide if he has a food allergy or intolerance to certain foods, or if he just doesn’t like them.  Right now, he despises bananas.  I plan to reintroduce them in a couple of weeks.  The key is patience…. Sometimes it takes several introductions to a new food before they like it.

5. What are the kids’ favorite snacks? What are some snacks you never leave the house without?
His favorite foods right now are sweet potato and avocado.  We aren’t really doing portable snacks right now, but I always make sure to have extra formula with me!

6.  Are any foods off limits?
We aren’t doing any gluten or grains until he is older.  Our doctor told us of some new research that suggests this keeps babies from developing food allergies.  Since I have a ton of allergies, I want to keep Baby D allergy free if possible!  Plus, we aren’t sure if there are food allergies in his family history.

7. Any tips for picky eaters?
Keep trying and be patient.  Sometimes it can be a sensory or texture issue.  Someone told me it could take up to 30 times before a child accepts the food.

8. Do any of your kids have food allergies? How do you deal with that both at home and when in public?
Not yet!! Fingers crossed!!

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Courtney
Sweet Tooth, Sweet Life (www.sweettoothsweetlife.com)
Lucas, 13 months

1. What do your children typically eat for breakfast?
Full fat yogurt, banana, and a pancake

2. What do they typically eat for lunch?
PB&J on whole wheat bread, homemade chicken meatballs with peas and carrots, homemade spinach mac & cheese, and deli turkey with string cheese are a few favorites these days.

3. Do you all sit down as a family for dinner?
We try really hard to all sit together, but 90% of the time, it’s usually Lucas eating while at least one of us sits with him. As hard as we try, we aren’t always able to get his food AND our food on the table at the same time.

4. What happens if they don’t like what you’re making for dinners?
We might attempt to feed it to him a different way (sometimes he won’t want to pick it up himself, but he’ll eat it with a fork, etc.) but if he’s really not into it, we’ll usually go to one of his typical lunch favorites. And some nights, all he wants is blueberries and Cheerios. It happens.

5. What are the kids’ favorite snacks? What are some snacks you never leave the house without?
Cheerios are a MUST for us right now. Fruit and veggie food pouches are also great for on-the-go snacks (although we need to watch him with them now because he likes to squirt them anywhere but in his mouth).

6. Are any foods off limits?
Not really at this point, but limit the added sugars/sweets to special occasions.

7. Any tips for picky eaters?
Sometimes, adding a little butter or cheese and extra spices to veggies has made a huge difference for Lucas.

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Jess Allen
Blonde Ponytail (blondeponytail.com)
Jada, 15 months

1. What do your children typically eat for breakfast?
Fruit (usually a banana), cheerios, sometimes pancakes if I can get my act together and cook! Things she can feed herself, as she is Miss Independent now! 😉

2. What do they typically eat for lunch?
Chicken & peas (she love these), or if we are on-the-go, a Sunbutter & jelly sandwich on whole wheat with raspberries on the side. We also do whole milk with added DHA.

3. Do you all sit down as a family for dinner?
We try to, but my husband is a baseball coach, so his hours can get late! For dinner, she loves turkey burgers and Amy’s organic veggie bowls, so I try to play into her veggie interest as much as possible.

4. What happens if they don’t like what you’re making for dinners?
I usually default to a pre-made pouch from Happy Tots or Plum. Right now, she is teething, so soft foods seem to be preferable.

5. What are the kids’ favorite snacks?
What are some snacks you never leave the house without? Again, the pre-made pouches, Cheerios or puffs, and usually a cereal bar. Plus, her water bottle!

6. Are any foods off limits?
Because Jada is only 15 months, no choking hazards like hot dogs, raw veggies, chips, candy, etc. Otherwise, I let her try sweets, not too many, but she’s a big fan of ice cream like her mama. 😉

7. Any tips for picky eaters?
Make it fun by encouraging independence. I let her feed herself as much as she can. I also always try to sit down and eat with her, so it’s a family experience.

8. Do any of your kids have food allergies?
She had a reaction to peanut butter early on, so we stick with almond butter and Sunbutter. Usually, people are really good about asking what she can & can’t have, especially since she is so young.

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Melanie Flinn
Nutritious Eats (nutritiouseats.com)
Lucas 7, Sage 5, Roman 2, and Evangeline 9 months

1. What do your children typically eat for breakfast?
They rotate between scrambled eggs and toast, cereal, oatmeal, pancakes, breakfast tacos, and bagels with cream cheese. In addition, they have yogurt every single morning- they are obsessed, and often fruit.

2. What do they typically eat for lunch?

Main entree is usually one of the following:

• Homemade “lunchables” with cheese, crackers, and uncured, nitrate-free ham or turkey
• Sandwiches: egg and cheese, uncured ham or turkey and cheese or peanut butter and jelly
• Leftover pasta-either pesto, marinara or mac n’ cheese
• Soup
• Breakfast tacos-usually potato and egg made in the morning before school

Sides (I give them 2 or 3 sides depending on the day):

• Hummus and crackers
• Tortilla chips or pretzels
• Fruit (they eat every type)
• Nuts
• Granola bars- both homemade and store-bought
• Snack balls
• Carrots sticks or cherry tomatoes

The baby is eating mostly finger food with the addition of a little pureed baby food. She eats all the soft table food we eat like avocado, pita bread, hummus, potato, chicken, pesto pasta, cheese pizza, fruits and tons of veggies—she loves them all!

3. Do you all sit down as a family for dinner?
Yes, every night. Since the baby has to go to bed the earliest we aim to eat at 5:45pm so that we can all sit together.

4. What happens if they don’t like what you’re making for dinners?
It doesn’t happen often because I usually cook things I know they like. However, if it’s something new and they don’t think they like it, I encourage (or rather make) them try at least one bite. If I am cooking something that isn’t their favorite, I always include at least one food item I know they like. For example, if I make a seafood and pasta dish with marinara, I know they don’t like seafood but they love pasta so I’d simply set aside some plain marinara. I always have frozen veggies on hand if they don’t like the fresh veggies I am cooking with and I have no problem defrosting what they like. That’s about as far as I cater to them.

5. What are the kids’ favorite snacks? What are some snacks you never leave the house without?
They love crunchy stuff like Pirate Booty, pretzels, gold fish, or Annie’s brand snacks. They also love any kind of fruit and nuts (mostly cashews and pistachios), granola bars (typically homemade Lara bars), homemade fruit or nut snack balls.

6. Are any foods off limits?
Not really. I refuse to buy highly processed foods or things with artificial dyes. However, if they are offered those sorts of things at school parties, birthday parties, soccer games, etc. they are allowed to eat them. Obviously we aim to keep those as very occasional foods.

7. Any tips for picky eaters?
If they are under 2 years old, just be patient. Food tastes change all the time. Plus, everyone has different preferences so you can’t force them to like something just because you like it. If they are 2+ years and old enough to help you in the kitchen, absolutely get them involved. This always helps my kids to be more open to trying new foods.

8. Do any of your kids have food allergies? How do you deal with that both at home and when in public?
My 2 year old has an egg allergy. It’s not very serious, but as he continues to test positive, I avoid giving him whole eggs and I often bake with flax as an egg substitute. He can tolerate eggs in baked goods in small amounts so it hasn’t been a huge issue thus far.

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Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

Hi Friends!

Elf For Health is back for another year and it’s time to kick things off!

Three years ago Elle of  According to Elle (formerly Nutritionella) and I started this challenge to promote health and wellness during the holidays, a time when healthy habits tend to fall to the wayside. In years past, all challenge participants were paired up as elves to support and encourage each other during the holidays.

We recognize this is an especially busy time of year and not everyone can commit to having an elf, so this year you’ll have the option of having an elf assigned to you, or participating solo. Regardless of whether you want your very own elf or choose the solo route, all elves are welcome to join our awesome community on Facebook, as well as by using the #elf4health hashtag on Twitter and Instagram.

Here are all the details about what the challenge entails and how to sign up!

Introducing the Elf for Health Holiday Challenge! This is a four week challenge that will run from the Monday November 24th thru December 21, 2013. The challenges fall into 4 different categories: Food, Fitness, For You & For Others. There will be daily tasks, daily winners, prizes, weekly newsletters, and a Facebook group for support.

And are you ready for the best part? You’ll have an elf to support and encourage you! When you sign up, you will also be committing to be an elf for someone in return. Over the course of the challenge, you will have two different elves.

Sounds like a great way to stay motivated and meet new people over the holidays doesn’t it?! Since this challenge is internet based, anyone can participate… no matter where you’re located! All you need is access to the internet and an email address.

So what does an Elf do?

Elf Duties

As an Elf, you are expected to support your assigned buddy with their holiday health goals and the daily challenges. Elves & buddies will be reassigned after 2 weeks so that hopefully you get to meet 2 new people! You are only asked to email your buddy 2 times per week:

• Monday: Send your buddy an email to help them with the challenges for that week. Ideas of things to include/attach: your own personal tips & tricks, inspiring words and/or images, a new, healthy recipe or workout to try.
• Thursday – Saturday: Any time during these days, check in with your buddy! For example, ask them if they tried a new recipe, workout, or had fun with any certain challenges. Feel free to tell them how you did with your challenges, too!

Anything more than those 2 emails is up to you but feel free to go above and beyond this to show your support! Just a few ideas: send your buddy Tweets, shout outs on our Facebook Page, email a fun workout you liked or send a hand written recipe or note.

Important Dates

• *Friday, November 21st at 11:59pm EST: sign up deadline
• Sunday, November 23rd: Round 1 Elf assignments emailed
• Monday, November 254h – Sunday, December 7th: Round 1
• Sunday, December 7th: Round 2 Elf assignments emailed; Round 1 “Best Elf” winners chosen
• Monday, December 8th – Sunday, December 21st: Round 2
• Sunday, December 21st: Round 1 “Best Elf” & participant grand prize winners chosen

*If you missed the initial sign up deadline, you can still participate:

• Sign up before December 5th for Round 2

Not clear about something? Email Elle or Lindsay!

Prizes

We have some fabulous prizes from some of our favorite companies to give to the winners.

• 2 prizes for “Best Elf”, one awarded at the end of each round
• 1 grand prize for best participant awarded at the end of the challenge determined by participation, hashtagging and being an awesome Elf.

There will be a daily challenge winner chosen each day. Daily winners will be entered for a chance to win the grand prize!

Best elf prizes will given based on participation and nomination. If you love your elf, let us know so we can consider them for a Best Elf prize. Best Elf prizes will be awarded at the end of each round.

Prizes will be provided by our 2014 Challenge Sponsors:

Prize packs will include 3 months of meal planning from Cook Smarts, beautiful workout gear from Sweaty Betty, hemp seed protein powder from Manitoba Harvest, and more from Swanson Health, Love Grown Foods, Nuttzo, Cabot Cheese, and Sizzlefish.

** Unfortunately, due to shipping costs, only USA residents are eligible to win prizes. But we’d still love to have you participate, even if you’re from somewhere else!**

Still with me?

Challenge Calendar

If so, you’re probably wondering what the daily challenges are, right? Here’s a nice square image that you can save on the lock screen of your phone to remind you of the challenges!

You can see more detailed descriptions on the calendar below and we’ll expand even more on the challenges in each weekly newsletter. See below for a printable list! Print it out and hang it somewhere to remind you participate, or add it to your Google calendar!

Sign Up

Want to sign up?! Fill out the form below.

We will be sending out a weekly newsletter reminding you of the weekly challenges so look out for a confirmation email to confirm your participation & newsletter subscription. If you don’t receive a confirmation email, check your spam box. If you still can’t find a confirmation email, let one of us (Elle or Lindsay) know ASAP and we’ll add you to the list.

Buttons

Did you sign up? If you’re a blogger, grab a button:

<div align="center"><a href="https://www.theleangreenbean.com/elf-for-health/ ‎" title="The Lean Green Bean"><img src="https://www.theleangreenbean.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/elf4healthbadge1.png" alt="The Lean Green Bean" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

<div align="center"><a href="http://accordingtoelle.com/elf4health" title="According to Elle" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.theleangreenbean.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/elf4healthbadge2.png" alt="According to Elle" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Follow

Make sure you’re following us for the latest updates, daily challenge reminders and winner announcements by social media.

• • • Elle: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram & Pinterest
    • Lindsay: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram & Pinterest

Info Pages