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This post is sponsored by White Plum. I was compensated for my time and sent items to review free of charge. All thoughts and opinions are 100% honest and my own.

Hi Friends!

I’ve got a special treat for you today! We’re taking a little break from food and fitness today and talking FASHION! As you may have guessed, I haven’t been buying too many new clothes lately as I’m trying to wait until baby arrives. However, Fall is my favorite time to go shopping, and it’s been hard to resist! So, when the lovely folks at White Plum reached out to see if I would be interested in reviewing some of their items, I immediately hopped on their website. I was thrilled to find a huge selection of clothing, shoes and accessories that I loved. Even better, there were tons of options that I knew would be able to accommodate the bump!

Honestly, I had a hard time narrowing down the items I wanted. I have no doubt you’ll have the same trouble after you check out their site, so to help with that, they’re offering all of you 20% your entire order if you use the code “LEANGREENBEAN” between now and September 26, 2014! As for what I picked? After much deliberation, here’s what I chose:

V-neck Boyfriend Tee

This shirt is the best. I love a good v neck and this one is loose enough that I could wear it comfortably at 35 weeks pregnant. But it’s stylishly loose, not boxy, so I know I’ll be able to wear it after baby is born as well!

Shasta Open Cardigan

Fall is the time for sweaters and they have tons of options that are open and loose enough that I could wear them while pregnant, but will also be just as stylish and comfortable when I’m back to regular clothes. I love the color of this one- works great with black pants or jeans!

Diamond Tricolor Leggings

Guys, they have SO MANY LEGGINGS! I love leggings and there are so many fun patterns to choose from. The best part? They’re one size fits most…so they were comfortable when I put them on at 35 weeks pregnant and they’ll be comfortable during my journey back to my pre-pregnancy size! And they’re so soft. SO SOFT. I have a feeling these will be getting a lot of wear this winter!

Portland Booties

I love boots! However, most of mine are tall and I’ve been searching for a pair of ankle boots for a while now. I was thrilled to find these cute little guys. Unfortunately, my swollen pregnant feet are saying “no thank you” to them right now…but once baby comes, they’ll be great to throw on with leggings when I need to run errands! I got the brown ones but also love the gray!

Chevron Charm Necklace
Into The West Necklace

Because a girl can never have too much jewelry right?! Bonus- the chevron charm kinda looks like the state of Ohio! I love the long length of the chevron necklace. It’s great to throw on with tank tops or t shirts and I wore the Into The West necklace with a maxi dress when hubby and I went out to dinner the other night!

So, in case you haven’t picked up on it yet, I absolutely loved all the items in my White Plum order. I already have several other items on my wish list, including a few more sweaters and some dresses that were a bit more form fitting and will be better for after baby arrives.

–Lindsay–

More and more often, recipes and products are being incorrectly labeled sugar-free. Don’t be fooled!

Hi  Friends-

This is a random little blog post…but it’s been something that’s been on my mind a lot lately so I feel the need to just throw it out there. I’ve noticed an irritating trend, in the blog world, on pinterest, etc about incorrectly using the term sugar-free to describe recipes and label products.

Here’s the thing:

As an RD, I’m a definite proponent of eating less sugar. As Americans, we’re eating too much of it. Research is showing that it could be more to blame for the obesity epidemic than things like saturated fat. I’m all for reducing the amount of sugar in your diet….so are a lot of other people. In fact, similar to the low-fat/fat-free craze that swept the nation for many years, sugar-free foods and recipes seem to be a hot trend right now.

I just want to point out that even though many things are labeled sugar-free, it does NOT always mean that there is no sugar in the product or recipe. 

This article hits the nail on the head. When you see the “sugar-free” label on a recipe or product, it could mean a few things:

1) It’s free of added sugar like white sugar or brown sugar. 
Great…but check the ingredient list. You could very well see other sources of sugar like honey, brown rice syrup, maple syrup, agave nectar, date puree, molasses, etc on the list, meaning it’s not sugar-free.

2) There’s no added sugar. 
Again, does not always mean sugar-free. Many foods contain naturally occurring sugars. For example, fructose is the naturally occurring sugar in fruit and lactose is the naturally occurring sugar in milk. So, say you’re drinking a glass of orange juice. It may be made from just one ingredient- oranges- and therefore have no added sugar, but there’s still 20+ grams of sugar in that glass.

3) It’s made with sugar substitutes.
While the product technically may be sugar-free, it does contain artificial sweeteners, sugar alcohols, etc. It’s up to you to make the choice whether you want to consume these products, but you should, at a minimum, be aware of the ones you’re consuming so you can do your research.

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So, the main point of this post is just to serve as a reminder to read carefully. Food labels, packaging and recipe titles can be confusing and misleading. It’s up to you to be diligent about reading recipes and ingredient lists and making the best choices.

• Do I actively make an effort to reduce the amount of sugar in my own diet and the recipes I create? Yes.
• Do I often create recipes that use natural sources of sugar (like fruit), instead of processed forms, as a sweetener? Yes. But I do not label those recipes as sugar-free.

So, when you see a recipe for Sugar-Free Granola Bars on Pinterest, read the recipe. If it contains bananas, raisins and honey then, while they may be a much healthier choice than a store-bought bar…they are not, in fact, sugar free.

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

PS. On a more serious note, please take a moment to reflect on the terrible events that occurred 13 years ago today and forever changed our country. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone who lost a loved one in connection with the attacks.

Hi Friends!

Time for another Foodie Penpals Reveal Day!

This month I was lucky enough to be connected with Erin who blogs over at Erin’s Inside Job! I got to meet her in person a couple months ago at Fitbloggin and she’s a total sweetheart. Here’s what she sent me:

She’s getting me ready for fall and I couldn’t be happier about it! My package included:

• Pumpkin Fig granola- haven’t tried it yet but I just know it’s going to be amazing in my fall yogurt bowls
• Cranberry Almond GFB bar- I hadn’t tried these bars yet and I actually really liked it!
• Maple & Pecan Kind bar- I don’t eat a lot of bars but when I do, KIND is one of my top choices. Hadn’t tried this flavor yet- it was yummy.
• Homemade cookies- YES. Amazing. She made Oh She Glows Trail Mix Cookies. They’re GF and vegan and holy cow are they delicious.

Thanks so much Erin for a great package!

————-

If you want to participate next month, here are the details:

-On the 5th of every month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions.
-You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal! 
-The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. 
-Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. 
-Foodie Penplas is open to US, Canadian & European residents.  Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. Same with Europeans.  

If you’re from the US or Canada and are in participating for September, please CLICK HERE to fill out the participation form and read the terms and conditions. 

You must submit your information by September 4th as pairings will be emailed on September 5th!

If you participated this month, link up below and go check out a few other posts to see what they got!

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

Need some kid friendly meal ideas? Check out this post to see what Registered Dietitians feed their kids for healthy meals and snacks!

Hi Friends!

I’m so glad all of you enjoyed Part 1 of What Registered Dietitians Feed Their Kids! Today we’re back with part 2, as promised. So somehow I unintentionally split up the responses so that part 1 was mostly older kids and part 2 is mostly about the little ones! So for those of you with toddler-aged kiddos, this one’s for you!

Like I mentioned last time:
This post is in no way saying that only RDs know how to feed their children a healthy diet. I know there are tons of moms out there who do a great job! I just thought it would be a fun way to inspire you guys and share some new ideas and tactics from these wonderful ladies who are not only moms, but RDs, entrepreneurs, and busy professionals!

Here we go:

Jessica Fishman Levinson, MS, RDN, CDN
Founder of Nutritioulicious
Children: 2 1/2  year old twin girls

1) What do they typically eat for breakfast?

During the week, they rotate between these three breakfasts. Daisy Brand Lowfat Cottage Cheese with bananas or berries OR lowfat plain yogurt with bananas or berries OR Quaker 1 minute oats made with 1% milk & bananas or berries. On the weekends, we’ll go for brunch and they’ll have an omelette with mushrooms, onions, and cheddar or an egg sandwich with tomato and avocado.

2) What do they typically eat for lunch? If they’re school aged- packed lunch or buy at school? Why?

• Leftovers from our dinner the night before
• Frittata with veggies and cut up cucumbers and tomatoes on side
• tuna sandwich on occasion, always with side of cut up veggies
• Homemade flatbread veggie pizza
• during the winter they’ll have soup or veggie chilli
• and fruit after their main lunch

3) What happens if they don’t like what you’re making for dinner?

Luckily this hasn’t really happened yet!!

4) What are their favorite snacks?

All fruit with raw unsalted almonds, apple with peanut butter, roasted chickpeas, part-skim string cheese, Annie’s honey graham bunnies, cucumbers and hummus, baby carrots and hummus

5) Are any foods off limits?

Nothing is off limits, but fun foods like cookies, cake, ice cream, etc are a rare occasion during the week and in the house. Usually they get to enjoy those fun foods when we have company over for a meal and/or if we’re out at a restaurant (usually once a weekend)

6) Any tips for picky eaters?

• Be a role model and show your kids that you eat the same foods you want them to.
• Expose them to all types of foods early on and continue to introduce them as time goes on, even if your child thinks he/she doesn’t like it
• Don’t give in and let them eat whatever they want if they’re not eating what you made for dinner
• don’t be a short order cook.

7) What’s one mistake you think parents make when it comes to feeding their kids?

A lot of parents give in to kids menus rather than ordering for their children from the main menu. Personally, I don’t see a reason for kids menus. Also, many parents don’t continue to introduce foods once children don’t eat it once or twice. But most children need to be reintroduced to foods over a dozen times.

Jenna Braddock, RD
Blog: Fresh Food Perspectives
Children: Jackson age 3 and Ben age 1

1) What do they typically eat for breakfast?

(Almost) every morning we start with a fruit and veggie smoothie (here’s my base recipe). One day, when Jackson was about 13 months, he wanted to try my smoothie. I gave him some and he drank it all. Ever since, we both have a smoothie almost every day. Ben will join us as soon as he gets a little better at drinking from a straw.

In addition, Jackson loves an “egg manwich” which consists of a fried egg with cheese on a whole grain english muffin, bagel or toast. He may also eat a banana. He’s a pretty hungry guy. Other options we may have instead are a frozen whole grain waffle (we are into Van’s right now), a homemade blueberry muffin, or oatmeal.

Ben is just getting into the big people food game but these days he is eating a scrambled egg, banana and some other veggie at breakfast.

2) What do they typically eat for lunch? If they’re school aged- packed lunch or buy at school? Why?

Lunch for us is a variety of things depending if we were out all morning or home. We often eat leftovers from dinner. Other options are:

•  PB & J
• turkey, cheese, and avocado roll ups
• Meat and cheese sandwiches
• Black bean bowls with quinoa

To the above, we always have at least one veggie (like carrots, peppers, tomatoes or broccoli) and if available, a fruit. My son loves to dip so hummus is usually involved.

3) What happens if they don’t like what you’re making for dinner?

If Jackson doesn’t like what we are having, we encourage him to at least take a taste. We also remind him that his dinner is his only option for food; there’s nothing else. If he is truly not hungry or doesn’t want to eat, that is his choice. Usually he asks for food later while getting ready for bed and we remind him that he had the option to eat his dinner earlier.

Jackson is not a picky eater at this time so he usually doesn’t show displeasure with food. However, he does have days that he is just not as hungry or doesn’t really love what I make. Our kids also go to bed shortly after dinner so there’s not a lot more time to think about food.

As a disclaimer, I also feel it’s my job to expose my kiddos to all kids of cuisine and flavors. Therefore, they are bond to not like something I make from time to time. That’s ok though. I try not to take it personally. There’s things I don’t like as much as others.

4) What are their favorite snacks?

Both my boys love fruit so we have it at at least one snack time, usually with Greek yogurt. I often get asked if eating too much fruit is a problem. It can be but I’d rather my kids be eating too much fruit than too much “fluffy” snacks.

We also eat bars – my Hidden Honey Bars, Kashi, or Nature Valley Protein Bar, nuts and dried fruit, and veggies and hummus.

5) Are any foods off limits?

I chose to withhold sweets from my kids until they turned 1 just because I wanted to give them the opportunity to develop a taste for vegetables. I don’t consider anything truly off limits. If something sneaks into my kids diet every once in a while, it’s not going to cause serious damage. There are some things that I try to limit in our every day choices.  I limit foods with artificial colors. I just don’t trust them. I also limit fluffy snacks – things like goldfish or fruit snacks. They have their place but they really don’t have any nutritional value to offer. My boys mostly drink water. They have milk occasionally. Soda is off limits and I’ll try to keep it that way as long as possible.

When it comes to sweets and treats, we try to talk about how they are fun but we don’t have them all the time.

6) What’s one mistake you think parents make when it comes to feeding their kids?

Letting the kids dictate what the family eats. Kids aren’t developmentally capable of making well balance, nutritionally sound decisions all the time. It’s the parents job to teach the kids about balanced eating and more importantly demonstrate it. It’s hard work to feed kids healthy. It takes more time, more patience, more clean up and you don’t always feel like doing it. But you have to do it. It’s too important. It may not be perfect every day, but that’s ok.

Name: Holley Grainger, MS, RD
Website: www.holleygrainger.com
Kids: Ellie-3 years old and Frances-6 months old

1) What do they typically eat for breakfast?

Ellie (my 3 year old) isn’t a big breakfast eater but I make sure she at least drinks a cup of milk and has something to eat each morning. It ranges from blueberries to a graham cracker to dry cereal to yogurt. Lately, I’ve been making her smoothies (aka “milkshakes”) with milk, fruit, and yogurt and that seems to keep her happy and full.

After Frances’ formula bottle, she usually eats oatmeal or baby food. I’m a mom ambassador for Beech-Nut and I love the new line so I usually feed her mashed banana or something from the line like carrots, sugar snap peas, or get favorite, pineapple, pear and avocado. I’ve started keeping up with Frances’ eating adventures on my facebook page using #FeedingFrances.

2) What do they typically eat for lunch? If they’re school aged- packed lunch or buy at school? Why?

I’ve put quite a bit of effort into making balanced, well-rounded school lunches this year since Ellie usually eats the best and the most at school. However, since time is of the essence I try to keep lunch prep to a 5-minute maximum. I follow this formula: lean protein, vegetable, fruit, dairy and whole grain. I don’t always hit all of the food groups at each lunch so I take that into account at later meals.

For example:

• lean meat (chicken, turkey, or ham)
• vegetable (green beans, red bell pepper strips, or carrots)
• dairy (yogurt or cheese)
• fruit (pineapple, apple slices, banana, mandarin orange segments, or berries
• whole grain (popcorn or whole wheat pretzels)

3) What happens if they don’t like what you’re making for dinner?

I pour another glass of wine! Seriously though, I try hard to serve Ellie what Brent and I are eating for dinner but sometimes she just doesn’t want anything to do with it. I usually try to make sure that there are foods on her plate that I know she likes so she will have something to eat. Other times, if she is pitching a fit for chicken nuggets then I relent because it isn’t worth the argument and I don’t feel terrible about them (whole grain breading, chicken breast, organic, etc).

4) What are their favorite snacks?

Blueberries, yogurt, graham crackers, popcorn, Fig Newtons.

5) Are any foods off limits?

No, but we limit foods with a low nutrient value and try to balance with more nutritious choices.

6) Any tips for picky eaters?

Let your children help you prepare their meals. We went through a chicken nugget jag but when I asked Ellie to help me rinse some black beans, she stood on her step stool at the sink and ate them straight out of the colander. The more involved she feels, the more likely she is to try something.

7) What’s one mistake you think parents make when it comes to feeding their kids?

I think they give up to fast when their child rejects a food. It’s important to keep introducing the food but if you feel like you’re stuck, try different methods of preparation. For example, try raw, roasted, and steamed broccoli before ruling it out.

Melissa Joy Dobbins, MS, RD, CDE
Blog: Sound Bites
Kids: Daughter- 14, Son- 6

1) What do they typically eat for breakfast?

Breakfast really varies at our house, especially with the different ages of my kids. But dairy and fiber are the two main “goals”. My son usually has what we call a “breakfast cookie” which is actually a high fiber granola bar and a glass of milk or what we call “frozen yogurt” which is a yogurt tube that has been frozen. My daughter has either a high fiber cereal with milk, or a “breakfast cookie” and a carnation instant breakfast shake. Over the past couple of years, my daughter has gone through phases where she wanted to skip breakfast (not enough time, not hungry, etc.) but I make it a point to “enforce” breakfast so she has the fuel to do well in school. I let her choose what and how much she eats, but she has to eat something.

2) What do they typically eat for lunch? If they’re school aged- packed lunch or buy at school? Why? 

We are big fans of school lunch – our school district has done a great job of improving the menu over the past few years. During the summer, however, we pack lunches for camp. My goal is to make sure that there is one serving from each food group and also something fun. My daughter makes her own lunches and, frankly, I just check to make sure she actually has food in there! My son loves to discover a special treat of a small piece of candy or a pudding cup.

3) What happens if they don’t like what you’re making for dinner?

We don’t really have this problem – I guess we just love food! Sometimes my son says he doesn’t like what we’re having, but usually that’s when it’s something he has never had before. So, we remind him of our rule: you have to try it (taste it) and then if you don’t want to eat it you don’t have to. Despite his protests, he often likes the food enough to try a little more.

4) What are their favorite snacks?

They’ll snack on anything when they’re hungry so I take the opportunity to offer fruits or vegetables, plus whatever they are in the mood for such as crackers, cheese sticks or a smoothie (my son loves to create different smoothie recipes).

5) Are any foods off limits?

There are no foods off limits in our house, but we do practice “out of sight – out of mind” and I find it works very well for my kids! As a former supermarket dietitian, I really utilize smart shopping habits to set up our home environment to support healthy food choices.  We want to eat more veggies so I make sure to bring a variety into the home.  We want to eat less candy, so I try not to have it around the house. Halloween and other holiday candy gets put into ziplock bags with each kid’s name on them and stored in a cupboard – and usually the kids forget that it’s even there!  I wish I could forget it’s there, too!

6) Any tips for picky eaters?

I am blessed that my kids are not “picky” eaters.  However, my son is very much like I was when I was little – what I would describe as a “plain” eater.  I didn’t like a lot of sauces, seasonings, etc.  Sometimes I wonder if this is genetic, or if it’s because even though I did a great job of exposing him to a variety of nutrient-rich foods at a young age (when he was 2-3 years old he used to ask for black beans and tomatoes for breakfast) I wasn’t as focused on encouraging him to try different flavors and spices.  However, since we have our rule of “try it but you don’t have to eat it” I am confident that he will find a variety of flavors that he likes as he grows up.

7) What’s one mistake you think parents make when it comes to feeding their kids?

I think it’s hard for parents to trust that their kids will eat when they are hungry and stop when they are full. I know I struggle with this, even as a dietitian. But when I honor their ability to listen to their hunger and fullness cues I know I am helping them develop a healthy relationship with food. Having said that, if they are still hungry after a meal, I make sure their “seconds” are nutrient-rich foods like vegetables, fruits, protein foods, dairy or whole grains. Likewise, if it’s mealtime and they are not hungry, I ask that they at least eat a “snack” but let them choose what it is and how much to eat.

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So there you go! Hopefully you picked up some new ideas and tips.

Now it’s up to you guys. Would you like to see this series continue? Perhaps with a more general focus on “what busy moms feed their kids”? Let me know in the comments and i’ll make it happen!

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

Setting goals or making resolutions to live healthier can be overwhelming. Try these 5 Simple Diet Changes to start getting healthy today!

Hi Friends!

As a Registered Dietitian, people often ask me for advice about changes they should make to their diet. I’m a firm believer that nutrition is very individualized and that everyone has different needs, but I do believe there are a few simple diet changes that most people could benefit from. Here they are:

1) Start reading the ingredient list

I try to limit the amount of processed foods I buy and try to make some of my favorite snacks and basic items like Whole Wheat Tortillas, bread, etc from scratch…but let’s be honest, I do still buy them. That’s not wrong, it’s realistic.  When I do buy packaged food, I do my best to make the best choices possible. Before I even look at the numbers on the nutrition label, I look at the ingredient list.

Basically, the golden rule is: Simple is best. The fewer and/or more recognizable the ingredients the better!

Look for ingredient lists that are short and made up of ingredients you recognize and can pronounce. Remember that ingredients are listed in descending order by amount used, so if sugar is listed first, there’s probably a lot of sugar in the product.

If you don’t typically pay attention to ingredient lists, you might be in for a bit of a shock. However, once you take the time to start going through the labels on the foods you typically buy, you’ll be able to make healthier choices in the future.

2) Eat more healthy fats

If I could wave my magic wand and make one diet trend go away, it would be the low-fat craze. Every since the 1980’s when people were encouraged to start reducing their saturated fat intake, low-fat products have been all the rage. Here’s the thing: low-fat isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be. Most do not taste as good as their full-fat counterparts on their own. This means that other things, namely sugar & salt, have to be added to the low-fat versions to make consumers want to eat them. And since obesity rates have continued to climb over the past 30 years, it’s becoming more and more clear that fat may not be totally to blame for our nutrition problems.

In fact, I’m a huge advocate of making sure your diet includes healthy fats! They’re super filling, full of nutrients and in many cases, increasing your healthy fat intake can help you decrease your intake of refined carbs and added sugars, which many believe cause more healthy problems than fat.  In addition, full-fat products are often made with minimal ingredients and not a lot of added junk. (See #1- check the ingredient list!)

For most of my clients, some of the first changes we make involve cutting back on processed foods- I’m a huge fan of replacing store-bought favorites with homemade versions made with real ingredients- and adding healthy fats. Just a reminder that fats are higher in calories, even healthy fats, so portion size is important.

Here are five of my favorite healthy fats with some suggestions how you can add them to your day, no matter what meal you’re eating:

Avocado:

• Breakfast: Smash and spread on toast, top with fried eggs.
• Lunch: Add a smear or a few slices to your sandwich.
• Dinner: Chop and add to your salad.
• Snack: Smash some into your tuna salad and eat with whole wheat crackers

Eggs:

• Breakfast: Make an omelet stuffed with veggies.
• Lunch: Enjoy a giant chop salad with veggies, lean meat and hardboiled eggs.
• Diner: Whip up a stir fry, add a couple of scrambled eggs and serve over rice.
• Snack: Grab a few hardboiled eggs to eat on the run!

Nuts and Seeds:

• Breakfast: Use as a topping for your oatmeal or blend into a smoothie.
• Lunch: Add to baked goods like bars or muffins for an extra dose of nutrients.
• Dinner: Make a nut butter sauce to add flavor or crush and use as a breading for chicken or fish.
• Snack: Make a big batch of trail mix and portion into snack packs for the week.

Full-fat yogurt:

• Breakfast: Add to your smoothie for a breakfast on the run!
• Lunch: Make tzatziki sauce to add to your pita or try a homemade ranch dip for your veggies.
• Dinner: Add to your favorite recipe for burgers or meatloaf to add moisture or use it in a marinade.
• Snack: Mix with fruit, nuts etc and freeze for a frozen treat.

Salmon:

• Breakfast: Combine some leftover salmon, a couple scrambled eggs and cheese to make a breakfast quesadilla.
• Lunch: Use as a topping for your nachos to change things up from traditional chicken or beef.
• Dinner: Try topping with lemon slices and grilling on a cedar plank.
• Snack: Make a batch of sliders to have ready for a high-protein post workout snack

If you’re interested in more of the science behind eating more fat, check out this great blog post my friend and fellow RD Anne wrote. 

3) Choose your produce wisely

If you want to take things a bit farther than just getting the recommended servings of fruits and veggies each day, be smart about the produce you’re buying. When it comes to fruits and veggies, it’s often said that fresh is best. My opinion is that you should consider the options in your area and make the best choice based on what’s available to you. Local produce is about as fresh as it gets. Available at farmer’s markets, in CSA’s or sometimes in the grocery stores, it travels short distances and is often picked very shortly before being sold. If you’re lucky enough to live in an area where local produce is available year-round, definitely take advantage of it if you can. If not, there are other options for those months when most produce is not in season.

When you see produce on the grocery store shelves, it’s often not as fresh as you think. You have to factor in the time between picking and shipping, plus travel time- often across the country, the time it sits on the shelves in the store and the time it sits in your fridge at home. During all of that time, it’s losing valuable nutrients. For this reason, considering frozen or canned veggies can be a great option. These veggies are picked at the peak of freshness and then frozen or canned to lock in the nutrients! If you choose canned fruits, look for those canned in their own juices, not syrup. For veggies, look for no-salt-added or low sodium options and give them a good rinse before using! Since cans can be a source of BPA, I tend to favor frozen. They’re especially great in the winter months for throwing into soups, casseroles, stirfries and more!

As far as buying organic, everyone has to make a decision about what works for their family. Organic has its benefits, but it also usually comes with a higher price tag. If you’re looking for a starting point about what to consider buying organic, check out the Dirty Dozen.

4) Cut back on added sugars

Like I mentioned above, there is more and more research coming out that indicates sugar is a huge part of the obesity problem we’re facing today. So many foods are filled with added sugars.

When I graduated from college and needed to lose some weight after a party-filled semester studying abroad, one of the first things I did was cut back on added sugars. I started experimenting with using less sugar when baking and I studied nutrition labels (and ingredient lists!) to see just how much sugar was in the foods I was eating.  To give you a visual, remember that 4 grams of sugar = 1 teaspoon of sugar….so if you’re eating a product that has 12 grams of sugar per serving, you’re consuming 3 teaspoons of sugar per serving.

Once you start looking, you’ll notice added sugars in things like peanut butter, flavored yogurt, sauces, bread, cereals, processed foods and much more. Learn some of the alternate names for sugar such as words ending in -ose, syrups, etc. Nutrition labels are currently in the process of being revamped and one of the proposed changes is to add a line for added sugars so consumers can easily tell how much of the sugar occurs naturally in a product and how much is added sugar. Until those changes occur, use the ingredient list to check for added sugars and remember the closer it is to the beginning of the list, the more sugar there is in the product!

I always recommend making things yourself when possible so you can control the ingredients. If you like to bake, slowly start cutting back on the sugar you add to your cookies, make the switch from sugary peanut butters to those just make with peanuts, etc. It may take some time, but your body will adjust and the extra sweetness will no longer be necessary. You can also experiment with replacing refined sugars with more natural sources like fruit (bananas, applesauce, dates). Just remember that these are still sources of sugar, even if they’re natural.

As far as artificial sweeteners go, do your research and make the choices that’s best for you. I personally choose to avoid them as much as possible.

5) Start Doing Sunday Food Prep

If you’ve been reading my blog for any length of time, you know how I feel about food prep. Just a little bit of time in the kitchen on the weekend (or your day off) can play a huge role in keeping you on track during a busy week. I do my best to prep food every Sunday. I’ve written previously about my Top 10 Foods For Sunday Food Prep and  10 Foods That Freeze Well, Plus every Sunday I post a food prep inspiration post sharing my food prep as well as food prep photos submitted by readers. CLICK HERE to check out some of these posts for ideas!

[Tweet “5 simple ways to make your diet a little healthier via @leangrnbeanblog!”]

Whew…ok so this got a little long, sorry about that…but hopefully it gives you some ideas and inspiration for a few healthy diet changes that anyone can make!

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

Ever wondered what Registered Dietitians Feed Their Kids? Here’s a question and answer session with a few RDs to give you real life examples.

Hi Friends!

Today I have a fun little post for you. Actually, it’s not so little…it’s like 3,000 words, but I think some of you will enjoy it. After Julie interviewed me the other week about what RDs eat, it got me thinking along those same lines! With baby on the way, I’ve found myself thinking more and more about kids and what they eat.

So, I rounded up some of my favorite Registered Dietitian moms and asked them a few questions about what their kids eat. This post is in no way saying that only RDs know how to feed their children a healthy diet. I know there are tons of moms out there who do a great job! I just thought it would be a fun way to inspire you guys and share some new ideas and tactics from these wonderful ladies who are not only moms, but RDs, entrepreneurs, and busy professionals!

Ready? OK!

Name: Danielle Omar, MS, RD
Blog: Food Confidence
Children: Norah, age 6

1) What does she typically eat for breakfast?
Norah ate oatmeal every morning for a couple of years. I mixed plain oatmeal with fruited yogurt and a dash of cinnamon. She doesn’t like it much anymore (probably because she had it so much). Now she eats either scrambled eggs or a green smoothie.

2) What does she typically eat for lunch? Do you pack her lunch or does she buy at school? 
Norah went to a private kindergarten where they had a hot lunch every day. It was catered, mostly organic and very good. Now she’s in public school and brings her lunch. It typically consists of a Greek yogurt tube, veggies like cherry tomatoes or cucumbers, some protein like a cheese stick or smoked salmon, and usually two different kinds of fruit. She’s not a sandwich person but she will sometimes do a mini bagel with cream cheese or a croissant as well. She eats every single bit of lunch. She’s very active and gets very hungry in the morning.

3) What happens if she doesn’t like what you’re making for dinner? 
Since Norah is an only child it’s not that big of a deal for me to cater to her. However, she eats most everything we eat. She is an adventurous eater and this really has not been a problem for us. She always tries anything that we are eating, even if it’s just one bite, and will even get insulted if we don’t offer her some! I would say mostly she eats a variation of what we are eating with some of her foods added in. But if we’re eating something that she just absolutely won’t eat, I will make her something else. I certainly don’t like to cater my dinner around what she will eat!

Hi Friends!

Time for another Foodie Penpals Reveal Day.

I didn’t participate this month, but here are the details in case you want to join in next month:

-On the 5th of every month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions.
-You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal! 
-The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. 
-Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. 
-Foodie Penplas is open to US, Canadian & European residents.  Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. Same with Europeans.  

If you’re from the US or Canada and are in participating for August, please CLICK HERE to fill out the participation form and read the terms and conditions. 

You must submit your information by August 4th as pairings will be emailed on August 5th!

If you participated this month, link up below and go check out a few other posts to see what they got!

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–