I have an action packed weekend ahead of me.Today I am heading to my friend Megan’s Bachelorette Party in Misquamicut, RI and then tomorrow Marc will be picking me up and we are driving to our friends wedding in Massachusetts. Talk about a weekend of travels….

As usual I always have some few things to share with you so lets end the week on a positive note.

Here are some Things I’m loving from this week:

Strawberries

Last weekend we went Strawberry Picking and believe it or not our 10lbs of strawberries is gone!  It’s pretty nuts, but once you take a bite into one of the strawberries its easy to grab about 5 more.  We did freeze a few of them so that we can throw them into smoothies. We have been eating them with yogurt, on sandwiches with peanut butter, and as is! They are ridiculously juicy and hands down the best strawberries I have ever eaten.

Energy Bites

I’m always up for trying new things, especially when they are labeled “energy bites.” I do believe that there are certain types of food that give you energy and this is definitely one of them. It’s packed with healthy ingredients and super filling. Thank you Bishop’s Orchards again for supplying me with these tasty little snacks.

Veggie Chips

Sometimes I need a little crunch in my life. I’m all about healthy snacking and sometimes its hard for me to get my veggies in. There are days when I’m simply not in the mood or just the sight of a veggie makes me sick to my stomach. I was happy to have these Veggie Chips on hand the other day to give me a tasty healthy snack that I didn’t feel bad about!

Yopa Greek Yogurt With Crushed Almonds

I had a very busy week and sometimes having snacks that I can grab n go are the easiest. This was a perfect afternoon snack with protein, healthy fats & vitamins. I loved the crunch of the almonds with the tangy yogurt!

Balsamic & Fig Dressing 

I don’t know about you guys but these hot temperatures make me crave COLD foods. I have been eating tons of salads and this dressing has been my number one choice. The balsamic & fig flavor makes me want to eat salad every day, no joke. I bought it at Stop & Shop and I highly recommend that you grab one and try it!

Boot Camp

After a long week of less sleep and action packed days I loved going to boot camp to get some endorphins. I always get a boost of energy during the class and when I leave I feel great. I owe it to a great group of people that keep coming back for more sweaty intense workouts!

What are some things you are loving this week?

Do you have any fun weekend plans?

This week flew by and I’m not complaining. I got in some great workouts and I am so happy that I can say my hamstring is feeling better. I gave it some TLC this week so lets just keep our fingers crossed it stays that way.

I thought I would post some things I have been enjoying this past week. I enjoyed writing last weeks post because it gets me thinking of foods, products, and random things that were enjoyable to me so here we go again!

Health Warrior Coconut Chia bar this thing is little but it has tons of omega 3’s, fiber, & healthy fats! win.

Thermal-on This microwaveable heating pad has been my best friend this past week!! You place it in the microwave and after two minutes its ready to use on whatever area you need to loosen up. For me its been my hamstring, glutes, and adductor (inner thigh)!!

Oranges I got a 4lb bag of oranges at Stop & Shop the other day for $1.88 so you know I have eaten a ton this week. I was surprised at how tasty they were too, because sometimes you can get a bad bag!

Dannon’s New Triple Zero Greek Yogurt It has no added sugar & no artificial sweeteners! Plus 15g of protein…. wooooohoo.

No Bake Shakeology Fudgy Protein Bites This picture doesn’t do any justice to these fudgy, peanut buttery balls of goodness. I made these Wednesday night. I wasn’t feeling a shake but I wanted something filling and satisfying and these were PERFECT. Marc and I couldn’t help but smile when we ate them so clearly they were a WIN!! I will share the recipe with you next week, so stay tuned

Miranda Lambert concert!! Marc and I have a date night planned for Saturday night. We are heading to the Miranda Lambert Concert at Madison Square Garden in New York!! We got the tickets for Christmas from his parents and we have been looking forward to it for a while.

If you are a country music fan then I’m sure you like Miranda Lambert! I have only been to male country concerts before so I’m interested to see if hers will be different.

This picture of Ava feeding a friend’s cat Holly! She loves animals and it was so funny to watch her chase after the cat and play with her. Not to mention she really enjoyed feeding Holly treats!

and my last one is a SELFIE picture of Ava and I. You may have seen this picture earlier this week on instagram but Ava learned how to take a selfie and she was loving seeing herself on the camera!

I hope you have a great weekend

Your turn…. tell me something that you have been loving over the past week. It can be ANYTHING! 

Whats your favorite kind of music?

I usually have 2-3 snacks per day. Over the years I have figured out that there are some snacks out there that don’t fill me and that don’t give me the energy. I need foods that help me make it through my day of teaching classes, training clients, and chasing after my crazy 1 year old Ava.

In the past I would easily have grabbed a processed granola bar or ate crackers/pretzels until I was overly full (because I didn’t know better). Although that junk tasted yummy while I was eating it, I hated the way I felt after! It wasn’t until I studied nutrition that I learned what foods gave me energy but most importantly kept me satisfied.

Here’s a list of some of My FAVORITE Grab & Go snacks that I eat in between meals:

Apple with almond butter or natural peanut butter (1 tbsp)

Hardboiled eggs with avocado & tomato

2-3 tbsp spoons of hummus & veggies

Protein Shake (Most recently I added Shakeology & it’s been a big night time snack saver)

Instant Oatmeal (unsweetened) with almond milk, cinnamon, fresh fruit, nuts, or honey

Celery stalk topped with 1 tbsp natural almond or peanut butter

Egg Frittata Squares

Green Monster Smoothie

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds with olive oil, salt & pepper

Deli Turkey (2 slices) with 1/4 cup avocado & tomato in lettuce wraps

Mixed Nuts

This list can go on…..

• Greek yogurt w/ chopped almonds, pistachios & honey
• 2 slice Deli turkey (I buy Applegate farms) and low fat cheese (1 slice)
• Banana Sliced w/ almond or peanut butter, sprinkled with coconut or crushed walnuts
• Lara Bar (Cashew Cookie, Apple Pie, or Peanut butter cookie)

As I read over this list not only does it make me hungry but it also makes me think about how good I feel after eating each of these snacks!! The best part is, you can prepare all of this ahead of time and throw them in tupperware containers to take with you wherever you go!

What are your favorite healthy snacks?

Do you have a lot of packaged snacks in your cabinets?

I am linking up with Jenn for yet another WIAW (What I ate Wednesday) post. Here is my food journal from yesterday.

For breakfast I kept it simple with 2 eggs over sauteed spinach and a baked potato with olive oil & sea salt. Delicious.

After shoveling a lot of snow I had a banana with a spoonful of peanut butter on the side. Then I completed my real workout of the day.

Since boot camp was canceled, I figured I would get my workout done early and I am glad I did because it gave me enery.

We played with Ava around the house and then had a delicious warm lunch. A bowl full of Lentil & Veggie soup with a sweet potato on the side. Lentils are so filling and super nutritious. Ava even enjoyed it.

I also had a greek yogurt with strawberries and granola.

The afternoon got a little lazy, maybe its from just being home all day but I watched some TV, did some laundry and watched Cooper play in the snow.

Mid-Afternoon I snacked on an orange and a turkey lettuce wrap with avocado & tomato! I also snacked on some baby carrots

For dinner we decided to try something new. I made Paleo Stuffed Peppers using ground chicken as the base. In the mix was cauliflower, tomatoes, onions & seasonings! On the side we had some Roasted Sunchokes in olive oil…. they are SO good. Basically they taste like an artichoke french fry. (more to come on sunchokes)

Because no winter storm is complete with out a glass of red wine.. I indulged and had a glass of red wine with Marc and we snacked on some plantain chips. It was a super relaxing way to end the night!

What was something yummy you ate yesterday?

Do you enjoy soup in the winter?

I always have snacks on hand wherever I go. You can even ask Marc! He often laughs at me, because out of nowhere, I will have food in my hand and be eating a snack.  I remember one time we were clothes shopping and as I was checking out, I grabbed a bar out of my purse along with my money, and started snacking. Marc said, “where in the world did you get that?” haha

With my low-blood pressure I have had several instances where I have felt faint and that usually happens when I haven’t eaten in a while. I’ve learned my lesson and now I try to keep snacks in my gym bag, my car, my purse and even my night stand so I don’t run into any serious issues!

These snacks are great for anyone on the go, for anyone traveling, parents who have to chauffer their kids around, or for those who constantly find themselves in a hunger jam!

My 5 Go-To Healthy Snacks:

1. Banana, apple or orange: fruit is super nutritious, contains fiber, vitamins & minerals and it’s portable! It’s an all around win.

2. Protein Bar: usually I keep a Quest Bar in my bag. They are high in protein and fiber! Plus they are super filling & satisfying.

3. Granola bars: I try not to eat a lot of granola bars but they are still great to keep around. I especially love KIND Bars!!

4. Nuts: I make little baggies with mixed nuts and keep them everywhere. My favorite are almonds, sunflower seeds & pistachios. I will even add golden raisins, dried cranberries, or regular raisins too! This snack is packed with healthy fats and will be sure to hold you over until your next meal.

5. Fruit & Veggie Pouches: even though these fruit & veggie pouches are marketed towards kids, they make a great healthy snack for ANYONE. I usually keep them in my car for Ava but I have eaten them before The ones with yogurt are great too.

The options are endless if you can keep a cooler/lunch bag in your car. Then you can bring sandwiches, yogurts, veggies, frittata squares, etc. By keeping healthy foods on hand you will never have an excuse to make bad choices!

Speaking of healthy snacks… I devoured this Quest Protein Bar last night after boot camp.

I am really looking forward to the weekend. Tonight my plans are to go visit my Niece who is only a week old and then come home to kick my feet up!  Saturday morning I am teaching Boot Camp, and then we are driving up to Rhode Island for a birthday celebration! Can’t wait

What healthy snacks do you keep on hand?

Do you have any to add to my list?

Tomorrow is Marc’s Birthday!!! WOOHOO. I love birthdays and now we have back to back Birthday weekend celebrations. Marc is turning 31 and he said to me last night that this means he is closer to 40 years of age then he is 20. I know he was joking when he made that comment but it made me laugh. Age is just a number

Now, onto the topic of this post and some of my favorite things this week.

These PLAIN OATMEAL packets can be a savior. Although it is lazy, lets be serious sometimes it’s all about convenience. I mixed this up with some whole milk and cinnamon for a mid morning snack a couple of times this week and I’m hooked.

A freezer staple for our family are these frozen bags of FRUIT,  this one in particular is mixed berries from Stop And Shop but Trader Joe’s has GREAT frozen fruit as well. We all love them as a snack or mixed in with yogurt. Ava likes them when her teeth are bothering her, but she also enjoys them with her meals.

There’s a trend here with fruit. This next thing I love is SEA SALTED WATERMELON! I know you are thinking WHATTT?? But don’t knock it until you try it. It is a great post workout snack that keeps you hydrated and replenishes the sodium you lose through exercise. I have low blood pressure and salting things with sea salt is an easy way for me to keep my blood pressure stable. Please try it

Speaking of lazy. Another snack I love are these gluten free Van’s Waffles. I have had them on several occasions over the past couple of weeks. Marc and I particularly enjoy them as a night time dessert with some peanut butter and mini chocolate chips

I mentioned this in my WIAW post on Wednesday, but Mamma Chia has nailed it with this Blackberry Bliss pouch. It is a perfect on the go snack that you can eat in the car, at work, or even at home when you are running around! I bought this at Whole Foods.

I am still on a Dunkin PUMPKIN COFFEE KICK. I had a coffee this morning and I can’t tell you how excited I was that they still had pumpkin coffee.

I will leave you all with this adorable picture of my two favorite little ones. Ava is such a character and Cooper will literally let her get away with anything, including rolling on top of him!!

Looking back at the week it really wasn’t so bad I ate some great snacks, got in some great workouts and I was sore all week, which was surprisingly nice. HHAHA

HAPPY FRIDAY!

What is some of your favorite things from the week?

Any fun weekend plans? 

I really can’t, but I am super excited to see Ava in her Halloween Costume.

We all know the staple with Halloween is candy and more candy. Fortunately for me I’m really not a candy girl. Growing up my favorite was Reeses because as most of you know I love peanut butter. We also had M&M’s around a lot because my Mom loves them, so I guess I naturally like those too.

After a night of trick or treating, I would pretty much let my brothers and my dad eat all my halloween candy . I was never the kid that sat there and ate a million pieces, I would probably only have one or two and be over it.

Obviously you guys know I have to put a healthy twist on Halloween, it’s just what I do!!

I was looking at making some fun treats that were kid and adult friendly but also healthy. Ava doesn’t eat chocolate but she does love bananas, so I decided to make these Ghost Bananas. Aren’t they cute?? They do have chocolate chips as the eyes and mouth but I took them out when she ate her breakfast.

Clementine Pumpkins… These pumpkins look adorable and they are SO easy to make!

To make them, Peel your clementines or tangerines and place a small celery stick inside! They would be really cute to add to your halloween party!

and for all you chocolate lovers out there, last night I made these Reeses Protein bites. (These are slightly addicting so watch out!!!)

Reeses Protein Bites

Mix ingredients with a spatula. Divide into 8 balls and chill for 30 minutes or eat right away

 

What is your favorite Halloween candy?

What are you or your kids dressing up as?

This morning I tested out a couple SMOOTHIE recipes in the kitchen! The two I tested out were an Energy Booster and a Berry Delicious Smoothie. These are two totally different tasting drinks. The first one has spinach which you CANNOT taste at all. The banana flavor really takes over in this one! In the Berry smoothie the sweetness of the Raspberries will keep you going back for more. Yum!

Both of them are a refreshing treat on a hot day!

ENERGY BOOSTER

• 1/2 cup fresh baby spinach (packed)
• 1/2 banana
• 1/4 cup frozen raspberries or blueberries
• 1/2 cup coconut water
• 4 ice cubes
• 1/2 container of plain greek yogurt

Directions: combine all ingredients in a food processor until mixed smoothly.

(The color of the smoothie doesn’t look so appealing in this picture but it tastes great!)

BERRY DELICIOUS

• 1/2 container of plain greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup coconut water or water
• 4 ice cubes
• 1/2 cup frozen raspberries or strawberries
• 1/2 banana

Directions: combine all ingredients in a food processor until mixed smoothly.

You can even make a double batch of these and throw them in the freezer so they are ready to go the next time you want one!

With my first attempt at throwing greens in a smoothie I thought it would taste gross but to my surprise it wasn’t!! I wouldn’t lie to you guys.

Do you have any smoothie recipes?? Please share!

After breakfast and our walk we went to the grocery store to pick up some food for the week.

MEAL IDEAS FOR THE WEEK:

BBQ Pulled pork loin chops (we cooked this today in the crockpot)

Chicken Sausage & peppers with acorn squash

Turkey meat sauce over rotini pasta

Leftover Sweet Potato Shepherd’s pie

FOOD PREP:

Cut up fruit and greek yogurt with berries (already packed to go)

Cucumbers & Carrots

Sausage & Peppers

Pomegranate seeds (I am going to post about pomegranates this week)

Noodles with Olive OIl, Basil & Parmesan Cheese

I just put the acorn squash in the oven to roast with some olive oil, salt & pepper.. yum.

Now its time to make some client workouts for the week! Happy Sunday

Most of the processed foods we consume, we choose to eat them because they are convenient and portable. Are they cheaper? Probably not, but healthy snacks can take preparation and who has time for that? I have challenged myself to cook more and prepare more. I know my body functions better when I eat clean and healthy.

If you want to see results from all those hard workouts you owe it to your body to fuel it with healthy non processed foods.

It does take time to cut fruits & veggies for the week, it takes time to bake healthy homemade granola bars or muffins, it takes time to grill up some lean meats for lunches, but in the end it’s worth it. I know for myself I am more satisfied after my meals and I don’t have cravings.

My challenge for you TODAY & TOMORROW is to eliminate the foods you consume that come in packages. Examples: lean cuisines, yogurts with artificial sweetener, hamburger helper, mac & cheese, granola bars, cookies, chips, cereal, crackers, ice cream, canned soup, etc.

So what’s left to eat……. salads, meats, fruits, nuts, oils, vegetables, seafood, beans, etc. All of these foods are still portable and you can make them convenient by putting them in containers and baggies the night before. This way in the morning you can easily pack your cooler or lunch box!

Here’s a look at some of my “eats” for the day. 

BREAKFAST was quick, I scrambled a couple eggs with a couple egg whites in olive oil and threw in some leftover mushrooms, peppers, & spinach! I ate a bunch of cut up pineapple too. Simple and clean.

I packed a bunch of SNACKS for work that I can eat in between clients and classes:

cranberry nut trail mix, celery w/ almond butter, banana, and baby carrots

All of these snacks were consumed before LUNCH!!

Salad with red peppers, grapes, zucchini, chicken, carrots and balsamic/olive oil dressing

My salad was quite filling!

Leftover Kabocha Squash and a peach

If you haven’t tried Kabocha squash I would definitely recommend it. It’s sweet and delicious simply roasted in the oven with some oil, salt & pepper.

This seems like a lot of food when you look at it, but healthier foods are lower in calorie & higher in fiber!

Are you up for the challenge?? Take this challenge DAY BY DAY. I am not asking you to commit to 10 weeks of not eating processed foods/junk.  Set yourself up for success and challenge yourself today and tomorrow to eat CLEAN! If you slip up, make sure you are better prepared at your next meal. I promise you will feel full, satisfied, & energized by eating healthier meals.