I have always been a good veggie eater and so has Ava but lately she has been choosing fruits over veggies.

I decided to create a recipe using one of her favorite veggies – green beans.

It’s so important for toddlers to eat a balanced diet and more importantly to eat healthy fats so their bodies can develop properly. By choosing to include almonds in this recipe I knew she would be getting heart healthy fats and antioxidants into her diet!

Raising a healthy child is my number one goal, so I’m always mindful of using healthy ingredients whenever I cook for our family.

Did you know:

“A single serving of sliced almonds provides 6 grams of protein to help your body maintain and build muscle.” Almonds also contain a ton of vitamins: vitamin E, calcium, iron, potassium and magnesium!

We all know kids can be picky eaters, but they are also adventurous. That is why it’s so important to try out new foods when they are young. Ava is a big fan of crunchy snacks so adding some tasty almonds gave this side dish a CRUNCH that I knew she would approve of!!

As an added bonus this recipe only contains 4 ingredients and it took me approximately 5 minutes to make 

GREEN BEANS WITH SLICED ALMONDS

Ingredients:

1 Pound of Green Beans

1/4 Cup of Almonds (slivered)

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

Sea Salt

Directions:

Fill a large pot with about an inch of water and boil on high heat. Add green beans & cover pot. Let the green beans cook about 5-6 minutes, drain them and return them to the pot.  Add oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Mix well and then top with slivered almonds! Enjoy

We all loved this side dish, including Ava. She actually ate all the almonds before she touched her green beans!

Head on over to Nuts.com for more information and healthy tips plus some yummy products! 

What’s your favorite way to enjoy almonds?

Are your kids picky eaters?

I don’t have much going on this weekend besides catching up on some coaching and getting organized for my 30 day Challenge. I guess I didn’t make any plans for tonight because we are supposed to get something like 5 inches of snow. I’m still hopeful that spring will hit soon.

It’s nice to have a weekend with zero plans. It allows me to get all the “little things done.” Including a manicure, pedicure, or massage. I think I need some sort of treat, what do you think?

Today I decided to post some of the things I have been loving lately:

Healthy Fats: Over the past couple of weeks I have been eating my fair share of Nuts, Avocado, & Peanut butter… I can honestly these 3 fats are my favorite, they make everything taste better right?

Sweet Potato Soup: I know you guys hate me because I can’t share the recipe but this soup is gold 

Stick rolling: Since I strained my hamstring I have been doing extra stretching and deep tissue massage with The stick. It is torturous but helps get rid of all the extra tightness I have going on.

Pushup Jack: This exercise is no joke and I fatigue pretty quick but there’s something about it that I like.

Maybe I like it because the first time I did it I thought I was going to face plant and I didn’t! haha Marc took a video of me doing the exercise and screened shot these 2 pics from it!

Zoodles: (Zucchini Noodles) If you haven’t gone out and bought a Veggetti yet, you probably should. It’s cheap & easy to use, plus you get this fun little side dish to eat!

VACATION: Marc and I planned a Trip to Florida for the middle of April. I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I am to get away. I’m also very excited to be on a beach and in a pool with Ava. If she’s anything like her mama she’s gonna be a water baby!

I hope you all have an awesome weekend!

Thank you to everyone that sent me comments on my Reader Feedback Survey from yesterday! In case you missed it please feel free to comment

 What is something you have been loving this past week?

Do you have any fun plans this weekend?

You know they came out great when the husband approves 

1 cup pitted soft whole dates

The reason I have been eating more avocado is for the omega-3 fatty acids and the essential vitamins & minerals it provides. Monosaturated fats help the body absorb antioxidants!

Did you know Avocados are FRUITS???? Did you know they grow on trees??

Anyways, with just 50 calories in 1/4 cup serving Avocado has been incorporated into my diet as much as possible.

Instead of choosing cheese on my sandwich I slice up some avocado. Instead of dipping chips in cream based dips make guacamole, it is so much healthier and satisfying!

Yesterday for lunch I made a rice bowl… Brown rice, diced chicken, diced red peppers, 1/4 cup avocado, a little lemon juice, olive oil, salt & pepper. It was delicious!

Have you ever had Avocado in your eggs? I haven’t but I am going to try it out…. I will let you know what I think but I am sure it is great!

If you don’t recognize the title of this post, it is from the GEICO commercial “happier than a camel on Wednesday.” It makes me laugh every time I see it. So HAPPY HUMP DAY!

Now onto the topic of the day. Dietary fats in our diet. I’ve heard a lot of my clients say they try to cut fat completely from their diet. While cutting unhealthy fats is smart, it’s not good to cut ALL fats.

DON’T FEAR FAT IN YOUR DIET!

Fat provides energy, without healthy “GOOD” fats we might feel sluggish and have more cravings! Fats also play a key role in healthy digestion. Limiting bad fats like saturated fats and trans fats is also very important. Examples of bad fats are butter, cream, animal fats found in meats, margarine, etc.

Healthy Fats

1. Monosaturated fats-

Nuts & Nut butters, Olive Oil, Canola oil, Peanut Oil, Peanuts, Avocado, Olives

2. Polyunsaturted fats

Fatty fish (salmon, tuna etc), Walnuts, Flaxseeds, Soybean oil, Corn oil

When choosing your fats make sure to portion them out. There are 9 calories in each gram of fat, so the calories can pile up. Use a tablespoon to measure your oil when you cook. Remember a little bit goes a long way!

Here are some examples of ways I incorporate healthy fats into my day:

I try to eat fatty fish at least once per week. During the day I snack on trail mix that I throw together (sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, almonds, and cranberries) I generally cook my dinners with olive oil and sometimes canola oil. I add avocado to my sandwiches instead of cheese.

Use your thumb as a measuring tool! I learned this from Chris Powell’s book Choose To Lose

Chris powell is one of my favorite personal trainers. He is the trainer on the ABC hit show Extreme Weight Loss.  In his book he recommends using your thumb from the base to the tip.

The avocado replaces the fat from the mayonnaise with HEALTHY FATS so don’t be afraid to indulge.

If you can’t live without the mayo, substitute 1 tablespoon of mayo or lite-mayo for part of the yogurt! This recipe is so simple, give it a try!

Ingredients:

2 small grilled chicken breasts sliced

1/2 ripe avocado, sliced

1/2 tomato

3 1/2 tablespoons plain fat-free yogurt

5-6 basil leaves (you can add more if you want a stronger taste)

1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

lettuce

4 slices whole grain bread (I used nature’s promise)

Directions: Chop the basil and mix yogurt with lemon. Divide the mixture evenly and spread on the 4 slices of bread, top with remaining ingredients. You can toast or press the sandwich in a panini maker to hold it all together!