How Does Catherine McCord Live a Nutritious Life?

Whether you love to cook or are the mayor of takeout town, COVID-19 has pushed us to prepare more meals at home.  But, after months of quarantine, we’re a little tired of our go-to recipes, and definitely in need of a little culinary inspiration. Catherine McCord can help. She started Weelicious to bridge the gap between kids’ meals and grown-up food. Her dream: To end the daunting cycle of making two separate dinners each night—one for the kids, and one for the adults. And, her dream wasn’t hers alone. Each of McCord’s online how-to videos and recipes get millions of views (with fans like Jennifer Garner and Sarah Michelle Gellar) who want to enjoy one meal as a family. Taking it one step further, she started looking at meal kits. She found that while delicious, most kits weren’t kid-friendly. Deciding to change the landscape, McCord launched One Potato, the first (and only) meal kit made specifically to feed your family. She also penned the Smoothie Project: The 28-Day Plan to Feel Happy and Healthy No Matter Your Age with guidance from top nutritionists (including Nutritious Life’s very own Keri Glassman), where she explains how to eat based on your age, and details the health benefits of key smoothie ingredients. We sat down with McCord (who is also a Nutritious Life Studio Masterclass speaker)  to learn about how she lives a nutritious life. To start, there are major benefits of sitting down and enjoying a meal together. “Studies have shown that eating dinner as a family has a positive impact on childrens’ behavior and eating habits,” McCord explains. It has been shown to help your kids increase their vocabulary, get better test scores, and even help them read earlier!  Get to know our friend, Catherine McCord better, here.  How have things changed for you since COVID-19 hit? We’re all staying home so much more, and one of the biggest challenges has been getting my kids outside to get fresh air and exercise instead of spending time in the car to get to places like school, work and activities,  I’ve used that time to get moving by taking our dog on walks, swimming and hiking. How often do you exercise, and what’s your workout of choice? Life, work and kids have been so busy the past 5 years, I haven’t been able to schedule exercise into my daily routine. The day the stay-at-home order hit in mid-March, my husband started climbing the stairs in our driveway for 30 minutes a day. I joined him that day, and realized how much I missed the way I emotionally felt when exercising. I have worked out 6 to 7 days a week since that day, and now I’m doing over an hour a day and feel great! How do you motivate yourself to work out? I started taking my dog on hikes with me and witnessed his anxiety reduce which incentivized me. My kids participated in an online camp this summer, which started at 7 a.m., so I got up at 6:30 a.m. to make their breakfast and headed out the door to beat the heat.  If you had to name your healthy diet, what would you call it? Why? I would call myself a flexitarian. I eat everything, but focus on fruits, vegetables and plant-based proteins 75% of the time.  Has it been hard to stay on track with your nutrition while in quarantine? I find myself reaching for food more often since I’ve been working from home. I make sure that I have a snack like fruit, a smoothie, or popcorn because it’s a healthier choice. What’s your go-to breakfast? I have a nutrient-packed smoothie every morning. It makes me feel amazing, and I know I’m doing something good for my body.  Your go-to workday lunch? I generally have a big salad or leftovers from dinner the night before. I always try to cook a little too much dinner so I can have leftovers like roasted vegetables, grilled salmon, quinoa or sautéed greens.  What’s the one food you always have in your fridge? Plant-based milk! We make a lot of smoothies, so we always have pea, oat and almond milk on hand.  What do you eat before and after a workout? I work out so early that I tend to head right out the door. When I get home, I munch on a handful of cereal (I love crunch) while I prep my smoothie.  Your favorite food indulgence? Ice cream. I’ve been an ice cream lover since I was a kid. Gelato, soft serve, fancy and junkie—I love all of it.  Other than water, what do you sip regularly? Decaf coffee, herbal tea and kombucha. I have one of each almost every day.   What causes you stress? When I have an excess of to-dos, it can cause stress. I do my best to acknowledge my workload and spread it out, taking into account everything I need to do to support my kids throughout the day.  How do you pamper yourself when you need it? These days, it’s all about a warm bath and a good book. How do you express and spread love? I love love! I’m a big hugger with my friends and family, so this time has been challenging, missing people I love. I show love through cooking for people, making lunches for families in need every Sunday, and hopefully through One Potato, the food we send people every week.  What is your evening routine to wind down at the end of the day? At night, I read books with my 5-year-old, and have been watching a show with my older kids. I’m so tired after we watch it, I pass out. Lightning Round Meditation or massage? Massage A hot shower or a soothing bath? Bath Almond butter or peanut butter? Peanut butter (that’s the kid in me).  Coffee or tea? Decaf coffee.  A long run outside or a dark spin class? A LONG run outside.   (photo credit: Catherine McCord)

Why Tiffani Thiessen Prioritizes Cooking With Her Kids

If you know Tiffani Thiessen from her iconic roles on Saved by the Bell and 90210 (there was an “Amber” in her name back then), it may surprise you to learn the actor now hosts a cooking show, has a cookbook coming out, and regularly shares her adventures as a mom in the kitchen on her lifestyle website. (She’s also on a new Netflix show, Alexa and Katie, premiering in 2018.) “I’ve always considered myself a home cook,” she says. “I love being artistic as an actor, and for me cooking is another artistic outlet. That’s how I’ve always looked at it.” It’s also one of the major ways she says she connects with and teaches healthy habits to her seven-year-old daughter and two-year-old soon. She partnered with Uncle Ben’s #BensBeginners initiative to share that message, and we caught up with her to learn more. Tomorrow, by the way, is “Cook with Your Kids Day,” so consider this your inspiration to participate. (Keri will be in the kitchen with Rex and Maizy!) Q&A With Tiffani Thiessen You’ve been acting almost your whole life—how did you get interested in cooking? I’ve actually always had a love for cooking. Ever since I was little I have such vivid memories of being in the kitchen with my mom and aunt and grandmother, and it just kind of expanded as I got older, going from my love of traveling and experiencing different cuisines, and then wanting to entertain, and then being a mom and wanting to provide for my family. All of my skills were from my family and then trial and error. I’ve definitely gotten to know people in the food world and that has also influenced me…but I’m not at all professionally trained. Why are you so interested in getting your kids in the kitchen with you? My children are always cooking alongside me. It really can lead your children to eating healthier, and there are even statistics that shows kids have higher academic achievements [when they cook with their parents]. My daughter was very much a picky eater—my son never was, he eats everything— and throwing her in the kitchen more and more and having her actually see what goes into prepping a meal, even just the smells in the kitchen and then there’s just so much love involved…It gets her excited to try something new. It’s definitely changed a lot. RELATED: 5 Smart Tips to Get Kids to Eat Healthy What do you consider a healthy diet? For me, it’s been very much about balance. I do love good food, and so during the week I try to be very much on the healthier side of things, not splurging, making sure I go to the gym, try not to have wine during the week. And then I give myself a little more leeway on the weekends. I’ve been doing that for a while. It doesn’t always apply. I really try to stick to that 80-20 percent, like a lot of people. Do you have go-to meals you make often for your family? I always try to get my kids involved in wanting to tell me what they want to eat. I feel like that helps in getting them interested in healthy meals. Harper [her daughter] loves fried rice, so I’ll throw every single vegetable from my fridge into it. My husband is a Texas boy, he’s a big meat and potatoes guy, so anything on the grill. I like to ask my family because I like to please. I’m a people pleaser. RELATED: Genius Ikea Kitchen Hacks That Make Healthy Cooking Easier We know how crazy being a working mom can be. We all have our tricks to find time to cook—what’s yours? I try to do a lot of my shopping and prepping on the weekends. Usually it ends up being on a Sunday. It really cuts the time down drastically when it comes to dinner time. Everything’s already chopped, sliced, put together before it needs to go in the oven or whatever. I have a much easier time getting good meals on the table when I do this.