3 Quick and Healthy Lunch Box Ideas

Some days, it can be hard enough to figure out what you want for lunch, never mind your kids. And, let’s face it, sometimes healthy and exciting lunch box ideas can be hard to come by. You know you need to pack a nutritious lunch for your kids in order to keep them sharp and help them power through their day. But whatever you put into their lunch box better also be tasty, or they won’t give it a second look and will gladly munch on their friends’ extra cookies and crackers instead. So, what’s a time-pinched, busy mom with school-aged kids who need to eat healthy, delicious meals to do? Check out our three simple lunch box ideas, of course! 3 Quick and Healthy Lunch Box Ideas for Kids Peanut Butter & Jelly Old school processed peanut butter and sugary jelly squished between white bread is a nutrition nightmare. However, this lunchtime staple can be transformed into a nutrition powerhouse before you can say YUM! Here’s how to make over this old standby:  Upgrade the sugar-heavy processed peanut butter with a natural peanut butter or other nut or seed butter (think almond butter, cashew butter, or even sunflower seed butter).  Swap ultra-processed white bread for whole grain bread, Ezekial bread, or high-fiber crackers.  While you’re swapping, why not switch out a store-bought, sugar-filled jelly with freshly sliced strawberries, an all-fruit spread, or even dehydrated fruit for a little crunch? Dehydrated fruit pulls out a bunch of the sugar and takes nutrition up a notch with vitamin C and fiber. Just be sure to watch for added sugars in store-bought varieties—if you can dehydrate the fruit at home, that’s even better. Rice & Beans It’s challenging to improve on rice and beans, but even the most devoted legume and whole grain lover has to admit that cooking time is a factor in making this perfect pair. Not only that, but white rice and your same ole beans deserve to be leveled up a notch.  If your modern self doesn’t have hours to labor over those beans, whip up some quinoa in the 20 minutes it takes to help your daughter decide on her outfit du jour and pair it with faster-cooking legumes, like lentils or peas, for a delicious balance of fiber-rich, nutrient-dense flavor. In a real time crunch? Lean on BPA-free canned lentils. They’re just as delish, and it doesn’t get much faster than opening up a can. Top your concoction with avocado, salsa, sriracha (if you have a daring kid!) or sour cream to turn it into a meal. While this speedy-prep option is a time saver, it also offers all the fiber, B vitamins, and nutritional benefits of the classic version, so you’re not losing a thing by taking a shortcut.  RELATED: Try These 5 Healthy Snack Ideas that Require NO Skills Milk & Cookies While nothing could possibly replace the taste and comfort of this yummy duo, nutritional improvements are easy to sneak in with no loss of flavor. Small swaps and substitutions go a long way, and your kiddos will never notice the difference. At the very least, make your cookies at home versus leaning on store-bought varieties. This small trick alone is a major healthiness upgrade.  Halve the sugar in your cookie recipe. Spoon in some flax meal and replace all-purpose flour with almond flour.  Upgrade your milk by making it organic or switching to unsweetened almond milk.  Ready to take things a step further? See if you can get your kiddos on board with Three-Seed Energy Balls and a beautiful green Iced Almond Matcha Latte for a combo full of plant-based protein, fiber, antioxidants, and healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Sweet, satisfying, and healthy—sounds like a win to us!  If you’re looking for a smarter, faster swap for traditional packaged snacks, Sunnie Snacks is a game-changer. These on-the-go snack kits bring together real, wholesome ingredients with kid-approved flavors (think pizza dippers and hummus plates). They skip the refined sugar, seed oils, and mystery ingredients you don’t want in your child’s lunchbox while still delivering the convenience every parent needs.  While not every lunch box idea will be a home run, we bet these three options will end up on regular rotation. Here’s to happy, healthy kiddos… and happy, healthy mamas!

In the Kitchen with Keri: 3 Fast, Creative Homemade Protein Snacks

We share heaps of healthy information on Nutritious Life’s blog every day, but “In the Kitchen with Keri” is your chance to spend some quality time with the wonder woman behind it all, Keri Glassman, MS, RD, CDN. It’s where she invites you into her space to share the ingredients she’s currently obsessed with, recipes she can’t get enough of, and other tips and tricks learned over many years of life as an always-ahead-of-the-curve nutritionist and wellness expert. When you’re having one of those weeks, reaching for a packaged protein bar may be the only option. But in an ideal world, I’d make all of my protein snacks at home—and so would you! The ideal snack provides protein and healthy fats to keep you satisfied and give you energy without being a total calorie bomb (since it’s supposed to fill in gaps between meals, not become its own meal). These are a few I’ve been making lately that are a little creative and different (AKA, not just handfuls of nuts…which I also love, by the way) but require very little time and skill to make. Protein Snacks: Roasted Chickpeas Let’s start with my Chickpeas with Toasted Nori and Cayenne. Chickpeas are a great plant-based source of protein, fiber, and antioxidants. I like to throw them in everything, from salads to sauteed greens. Roasted, they make a great snack. Here, I tossed them in a little bit of avocado oil and sprinkled them with a pinch or two of cayenne (be cautious if you’re sensitive to spice!) and sea salt. Then, I roasted them in the oven, on 400, for about 15 minutes. When there was just about a minute left, I took them out and sprinkled them with a sheet of nori, which you can either just tear up or chop. Then, back in the oven for one minute to crisp it all up, and they’re done! RELATED: Why You Should Add Spices to Every Meal Adding the nori is super beneficial since sea vegetables are loaded with minerals and they’re not something we have a lot of opportunities to get in often. They also add salty flavor and crispy texture. When these are done, you can throw handfuls into baggies to keep in your purse or keep a little bowl on your desk for an afternoon bite. Protein Snacks: Peanut Butter Bites Next, I’m loving these No-Bake Peanut Butter Bites. Made with peanut butter (obviously), chia seeds, and flaxseeds, they’re filled with protein and healthy fats. I also like that these are automatically portion-controlled, since they’re made in a mini muffin pan and end up being bite-sized. They make a great snack, or you can also serve ‘em to your kids as a high-protein, low-sugar breakfast that’s nice and sweet. Get the full recipe, here. Protein Snacks: Overnight Oats Speaking of breakfast, you might think Overnight Oats are just for the AM hours, but they’re also a perfect make-ahead protein snack, when you throw in a little high-quality protein powder. RELATED: 7 High-Protein Breakfast Recipes to Power Your Mornings I love filling a bunch of jars and having them in the fridge for whenever you need something quick and filling. They’re especially great for post-workout, since the protein powder is paired with healthy carbs from oats. Bonus: You can add whatever you want to the jar to dress it up and keep things exciting: chia seeds, berries, bananas, almonds, cashews, coconut, etc. Get the full recipe, here. If you’re really feeling like a pro, make all three of these on a Sunday night and you’ll be set for snacking all week.

Healthy Beef Jerky? This Former Junk Food is Now a High-Protein Snack

Here’s a phrase that might sound like an oxymoron: healthy beef jerky. Traditionally, gas station jerkies like Slim Jims were straight-up junk food. They cured cheap meat with nitrates and nitrites (classified as “probably carcinogenic to humans” by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, by the way) and then loaded it with sodium, sugar, and artificial flavors and additives (um, yuck!). RELATED: 4 Reasons You Have Sugar Cravings Those still exist, but there’s a whole new category of healthy beef jerky, made by companies using high-quality, grass-fed beef (and also organic chicken, pork and turkey in some cases), which is higher in healthy fats like omega-3s and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) than grain-fed and finished beef. RELATED: The Paleo Diet, Explained What is Beef Jerky? Beef jerky is traditionally made by taking lean cuts of beef and then marinating them with sauces, spices and other additives. The meat is then processed by curing, smoking or drying it. The new healthier brands of jerky are dehydrating the meat or curing it with natural ingredients like salt and vinegar and skipping unhealthy additives. In many cases, they’re even adding additional nutritious ingredients, like antioxidant-rich spices and coconut oil. (Just still keep an eye out for excess sugar.) Health Benefits of Beef Jerky Beef jerky is a fast, easy, high-protein snack that’s low in carbs and perfect for after a workout or to throw in your travel bag. Beyond its protein punch, jerky can be a decent, though not great, source of some essential vitamins and minerals, including zinc, iron, folate and choline, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). What to Look For When Shopping For Jerky What’s the best way to know if the jerky you’re buying is healthy or not? First, you need to pay attention to the food labels. Look for jerky that has no added nitrates or nitrites—the preservatives that have been linked to certain types of cancer (as mentioned earlier). It’s also a good idea to choose meat that is grass-fed and organic, which offers more nutrients and less fillers and antibiotics than conventionally-raised meats. And remember to keep an eye out for sodium levels because most jerkies contain lots of salt, which is typically part of the curing process. You can also make your own at home, or check out these five healthy brands worth biting into. Healthy Beef Jerky Brands to Try 1. Lorissa’s Kitchen (Image: Lorissa’s Kitchen) Made with 100% grass-fed beef and other clean ingredients, Lorissa’s flavors—like Korean Barbeque—are super delicious. Lorissa’s original Tender Beef Steak Strips contain 9 grams of protein per serving, no preservatives and no added MSG or nitrites. The only downside is the sugar is a little high, so stick to a serving at a time. 2. Laura’s Lean Beef (Image: Laura’s Lean Beef) Laura’s doesn’t have as many fancy flavors as others, but it’s made with meat that’s both grass-fed and certified USDA organic. It’s high in protein and low in sugar. They also don’t add artificial ingredients, preservatives, erythorbate, nitrates, nitrites, or MSG. Laura’s Original Beef Jerky is gluten-free and has a whopping 11 grams of protein per serving. 3. The New Primal (Image: The New Primal) If Slim Jims were your jam, try The New Primal’s meat sticks, like the Cilantro Lime Turkey Sticks made with free-range turkey (with no added hormones or antibiotics), sea salt, and antioxidant-packed spices, or Habanero Pineapple, made with grass-fed beef. The Cilantro Lime Turkey sticks have 7g of protein and 45 calories per serving. The snacks are certified paleo and gluten-free, and Whole30-approved with 0 (yes, zero!) grams of sugar. 4. Wilde (Image: Wilde) Wilde makes jerky-based protein chips with chicken and pork, and minus the potato. Its Himalayan Pink Salt Chicken Chips, for instance, are made from 100% all-natural chicken breast and zero sugar. They’re high in protein (20 grams per bag), low-carb and gluten- and grain-free. RELATED: Coconut Oil Vs. Olive Oil: Which is Healthier? 5. EPIC (Image: EPIC) If you love cured meat, EPIC makes it all— Sesame Ginger Chicken bites, Venison Sea Salt and Pepper snack strips, and Bison Bacon Cranberry bars. EPIC combines protein with fruits, nuts, seeds and spices for some delicious flavor profiles. They also make bone broth, animal oils, and more, all of it produced with the highest, healthy standards—for both you and the planet.

New Years Resolutions Start Today

I’ve never been a big fan of new years resolutions. Even though I love that google search histories are dominated by “healthy dinner ideas” and “healthy snacks” and “how to eat healthy” around the new year, by February the healthy eating novelty often wears off and January’s healthy searches are replaced with “weight loss supplements” and other quick fixes that aren’t part of a healthy diet or a healthy life. And don’t even get me started on just having willpower to lose weight every January. I believe we should be working on improving ourselves daily, and that we don’t need a holiday date to begin self-improvement work. However, there is something to be said for taking a minute to reflect on the past year and take action moving forward. That I am down with. There are many “rules” to follow in life but looking ahead at a new year, there is one rule I would like to focus on: be responsible. It translates into your personal, professional and social life in a proactive and productive way. We don’t need a million guidelines. There shouldn’t be a hundred messages telling you how to govern yourself as you navigate the world. Moving through life with the mantra ‘be responsible’ should cover you in most situations. As we approach the New Year, it’s a good time to revisit the simple message of being responsible and perhaps use it as an alternative to your usual new years resolutions that never seem to last into spring. New Years Resolutions the Healthy Way: 1. Be responsible for your health. Make choices that keep you accountable to your physical, mental and emotional health. Find a way to be responsible when you are indulging and enjoy yourself with a thoughtful recognition of your actions with food, exercise and well being. Make and keep your doctors’ appointments, schedule regular dental check-ups and be proactive in eating empowered by keeping your refrigerator and pantry responsibly stocked with healthy foods. 2. Be responsible in your environment. Take a New Year’s minute to look at the space you spend the most time in. Do you love your home? Is your bedroom a sanctuary? Are you proud of the desk you keep and spot where you relax? No? Then take some action and make the spaces you live in spaces you love. Take ownership of improving your world you live in so that you can feel good about your choices. 3. Be responsible in your love. Release some oxytocin, the love hormone that is responsible for managing your stress and negative feelings. While sex is a great way to release oxytocin, there are plenty of G-rated ways to do it, too: cuddle more puppies, hold more children’s hands, hug your loved ones. You deserve to have a year that is full of feelings of being loved, so take responsibility for it by incorporating a little love into each day.    

Easy Breakfast Ideas for Breakfast Haters

Alright breakfast haters, this one’s for you. I’m determined to make you a breakfast can’t-live-without-er. You don’t need me to tell you to eat a healthy breakfast. You’ve heard it a million times. Why Eat Breakfast? I’ve told you before that eating a snack or breakfast within an hour of waking up is important to kickstart your metabolism, which has been in rest mode while you’ve been recharging with some shut-eye. You’ve also heard that people who eat breakfast maintain healthier weights than those who do not. Of course you also know that people who are regular breakfast eaters perform better at school, work and play. You get a gold star if you eat breakfast even though you aren’t hungry when you wake up, or if you don’t have any time, or if you don’t care for breakfast foods. For those of you who are starless, I’m with you that breakfast is the one meal that can feel less than inspired. I mean, you’re already yawning in the morning because, well, it’s morning. You shouldn’t be yawning because, well, toast. Again. In an effort to add some excitement into your morning food routine, teach you how to eat healthy and maintain a balanced diet, and turn you into a breakfast lover, I’m giving you some easy breakfast ideas. So easy, that you’ll be out of excuses not to eat brekkie. Feeling challenged? Good. Look, breakfast may never be as exciting as finding 20 bucks in your back pocket, but, hopefully this will bring a little glimmer to your 6 a.m. self. Think of it like beauty sleep, but for your belly. Easy Breakfast Ideas Egg Breakfasts If You Have No Patience To Make Eggs Easy microwave eggs: You want to eat a healthy diet, but there’s no chance of turning on your stove while you’re still wearing pajamas? No problem. Spray the inside of a ramekin with cooking spray and crack an egg into it. Zap in the microwave for 1-2 minutes and voila! If you have leftover vegetables from dinner, toss them into the microwave at the same time on a separate plate and splash with a little hot sauce. Delish! Make-ahead eggs: On Sunday night, pull out your 8 x 8 pan that you usually reserve for brownies. Coat it with cooking spray and pour in a dozen eggs, scrambled with a little water or milk. Preheat oven to 350 F and bake for 20 minutes. Let it cool and cut it into nine pieces. When you wake up, take a piece out of the refrigerator and put it on a plate. Get showered, dressed and ready. It takes about 20 minutes to come to room temperature and requires no additional heating. Pair it with a cup of fruit sprinkled with a tablespoon of flax and you are good to go. The best part is that this simple recipe makes 9 servings, so you can feed a family easily. Prep you hard-boiled eggs: Make a bunch of hard-boiled eggs over the weekend. Put your eggs in a pot and just cover them with water. Bring the water to boil on high heat. When the water boils, turn off the burner and leave the eggs in the water for 10 minutes. Take them out of the water and peel them under running cool water. When you are ready to eat them, they’re ready to go, so make them interesting. Spread a thin layer of cream cheese on a high-fiber cracker. Top with your hard-boiled egg and favorite seasoning (paprika, wasabi, cayenne) or fresh herbs. Dairy Breakfasts If You Are So Over Yogurt     Add some ricotta or cottage cheese to your morning: Getting tired of the same ole yogurt? Substitute the yogurt with ricotta cheese or cottage cheese. You can go in a savory direction by adding leftover steamed or sautéed vegetables and tossing it in the microwave. You can also make it sweet with a quick grind of cinnamon or cocoa powder and a drizzle of agave, and serve with melon for a delicious start to your day. Or, you can use the ricotta as a condiment by topping a slice of high fiber toast with a tablespoon of nut butter and a tablespoon of ricotta. Yum! Kefir, anyone? While Kefir is technically yogurt, it may not have made it into your fridge yet.  Kefir is more tart and tangy than the average smoothie or yogurt drink, which might surprise your taste buds. Have a cup of Kefir with a ½ cup of steel cut oats cooked in water and 10 almonds. The whole breakfast will take minutes to prepare, but will keep you satisfied without feeling too full. And who doesn’t love a breakfast that can be pronounced 10 different ways?!   Whole Grain Breakfasts That Aren’t Boxes of Cereal Muesli magic: Muesli is a really misunderstood food. People never know what to do with it (or how to spell it), but it’s delicious, so I’ll make it easy for you. Tonight, take ½ cup of whole oats and whatever you think would be yummy with oatmeal (flax, nuts, cinnamon, nutmeg, raisins, etc.) and add a couple of teaspoons of it to the oats. Mix with 1/4 cup of milk or yogurt and toss into the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, it’s ready to go.  I prefer it cold (although you could heat it up if you wish). It’s delicious with berries or a little bit of honey. Ancient grains are the new rage: Instead of oatmeal, make a bowl of hot quinoa, spelt, barley, or farro. Make it just as you would make oatmeal, but use the 2:1 liquid-to-grain ratio that you would for rice. (You can use water or milk as your liquid). Stir it until it boils and comes to your desired consistency. For an added boost, toss in some flax, chia seeds or hemp. A dollop of yogurt on top makes it really satisfying. OK, there you have it. Nobody likes a