The Best Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies
If you know anything about Nutritious Life, you know we’re all about our conscious indulgences (and I’m all about the chocolate chip cookies)! But we also believe in them having their own special time and place. Every one of Rachel Mansfield’s recipes always have my mouth watering, and her Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies are no different – they totally hit the spot. You can check out the full recipe here! Ingredients: 3 tablespoons coconut flour 2 eggs at room temperature ¼ cup coconut oil melted and cooled 1 cup sunflower seed butter ½ cup coconut sugar ½ teaspoon baking powder ½ cup dark chocolate chips
The Busy Parent’s Guide to Healthy Snacks
When the kids come home from school, more often than not, they’re hungry and scavenging the kitchen for a quick snack. What’s a busy mom (or dad) to do? You need easy, interesting, healthy, and fast go-to’s…like a guide to healthy snacks! When it comes to snack time, especially for kids who may eat small amounts at meals, snacks are an equally important place to squeeze in nutrients. Half a sandwich eaten at lunch? The second half combined with a ½ cup of fruit may just be the perfect snack. Snack time is also the perfect time to sneak in a serving of veggies, which don’t need to make an appearance only at dinner time. Veggies contain fiber and antioxidants while being low in calories, and after school snack time is a key time to make sure your kids are feeding their brains. Broccoli rabe is a great source of vitamin K, known for its help in boosting cognitive function and brainpower. It also has high levels of vitamin C, proven to protect against brain degeneration. Before the kids have time to grab a bag of chips or the candy you try your best to keep stowed away, check out this guide to healthy snacks that you and your kiddies will love to dip, crunch, and snack on. And they’re all are packed with nutrients and can be made in 5 steps or less! The Busy Parent’s Guide to Healthy Snacks Broccoli Rabe Quesadilla Broccoli Rabe Toast Beet Dip with Crudites Chickpea, Broccoli Rabe, Cucumber Salad
Outdoor Workout in the Park
Think you gotta hit the gym to get fit? Think again! My friend Natalie Jill came to visit me in NYC, and she put me through her awesome outdoor workout in the park she calls Upper Body Jiggle Be Gone! I’m not sure what I liked more – the workout or the name 🙂 Outdoor Workout: Upper Body Jiggle Be Gone 6 Exercises, 10 reps of each, repeat – Are you in?!?! Pushups Tricep dips Plank twists Bridge walks Pushup to tricep shimmies Lateral raises (butterflies) Here’s 10 awesome healthy snacks to eat before and after this and other outdoor workouts. And if you wanna learn more about how Natalie Jill lives her most Nutritious Life, check this out! Happy sweating!
5 Healthy Snack Ideas That Require NO Skills
I’ll set the scene. It’s 4PM. Your morning coffee has worn off. Your lunch was 3 hours ago, dinner is at 7PM and you have 15 minutes before your meeting. And, you’re about to crash hard. Must. Have. Fuel. You always have a yogurt just about now, but . . .uch. You have no interest in it. You’ve unenthusiastically had the same one for the past 3 days. If this is you, right now, go ahead and eat it today (it’s better than the candy jar on your boss’s desk) but tomorrow try one of these 5 fab healthy snack ideas that need no skill and are ready in seconds. 5 Healthy Snack Ideas That Require NO Skills: Healthy Trail Mix Who doesn’t love a little somethin’ sweet and crunchy? Break out a bunch of tupperware and toss in 1 cup GMO-free air-popped popcorn, 1 ounce dried apricots (about 4, but double check with the packaging and make sure no added sugar or sulfur) and 10 almonds. Make a bunch to grab and go. Better yet, have your kids do it. Gorgeous fuel: calories 185, fat 6.5g, protein 4g, fiber 4.5g. Eggs in a (Leafy) Blanket If you can boil water, you can have hard boiled eggs anytime. Boil up a bunch on Sunday. Slice ‘em up in one quick step and eat ‘em on a romaine leaf, wrapped up like a little burrito. Voila. Two large hard boiled eggs on 2 romaine leaves serves up 157 calories, fat 11g, protein 12.5g, fiber 0. Chickpeas + Chia If unusual eats are what you crave, grab a green magic Mamma Chia Squeeze (loaded with omega-3s and fiber) and an ounce of roasted chickpeas. You can mix and match your chia squeeze and chickpea flavors (you can also buy these at the grocery if you don’t want to make them yourself) for endless excitement. No assembly required, you’ll refuel with 180 calories, fat 2g, protein 7g, fiber 9g. Calming Oatmeal If you are a self proclaimed stress eater, I have a perfect comfort snack that you can feel great about. OK, so you do need hot water, a bowl and spoon, but if you unleash a packet of high quality oatmeal into a mug, stir in some coconut chips and sprinkle with cinnamon, you’ll release some serotonin, and your fried brain will thank you: calories 245, fat 10g, protein 6g, fiber 8g. Bonus if you take deep breaths and enjoy slowly. Avocado Lentil Boat It doesn’t get healthier, more satisfying or easier than this, peops. Halve a small avocado. Fill with ¼ cup steamed lentils (you find them in the refrigerator section by the produce) and a squeeze of lemon. You can use ¼ cup prepared tabbouleh instead, if lentils are hard to come by. Avocado + lentils: calories 127, fat 7g, protein 5.5g, fiber 7g. Avocado + tabbouli: calories 169, fat 12g, protein 3g, fiber 5.5g Covet your co-worker’s snacks no more. Get out of your snoozers snacktime rut. If any of these 5 delicious, healthy snack ideas take you more than 5 minutes to grab and go, somethin’s wrong. Happy snack time = happy, more productive you.
Top 8 Summer Travel Tips to Stay Healthy
Does a full-fledged war launch inside your brain every single time you get away on vacay (or even just a summer travel weekend)? You want your theme song playing in your head as you strut your stuff on the beach in your bikini and shades and turn a few heads (no shame in that!). You’ve worked hard for months, fueling with your new favorite chia, coconut, and Greek yogurt breakfast, hitting the 6:30 a.m. HIIT class and religiously drinking your water (with lemon, of course). But the minute your toes touch sand, you nod a big “hell yeah!” to the lobster roll on a buttered bun, forget about asking for salad instead of fries, and wash it all down with a cold one. This is the internal conflict we all face: Eat the healthiest foods available and feel (and look) good, or eat the most indulgent foods at our fingertips for the sake of “enjoying” our vacation. If you feel like I’ve read your diary, I haven’t. It’s human nature to prefer sweet and salty foods. And it’s not human nature to resist enjoyment and pleasure when you’re on vacation. Our brains are designed to do things that release happy hormones (eat sugar, make love, play). But we can’t forget the emotional, cultural, and experiential reasons as well: You’ve worked hard, and you want to reward yourself for your efforts. So what’s a vacationer to do? Think big pic, friends. Reward yourself by being good to YOU, and learn that there are indeed better rewards than a lobster roll. Summer Travel Tips to Stay Healthy 1. Eat well even if you didn’t just eat well. Even on vacay, treat every meal as an individual opportunity to eat well. If breakfast is easy because you like healthful breakfast foods and they are available, then don’t give in to the loaded pancakes and hash just because. Enjoy every bite of your poached eggs, whole grain toast, and fruit salad. If you overdo it with fries at lunch, don’t start dinner with three buttered rolls, because you think, “Well, the day is ruined.” It’s NOT. 2. Prepare and be, well, prepared. You have to pack your suitcase. You have to unpack your suitcase. Plan your groceries like you do your clothes and shoes. Pack snacks next to your bikini. Before you head out on your trip, advance order your groceries for delivery so you can unpack your arugula when you’re unpacking your flip flops. (Bonus: The empty space left from eating your snacks leaves perfect spots for your shopping treasures.) 3. Pack non-perishable snacks. I’ve shared some awesome healthy snacks on the go recently and if the kids are in tow, make sure you check out this advice, too. Trust me, they’ll make summer travel that much easier. 4. Make a makeshift meal. If your flight is delayed, you slept through breakfast, or you’re otherwise out of luck, you can make it until the next meal or snack by surviving on a makeshift meal of an oatmeal pouch, a nut butter packet, and a portion of dried fruit. 5. Make a survival plan. Have an “I will survive” clean meal you can get anywhere. Anywhere. Know that if you stop at a quickie mart you’ll grab a Greek yogurt, sleeve of nuts, and piece of fruit. Coffee joint only place to grab grub? Have a latte and a Kind bar. When all else fails, you can get a mixed green salad and grilled chicken at just about any restaurant. Knowing what you’ll get anywhere leaves you less tempted to make a bad choice when you’re hungry. 6. Get your sweat on. Let’s get real friends. You have more time to exercise on vacay, not less! Set your exercise goals before day one. Are you going to knock it out first thing the morning? Or go for a sunset run every day? Personally, I love a morning workout because it motivates me to stay inspired for the rest of the day. Vacation is also a great time to try something new, so don’t be afraid to add beach yoga or stand-up paddling into the mix. Warning: A bonus walk or tennis match after you’ve already done your scheduled workout may just make you smile. Give it a shot. 7. Consciously indulge. Plan decadent treats into your summer travel. Depending on how long your trip is, choose a day (or a few max) when you’ll give yourself permission to eat something just because it’s yummy. Look forward to a small ice cream or a homemade treat from the candy shop. You can and should enjoy the indulgences that matter most to you on vacation. Don’t deny yourself entirely or pick off of everyone else’s plates. This behavior can be mentally draining (“I can’t believe I ate that,” etc. etc.). Better to eat empowered and say, “I CAN have this ice cream.” 8. Feed your soul. Fuel yourself with experiences, exploration, enjoying your loved ones, and the adventure of your getaway. Take the focus off of the food and put it into your memories. (Featured Photo: Shutterstock)
