I can hardly believe how fast summer has flown by this year! Anyone getting ready for school or maybe even started school yet? Wow. Our sweet girl will be starting preschool next week and it is getting closer and closer to seeing her cute little self walk into school for the first time!
Even though things are changing all around us in life events, seasons, etc. it is very important to not let it affect our health or let it become an excuse to stop eating healthy and/or working out. We just have to make it work!!! Time management is just as important of a component of good health as getting your essential daily nutrients! When we are stressed because of bad time management, our health suffers! Stress = BAD. Calm and prepared = GOOD. So let’s talk about that this week and get us ready for the changes that are coming!
Meal prep and planning! It is soooo important to take time out of your schedule to do this! Maybe you have a little extra time on the weekends in the evenings or for me it is in the afternoon after church on Sundays to prep. Before prep day, though, I like to look over some of the recipes we like and then plan out our week of meals. Then I know what to shop for when we go to the farmer’s market on Saturday morning and/or grocery store. I try to do some repeat meals also so that I am not buying a ton of ingredients (**YOU WILL SAVE $$$ DOING THIS!***). Leftovers are awesome. Especially ones that you can freeze and save for later!
Back to prep day: wash and chop up veggies, fruits, cook quinoa and brown rice, lentils, beans, or anything that can be cooked ahead of time in recipes. The less prepping you have to do when it comes time to cook, the better! Put all the veggies and fruits in plastic storage containers with a paper towel in them. This helps soak up the moisture and keeps them from getting soggy. Get your snacks ready too, because it is important to eat every 2-3 hours to keep your metabolism burning throughout your day! (Trust me on this one… if you aren’t doing this and are frustrated with being stuck at a weight plateau, this could be why!)
Now take a look at that beautiful fridge! It feels so good to prep and things ready for your week! The drive through temptations are much easier to combat when we have food ready for us!
Now for some quick and easy recipes to help you get things ready and have some quick go-to meals!
Overnight Blueberry Oats Parfait
Ingredients
1/4 cup uncooked old fashioned rolled oats (I used instant plain oats)
1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk (I used Vanilla flavored)
1/4 cup low-fat Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon dried chia seeds
1 teaspoon milled flaxseed
2 teaspoons REAL organic maple syrup (more or less to taste)
1/4 cup blueberries (or enough to fill jar)
In a half pint (1 cup) jar, add oats, milk, yogurt, chia seeds, and maple syrup. Put lid on jar and shake until well combined. Remove lid, add blueberries and stir until mixed throughout. Return lid to jar and refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days. Eat chilled.
Homemade Instant Oatmeal
1/2 cup plain 1 minute oats
1 tbsp milled flaxseed
1 tsp cinnamon
EASY, right? Make a bunch at one time!
(That’s a plain version, but you could also add in raisins, or dried cranberries, dried fruit, pb2, unsweetened coconut flakes, chia seeds, etc. The possibilities are endless!)
Mexican Crockpot Chicken
5-6 frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup frozen corn
1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 can low sodium black beans (drained and rinsed WELL)
1 chopped red onion
1 chopped green bell pepper
1 chopped red bell pepper
1/2 box low sodium chicken broth
1 tbsp homemade taco seasoning OR 1 packet of LOW SODIUM taco seasoning)
Add chicken, broth, corn and then the rest of the ingredients on top in the crockpot. Cook on LOW 4-6 hours. Pull out chicken, shred and discard any fatty pieces, then put chicken back in crockpot and stir together.
Great for adding in whole wheat tortillas, on top of a bowl of brown rice, or on fresh greens for a taco chicken salad! I also use the leftovers to make enchiladas to change things up! Leftovers are freezable too!
OK, those are a few of our favorites! Now it is time to get planning! Oh wait… we need to make sure we SCHEDULE our workouts, too!
Just like it says above… keep telling yourself: "I AM WORTH IT!". This lifestyle becomes easier the more you practice it, just like anything in life! What is hard at first, becomes fun and enjoyable very soon after (especially once you start seeing results!!!!)!
-Ashley
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