A Salad the Whole Family Will Love!

Hey ya'll! This salad is one of my new faves!!! While visiting a good friend for dinner, she made this salad and I loved it so much, I skipped dessert and had a second helping of it! In fact, it's so good, that you really don't need any dressing!!!

Last night we celebrated my Mother-in-Law's birthday and I made it for everyone. Many went back for seconds including me! :-) Needless to say, it was a big hit!

Here's what you throw together:

Butter lettuce

blueberries

mandarin oranges

strawberries

feta cheese

pine nuts

sliced almonds or candied pecans

For the dressing, I just use a light balsamic vinaigrette or plain olive oil and balsamic vinegar...the family loved raspberry vinaigrette with theirs...I would imagine strawberry vinaigrette would be delicious too! :-)

Enjoy!!! <3 <3 <3

Busy Sports Mom's on the Go Nutrition Guide-

This post was inspired by a few VERY busy sports moms who have come to me for nutrition guidance for their children. Just a little background: My husband and I own and run Stix & Seams Baseball- Softball training facility in Brooksville, FL.

This month marks our third year. It was one of my husband's dreams back when he coached college baseball. :-) I run all Women's Bootcamps at our biz every Tuesday and Thursday nights if you'd like to join us! They are high energy and a lot of fun! Oh wow! Haha! Here I am running of on a tangent about the biz! Anyway, back to the reason why I wrote this post!

So many parents just don't have much time on their hands to prepare meals for their families but want to make sure their children are getting the proper nutrition to fuel their growing bodies. So, I have put together a SIMPLE sample meal plan for them and thought i'd share with all of you in hopes it will help you too!

Breakfast:

Protein pancakes with berries (I top mine with a vegan buttery spread and cinnamon...organic maple syrup is also ok)
Or
Van's Protein waffle (Power Grains...there's also a really good gluten free blueberry) with peanut butter and 1/2 banana
Or
Cereal or oatmeal and berries (Try to stay away from the super sugary ones...instead aim for cheerios, Raisin Bran, Kashi varieties, etc. As far as oatmeal, I really like the Publix Greenwise and Bob's Red Mill organic rolled oats)
Or
a shake packed with dense nutrition Vega one!

Snack: 
sliced veggies and Bolthouse Ranch dressing
Or
Veggies and hummus (I love the Boar's Head varieties of hummus)
Or
Almonds and string cheese (I like 2% Sargento)
Or
Celery and natural peanut (look for a peanut butter who's only ingredients is peanuts. Publix and Target make good ones!)


Lunch: tuna with a veggie and fruit or unsweetened apple sauce (click here for more options)


Snack: berries and non-fat Greek yogurt (it's ok to sprinkle a little granola on top)
Or
green juice if blending and taking with you in cooler for practice. 

If before practice or workout, whole grain rice cake with peanut butter and 1/4- 1/2 banana or boiled eggs and nuts are some examples of things that will be light on their tummy's before getting active but will give them some energy to fuel through or you can use what I use before workouts- pre workout. It helps me improve my performance by sharpening my focus and giving me the energy to push through without making me feel jittery.

Or click here for more options. 


Dinner: lean protein and veggie with a non starchy carb....sweet potatoes are great! (I like to slice them thin and sprinkle them with olive oil and sea salt and bake them until crispy...healthy fries!)
Or any meals you'll find here (the crock pot meals are very tasty and so easy! Approved by my hubby! )


Be sure that they are drinking plenty of water throughout the day!


Healthy substitutions:

Almond milk instead of cow's milk...
I use unsweetened almond or coconut milk.


These organic juices are great for travel as well as any flavor of LeCroix drinks...no sweetener is used in them.


I would also recommend buying only organic lean meats such as fish, venison and chicken.


Aim for a serving of veggies with every meal. And switch our starchy carbs with whole grains like brown rice, quinoa or beans.


 Most kids these days want only sugary/carby foods which makes their bodies so acidic and that causes disease over time. Make healthy eating a priority with your family. <3

Let's face it! Kiddo's will want sweets from time to time. To my right are 2 of my faves for on the go...RX bars and unsweetened organic applesauce... click here are some other healthy sweet treat options. ;-)

I hope this helps you make better food decisions for your kiddo's busy lifestyles! Use Sunday to load up on the groceries that you'll need for the week so that you have these things ready to go and prep snacks in zip lock bags, boil eggs, etc. if you can so you can just grab and go throughout the week! I'm always here if you have questions. <3

---> Feel free to share with me what works for your busy family on the go! <3 <3 <3