The Lunchbox Dilemma... SOLVED!

Today is Labor Day and the last official day of summer for my little munchkins.

Our summer has been made complete with many adventure-filled days including a trip to California for their uncles wedding, a trip to Oregon for a fun vacation with Grandpa and Grandma Wood, and a big move from North Carolina to Virginia. What better way to spend our last day of summer together than out by the pool!

Tomorrow morning begins the start of a brand new routine. Packed lunch boxes, school bus rides, morning devotions with the kids, school work and early bedtime await us. I’m really looking forward to it - I think our family thrives more on routine and schedule. I know my four month old will enjoy having some predictability in his day as well! All of this is exciting but one task that’s been a bit daunting to me is what to pack for my kids lunch boxes now that we are plant strong. Since cold cut sandwiches are out and peanut butter is on the “do not bring” list; I’m having to get creative with different ways to provide them their protein. (I think they’d happily go 365 days in a row eating nothing but PB&J!!). Thankfully it hasn’t been as hard as I thought it’d be!

This past week I’ve been busy in my kitchen making dinners and saving up plenty of leftovers. We have everything from Lentil Soup, Black Bean Soup, Hummus Dip, Rice & Black Bean Tacos and Quinoa Salad (do you think they’ll be lacking in protein?! =). One thing I know is if the food looks like fun.. they don’t care what they get!!

In addition to left overs, I like to plan ahead to simplify the lunch making process and ultimately save me time in the kitchen. Since our family is trying to avoid as much processed foods as possible, I make many of our dips and dressings from scratch which can be time consuming. The best advice I received from my mom in this area is to pre-make all my items on sunday afternoon so I can just dig into them as needed throughout the week. These are the items I prepare on my sundays at home:

• Oil-Free Hummus
• Oil-Free Pesto Sauce
• Not-Cheese-”Cheese” Spread
• Vegan Ranch
• Vegan Oatmeal Cookies
• Frozen Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bites

I don’t think packing lunches could get much simpler!!! To make lunchtime fun I bought the kids some neat bento style boxes (which I found at Old Navy of all places!). They have multiple compartments for storing various items, even one for storing their dips safely. I also found a great canister that they can take their soups to school in while keeping them hot!

So for the first day of school here’s what Emma & EJ are having:

• Oil-Free Hummus on Sandwich Thins
• Quinoa & Navy Bean Salad
• Carrot Sticks
• Homemade Vegan Ranch
• Honest Kids Juice Box
• Vegan Oatmeal Cookies (baked fresh today!)

If you have any great plant-strong ideas for packed lunches, please feel free to leave a comment and share with us!! There’s also a wealth of ideas here. 

Happy Labor Day & Happy 1st Day of School!!!! 

First Day of School Lunches

Quinoa Salad, Ranch Dip & Carrot Sticks

Life Happens, Feelings Waiver, Commitment Stands Strong

It’s been far to long since I’ve shared with you favorite recipes and life experiences along my little adventure. When I first started this blog I explained that my reason for doing so was to document and share all the changes our family would be going through as we embark upon healthier living. These past few weeks we’ve been going through quite a big change: our home address!

Towards the end of July we began packing up our house (and kitchen), staying a few nights with a sweet friend of mine and driving our packed cars from North Carolina to Virginia. The transition period of only a week was short though it seemed to last forever. Not only were we moving our household and family but we had also just made a commitment to switch to a Plant Based Diet. Though we had a few frustrating moments by not having our kitchen and our foods to cook with; we survived! I thought I would spend my time in this first blog “back” to share some tips that worked for us:

1. We scouted out the best places to eat out since our grocery budget and items to cook with were limited. Though the menu items at these restaurants helped us stay away from animal proteins; the foods were still processed so I would never recommend eating at these places multiple times in a week (like we did). This experience really opened our eyes to why America is struggling with obesity and bad health the way it is. The first thing the waitress serves you upon being seated is a nice steamy basket of fresh baked cheese biscuits, even the vegetarian items on the menu are covered in cheese or smothered in butter, vegetables are grilled to death in far to much oil and no matter how many requests you make to the waitress...  mistakes happen. My weight loss definitely slowed down due to all the processed foods, however, I didn’t GAIN any weight either (which normally would’ve happened). Some examples of how we ate on the road:
1. Taco Bell: Vegetarian Cantina Burrito (or bowl) with Guacamole
2. Quiznos: Veggie Sandwich on Whole Wheat (skip the cheese & mayo, add guac)
3. Chipotle: Vegetarian Rice Bowl (brown rice, black beans, fajita veggies & guac)
4. Ruby Tuesdays: Salad Bar, Baked Potato (loaded with items from salad bar), ALT instead of BLT (avocado, lettuce & tomatoes) (specify no cheese & no butter)

1. We discovered Avocado is our new BFF =) It’s the perfect spread for sandwiches when avoiding butter and mayo; it also adds extra necessary calories when the rest of your plate seems a bit sparse (I have to be conscientious of this for my slender husband and kids). Of course avocado just plain tastes amazing!

1. Supportive family & friends make the world of difference! My good friends greatly blessed our family by opening their home for us to stay in for a few days while we cleaned out our house and waited till our new home in VA was available. Thankfully they were supportive of our families decision to eat plant strong and opened their kitchen for us to cook in =) I stuck to simple meals where I didn’t have to spend a fortune on groceries:
1. Pesto Pasta: Grill your favorite veggies, make my oil-free pesto sauce & enjoy!
2. Smoked Potato Soup: Navy Beans, Garlic, Celery, Potato in vegetable stock, yum!
3. For snacks: Fresh Fruits, Oil-Free Hummus & Crackers

1. Be prepared for the temptation to go back to old habits. Food has always been the answer to any emotional void I’ve gone through. When I’m depressed, food is the answer. When I’m stressed, food is the answer. When I’m happy, food is the answer. Not only were we facing the fact that we had to say goodbye to all our friends, leave our favorite house and move to a place we’ve never been... financial stress and every kind of obstacle that could come at us, did! When we finally got to Virginia I went through my first temptation to cave in and grab a greasy cheese-covered-artery-clogging hamburger. I wanted to rationalize it in my mind, but deep down I knew that it was just my way of trying to deal with all the stress. I was wanting to revert to past behaviors. Thankfully I did the best thing I could've done when dealing with temptations (of any kind); I called my accountability partner - my mom =) It felt good to vent and be honest about my struggles and I appreciated the wisdom she shared with me. 

It’s now been close to three months since going Plant Strong. It hasn’t been perfect but as my mom often says: this isn’t a religion and it doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s not a political statement. It’s not a weight loss program. This is a lifestyle change for good health and a new healthy perspective on food. The side effect is I’m down 20 pounds and have gone down 2 sizes. I feel amazing and my family is having fun discovering new foods and tastes.

Here’s a picture of me at the beginning of June... and one taken this morning:

Beginning of June, 2012

August 26th, 2012

Going "Extreme"

It’s been a little over a month now that my kids and I have switched to a plant based diet. It wasn’t until recently, after my husband watched “Forks Over Knives”, that he decided to join us. The further in we get into this new healthy habit of ours the more aware I’m becoming of the very many not-so-healthy choices I unconsciously made for my family. I’ve heard comments being made about people who eat like us - that we’re going a bit “extreme”. I know this because I was one of those people who made such comments ;) What’s interesting about that word is those same people never make those comments about the people who take their children to eat out at all the fast food joints 2-3 times a week. Why is that considered “normal” yet eating fresh vegetables and fruits is considered “extreme”?

I recently came across an article which compares five of the worst “healthy” fast-food kids meals. Did you know that Chick-fil-A Kids Grilled Nuggets Meal contains the same amount of cholesterol as a Big Mac? The McDonald’s Cheeseburger Happy Meal contains more sodium than 13 orders of McDonald’s kids fries? Denny’s Build Your Own Jr. Grand Slam contains almost 100 more miligrams of sodium than the government recommends children should consume at breakfast.

What a nutrition shocker! And the sad part is that the general public is not aware of just how unhealthy these foods are. We just keep loading the kids up in the car for another trip to McDonalds for some salty-cholesterol-filled chicken nuggets and a dollar store plastic toy. Perhaps we're too busy to pay attention, perhaps we give these food chains more trust than they deserve, perhaps we just never really thought about it. But now that we know, what will we do with that information?

One fear of mine as I delved into this lifestyle “change” was that I would be depriving my children of “fun childhood experiences”. It’s a silly thought when you really think about it - especially compared with the information I shared earlier. I think my kids can have the best of both worlds. They can have health AND fun.

Below are a few tips I’ve found to be helpful in making this experience “fun” for the kids:

1.) Educate them about WHY you’re making a change.

Growing up my parents had a lot of healthy habits; like shopping at Farmers Markets, building their savings accounts, avoiding credit cards, etc. These were all good practices, however, because I was never "taught" the reason behind those decisions; those practices never caught on for me. 

2.) Be flexible and let them experiment.

Nobody likes to be forced to eat things they hate. My kids don’t like “vegetables” yet they love potatoes, broccoli, salads, etc. I suppose it’s just the particular word that they don't like. We made a rule in our house that when they see an item on their plate they think they don't like; they have to at least try it first. Often times they are surprised to find they like it. My son used to despise tomatoes. While we were visiting my parents in Oregon his grandpa teased him and said, “But these are oregon tomatoes - have you ever tried oregon tomatoes?” Needless to say, he likes “oregon” tomatoes now ;)

3.) Get them involved.

Kids will eat far more healthy items when they help to prepare it. Get them in the kitchen with you preparing the vegetables and various dishes. Let them sample things as they make it. They will be excited to eat the items they cook! When you shop at the store turn it into a scavenger hunt... let them find a vegetable that’s “red” and one that’s “yellow”. Let them pick an item from the produce department to try that week and rate it. Turn it into a game! One of my favorite blogs I follow just began a weekly "activity" packet for kids to help educate them about healthy foods; click here to check it out.

4.) Make it fun.

Use fun cookie cutters to make shapes out of their vegetables and sandwiches. Make fun dips like hummus or peanut butter for them to dip their fruits and veggies in. Create a "fancy drink" for them by placing different fruit slices in their glass of ice water (my kids' favorite are orange or apple slices). 

My challenge to you is to be “extreme”. Go against the flow. Choose the narrow road. Healthy habits can be contagious and wouldn’t it be great to be a healthy influence on someone you love!

Here’s a picture of the kids making their own “potato pizzas”.
Completely nutritious and yet completely fun! Go to my “Recipes” tab to try it out =)

Face Your Fears, Embrace The Challenge!

A couple days ago my family and I embarked on our very first whole foods grocery trip. I was armed and dangerous with my list of items I would need to kick off our first week of Plant Strong eating. To make it simple I chose to go to www.engine2diet.com and print off their “Week 1” shopping list and meal planning menu. To be honest, the shopping trip was a bit overwhelming as there were many items I had never heard of. My husband and I got to know the store employees quite well as we’d quiz them on where certain items can be found and what certain vegetables looked like. It was quite hilarious! Lesson 1: Change isn’t always easy, be prepared for challenges.

I’ll admit that while we were loading up our grocery cart with vegetable after vegetable; there was a bit of a fear in the back of my mind that we wouldn’t actually eat all this stuff. I had a fear that I wouldn’t follow through. A fear of giving up. Every time that nagging fear would creep it’s way into my brain I would remind myself that "it’s time for change and I’m choosing health for our family!"

Yesterday was our first day of eating all three meals from the Engine 2 menu plan. We began our morning with Rips Big Bowl (so delicious and filling - it’s fun adding different nuts and fruits to our liking), for lunch we made hummus veggie pitas and for dinner we had a tofu vegetable stir fry. I can’t leave out our decadent dessert - chocolate mousse using silken tofu! My husband is happily surprised to find himself enjoying each item I’m preparing.

The biggest surprise for me so far is how drastic my taste-buds have changed! Three weeks ago I craved nothing but a juicy hamburger loaded up with tons of cheese (and throw in some bacon for extra measure). I would’ve NEVER been interested in eating vegetable anything. I would encourage anyone whose having these same types of thoughts to just give it a try. You will be surprised at how quickly your body begins to crave what truly nourishes it - you will be full and satisfied with plant strong foods and the best part is; you can eat without any guilt and any calorie counting!

This is a picture of our open-faced sandwiches we had today for lunch. I toasted up some whole wheat whole grain bread, spread some vegenaise on it (or you could use the no-oil hummus), layered with sliced cucumber, tomato, arugula (if you’ve never tried this lettuce you have to go to the store and get some! It has the most surprising peppery sweet flavor), alfalfa sprouts and avocado. Again -- the whole time I was making this sandwich I was questioning myself in the back of my brain whether I’d really eat this and enjoy it. My fear is always that I’m going to have to force myself to eat something I don’t like. Time and “thyme” again I’m proving to myself that these plant based foods are absolutely delicious and thankfully I’m not having to pinch my nose to eat ;)


Bottom line: face your fears, you'll be so glad you did!

Thyme for a change - the introduction

"Why change?" you might be thinking. It's been quite a journey for me in the past couple of years where I've realized I'm not quite the mom or wife that I want to be. This is not a cheap shot at throwing a pity party for myself; I'm merely stating that there is always room for improvement and lately I've been very aware of those areas ;) It's been in the past two years that I have really desired to become like the Proverbs 31 woman described in the Bible. This alone is a tough challenge! I’ve struggled to be the woman who rises early, is thrifty with her money, great with her time and has priorities in balance. It’s a distracting and instantly gratifying world we live in today. All it takes is one swipe of a plastic card and we can have anything we want at our finger tips. Home cooked meals can be made in seconds with the help of mashed potatoes from a box and salad from a bag. Video games can educate and babysit our children. Facebook can catch us up on gossip and world news. The list can go on but I’d rather not send us all into a bout of depression =)


Upon returning home from a two week vacation in Oregon I decided to embark on my first major change: Health. It’s one that I’ve been reluctant to take, in fact I’ve been trying to ignore it for some time, but here I be fully embracing the change. I’m always up for some adventure so why not spice things up in my life with a challenge!

My parents recently adopted a plant based diet. I was not interested to say the least. I love my meat and I love my simple meals. It took just a day to begin to change my mind. I became a documentary junkie (Vegucated, Hungry For Change, Forks Over Knives, etc.) and loaded up on tons of information. Not only that, but I began experimenting in the kitchen learning recipes that mom had put together. The food was delicious and amazing... in fact after two weeks of eating a plant based diet I got hooked on the taste and yumminess of it all. I’m five pounds lighter and my energy levels are climbing. The best part of this new change: my children are benefiting from it. Thankfully I can teach them about having a right attitude towards food earlier in life than later; and hopefully help them avoid all the pitfalls I went through. Food is about fueling the body, not about satisfying emotional needs.

This is quite a challenge for me to tackle. I’ll have new recipes to learn and a new way to grocery shop. Prior to this “change” I never looked at a food label and didn’t put much thought into what went into my mouth. Not only that but I was far from what you would call a “cook” ;) I had one recipe I knew well... other than that it was easy meals (basically anything that required 5 ingredients or less). I’m looking forward to becoming seasoned in the kitchen and providing tasty meals for my family.

I’m looking forward to seeing where this blog takes me... as I begin to tackle each of these areas in my life in my pursuit of becoming that Proverbs 31 woman. It's thyme to make a change and I'm getting excited!!

Thanks for reading!!

Here’s a picture of my son on the plane ride home... lovin his broccoli =)