Becoming More Thankful

With the holidays fast approaching, it’s a time of year when many of us strive to be more aware of our blessings and to strive to be more thankful. Some days that’s hard to do! We live in a world filled with negative things happening daily and social media can be full of negative posts that bring our own attitudes down. To help with this, here are a few tips to help us remain positive and more thankful this holiday (and throughout the whole year too)

1. Keep a Gratitude Journal: Whether you do this just during this time of year, or throughout the whole year, you’ll be surprised what things you’ll jot down. At the end of the day, pick 1-3 things to be thankful for. This could even be a fun conversation starter around the dinner table!

2. When things don’t go as planned, choose to be positive and tell yourself “at least…” For example, you plan a fun family outing but nothing goes as planned. You leave late, the kids are fighting in the car, and you forgot you wallet and had to turn around to get it. It’d be easy to get upset and say that the day was a total failure. Instead, take a deep breath and focus on something to be grateful for “At least we’re all together. At least the weather is nice. etc..”

3. If you can, give back. The best way to show that we’re truly thankful for something is serve. I love the saying “Because I have Been Given Much, I Too Must Give” The holidays are a great time to serve others: donate to toy drives, coat drives,  the food pantry, and do random acts of kindess for family, friends, and even strangers. Teach your family about finding joy in service.

4. Banish negativity. It’s hard to be thankful if we’re constantly negative. For help with this, see my article on rewiring your brain for positivity HERE

 

Tasty Tuesday: Coconut Chicken Tenders

Chicken tenders (or fingers) are one of those foods that you love as a kid and never really grow out of. They are on every kids menu, fast food menu, and restaurant menu around, but they usually come deep fried and full of grease and oil. This recipe uses healthy ingredients and bakes the chicken instead of frying it. You’ll love the sweet and tangy flavor combination and this recipe is one that’s great to get the kids involved with too! They’ll love helping you dip the chicken!

Recipe adapted from here

12 chicken tenders (more or less…you can also cut chicken breasts into strips)
1-2 eggs (start with one and crack another if it runs out)
1/2 C whole wheat flour or flour of your choice like almond flour
1 C unsweetened coconut flakes
1 C  whole wheat panko bread crumbs
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp table salt
3/4 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (you can leave this out if you want to skip the spice for the kiddos)

preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Give coconut a rough chop so it’s about the same size as the panko pieces. Combine it with Panko and spices in a shallow dish (I like to use a pie plate). Mix well to distribute all of the spices.

Place the flour in another shallow dish, and the egg in another. Whisk the egg.Get your stations ready so they’re in order and you can quickly put them on a foil lined baking sheet that’s been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

Working with one chicken tender at a time, dredge in flour, then egg, then spice mixture.

Place chicken tenders on a foil-lined baking sheet (for easy clean up!)  that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. You can drizzle a tiny amount of olive oil on top to help them crisp nicely, but it’s optional.

Bake tenders for 20 minutes at 450 degrees, or until juices run clear. Serve with a side salad (you can even chop these up and use in a salad), or a side veggie. These chicken tenders are great dipped in your favorite dipping sauce too! Ranch, ketchup, Dijon mustard, honey mustard, sweet chili sauce…they all taste great!

It’s not a number on the scale

It is a new month… so I have decided to weigh myself and then lock my scale up in the shop for 30 days.

Here is the thing…. I have been telling my challengers/clients for the last 2 years not to pay attention to the number on the scale. But rather to focus on their non-scale victories!

But I haven’t been doing this myself! I have been fixated on the number on this scale for my entire pregnancy worrying about not gaining enough or gaining too much weight… instead of just focusing on what I can control (eating healthy and exercising every day).

Today I decided it was time to break the habit of focusing on that number. That is not what is important! I want to be healthy and fit for my children. I want to have energy and not feel irritable and a lot of anxiety so I can be fun and present in the moment for my children. I want to feel good about who I am and feel like I have self control and can do anything. I want to live a healthy lifestyle so I can be active in my older years and involved in my grandchildren’s lives. The number on the scale is not one of my goals… it doesn’t drive us… it discourages us!

In a recent online poll, people shared their reason for being fit and healthy, and guess what? NONE of the answers had anything to do with the number on the scale. And all of them are pretty incredible:

Fitness has everything to do with body and mind. The endorphins and hormones that exercise produces does amazing things for sleep, mood, weight loss, sex life, and overall happiness. —Emily Steele, via Facebook

It’s being capable of doing whatever I set my mind to through patience, hard work, and determination. —Kelsey Arcocha, via Facebook

Having the ability to unleash your inner power at any given moment. Inner power is not just physical fitness, but mental fitness. Fitness abilities, physical and mental, make up the incredible individual that you are. —torin496b6c8d4

To me, fitness means discovering things I can do with my body that I’ve never been able to do before. —Calli Celine Allen, via Facebook

It means being able to physically do whatever I want to do. I’m 52 years old… and I’ve run almost 50 marathons and ultramarathons in the last 10 years, I still snowboard with my kids, I mountain bike, rock climb, do flips off the diving board, whatever I want. And I have no intention of slowing down. —Thom Patterson, via Facebook

It means being able to chase an evil toddler when you ask her to come here and she clearly decides “here” is in the opposite direction… it means being able to carry all 40 pounds of her like a Gronk heading for the end zone when she’s gone full shenanigans in public. —Holly Haddad, via Facebook

Fitness to me means being mentally and physically happy. I suffered from really bad anxiety but once I began running/working out I felt like it all melted away. —Tara Roy, via Facebook

Well, for me, it’s just being able to be emotionally stable. I don’t care to get my six-pack back. I just wanna be happy again. —Rebekah Marie Byrd, via Facebook

 It’s a sign that I am bettering myself from where I used to be, also it’s opening doors that I didn’t even know about in life. —Aaron Lassen, via Facebook

Being fit is eating healthy, exercising regularly, and being hygienic. But most important of all, no matter your weight or gender or appearance or habits or ability, being happy and comfortable with yourself. —ABCDBadwolf, via Facebook

So now my question for YOU is: What’s your reason for getting healthy and fit?

Tasty Tuesday: Skinny Burrito Bowl

Spice up your next family taco night with these skinny burrito bowls. The recipe is high in protein and is loaded with fresh veggies and Mexican flavor! Ditching the traditional tortilla means you’re not adding unnecessary carbs into your diet either.

Recipe adapted from here

Photo via

Ingredients

• 1 cup diced onion
• 1/2 pound lean ground turkey (or you can use diced or shredded chicken)
• 1 cup uncooked brown rice (Uncle Ben’s Instant Brown Rice was used)
• 11/4 cup chicken broth, low-sodium and fat-free
• 2 cups salsa, no sugar added
• 2 teaspoons taco seasoning (recipe for taco seasoning) or you can use Mrs. Dash’s Southwest Chipotle Seasoning (season to taste)
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained
• 3/4 cup frozen or fresh corn kernels
• 2 cups diced tomatoes
• 1/4 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese, reduced-fat
• 1/4 cup fresh chives or green onions
• Avocado slices

Directions

Over medium heat, in a skillet, cook the onion and ground turkey. The turkey should be cooked until it’s no longer pink. Drain off any fat.

**If using chicken, cook the chicken (grill, bake, or boil) until done. Chop or shred chicken and set aside. In a skillet over medium heat, saute chopped onions in a small amount of Olive Oil. Stir onions to keep from sticking and burning. Cook until onions are transparent. Then, add in chicken and mix well.

Add the broth, rice, 1 cup salsa, 1 cup diced tomatoes, taco seasoning, corn, and the beans. Bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer for about 10-15 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Season with salt and pepper. If it starts to dry up, just add a little more broth. Turn off the burner.

Mix in the cheese. It will melt with the heat.

Serve in individual bowls and garnish with the remaining tomatoes, salsa, chives, and avocado slices. Add lettuce if desired.

NOTE: If using long grain brown rice, it will need to be cooked in advance. Uncle Ben’s 10 minute brown rice was used in this recipe.

Have a Healthy Halloween!

Halloween is coming! So many sugary treats are spotlighted this time of year and Halloween seems to be the gateway into a sugar and treat filled holiday season. Don’t get sucked into “well, it’s the holidays” trap of indulging too much and regretting it later. You can still have lots of fun with your family and friends by using some of these fun Halloween-themed food ideas instead!

Original Post: 13 Healthy Halloween Treats

Jack-o’-Lantern Fruit Cups
Add color and fun to your Halloween with these smiling jack-o’-lantern faces carved into navel oranges. Slice off the tops of the oranges, scoop out the pulp, use a paring knife to cut out jack-o’-lantern faces, and fill with grapes and/or mixed berries.
Photo by Frugal Coupon Living

Orange You Lovin’ Fall Fruit Salad
Save the pulp from your jack-o’-lantern fruit cups to make this fruit salad. Fill small mason jars with pineapple slices, orange wedges, and top with Greek yogurt.

Photo by Amanda Meixner

Slithering Snake Dip
Eek! What is lurking in your hummus? A slithering snake made from black olives! Cute Food for Kids carved beady eyes from string cheese and added a carrot tongue. Even those who hate serpents will love this little guy.

Photo by Cute Food for Kids

Candy Corn Popsicles
Here’s a healthier spin on candy corn! These colorful homemade popsicles are made from pineapple juice, orange juice, and yogurt. We want the popsicles! Click here to get the recipe.

Photo by Chew Chew Mama

Mummified Apples
Googly eyes and gauze tape turn green apples into mummies that are almost too cute to bite into.

Photo by Marci Coombs

Monster Pie
Kids will love this Monsters, Inc. tart because it’s so darn cute, and well, because it’s dessert! Visit Creative and Healthy Fun Food to get this recipe that’s got a filling made from avocado, banana, and almond milk!

Photo by Creative and Healthy Fun Food

Spooky Spider Eggs
Deviled eggs (like these) get extra creepy-crawly when they’re topped with spiders. To make eight scary spider eggs, cut 12 black olives in half vertically. Place one half in the center of each egg to form the body, then slice each remaining olive half into four sections to create legs. Shiver.

Photo by Chew Chew Mama

Ghoulish Hard-Boiled Eggs
Let your kids in on the decorating fun! Use black foodsafe ink pens to draw ghostly faces on white hard-boiled eggs. This example from Wit & Whistle shows how simple – and cute! – each drawing can be.

Photo by Wit & Whistle

Frankenstein’s Monster
Is this a trick or a treat? This veggie tray made to look like Frankenstein’s monster is a little bit of both. Let your kids play with their food to help create this healthy platter and they might just be tricked into eating their veggies.

Photo by Blue Skies Ahead

Eyeball Pasta
Start off a night of trick-or-treating with this clever eyeball pasta! Visit Spend with Pennies to see how she used string cheese, black olives, and a straw to create eyeballs of different sizes that stare out of ghoulishly green spinach pasta.

Photo by Spend with Pennies

Jack-o’-Lantern Clementines
Pick up a foodsafe pen and the whole family can have fun decorating the skin of clementines, tangerines, or oranges with spooky or smiling faces. Pop these into lunch boxes the week leading up to Halloween.

Photo by Princess and the Frog Blog

Pumpkin Veggie Tray
This veggie platter is a Halloween party essential! Mom Endeavors shares some tips for constructing this spooky pumpkin from baby carrots and black olives. The stem can be made from broccoli, the end of cucumber, or a celery stick. Serve with Slithering Snake Dip!

Photo by Mom Endeavors

Banana Ghosts and Orange Pumpkins
Boo! Turn bananas into spooky ghosts with chocolate chip eyes and mouths made from chocolate covered raisins. Make a pumpkin patch out of peeled clementines or tangerines. Just use a sprig of celery in the center for the stem!

Here are 8 more fun ideas for healthy Halloween treats to make for home or for you child’s school party!

And here are 13 alternatives to handing out candy on Halloween night