Every morning I start my day with a bowl of plain greek yogurt, fresh fruit, and granola.  When I have time to make my own, I am famous for making this recipe that I am sharing with you today.  It is so delicious I don't like ever having to buy granola, because nothing quite compares to this!   For a little color and added sweetness/fiber I always add craisins and golden raisins.   
https://www.davidlebovitz.com/granola-recipe/

This week my family entered the world of homemade yogurt.  My new favorite kitchen appliance, the Instant-Pot makes the most delicious yogurt I have ever tasted. All I needed to make it was 1 gallon of milk and 2 tablespoons of greek yogurt. It was slightly time consuming, but I think with practice it will become much more efficient.  The time is most definitely worth it.  If you have an Insta Pot you must give this a try! If you don't, put it on your holiday wish list for next year.   

https://recipes.instantpot.com/recipe/instant-pot-yogurt-for-newbies/

In order to eat healthy, I believe you must think about and plan your meals for the week ahead. I don't like going to the grocery store multiple times a week, and it can be difficult not knowing whats for dinner and having to order a pizza.  Consider sitting down for 30 minutes on a Saturday or Sunday morning, grab your grocery store circular for inspiration of what's seasonal and on sale, and decide what you are going to make for dinner for the entire week.  Try to make each night utilize similar proteins and fresh ingredients so that you can use up everything you purchased.  For example: a baked chicken with roasted broccoli and cilantro rice on one night- then the following night can be chicken fajitas topped with cilantro and cook up some peppers and onions fresh for the second night! 

Another one pot meal but this time in a soup! Lemon Orzo Chicken Soup is the perfect soup to cook up for the family tonight. The soup includes great protein and you could even add extra white meat for an added bonus! Carrots and celery add some needed veggies to the pot, and I would even suggest trying spinach or kale to add to the mix. If you have never tried a soup with lemon in it before, after trying this one I promise you will want to make it again and again!


https://damndelicious.net/2014/04/25/lemon-chicken-orzo-soup/

Great chicken and potatoes is a meal has almost all the food groups fully met. Add your favorite veggie to roast to this pan for an all in one dish everyone will love. I love it because it has plenty of protein, crispy potatoes for tasty carbohydrate, great acid from the lemons, and creaminess from the feta with the roasted flavors of onion and vegetables (I add broccoli).
https://cafedelites.com/greek-chicken-potatoes/

This week I have been asked a lot about my philosophy about Intuitive Eating, and what it is exactly. I don't believe in diets, because if there was a perfect diet we would all be on it and be happy in our bodies. Since that isn't the case the 'diet' I like to promote in my practice is called Intuitive Eating.
This means sensing your Physical Hunger and Fullness and only eating when you are physically hungry and stopping when you are physically full. Second is not letting Emotional Hunger or Fullness play a role in your eating, I will talk about this more in posts to follow. How many times have you finished your plate just because the food tastes so good? That is not stopping when full - and results in eating too much. Also, have you not eaten when you were physically hungry because you know you want to eat more in a few hours? You are slowing down your metabolism every time you don't eat when you are hungry.
Try to really listen to your body and eat when it tells you to and stop when its finished.

My new favorite dinner is spaghetti squash bowls, and I will share some of those recipes in the upcoming weeks, but when I make this my kids just will not eat any of it.  I never want to succumb to their pickiness but these tater tots allow me to get them the same nutrients as the adult meal, with a much more kid friendlier flare. This is their new favorite and they ask for it often!

Serve these up as a side to a meat protein, as an appetizer, or a snack. 
https://kirbiecravings.com/2016/10/spaghetti-squash-tater-tots.html

Lately I have been looking for healthy dinner recipes that don't take a lot of preparation, time standing in the kitchen waiting, or a messy clean up.  I have been LOVING the "One Pan" or "One Pot" meals.  When all of your ingredients get seasoned, prepped, and tossed into the oven at the same time this limits the time standing around in the kitchen waiting for the next step.  Check back for more recipes in the upcoming weeks, but here is my family's favorite dinner from this week. 

​https://tipbuzz.com/sheet-pan-chicken-fajitas/

It's that time of year again, and this one is an extra exciting one for us EAGLES fans.  Typically Super Bowls are often synonymous with high fat, high calories, and overeating for 4 hours.  Perhaps we can do something a little different this year.  
First notice your hunger/fullness and let that be a guide to you as you eat all the yummy appetizers and dinner options available at your party.  Next, try to have some options that could be more health conscious choices that could include vegetables.  Skinnytaste is a website that I use often to find creative ways to lower calories and fat but not sacrificing taste.  They do not disappoint for the Super Bowl, so check out a recipe below and make something you will want to eat at your Super Bowl party this year!

https://www.skinnytaste.com/top-20-skinny-superbowl-roundup/

Ordering out for lunch every day is expensive and often not the healthiest decision on a daily basis.  It can be the portion sizes, the higher calorie choices, and just the inability to say no to more enticing selections that unnecessarily increase your total calories, fat, etc.  
Try making a Salad Bar in your refrigerator that can be just as tasty as the one you can buy at Saladworks.   Read this article below to spice up some of the choices you might not have thought about before.  On Sunday night, try washing, chopping, and placing all of your salad bar ingredients in containers in your fridge.  I like to have fresh spinach or spring mix, rinsed chick peas, sliced Perdue shortcut chicken strips, variety of cut vegetables (roasted beets, peppers, shredded carrots).  Consider a flavored nut like pecans, marcona almonds, or walnuts for a crunch element to your creation. 

www.eatright.org/resource/food/planning-and-prep/snack-and-meal-ideas/healthy-salads