Eating Green{er}

You knew a post about food was coming … right? Well, today’s the day!

Food is our fuel, the very basis of how we function and therefore, mother. What we put in, is what we get out and that makes nourishing foods so important. This is the part of wellness I struggle with the most. I love my comfort food (read cream and cheese, and more cheese) and sweets (bring me all the chocolate and cookies). I am coming around to vegetables, slowly but surely. I have even started reading labels and I’ve moved many of our staples to the organic version to avoid GMOs. Basically, I’m a work in progress. I have some fabulous mama mentors who share their recipes and teach me their foodie ways. I have a long way to go, but baby steps will do me and my family well in the long run.

We don’t subscribe to any one way of eating. I dabble in meatless Mondays, paleo recipes and our old favorites. Most of all, we avoid fake. It’s real butter, full fat yogurt and no sugar-free garbage around here. We purchase the majority of our produce locally and in season. Our beef comes from a friend who raises a few cows each year and our chicken and bacon are from Zaycon. Would all that be called conscious eating, perhaps? I know when we’re eating well and I know when Oreos are in the house. We aim to balance and keep the good stuff in the 80% and the less than ideal in the 20% range.

In early December Dominic made some new health commitments – smaller, healthier meals and gym time 4-5 mornings each week. When he first started I asked him how I could best support his goals and he asked that I consistently pack his lunches for work. So, for two months now I’ve been prepping his lunches so they’re healthy and portable.

With our food goals we don’t buy many pre-packaged options so it takes some prep work, but I’ve gotten into a good routine. An even better routine since I discovered with Cuppow.

Friends, Cuppow BNTO have made lunches so much easier! And I’m not complaining about the Cuppow drinking lids either. Love love love them for coffee, smoothies and water. The regular mouth lids on a small 8 ounce mason jar have become the perfect training/sippy cup for Max too!

Some favorite BNTO combinations for lunch have been …

• Paleo Buffalo Chicken Soup + homemade croutons
• Dubliner Broccoli Chowder + sourdough bread
• Southwest Salad … iceberg lettuce, hard boiled egg, taco meat, cheese + ranch dressing
• Simple Salad … spinach with cranberry and almonds + raspberry vinaigrette
• Gretchen’s Favorite Salad … butter lettuce, hard boiled egg, avocado, mozzarella, bacon bits + Italian dressing (or this homemade one)
• Greek yogurt + granola
• Homemade chicken nuggets + marinara
• Fruit pieces + yogurt
• Veggies + ranch or hummus
• Upside Down Gyro … shredded rotisserie chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, drizzled with tzatziki + cut up bits of pita bread
• Apples + almond butter