Meal planning

We all struggle with finding the time to pack our healthy snacks everyday especially when you are a busy mom or have a full time job. Well you don't have to resort to vending machines and drive thrus. There is a way to stay on track and eat healthy while on the go. It just takes a little planning. I spend a few hours each week baking grilled chicken for wraps and salads, cutting up fruits and veggies and portioning it into baggies along with nuts and hummus to make a complete snack. The key to sustaining your energy and blood sugar all day long is to pair healthy complex carbs (fruits and veggies) with a protein (nuts, hummus, avocados, cottage cheese) at each meal. This prevents the crash in blood sugar which can lead to binging!

I always sit down with my little dry erase weekly calendar and plan out all my meals and snacks for my family and then hit up the grocery store. Afterwards I spend a few hours preparing my snacks and getting organized for the week.

I love the Clean EAING magazine, I find a lot of my recipes from this magazine. They even give you a 2 week meal plan that I pick and choose new ideas, especially for snacks. I also use the gracious pantry website for meal ideas as well.

I sit down with my grocery list, dry erase board and magazines and create a 1 week meal plan for my entire family. Then I hit up the grocery store!

I have included a list of some healthy snack ideas for you to use!

1.      20 grapes and 1 low fat string cheese.
2.      2 cupped handfuls of strawberries and a scant handful of raw unsalted cashews
3.      handful of carrots and cucumbers and 1 tbsp skinny hummus.
4.      2 whole wheat rice cakes (no salt added) with 1 tbsp all natural pb (look at the label it should say dry roasted peanuts only) and 1 tbsp raisins on top
5.      1 cup plain greek yogurt, 1orange cut up with 1 tbsp almonds. If its to tart for you add a tiny bit of honey or agave nectar.
6.      1/2 cup cottage cheese and a handful of fresh berries.
7.      1 banana with 1 tbsp all natural nut butter
8.      1 apple with 1 tbsp nut butter or a handful of raw unsalted almonds.

Oh and of course my favorite meal of the day....SHAKEOLOGY It's either a meal or a snack each day! Quick and easy, no thought required! Just blend and Go!

You can do this, you can change your life and feel amazing!