100+ Back-to-School Lunch Ideas

September 02, 2018 in Nourished Home, Nourished Recipes

It’s back to school season which means many of us parents are scrambling to figure out “what do I (or my kids) pack for school lunch?” I (Caitlyn) am honored, excited, and overwhelmed joining for the first time the rank of parents and caregivers that are packing up their little lovebugs and sending them off to school! Whether school is a car drive a way, the destination of the sea of school buses, or across the kitchen table, back to school season requires some prep.

With school starting last week for my kiddo, I’ve been in the thick of washing school clothes, packing his backpack, and planning lunches. This week I want to share with you my round up of healthy school lunch ideas. Below you’ll find a couple Living Wellness original recipes and a bunch of links to other websites. Bookmark your favorites for later! I'd also love for you to share in the comments below your favorite school lunch ideas.

Cooking for Health & Healing

August 26, 2018 in Nourished Body, Nourished Mind

The Living Wellness team is excited to share a Guest Blog Post from the legal team at Schultz & Myers who, for over 10 years, have been helping people that have experienced personal injuries.

A personal injury can make you feel sad, angry, overwhelmed, and many other emotions. Depending on the severity of your injury, you may not be able to work or engage in your favorite activities.

While an injury is not a joyous event, it is something that you can begin to recover from with the right mindset. Many people who experience a personal injury turn to activities to fill the void left by injury. While you do need to take time to recover, certain activities can help speed up the process so you can get back to doing the things you love.

During your recovery, you may want to consider engaging in culinary therapy. Cooking may be stressful to some people, but to others, it’s truly therapeutic. There is a distinct link between cooking and recovery, let's explore the benefits:

Avoguaco-- Arianne's guest blog post.png

AvoGuaco Part 2 - Uses & Health Benefits

August 20, 2018 in Nourished Recipes, Nourished Body

Hello again! Last week, Peter and I (Arianne) took over the Living Wellness blog and shared our favorite recipe, AvoGuaco. We wanted to share some of our favorite ways to use this recipe as a side dish or a main dish.

Before we move into the various different ways you can use this wonderful mix, let’s talk about some of the health benefits that come from the ingredients in this living food mixture!

We’ll start with the most important ingredient in this recipe… Avocados! The health benefits from an avocado alone could arguably deem this the healthiest food of all time in my opinion. To name a few of the benefits that this nutrient-dense, superfood has inside of its shell: aids in digestion, skin, dental and hair care; it's anti-inflammatory; health fats help you stay full and many more (source). My favorite part of eating avocados is the satiety factor. You might be wondering what satiety is? To be satiated means that your body is satisfied with the nutrients it has received helping you feel full or not hungry.

15 Budget and Kid-Friendly Super Foods + FREE Printable

May 05, 2018 in Nourished Recipes, Nourished Home

I'm sitting beside Lake Geneva in MN watching the sunset as I finish this blog post. I actually sprinted from my guest room to get a glimpse of the space between light and dark, feeling the cool lake breeze on my cheeks. There really are some things money can't buy. God is the ultimate painter.

There were times and seasons in my life when I would get really upset about all of the things I couldn't buy because I didn't have the money. It wasn't until more recently that I realized my problem wasn't ever about not having enough money, it was about my attitude toward God. Anger and frustration about money wasn't the problem; it was about not having enough God. That was not a problem with God though...he is always enough. We need to check out heart to see who (or what) is on the throne. God has given me everything I need. He cares for me in every way. However, when I focus on my lack, God leaves the equation. When I focus on God's abundance and providence, God becomes the center of my life and I am content. I have enough.

The same is true about food. Whether you are on a budget, you have food allergies/sensitivities, or you're just a picky eater, it's easy to focus on all the things we CAN'T have. Have you ever done that? I have. It puts my heart in a bad place. My attitude of self-pity is usually taken out on those around me. However, as soon as I make the switch to looking at the abundance that God has provided for food, my heart is instantly grateful and calm.

Below is a list of budget and kid-friendly superfoods. Rather than taking an attitude of "Ugh, I'll never eat those or my little people will never eat those. . . " be still, my soul. My encouragement for you is to start with one pantry item at a time. Once you have mastered that one item (or meal), add another budget-friendly super food to your diet. Also, we have a fun new blog series called Veggies You Never Thought You'd Love that gives one family friendly healthy eating tip (focused on helping your kids be more accepting of new foods). Type this title into our search bar to see all of the blog posts and stay tuned! A new post is release each month and our next one is next week which features a veggie dessert!

We climb mountains one step at a time. We nourish our bodies one bite at a time. Blessings!

Pantry Makeover Series: Holiday Baking Edition

December 03, 2017 in Nourished Home, Nourished Body, Nourished Recipes

For many people who have recently changed or thinking about making changes in their health or wellness routines, the holidays and health can be stressful. Will I be able to keep up with my typical wellness routine with holiday parties, family time, work commitments? Maybe I should just skip working out or watching my calories until after the holidays, I mean could I really do it anyway? What am I going to eat at that holiday party...or...do I really have to avoid all of those amazingly delicious looking treats to follow my nutrition plan?

"The ultimate goal of eating is to nourish our bodies. My personal goal is to eat for nourishment 95 percent of the time and reserve that last 5 percent for healthy, natural treats" Living Wellness for Growth Groups, 2017, p. 20.

During this holiday season, we want to empower you to continue to make choices that will nourish your body, mind, and soul. That's why over the next 4 weeks we're going to be sharing some great resources with you to thrive during this season.

We’re back for the Living Wellness Pantry Makeover Series this time for our Holiday Baking Edition! We absolutely love the holiday season including all of the amazing treats that fill our homes, hearts, and tummies this time of year. This week's post will include a variety of pantry items that you may want to consider stocking up on as you prepare your lists for holiday baking and menus for holiday parties. We also wanted to let you know we're launching our....

Pantry Makeover Series: Part One

October 01, 2017 in Nourished Home

As we jump into the first week of October, I am greatly looking forward to more beautiful fall days ahead. Yesterday, we enjoyed a beautiful crisp yet sunny day, while today we're blessed with a nourishing rain that helps to bring out the fall colors. As the rain patters near me on the windowsill, I can hear the birds chattering among the falling raindrops. It is funny how they sound different in the fall than they do in the spring. I am no bird expert, but I believe this may be do to the migration process. There are different birds visiting in the spring than there are in the fall. In some ways, these changes of the season are like the changes we see in the foods we eat and crave at different times of the year.

In our household, our food preferences change often, even within a season If your household is like mine, your family goes through various 'food kicks.' Meaning, there are certain pantry items that you keep well stocked for everyday life, but after a month and a half, everyone is tiring of the pantry staples.

At Living Wellness, we are always looking for nourishing foods that require little preparation while also pleasing to the whole family. With that in mind, we want to introduce you to our Pantry Makeover Series. Each posting will include a few pantry items that the Living Wellness staff enjoys! Sometimes, all it takes is someone to present an idea to you before you are able to embrace it and make it part of your wellness routine.

The Days of Boring Lunches are Gone!

August 20, 2017 in Nourished Home, Nourished Recipes

It is full-on back to school season for many of you: buying supplies, checking out class schedules, planning curriculum... it's a busy season! We know full well how peace and rest can seem nonexistent during these times. Living Wellness is committed to giving you encouragement and strategies for maintaining balance during busy, and may we say stressful times, such as this season. Check out this post on rest and stayed tune for an upcoming post on peace during these seasonal transitions.

Does your back-to-school prep include planning lunches? For those of you who are not in the back-to-school whirlwind, keep reading! Lunch prep tips are valuable to anyone who, well, eats lunch!! In today's post we're giving you tips for lunch time content and what contains that tasty lunch. Happy lunch-ing!!

Need A Little More Spice in Your Life?

August 14, 2017 in Nourished Home, Nourished Recipes

If you were to walk into my kitchen and ask me what my favorite thing was in it, can you guess what it is? Drum roll please.....my spice rack. In the midst of Marc and I wielding our scanner guns around Macy's, I paused and saw this beautiful stainless steel swivel spice rack. I lined up my scanner gun, hit the button, and added that beauty to the list! Five years later, our spice rack is still holding up well; however, the contents of that spice rack have changed dramatically.

A few years ago it donned on me that I had no idea what quality of spices lie in my spice rack. How long have those herbs been sitting on the Macy's shelf before I bought them? Are they organic? Where are those herbs from?

My first impulse was the dump out off the herbs, but thankfully my husband reminded me replacing all of those herbs would be pricey, So one by one over the next year or so, we replaced the herbs with freshly dried, organic herbs. As we did so, we also realized there were herbs in there we never used and ones that were not in there that we used frequently. Here enters the wonder of a label maker to change that spice jar from nutmeg to chives :)

This nutritional yeast package in my pantry already has the new FDA food label!

Cracking the Code: Reading Food Labels

July 23, 2017 in Nourished Body, Nourished Home

While grocery shopping lately, I picked up a can of soup I frequently ate as a kid. I could feel my mouth starting to salivate just looking at the well crafted marketing until I realized, "gah! it's just the flavor enhancers in here that my taste buds are seeking!" I turned the can over and was mortified by the ingredients listed on the back. Five or so years ago, I would have had no idea how to decode the cryptic ingredients listed on many packaged foods, but now cracking the ingredient code has become a second language to me:

Each of these ingredients put up red flags in my mind. My general and not-very-scientific rule is: if I can't pronounce it or don't know what it is, I need to research it before it's going in my mouth. Needless to say, I put that can back on the shelf and quickly walked away. Now, I'm definitely not slamming all packaged foods. They serve many purposes and you'll definitely find some in my pantry; however, I've come to inspect the foods we place in our pantry and fridge through the lens of the information below. Live informed, not in fear, of the foods you eat!

Eating Healthy On a Budget: Part 3

June 11, 2017 in Nourished Home, Nourished Body

This is our final segment in our series on how to eat healthy on a budget. Check out Part 1 and Part 2 for more healthy eating tips!

Now that we have defined “Healthy” foods in last week's post, what should our plate look like for meals and snacks?

At Living Wellness we follow the recommendations of Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, and researcher Westin A Price. They considered the government’s MyPlate model and took it a step further to create a plate that takes one’s whole body and nutritional needs into account. To nourish all the cells and systems of your body, you need macronutrients (protein, carbs, and fat), micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), water, and healthy bacteria to maintain proper gut balance. The sample plates below are guidelines on how to properly nourish the body.

Eating Healthy on a Budget: Part 2

June 03, 2017 in Nourished Home, Nourished Body

Ever come home from the grocery store and look between the receipt and your bags of groceries wondering, “I must have left a bag in the car. Did I really spend this much and only get a couple bags of food?!”

We at Living Wellness love to eat tasty and nourishing food while also not breaking the bank. That is why we are continuing our series “Eating Healthy on a Budget.” In today’s blog post, we're sharing part one of Living Wellness team member Julie Frandsen’s presentation from Bridging the Gap’s Single Mom’s Retreat which wrapped up this weekend! What a wonderful time of encouragement and blessing.

Today we are going to talk about one of my favorite topics: Food!!! I love to cook and provide good tasting, mouth watering, nourishing meals and snacks for my family. If am I honest…sometimes I am successful at doing this, and other times not so much. My hope is that you will learn some practical tips of how to save money at the grocery store while also not compromising the quality of the foods that you buy.

First things first. In order to talk about healthy eating on budget, we first need to know how to eat healthy!

Eating Healthy on a Budget: Tools for Your Success Part 1

April 22, 2017 in Nourished Home, Nourished Body

One of the most frequently asked questions we get when people start changing their diet is "how do I eat healthy and not pay a fortune?" In Week 2 of Living Wellness for Growth Groups (LWGG), Ashley discusses the perception that eating healthily is really expensive (p. 100). There is research to suggest that eating whole foods can actually be less expensive in the short-term and the long-term (LWGG, p. 100)!

One area though that you can see an increase in price is if you are wanting to replace your favorite packaged food with another, healthier packaged food. "Healthy" packaged foods can be more expensive because you're not only paying for higher quality ingredients, but you're also paying for someone to make, package, and market them. Now, I will be the first to admit that I love a good bag of organic Kettle brand chips, Simple Mills crackers, Tolerant lentil pasta, or Orgain shake; however, I recognize that if I want to eat foods that nourish my body while also staying within budget, I need to monitor my consumption of foods that come in a package or wrapper.

I want to share a few basic strategies for managing grocery costs, and then I'll let you in on a super-secret-special way I shop online for pantry and household basics....okay it's not a secret, but many of you may not know about it.