Ham Rolls

I like to keep the ingredients for ham rolls on hand in my house. They are easy to put together and great for so many different meal plans. Great to pack for school lunches and on the run. I like to also take them to the park, when we go camping, out to the pool, to soccer games. So easy to prepare when you are out and about. Also one of my favorite recipes to share for those that are making changes in foods that they eat. Because it is simple and healthy.

First off you want to be sure you always get uncured, no added nitrates/nitrites  lunch meat, and organic if possible.  Nitrate/nitrite are food preservatives that are added to processed meat. Most manufactures add in a synthetic form which then can be linked to cancer and heart disease.  It can also be a trigger to migraines.  Make sure you always read the ingredients in what you are buying. One of my favorite brands to get is Applegate. The don’t add nitrates/nitrites, no added fillers, no artificial ingredients, and they are Non-GMO. You are read more about Applegate here.

My family likes ham the best, but I will do turkey also. Sometimes I may add ham and turkey together along with all the other toppings in a wrap. Speaking of toppings, they can be endless. I choose a meat and add guacamole or mashed avocado.  Then I add in some cheese. Could be goat, goat gouda, Applegate sliced cheese, or non at all. Next toppings. I like to added slivered carrots, trader joe’s broccoli slaw, spinach, or even a pickle. Then I roll it up. Can me eaten like that or in a slice or romain lettuce as a lettuce boat.

Easy peasy! I may not always make them before hand, but will bring all the ingredients with me.  Then I can make them wherever we are at, like if we are on the soccer fields all day for games. Kiddos also enjoy these in their lunches too!

A quick and easy throw together meal. Real food…Real ingredients.  Remember keep it simple…Keep it clean. Enjoy!

Wednesday Food for Thought

When I started this journey to making a healthier lifestyle for my family and I, I turned to Paleo for a place to start.  I needed a starting point to help me with an elimination diet.  I liked the strict confines of the Paleo diet because it gave me exactly what I could and couldn’t have. I needed the simplicity of that to help me with dealing with everything else in life. A daughter with allergies/food intolerances, recent birth of twins in which I was feeding and pumping constantly for, and taking care of the older three children.

I remember when I first started on Paleo I saw my milk supply decrease and about freaked out. My body was digesting food more rapidly instead of holding and storing it. I needed to add in more calories since I was feeding 2. Being overwhelmed was an understatement. So Paleo was a starting point for me and gave me the direction I needed, along with a very supportive husband. I remember when I was struggling I decided to reach out to Stacy and Matthew at The Paleo Parents.  I went on a whim and emailed them for some direction on trying to increase my breastmilk supply while on the Paleo diet. She provided some advice on smoothies and foods that would help.  I also started making their lactation cookies. I seriously swear by these, and love making them for my friends with newborn babies.  You can find the recipe here. I was also able to adjust what we were eating even more based on what I was seeing. For instance, with Charlotte’s allergies/food intolerances I resorted to an Autoimmune Protocol for her. I found the guidance on this from The Paleo Mom.  Along the way I have learned so much about food and how it affects our bodies.

In comes today. I am so thankful for the amazing people that have shared their recipes and stories because they have helped me out along my journey as well. Although we follow a lot of the paleo “diet” I have also started introducing more foods into our clean eating lifestyle. Which brings me adding quinoa, white rice, and some raw milk cheeses. Some corn in the from of organic kernels for making our own popcorn.  Usually these are in smaller quantities. Although, there are foods I am still not able to tolerate. For instance, dairy. Even if it is organic and raw it still causes me to break out and bloat. I can tolerate goats milk so I will enjoy some goat milk cheese or goat milk gouda. Goat milk has a different protein structure and smaller fat molecules making it easier to digest.

Today’s lunch is picture below. For next school year I will be upgrading my older kiddos lunch boxes to something that can hold more as they are growing! So these bad boy, lunchbots, will be handed down to my younger 2!

It isn’t often I do cinnamon rolls, but the kiddos have been asking for them for some time now. So afternoon snack consisted of The Urban Poser’s Almond Flour Cinnamon Rolls. I made ours with cinnamon, walnuts, and raisins. These are the one and only cinnamon roll recipe we make. They are yummy and my kiddos like to top theirs with some nut butter or coconut butter. You can find her fabulous recipe here. You will not be disappointed!

Cinnamon, Walnuts, Raisins

Cheers to another day of clean eating and healthy recipes. Keeping it simple….Keeping it clean!

School Lunch & Eggplant Dip

It is motivation Monday.  Today I hit the mat with some friends at 5:30am this morning to do some Hot Yoga. What a great way to start the morning. If you haven’t tried it before, you really should. A great way to focus on yourself, reduce stress, and tone the body.  I refueled myself with a great breakfast with my kiddos this morning before they were off to school.

Lunch today my daughter made for those that go to school. They enjoyed leftover hotdogs from yesterday’s dinner. Salad of romaine lettuce with some broccoli slaw (broccoli and carrots). The broccoli slaw we get a Trader Joes. It is great to mix into lettuce.  I
also like using it in my zoodles. Topped the salad with a few raisins. She cut up some strawberries and added a pickle. Healthy lunch that is simple and easy to put together.

I finally got around to making smokey eggplant dip. One of my favorite dips to make for raw veggies. My kiddos enjoy it too. When I first made it, I just told them to try it. Sometimes if they know what it is made with they won’t even want to taste it. They approved, and then I explained how I made it. Allowing your kiddos to cook with you in the kitchen is also an added bonus because they will typically eat what they make!  Yesterday we grilled up the eggplant, peeled it, and put it in the food processor.  I used a recipe from Thug Kitchen. You can find their Smokey Eggplant Dip here. The language can be profound, but it is all in good nature. The recipe is to die for though,so go check it out and give it a try! The only substitution I made was I changed out the olive oil for avocado oil since I didn’t have any on hand. Still turned out amazing. Have it on hand around the house or take it to a party.  Dip in and enjoy!

 

Friday Leftovers

School lunch today calls for Friday leftovers! Friday is the day we usually clean out the rest of fridge to prepare for next weeks meals. Nice thing about menu planning is you usually only buy what you need. So by Friday my fridge is looking bare.

Today’s school lunch for the kiddos included a lot more veggies. You will see I packed celery, pickles, sweet peppers, and a mixed green salad.  I topped the salad with goat gouda and Wholly Guacamole. Seriously love the individual cups of Wholly Guacamole! The are also great for school snacks along with plantain chips.  Fruit today was oranges, and then we finished up the taco meat from yesterday.

Refreshing and delicious as my kiddos would say. Remember to keep it simple…Keep it clean!

T…T…for Taco Thursday

Thursday calls for Taco day. Super easy throw together meal, and makes great leftovers! Today also calls for meal planning and meal prep for this weekend. I will be sharing my meal plan for the coming week tomorrow.

Lunch today is taco salad. I like to pick up grass-fed beef only when it is on sale. When grass-fed beef is on sale at my local grocery store it usually is sold out fast. I usually hit the grocery store at least twice a week. I will pick up the beef one day, and usually by the second trip it is gone.  At the second trip I will then ask for a rain check. This way I can stock up at a later date again at the sale price. The sale prices can range anywhere from $3.99-$5.99 a pound. Win…Win…

I also make my own taco season. Ground up the meat. Then today I added in cumin, chili powder, paprika, and oregano. I let it cool before I put it in their lunches. Lunch today included sliced up strawberries, romain lettuce with sweet peppers, and goat gouda cheese. The taco meat is in a side dish.  When they get to school they will dump the taco meat on top of their salad giving them more room to mix it in. A great satisfying meal! I also love hearing my kiddos say how they can’t wait to have their lunch. Tacos is by far one of the favorites!

Keep it clean…Keep it simple…Enjoy!

Wednesday Feel Good Lunch

Happy Hump Day. With traveling over the weekend, I did not get much prep work in for meals this week. Being committed is what it is all about. Like second nature now; just every day life. This morning called for firing up the grill at 6am to make chicken for lunches today. Thanks to the hubs for the chicken this morning it was delicious!

Our lunches today included oranges and green beans seasoned with pepper and himalayan salt. Chicken was seasoned and grilled up. I don’t have containers to seal the franks red hot so I divided the chicken into 2 cups and added the sauces on the bottom for dipping. This way it prevents the sauce from getting on the other food. Yes my kiddos like Franks Red Hot! Keep it simple and healthy.

Enjoy!

Tuesday School Lunch

Happy Tuesday! Another day in paradise in my household. Kiddos out the door, I got a my workout in thanks to a great friend, and my younger kiddos are enjoying the pool today.

Today’s school lunch started off with some organic kiolbassa and scrambled eggs. Added a pickle and some broccoli slaw topped with apples. Then added a side of Go Raw sprouted pumpkin seeds.  They are my favorite to snack on or top on salad! My kiddos will either eat these plain for the will top them on their broccoli slaw during lunch. Enjoy a wholesome lunch, I know my kiddos will!

School Lunch

It’s Monday and back to getting things done. After a great weekend on the soccer fields with my girls and family, it is time to hit the ground running. So without further ado, here is today’s lunch!

These silicone cupcake holders make throwing this lunch together much easier. Especially if your kiddos like their food to be separated! Can I just say I love Trader Joes.  I was spoiled back in Iowa when I only had a quick 5 minute trip. Now it is almost 30 minutes to get their. So I go every 2 weeks instead.

The kiddos enjoyed broccoli slaw (Trader Joes), plantain chips (Trader Joes), go raw sprouted pumpkin seeds (Costco), grilled organic chicken breast (Costco), strawberries, and a dark chocolate honey mint (Trader Joes).

Happy Eating! Remember to keep it clean and simple. Gobble up.

Busy….Busy…Busy

Not setting an alarm…waking up late…rushing to get breakfast out…lunches packed… Yep, that is how my morning went today.  Really never a dull moment in my house. Then off to see my chiropractor, and crazy amount of grocery shopping. I am ready for a nap!

After 2 years of Paleo, we decided start adding in a few different foods to see how we adapt. My kiddos can handle rice just fine, so we have added it back into our menu. This is why I say I am not any one particular diet.  We listen to our bodies, and make the best possible choices for us.

So today’s lunch was leftovers quickly thrown together so the kiddos could get out the door and off to school on time 🙂 Usually I will add gravy to their rice, but we used up the rest of what we had at dinner last night. Our gravy is made from our homemade bone broth with a little bit of tapioca starch added to it. A great way for my kiddos to get some bone broth in their diet since they will not always drink it straight.

Today I packed them rice, leftover ham, carrots, blueberries, and a sunbutter ball. Keep it simple and keep it healthy.  Enjoy your beautiful weekend!

Paleo Friendly School Lunch

I have decided once my younger 2 get in pre-k next year I am going to pack all 5 kiddos lunches each morning.  I may actually start this summer! This way when I get home with them I can just pull them out of the fridge and they will be ready to go.  Plus if we want to hit a park, or run errands I can just grab the lunchbots and go! They do enjoy having their lunches like their older siblings.

Today’s lunch is paleo friendly.  Most of our lunches are, do to the numerous allergies my younger daughter has/had. Like the majority of my lunches it was leftovers from a previous meal.  This makes it easier for throwing them together the night before, or even the morning of. My girls also like making their lunches in the morning so they know exactly what can go in them.  Win…Win!

My crew enjoyed filling their bellies today with Against All Grains 2 ingredient jello.  You can  find her recipe on her website here. Mixed kale salad topped with Go Raw sprouted pumpkin seeds and organic raisins that we get from Costco. My kiddos do not use dressing on their salad just some sort of fruit. Fruit today was oranges and pineapple. Finally leftover organic grilled chicken drumsticks that we pulled off the bone. Oh and I can’t forget their sunbutter ball!

The chicken drumsticks were lightly coated with avocado oil. Then seasoned with pink himalayan salt and organic no-salt seasoning from Costco (thanks Clara for the recommendation).  Then grilled to perfection. Typically we season our chicken drumsticks with salt and pepper, and that is just as delicious!

Happy lunch packing. Remember to keep it simple and healthy! Enjoy.