Eating Healthy on a Budget

I am by no means an expert on eating on a budget. In fact, this is one major area in our lives that we are trying to improve. So, that is why I am going to be sharing what I learn along the way in case it helps anyone else out as well. Whenever I walk into the grocery store I always vow that I will only spend X amount of money. Then, before I know it all of these enticing things jump out at me and I throw them in the cart. Most of the time they are healthy food items. But, that doesn't justify over spending. Well, last shopping trip I was determined to not let it get the best of me. So, this is what I did:

1. Plan enough meals and snacks for the week

2. Make a list based on those meals. Before you make the list look through your kitchen to make sure you don't already have some of the stuff (I am famous for buying stuff that I already had tucked away that I forgot I had!)

3. Look through your coupon organizer to see if you have any coupons that you can use. Just use coupons on things that you actually need. I mean-do you really need poptarts just because they are $1.00 off?

4. Set a limit (goal) and take out just that amount of cash.

5. Go to the cheapest grocery stores first. If you have an ALDI's or a comparable store go there first. Take your list in with you and as you find the items on the list cross them off. Whatever items (if there are any left) that you couldn't find then go to the next cheapest store and purchase the rest of the items there.

6. Once you run out of food for the week-DO NOT go back and buy more until the designated time to go again unless it is for something you HAVE to have such as baby formula. You would be amazed at how much stuff you can come up with around your cupboards even if it means eating cereal for two days in a row.

What we got for under $100:

Last time I went grocery shopping I took my husband and daughter with me. We turned the entire shopping trip into a fun challenge. We were so excited when we met our challenge. We got the following items (a weeks worth of groceries for three) for under $100.00. We are using these groceries to follow the 21 day fix diet plan we are on so all of the items we bought were very healthy!

Store 1

ALDI: Bag of Sweet Potatoes, Container of mixed nuts, Agave Nectar, Sea Salt Grinder, 2 cans of olives, 2% shredded cheddar cheese, 2 containers of organic baby spinach, Raw head of broccoli, 2 Mangos, bag of navel oranges, Graham crackers, pack of kiwi fruit, six cartons of almond milk, bunch of grapes, Strawberries, Ricotta cheese, mushrooms, 2 jars of organic pasta sauce, two containers of lowfat cottage cheese, blueberries, raspberries, 2 bunches of bananas=$77.36

Store 2

Buehlers: Organic Eggs, 2 boxes organic mac & cheese, sugar in the raw, 1 whole roasted chicken, four avocados, bunch of kale=$12.64

Grand Total= $90.00

A couple last reminders! It is okay to buy generic. Some factories make the same food and just slap different labels on them. You don't need to buy everything organic and you also don't need to buy everything name brand. Focus on buying clean, unprocessed food and buy local anytime it is possible!

Sweet Potato Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sweet Potato Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 1/4 cups roasted, cooled, mashed sweet potatoes (from 1 large or 2 small)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/3 cups wheat flour
1 cup oats
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

In a large mixing bowl, beat the sweet potatoes and butter together until smooth. Add the eggs and beat again. Stir in the brown sugar, maple syrup and vanilla.


In another bowl, stir together the oat flour, almond flour, baking soda, baking powder and kosher salt. Add this dry mix to the wet mix and gently stir together. Add the chocolate chips and stir just until mixed.

Preheat the oven 375 degrees. Drop large rounded scoops of dough onto the pan.  Bake for 12-15 minutes, until puffed and lightly brown. Let cool for 10 minutes.

 



 

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Why I Workout at Home

Why do I workout at home?

My husband has always loved the Beachbody at home DVD series. He never was a fan of going to the gym waiting around for people to be done using the equipment. I however, always loved a good aerobics class. I liked to go right after work before I got home and grew tired. I liked the social aspect and the accountability. I always said, "if I don't go to the gym then I won't work out".

Things changed drastically after I became a mom. I had already been getting highly irrated about going to the gym. I couldn't believe how stressful it was becoming. I would go to aerobics class and ladies were saving spots for a handful of other ladies who weren't there yet. If I didn't get their super early all of the good hand weights and sizes were taken. Sometimes the instructors would show up late (or not at all!) and the best was the comments I would get from other people working out. Everyone would have a comment about me losing too much or not enough weight (no joke!) Working out was supposed to be a stress reliever but it was starting to create stress! On top of all of that I felt guilty going to the gym after work since I had already left my daughter all day. It took me away from her even longer because I had to drive to and from the gym.

I have always loved Chalene Johnson's workouts. She is always cheerful and talks to the camera like she is right there with me. So, I decided to try her Turbo Fire series. I liked it because it came with a big calendar to follow the routines daily. I didn't really feel like I was working out alone because her energy and support seemed to jump right out at me from the T.V! I began doing the workouts early in the morning before work while everyone else was asleep. Although it wasn't easy at first being a morning person it was nice to have "me" time for once. On Saturdays and Sundays when I wanted to workout at home I would do so while my daughter napped or after she went to bed. It was reassuring to know that if she needed me I was just downstairs in the basement. I no longer had to get annoyed by stuff that happened at the gym. The gym was in my home!

After I had such success with Turbo Fire I decided to do Body Beast with my husband. I would do the workouts in the morning still and he would do them at night. We would encourage each other and talk about the workouts. It connected us. We both loved the workouts and programs so much that we decided to be Beach Body coaches. Now we help motivate others that do the workouts through phone calls, emails, and facebook workout groups. I feel even more accountable and committed than ever! I feel like I have a whole network of positive coaches and friends I am doing the programs with. When I get up early to workout I know that my other Beachbody buddies are working out too...just farther away! I no longer have to worry about if my daughter is okay, what I am wearing or look like, who is going to comment, and if there will be too many people using the machines.  I am also saving A LOT of money. My gym membership was costing me about $400 a year. Even though the DVD series aren't cheap I only pay for them one time I then I get to keep them forever.

Some people love the gym and at one point I did too.  What used to work for you maybe looks completely different now and then And, even more different years from now. The important thing is finding what works for YOU.  If you want to try an at home workout series to see if it is the right fit for you message me or check out my site. I would love to recruit you! ;)

Love,

Megan

Chia Seed Breakfast Bowl

This is a good recipe to use to make a Chia Seed Breakfast Bowl. I found the original recipe here and modified it to my own liking. Obviously mine didn't turn out as pretty, but it still tasted pretty darn good.


Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients:
Chia mixture
4 tbsp chia seeds
1 – 1.25 cups almond milk (it’s great made with Homemade Almond Milk)
2 small bananas, chopped small
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
two pinches of cinnamon

Toppings:
Couple pinches of cinnamon
Raw Organic Honey

1. Mash bananas in a medium-sized bowl. Stir in chia seeds. Whisk in the almond milk, vanilla, and cinnamon until combined. Place in fridge overnight to thicken.

3. In the morning, place your desired amount of chia pudding into a bowl. (Note: at this point, you can blend your chia pudding if a smooth texture is desired, but I don’t bother). You can add more almond milk if you want to thin it out in the morning. Or, if it’s too thin, add more chia seeds to thicken it up. Add a pinch of cinnamon and drizzle Raw Organic Honey on top to serve.

Tony Horton Checks Out Shakeology

Healthy Families

Words Of Encouragement

This is an inspirational story that any parent should read...

One of the best benefits of learning how to eat to fuel my body, as a mom, was learning what a healthy plate looks like. At Tony Horton Fitness Camps in the days of old, Tony used to talk about the important fuels for your body: lean protein, healthy fats, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

When we first started on this health and fitness journey, I cleaned out all my cupboards and fridge of the bad stuff that I’d allowed to creep in, and replaced it with the healthy stuff listed in my new food journal provided with the Team Beachbody Club. That was a big deal for me, because it was a commitment with my pocketbook! I used the expression “Say no to yourself once: at the grocery store!” that I’d learned from another member in my Beachbody Challenge Group. That saying made sense to me, and I wanted to teach my kids the same thing. Rather than me having m&m’s in a bag that they ask me for 10 times throughout the day, not even having them on the shelves was a few less “no”’s I had to tell my kids. It helped me get creative in making the snacks fun, and the meals tasty!

My kids really resisted at first. Well, the older ones. They were grumpy that the junk food they’d grown accustomed to were no longer an option. Oh, I’m all about moderation, and they still had desserts, and sweet foods, but I changed their options for the more healthy counterparts: Fat free yogurt instead of go-gurts, lime Perrier (“bubble water”) in place of soda, thin crust, light cheese & veggie pizza instead of the thick crust, oozing cheese pepperoni pizza’s of old. We had tons of different fruits, and instead of calorie laden casserole’s we had grilled chicken, lots of veggies and instead of white rice, we had whole grain rice and quinoa and bulgar. Havent tried em? Neither had I until I found the Beachbody Club and then I was hooked on these new flavors! In fact, my kids actually (and this is the truth!) used to say “Brussel Sprouts? Yay! Thanks Mom!” It sounds so fake and cheeseball, but they really love brussel sprouts – a veggie I’d never made before then. Because the truth is, healthy foods DO taste good, and its possible to re-train our habits and taste buds.

Oh, we still have soda, and ice cream every now and again, just not every day or week, and you know what? My kids are healthy, strong, and adjusted. So be encouraged if you are just starting on your journey to a healthier family – with time and consistency, and open, honest communication, ie: “I cant in good conscience give to you what I know now to be so unhealthy for you, son.” your kids WILL adjust and when they’re adults they’ll thank you. When they do, you can pat yourself on the back knowing you did the hard, but right thing by your family!