This year one of our family goals is to eat healthier. We aren’t really unhealthy eaters, but my boys could snack on carbs ALL. DAY. LONG. We are trying to add a lot more “Real Food” into our life. We are adding a lot of veggies to our meals and my kids are doing great and are not snacking as much! I’m excited to have AJ here from HealthFestblog.co talking about Eating Real Food in Real Life! I have been following her Instagram feed for the last couple of months and she has totally inspired me. One thing love about AJ is she is real, she tells it like it is. She shares her ups and her downs. She is super knowledgeable and has a fun personality. So go follow her on Instagram after you read her awesome post!
Hi new friends!
My name is Alayne, but most people call me AJ. I am a wife, mom, and elementary school teacher. I love to stay active and go on little adventures with my family. I’m also a sucker for chick flicks and online shopping bargains. I’m so excited Kendra asked me to chat with you about healthy eating and share a couple recipes!
About a year ago, I started a journey in an effort for better health, and it truly became life-changing. I have always enjoyed exercise, but nutrition had never been a priority. Who has time to cook a healthy meal when you’re already trying to balance a full-time job with being a mom?! I used that mindset to justify eating plenty of cereal, sandwiches, dollar menu hamburgers, donuts, candy, milkshakes, and processed snacks. I thought I was saving so much time, and that I’d just burn off the calories by jogging a few miles. I was concerned as my daughter started wanting to subsist off French fries and crackers alone, and I knew I should be doing a better job with our nutrition. I headed into last summer, I wanted to shed a few extra pounds and I kept hearing people talk about “whole30” and “paleo” and how great it was. I figured it was worth a shot, and I could do anything for 30 days, right? I’m not going to go into details about those programs here because you can do a Google search and learn everything there is to know. But basically you focus on real food. Real meaning no sugar, no preservatives, no processed grains, no dairy – just vegetables, fruit, meat, healthy fat, nuts, and seeds.
During those first 30 days, I learned so much about food. I read about how our health truly does start with the food we put into our bodies. Exercise alone is not going to give us real health, but we also need the nutrition to go with it. I also learned that eating healthy does not have to take a ton of time, or be super complicated. You don’t have to even grow a garden or raise chickens or cook bone broth or spend all day in the kitchen! I found easy and simple ways to incorporate LOTS of real food into my diet – vegetables, fruit, meat, etc – as well as quick and easy recipes to feed my family this real food too. Recipes that don’t taste bland and boring like what you may think of when you think of healthy food (come on, you can only eat boiled chicken and steamed broccoli so many times before you want to gag).
Since that initial 30 days, I’ve done a couple more strict 30 day rounds of whole30, but my overall diet is completely different than what it was a year ago no matter if I’m committed to a set “whole30” or not. I occasionally still have treats or indulge in a carb-loaded dinner. But those are the occasions instead of the norm. The difference in my health has been amazing. I have tons more energy, I sleep better, I don’t have headaches or stomachaches or intestinal issues, my skin has cleared up, and I overall feel more healthy and truly stronger. My daughter eats a lot more vegetables and fruit, and even my soda-loving husband admits that he likes my cooking. I have found it’s pretty easy to modify recipes to be healthier without sacrificing the taste. There are also tons of great cookbooks, blogs, pinterest links, and instagram feeds full of delicious easy recipes and inspiration.
And now on to the important part – the food!! I thought I would share “a day in the life” with one of my go-to recipes for each meal of the day. Hope you enjoy! I’d love for you to come over and check out my instagram or blog, or feel free to email me with questions you may have!
Ideas for eating Eating Real Food in Real Life
Breakfast:
Avocado Sweet Potato Toast
This breakfast will give you some healthy carbs, protein, and healthy fat to start your day out right! Plus it is simple and delicious, so you really can’t go wrong. You can change up the toppings to suit your tastes, and make a bunch of them easily if you have a big family.
{ ingredients }
1 sweet potato, sliced into ¼ inch rounds or strips
1 egg for each serving
½ avocado for each serving
salami, prosciutto, or bacon (optional)
fresh herbs (optional)
olive oil
salt
{ directions }
1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Rub both sides of the sweet potato slices with oil and place on a baking dish, then sprinkle with salt.
3. Cook for about 20 minutes until browned, flipping once halfway through.
4. During the last few minutes the sweet potatoes are cooking, fry the eggs and cook any other meat you’d like to put on top.
5. Top sweet potato with egg, avocado, and any other toppings you like.
Lunch:
Asian Chicken Salad
When I cook dinner, I try to make extra of whatever protein we are eating so that I can have it on hand the next day for quick lunches. This is one of my favorite ways to use leftover cooked chicken.
{ ingredients for 3-4 servings }
1 cup leftover shredded chicken
3 cups shredded cabbage/kale
2 cup shredded carrots
1 jalapeno deseeded and diced
juice from 1-2 limes
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar
1-2 tbsp soy sauce (or coconut aminos if you’re avoiding soy)
hot sauce to taste
sesame seeds (optional)
{ directions }
1. Mix everything in a Ziploc bag or container and shake together until mixed. Adjust flavors as needed.
2. Pour into a bowl or container and eat!
Dinner:
One of the best things for dinner is a “one pot” meal. Not only is it amazing to throw everything in one pan, but it also simplifies dishes. Ain’t nobody got time for dishes!
One-pan Chicken & Shrimp Fajitas
{ ingredients for 4 servings }
v 2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and sliced
v 2 bell peppers, deseeded and thinly sliced
v 1 onion, peeled and thinly sliced
v 1-2 tbsp olive oil
v ½-1 lb deveined and thawed shrimp
v chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, cayenne pepper, paprika
v salsa and guacamole
v lettuce leaves, your favorite tortillas, rice, or cauliflower rice (recipe for that is on my blog)
{ directions }
1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Place sliced chicken breasts in a single layer in a casserole dish.
3. Sprinkle chicken with seasonings.
4. Spread out peppers and onions over the chicken, and drizzle olive oil over the top.
5. Bake for 30 minutes, and then add shrimp. Sprinkle with a little more seasonings and return to the oven for 10-15 minutes.
6. Serve over rice or in lettuce leaves, and top with salsa and guacamole.
Thanks for sharing these wonderful Real Food Recipes AJ! I can’t wait to try all of them!
