Meal Prepping for Dummy's!

Meal Prepping for Dummy's!

The holidays are over and the New Year is right around the corner! We all indulged in some tasty treats but now is the time to start preparing for the New Year and how you can plan for success! 

When it comes to being successful with your nutrition, meal planning should be a top priority. It's the best way for busy people to stay on track, like myself! However, meal planning is so daunting sometimes. The thought of planning each meal for 7 days, going to the store to pick up the items, then coming home and preparing what you can for hours does not sound like fun. Especially when there is football on TV. Am I right!? But, when you fail to plan, you will likely plan to fail. So, do you meal prep?

When you plan your meals ahead of time,  you are more likely to make a healthier choice AND save money too! Meal planning and prepping does not have to be hard. Go back to the basics and keep things simple! I want to share some meal prepping tricks that have worked for me and some recipes that are simple, yet filling, delicious AND healthy!

Plan ahead - start by creating a meal plan for the week (or longer).  Plan out breakfast, lunch, dinner and any snacks. Once you have a meal plan, then break down each meal and decide what elements will go into that meal. This will be your grocery list. Again, keep things simple to start. Looking for dinner ideas? Start with 3 items (Protein, vegetable, and carb/fat/fruit). It doesn't have to be complicated! 

Chop vegetables - almost all of your vegetables can be chopped ahead of time. Grab you favorite vegetables from the store, gather some containers and start chopping! This will help save time when you are ready to cook dinner at night. Doesn't sound like much, but trust me, those extra 5 minutes of chop time will be saved and you can enjoy your meal FASTER! Some vegetables I buy and chop ahead of time consist of broccoli, brussel sprouts, zucchini, asparagus, cauliflower, mushrooms, carrots, etc. 

Portion out protein/meats - if you are counting calories, macros, containers, etc. you are likely to measure out how much protein you need for a meal. 

Cook ahead of time - You can cook some protein ahead of time such as chicken breast, hard boil eggs, etc. This will help prepare for lunches when you have to grab and go or don't have a microwave at work. Precook rice and noodles for an easy carb for any meal. 

Here are some recipes I have used in the past that are so easy yet delicious! Pinterest is my best friend when it comes to meal prepping and so is Google! Many of these recipes I've found on Google. 

1. Cobb Salad Mason Jar Salad - Mason jar salads are so easy and the lettuce doesn't get mushy if you prepare it correctly. Feel free to change up any ingredients to your liking! 

2. Zoodles with meatballs - my go-to! I do not have a spiralizer, so I use a Julienne ($5 at TJ Maxx!) and it does the same thing! 

3. Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup - crock pot is the easiest way to cook without messing anything up! You throw the ingredients into a bowl, let cook for 8 hours and BAM dinner is served! 

4. Loaded Baked Omelet Muffins - these are perfect for those who are busy and don't have time for breakfast. Make a large amount in the beginning of the week and grab and go when you need it! 

5. Greek Yogurt with Berries, Nuts and Honey - another simple option for breakfast or a snack if you are craving something sweet! 

6. Italian Chicken and Vegetables - this is made all on a sheetpan! My favorite way to cook is by cooking everything at once, and roasting chicken and vegetables all together is so easy! 

7. Chocolate shake - making a shake for breakfast is the best way to get your protein, and vegetables in while being on the go. My go-to shake every morning consists of: 
1 scoop chocolate shakeology
1 tbsp of peanut butter
2 cups of spinach (you won't taste it I promise!) 
1 cup water
hand full of ice
--blend! -- 
Shakeology has helped me lose more than 30 pounds! It's full of superfoods, prebiotics, protein, amino acids, and digestive enzymes. And it helps satisfy my chocolate craving! 

These are just a few recipes to help you get started. If you are looking to start fresh in 2017 and need an accountability partner, a new workout plan, to lose a few pounds, or looking for other ideas email me! We can do this together! 2017 is OUR year where we will crush our health goals. 

Love,
Avery

Birch Box Review

Birch Box Samples

I recently subscribed to receive a monthly Birch Box to see what the hype is all about. You fill out your information online on your skin type, what type of makeup you like best, what you care most about for your face, etc. Each month they'll send you samples to try out. It's $10 for 5 samples and if you like the product enough you can go to Birch Box's website and purchase the full size!

So here is what is in my box:

1. Amika - perk up dry shampoo - Full size $24
2. Ardency Inn - MODSTER smooth ride supercharged eyeliner (black) - Full size $20
3. IPKN - flash cream radient primer - Full size $28
4. Real Chemistry - luminous 3-minute peel - Full size $48
5. Wilma Schumann Skin Care - hydrating collagen eye pads - Full size $18
6. Bonus gift - a small circular mirror - FREE

For those of you who don't know much about makeup or are looking for new products to use, Birch Box is a great place to start. I don't like spending a ton of money on makeup that I've never tried before so this allows you to test the product before buying the larger version. 

Amika - this dry shampoo has a great smell to it. I've tested a few dry shampoos and now am picky with the smells of them. This product gave my hair some volume and took the oil out of my hair! Perfect purse sized sample too. 

Ardency Inn - this eyeliner is waterproof and "creamy" so it allows for blending if you choose. I prefer a liquid eye liner but this would be a great option if you are looking to do some blending. 

IPKN - This primer has fruit extracts in it as well as SPF 15! When I used this, it was a little greasy when first applied but once it dried it worked well and had a nice smell to it and made my skin soft. I don't usually use primer but will definitely use this under my makeup when I will be in the sun.

Real Chemistry - this 3 minute peel isn't an actual face mask. It's more of an exfoliant and best used when in the shower and for cleaning your face. I am all about trying new products to exfoliate my face so this one intrigued me! When you apply the peel to your face, you are advised to massage in circular motions to get rid of the dead skin. This product left my face feeling so soft and refreshed after using! By far the best product in my box this time around. 

Wilma Schumann Skin Care - I was so excited to try the hydrating collagen eye pads! I've always wanted to try a product like this but again, I didn't want to buy a bunch of them and end up hating them. These pads help to reduce the puffiness and it felt great! Plus it was relaxing closing my eyes for 20 minutes. I'd highly recommend these! 

So far I've been very pleased with my Birch Box samples. I have had a few products I haven't used but the majority of them I loved! They have men's boxes as well. Also, the boxes are perfect for using as gift boxes in the future! If you are interested in trying Birch Box, click here and join! Try it for a month and then you can cancel your subscription if you are not happy. 

Until my next box! 
Avery 

Taco Tuesday!

Taco Tuesday

Taco's are a staple in my weekly meal planning. They can be eaten any day of the week (like Taco Tuesday) and make for great leftovers for lunch the next day! They're delicious, healthy if you choose, super easy to make, and do not require much preparation. 

This week I decided to try something new and make mini tacos. Instead of a taco shell, I used wonton wrappers. Not your typical taco shell, but they're the perfect little shell to hold all the ingredients for the perfect few bites! What you put inside of the shell is up to you and your taste buds but here is what I used in mine:                   
Ingredients: 

- Wonton Wrappers

- Ground turkey, cooked with seasonings

- Chopped red onion

- Plain non-fat greek yogurt

- Homemade apple salsa 

- Chopped avocado 

- Cheese

For the wonton wrappers, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grab a muffin tin and coat each pocket with cooking spray or coconut oil. Lay each wrapper in the pocket and push down on each to create a shell. Once the oven is preheated, stick the wrappers in the oven and cook for 8-10 minutes or until each wonton is a light golden brown. Once they are a golden brown, take them out of the oven and let them cool. Once they are cooled down, assemble your taco's to your liking! 

Enjoy! 

Avery

New Year's Resolutions

Reflect, Recharge, and Resolutions!

Let's be honest, 2016 was a rough year. We all had good things happen and probably hit a few rough patches throughout the year. We make New Year's resolutions with the best intentions and then life happens and they're hard to maintain. Those resolutions usually last a few months, at most, and then we forget about them or lose the momentum. 

Are you one of the rare people who actually stuck with those goals for the entire year? If so, I owe you an applause and a huge congratulations! Not many actually stick with it.

Let's reflect on 2016, recharge, and prepare for 2017 by creating New Year's resolutions that are attainable as well as maintainable. Let's work on setting goals that we know we will stick to! Here are 3 common resolutions and how to succeed through the entire year. 

1. "New Year, new you"! - Losing weight is one of the most popular resolutions. We go into the new year with the best intentions on eating healthier, maybe joining a new gym, and looking to lose those holiday pounds we just put on. The biggest problem with this resolution is that most expect to lose weight over night. 

You can succeed at this resolution if you understand that this takes time and won't happen overnight. So this year, if this is going to be your resolution, set a realistic goal and know that it may take you the entire year to achieve it. Find a new workout buddy or friend to hold you accountable and help you when there are bumps in the road. If you are looking to eat healthier, try a food journal where you track everything you eat! Be honest with yourself and write down EVERYTHING. Start small in your lifestyle changes and each small change will begin to add up over time! 

2. Stress less - Our stress levels tend to sky rocket with long work hours, lack exercise, poor diet, no sleep, etc. Small amounts of stress can actually give us a boost of energy! It keeps us on our toes and gives our hearts a little flutter, but when you are so stressed out all the time, you can experience sleepless nights, depression, health problems and more. 

If you are a chronic stresser, this year focus on "me" time. Give yourself a vacation - you earned it! Allow for relaxation and actually take time away from work. Spend time with your family or on yourself with some personal development. Stress is a part of life, but you are not benefiting yourself by stressing so much resulting in loss of sleep, missing your workouts, or not spending time with family.

3. Save more - Here is a big tip for you....SPEND LESS! Easier said that done right? Each of us have different lifestyles, but we can adjust our lifestyle to spend less and save more. Where do you spend the most money? Is it on gas to fuel your car? Start saving money on fuel by walking to places, riding your bike to work, or even carpooling. BONUS: that means less air pollution as well! 

Another way to save money is by going to the grocery store with a list of items. I can't tell you how many times I walk into the grocery store without a list and end up buying more items than I needed, meaning spending more than I had planned. That is not beneficial to my health or my wallet. When you meal plan, you can create a grocery list and that way you stick with that plan and don't aimlessly buy things you don't need. You can also hurt your diet by buying something unhealthy. Take note of what is in your fridge and buy only the necessary items you need for the week. 

Now that you've learned about a few New Year's resolutions that you can actually succeed in throughout the entire year, what are your goals? Have other tips to help with success, comment below! I'd love to hear them. 

Love,

Avery 

First snow fall

Today we had our first snow fall this winter in Wisconsin! Nothing makes me more excited for Christmas than a fresh white snow day! One thing I've learned living in Wisconsin is that it's important to have the proper winter gear to keep you warm! 

There is nothing worse than having cold ears because your hat isn't thick enough or it's too small, or having cold fingers because your gloves are wet. I recently discovered this amazing brand called Love Your Melon. This company started out as a college project and now has evolved to be a popular brand. LYM is a charity that started selling beanies and every time someone buys one, they donate a beanie to a child with cancer. 

The purple beanie I am wearing is so comfortable and keeps my ears warm! AND it's super cute too! My dear friend Lizzy is actually a Brand Ambassador for LYM and she gave this hat to me as a birthday present! She officially got me hooked to their products! I was shocked at the quality of the product too. 

Some other products they sell are: 

Pom Beanies

Cuffed Beanies

Caps

Apparel

And more!

I highly recommend this brand and these items would make a great Christmas gift for anyone! Not only are their products affordable and really cute, they also help a great cause! 50% of the proceeds are donated to Love Your Melon’s nonprofit partners in the fight against pediatric cancer. So if you are looking for a great Christmas gift this winter, look no further than LYM! 

Do you have any LYM products? I'd love to hear from you about them!