Welcome to Busy Women Mealtime Makeover! Whether you are one of the lovely busy ladies participating in the makeover or just interested in taking your meals up a notch – girl, do I have some rockin’ recipes for you! From now until March 2nd, I’ll be featuring twelve new delicious makeover-friendly recipes. These recipes are from other busy women like me and you! This week, we are focusing on eating more winter foods. (And if you want to join in and get the entire makeover PDF complete with meal plans, shopping lists and recipes, videos and photos of me cooking for added support, weekly emails with additional recipes and kitchen tips and tricks and access to our online forum, you can totally start a few days late – click here and sign up!)

My friend Sara is not only a business owner, a wife and a mama, she is a go-to expert in thyroid health. When I think thyroid, I think Sara! Her business, Absolutely Holistic Nutrition, is focused on thyroid health and Sara offers some amazing cleanses and programs. Check it out!

Sara, you are busy, right? How do you get a decent, healthy meal on the table? 
I sure am busy Betsy! Aren’t we all?  A decent meal for my family means having quality whole foods already stocked in my pantry and fridge ready to go.  When I grocery shop I buy whole foods and some healthy prepared options.  That way my only choice at home is to serve healthy meals. I’ve learned over the years that if I buy crap food that is what I’ll end up serving for dinner. So I simply don’t bring it in to my home.  Don’t get me wrong, I love my chocolate bars, and when I do bring the healthy version of it in, I eat the whole darn thing.  Now I avoid the chocolate bars and make simple dark chocolate treats from scratch.

Why do you make healthy, real food a priority?
Before choosing to eat healthy my diet was made up of mostly carbohydrates. That’s a diet consisting on breads, noodles, pop, chips, candy, and cookies of course.  I was also plagued with symptoms of PMS, IBS and hypothyroidism. If I don’t eat healthy, my body feels lethargic, PMS comes back with a vengeance, my bowels slow down, I become depressed and low energy ensues. When I eat healthy, whole foods my mind is clear and my energy soars!   My family is happier and healthier too. It’s a win-win for all of us.

What is your favorite thing to make when it is cold outside?
The cold weather can be really harsh on my thyroid and my metabolism.  As the weather drops, so does my body temperature.  Naturally, I love making soups. All kinds of them.  Soup has a way of warming my body, mind and it lifts my spirits. I often sip soup from a mug. The best part is that my body feels healthy and energized. Here is my favourite dairy free chowder.

What is that one thing that busy people can do this winter to eat a little healthier?
When life seems too busy to make a nice healthy meal think greens.  I like to ask my clients to choose two greens they can interchange in their meals throughout the week. Kale and broccoli are two good choices that are high in nutrients and of course my favourite energy.

What is your favorite gadget in the kitchen?
My favourite gadget in the kitchen is my Magic Bullet.  It is small, economical, easy to clean, and to put away! I use it every day to make smoothies, puree soups, chop up nuts and to make dips.  My juicer and processor can’t do that!

Coconut Curry Wild Salmon Chowder

Ingredients:

 

Thanks Sara! 

Learn more about Sara and her business, Absolutely Holistic Nutrition, over here. Sign up for her newsletter and check out her rockin’ upcoming programs. 

 

**Check out all the Busy Women Mealtime Makeover recipes by clicking here.**

Welcome to Busy Women Mealtime Makeover! Whether you are one of the lovely busy ladies participating in the makeover or just interested in taking your meals up a notch – girl, do I have some rockin’ recipes for you! From now until March 2nd, I’ll be featuring twelve new delicious makeover-friendly recipes. These recipes are from other busy women like me and you! This week, we are focusing on eating more winter foods. (And if you want to join in and get the entire makeover PDF complete with meal plans, shopping lists and recipes, videos and photos of me cooking for added support, weekly emails with additional recipes and kitchen tips and tricks and access to our online forum, you can totally start a few days late – click here and sign up!)

A few weeks ago, my friend Michelle asked to interview me via Skype for her Befriend Your Body Week program. Well, we had a blast during the interview. It was my first time using Skype. We laughed, talked and laughed some more. Check out this fabulous program. It is going on this week!

Michelle, you are busy, right? How do you get a decent, healthy meal on the table? 
Getting a healthy meal on the table requires planning. I think about the week ahead when I write my grocery list. I know what nights I have more time to cook and what nights I will need to spice up my leftovers. I love the “cook once, eat twice or more” strategy. Some nights are really wild when my kids have to be in different places and I have to work so I always make sure to have quick easy things in the fridge/cabinet for crazy nights such as eggs for dinner, whole wheat pasta and frozen veggies.

Why do you make healthy, real food a priority?
Eating real, healthy food used to be a huge challenge. I was a sugar addict, junk food vegetarian, and didn’t know how to cook. After I had my first child it became very clear to me that I needed to step it up in order to pass down healthy habits to my family. I started getting in the kitchen and realized it is not that hard and actually a lot of fun to cook. At this point, my body craves real food. Eating healthy and enjoying real food makes me feel my best and makes me a calmer, happier mom.

What is your favorite thing to make when it is cold outside?
Soups and chili are my favorite cold weather meals. When I have lots of time, I love baking bread because it is super fun to make and smells and tastes amazing.

What is that one thing that busy people can do this winter to eat a little healthier?
Enjoy your greens. Add them to your soups and smoothies. Try to get more rest. It is natural for your body to need more sleep during the winter.

What is your favorite gadget in the kitchen?
Tough question, I have lots of favorites. This time of year I would have to say my immersion blender. Cheap, simple and perfect for pureeing soups.

Root Veggie Chili

Ingredients:

Directions:

Welcome to Busy Women Mealtime Makeover! Whether you are one of the lovely busy ladies participating in the makeover or just interested in taking your meals up a notch – girl, do I have some rockin’ recipes for you! From now until March 2nd, I’ll be featuring twelve new delicious makeover-friendly recipes. These recipes are from other busy women like me and you! This week, we are focusing on eating more whole grains. (And if you want to join in and get the entire makeover PDF complete with meal plans, shopping lists and recipes, videos and photos of me cooking for added support, weekly emails with additional recipes and kitchen tips and tricks and access to our online forum, you can totally start a few days late – click here and sign up!)

Angela was one of my students when I was a student mentor for my nutrition school, the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She is such a sweet heart and a a great cook as well. She is also a horticulturist. She knows her plants! Check out her business, Grow Inspired. What a cute name, huh?

Angela, you are busy, right? How do you get a decent, healthy meal on the table? 
Simplify, plan and improvise.  Cook once eat twice.

Why do you make healthy, real food a priority in your life?
As a gardener and a mother I appreciate the value of nurturing our minds and bodies with food that has been raised by responsible farmers and prepared with love.

What is your favorite thing to make when it is cold outside?
Curry has been the favorite this winter.  I love it because the vegetables are easy to find in the winter, they store well and organic is readily available.  It is warming and great leftover.

What is that one thing that busy people can do this winter to eat a little healthier?
Soups and stews are easy to make and can be frozen in individual serving sizes if you make an extra large batch.  There is nothing like hot soup on a cold day and even better if you make a healthy version.  They are great leftover if not better and you have limitless options:  Vegetarian,  grains, beans, greens, meat and seafood all are great in soups.

What is your favorite gadget in the kitchen?
Lately it has been the blender, we have been making a lot of green smoothies.

Vegetable Curry Quinoa

Ingredients:

Directions:

20+ women and myself have been busy cooking real food recipes over the last few weeks. They in their kitchens. Me in mine. We cook and then we chat online. So fun. We are finishing up week 2 where we focused on whole grains. We are preparing for week 3 where we will be exploring winter foods. Then, the following week, we will celebrate with some healthy yet decedent desserts. Below is one of the recipes that was a total hit this week among the women and their families. I want to share this with you so enjoy! Also, I am featuring twelve delicious makeover-friendly recipes right here on my blog so keep reading over the next couple of weeks. If you want to learn more about the Busy Women Mealtime Makeover, click here. )

What we eat is so important. It becomes who we are. What happens when you give your car the wrong type of gasoline? It doesn’t run. Well, our bodies operate the same way. This is important stuff my friend.

Hey, I get it. You are busy. Join the club. Aren’t we all?

This meal could very well be one of the quickest and most delicious meals that has ever come out of my kitchen. Remember, I am not a professional chef. I am just a busy mama trying to get a decent meal on the table. My goal is threefold: 1. Easy, 2. Healthy, 3. Delicious and I think this meal accomplishes them all. Try it out and let me know what you think. Leave a comment below. Get cookin’!

Brown Rice and Bean Skillet

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon coconut oil

1 bag frozen brown rice and beans (Stahlbush Island Farms brand)

1 bag of frozen corn

1 jar salsa

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Directions:

1. In a skillet, heat coconut oil.
2. Add onions and green pepper and saute until soft.
3. Add bag of brown rice and beans and bag of corn and heat until thawed and warm.
4. Add jar of salsa and warm up.
5. Add parsley to top and serve.

Note: When buying packaged food, go right to the ingredient list. I love this brand of brown rice and beans because there are 2 ingredients: brown rice and beans! Love it.

Note: You can totally make a similar dish using cooked brown rice and a can of Eden black beans.

Note: Bell peppers are top of the list for veggies high with pesticides so buy organic if you can.

Note: This dish is delicious with some organic corn chips or used as a filling for a burrito wrap.

Welcome to Busy Women Mealtime Makeover! Whether you are one of the lovely busy ladies participating in the makeover or just interested in taking your meals up a notch – girl, do I have some rockin’ recipes for you! From now until March 2nd, I’ll be featuring twelve new delicious makeover-friendly recipes. These recipes are from other busy women like me and you! This week, we are focusing on eating more whole grains. (And if you want to join in and get the entire makeover PDF complete with meal plans, shopping lists and recipes, videos and photos of me cooking for added support, weekly emails with additional recipes and kitchen tips and tricks and access to our online forum, you can totally start a few days late – click here and sign up!)

My friend Gina is a perfect example of a woman who stood up for herself and her family and achieved the life she desires and deserves. Not only is she a mama, she is also running her own health coaching business, Shore Healthy, where she helps families and mamas get back on track eating healthy food and living healthy lifestyles. Gina is a success story and she is an awesome cook in the kitchen!

Gina, you are busy, right? How do you get a decent, healthy meal on the table? 
Typically, I spend some time on a Sunday or Monday morning and grill up a bunch of chicken breasts, make a big batch of brown rice or quinoa (they store well in a container in the fridge for a few days), and always make sure I have fresh leafy greens in the fridge.  I make sure we have fresh fruit and veggies stocked.  Hard cook a bunch of eggs.  After school snacks are huge here.  It’s lovely seeing my kids reach for an apple with almond butter after school.  My kids are all in sports each season so we are always on the move.  If we don’t prepare ahead of time, we’ll end up with a pizza on the table, which is fine on occasion.  I mean really, who doesn’t like pizza?!  I add greens chopped kale, collards, spinach, chard, bok choy) to everything ~ chopped up in a quick soup, scrambled eggs, grains or beans.  Sometimes we will make a homemade dough and make our own pizza that we will load up with chopped greens and other veggies before adding cheese.  It doesn’t have to be complicated.  I’m not that great of a cook and I don’t have very much extra time.  We make it work though.  Simple quick recipes, jam packed with wonderful nutrients and alot love.

Why do you make healthy, real food a priority in your life?
The short version is I went through a period of time that I just didn’t care to be in the kitchen.  We lived on junk.  I mean artificial, chemical, over-processed JUNK.  I was run down and kept getting sick.  My kids had mono, terrible seasonal allergies, and 2 of them are highly reactive to artificial food dyes.  It was a miserable few years.  My little guy was on the nebulizer up to 4 times per year.  I finally realized I couldn’t do it anymore.  I realized that we truly are what we eat.  Food does matter.  You get out what you put in.  Get my drift?  So we turned it all around over a period of time and we succeeded.  None of us have been sick in years.  In fact, we are all thriving.  I love food.  We all love to eat.  We just had to figure out the right way to do it.  My boys are picky, but they know eating well is part of being healthy and strong for their sports.

What is your favorite thing to make when it is cold outside?
A quick and simple Quinoa Breakfast Porridge.  I’m all about few ingredients and quick healthy meals.

What is that one thing that busy people can do this winter to eat a little healthier?
Prepare ahead of time.  Learn to enjoy being in the kitchen.  It’s not that scary of a place to be, it’s actually quite fun to experiment.  Involve your kids.  My kids love helping prepare dinners.  When they’re involved in preparing the meal, they more often enjoy eating it.  They take pride in it.  Have a night off from the kids?  Involve your spouse.  Cooking together can be a very romantic.  Put on some nice music, light some candles, have a glass of wine and get your hands in the food together.  The kitchen is a very sexy place to be with the right atmosphere.  Oh yeah!

What is your favorite gadget in the kitchen?
Ahhh…..my awesome vitamix!  The best investment I have made!  We make lots of green smoothies, so it’s always being used.  I’ve also made soup, juice, almond butter, regular butter, whipped cream and other things in it, too.  I recommend it to everyone.

Energy Bars

Ingredients:

Directions:

Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Combine wet ingredients in a small bowl. After mixing wet ingredients, poor them into large dry bowl and toss until oats and seeds are well coated. Press into an 8 inch square dish and press firmly to settle ingredients. Place in freezer for 20 minutes or in the fridge overnight.

Cut into about 1-2 inch pieces and wrapped individually in wax paper, store in the freezer so they are easy to grab on the go. They taste great and are sweet so smaller pieces go a long way!

Note: You can also spread them thinly on a baking sheet and toast in over at 200. Keep tossing, and do not burn. Remember, the granola will harden more when it cools. You can use this also as an easy snack or as a cereal! Mix and match with whatever fruits and nuts you want. Be creative! Have the kids help and they will be more willing to eat them, they are delish!

Welcome to Busy Women Mealtime Makeover! Whether you are one of the lovely busy ladies participating in the makeover or just interested in taking your meals up a notch – girl, do I have some rockin’ recipes for you! From now until March 2nd, I’ll be featuring twelve new delicious makeover-friendly recipes. These recipes are from other busy women like me and you! This week, we are focusing on eating more whole grains. (And if you want to join in and get the entire makeover PDF complete with meal plans, shopping lists and recipes, videos and photos of me cooking for added support, weekly emails with additional recipes and kitchen tips and tricks and access to our online forum, you can totally start a few days late – click here and sign up!)

Heather and I recently connected because our health coaching businesses are both focused on getting busy people in the kitchen cooking real food. I just adore Heather’s sense of humor and her realistic approach to cooking. Heather just launched an incredible program called the Go Feed Yourself Method. Check it out. Great stuff.

Heather, you are busy, right? How do you get a decent, healthy meal on the table? 
I keep it simple.  Easy homemade sauces + dressings (that include less than 5 ingredients) are my secret weapon.  On busy days I make healthy food in their most basic state – cook grains in plain-old water, steam some leafy green vegetables, poach an egg, steam a plain piece of wild-caught fish in a packet of parchment paper…then, I make them more exciting by drizzling a tasty sauce or topping that I whip together in less than 3 minutes. Like a lemon-dijon sauce, a thai peanut sauce, or a pesto with fresh herbs.  The easiest food is what people in my family beg for over and over.

Why do you make healthy, real food a priority in your life?
I like to say that I eat for instant gratification. Healthy food makes me feel energized, focused, and more creative – like I can take on anything.  Unhealthy food makes me feel like crap.  If I focused on losing weight or lowering my cholesterol (more long-term endeavors), I find it’s much easier to put if off until tomorrow and justify bad choices (“Oh, I’ll just eat those fries and workout for an extra 30 minutes tomorrow”).  But if I’m focused on how I want to feel right NOW, choosing healthy food is a no-brainer.  Great part is, the foods that make you feel more energized and focused are also the foods that help you stay slim, have a healthy cholesterol level, etc.  Added bonus!

What is your favorite thing to make when it is cold outside?
Soup.  I’ll make a nice big pot that will last a few days.  Roasted butternut squash is my favorite because it’s simple and has a real sweet and buttery taste all on it’s own.

What is that one thing that busy people can do this winter to eat a little healthier?
Drink a glass of water, then take a deep breath and ask yourself what does your body really want to eat right now?  I guarantee the answer will be a lot better than you think.  A vegetable-based pureed soup is great for winter because it keeps you warm and tends to keep you more satisfied when eating it at the beginning of each meal…meaning you’re less likely to overdo it with food that is more rich and heavy.

What is your favorite gadget in the kitchen?
My immersion blender!  I don’t like seeing veggies floating in my soup, the immersion blender lets me puree everything without moving them out of the pot.  Love it.  Next favorite would have to be my microplane grater – I use it for grating ginger and lemon zest into SO many dishes.

Hot Quinoa Breakfast Porridge with Flax and Walnuts

Ingredients:

Directions:

Bring quinoa, almond milk, raisins, cinnamon, walnuts, and ground flaxseeds to a boil.

Lower heat and cook for 5 minutes, or until creamy.

Add sea salt and maple syrup to sweeten, if you’d like.

Welcome to Busy Women Mealtime Makeover! Whether you are one of the lovely busy ladies participating in the makeover or just interested in taking your meals up a notch – girl, do I have some rockin’ recipes for you! From now until March 2nd, I’ll be featuring twelve new delicious makeover-friendly recipes. These recipes are from other busy women like me and you! This week, we are focusing on eating more dark, leafy greens. (And if you want to join in and get the entire makeover PDF complete with meal plans, shopping lists and recipes, videos and photos of me cooking for added support, weekly emails with additional recipes and kitchen tips and tricks and access to our online forum, you can totally start a few days late – click here and sign up!)

Now, this is awesome. I have known my friend Jen since grade school and now we are both health coaches. Totally awesome. Now, Jen lives in sunny Florida but she still enjoys the warming foods of winter. If you have a picky eater, check out Jen’s new program called  Picky Eater Transformation.

Jen, you are busy, right? How do you get a decent, healthy meal on the table? 
Am I ever busy!  To get a good meal on the table I always make sure to have a plan for the week that includes recipes that are easily reheated and make great leftovers. My husband’s daily schedule is constantly changing (we are a military family), so these types of meals get the job done.  Without a plan, I am always tempted to eat out.

Why do you make healthy, real food a priority in your life?
As a health coach, I have seen the positive effects that real, clean food can have on a person and their health.  I have also seen the negative effects that a diet of processed foods can have.  Unfortunately this happened in my own family.  I want the lives of myself, husband and son to be long and healthy.  That is all the motivation I need.

What is your favorite thing to make when it is cold outside?
I am lucky enough to live in Florida where it does not get cold very often but when it does I love to make hearty soups.  It reminds me of being home in Pennsylvania when my mother would make her homemade chicken noodle soup.

What is that one thing that busy people can do this winter to eat a little healthier?
Learn to love your crock pot.  The cold weather and lack of sunshine can leave you feeling down and without the energy to make a good meal at the end of the day.  Starting your meal in the morning before your busy day starts gives you more free time later on and a hot, healthy meal waiting for you when you are ready.

What is your favorite gadget in the kitchen?
Definitely my butcher block.  It is large enough for me cut up all my veggies at once. Prepping for dinner is a snap!

Curried Vegetables over Coconut Quinoa

Ingredients:

3/4 cup quinoa, uncooked

1 cups organic coconut milk

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

3 tbsp coconut oil

3 cloves garlic, diced

1/2 inch piece of ginger, chopped

2 tbsp curry powder

1/4 tsp sea salt

2 cups of veggies of your choice (Jen used carrots, cauliflower and bell peppers)

2 cups of Swiss Chard or greens of your choice

Directions:

In a small sauce pan, combine the quinoa and coconut milk. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat. Simmer for 15 minutes until almost all the milk is absorbed. Once the milk is absorbed, stir in the coconut.

In a large skillet, heat the coconut oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger. Cook for 2 minutes. Then add the curry power, salt, pepper, veggies and greens. Cook until crisp tender. Approximately 8-10 minutes.