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Healthy eating

One Trick To Free Yourself From Afternoon Sugar Cravings

I started blogging over 5 years ago when I was feeling “fat”. I was exhausted, dealing with a new back injury/chronic pain, and I hated how I felt. I wanted a specific goal I could work towards, so I signed up for a sprint triathlon and spent my summer training (<- read about the incredible experience I had). I lost some weight and felt amazing, but in the 4 years since, I have stayed at or above that weight.

So what do I do? I’ve counted calories. I’ve exercised. I’ve counted my steps. I’ve never been able to sustain anything long enough to drop below the threshold I’ve been sitting at for the last 10 years and I can’t shake these afternoon sugar cravings. I’ve spent a lot of time learning so I’m going to share a few steps I’m starting to take towards a wholly healthier me.

August 14, 2020 by meaganleanne

Healthy eating, Recipes, Vegetarian

Goat Cheese Makes This The Most Creamy Veggie-packed Pasta

I have two goals when meal planning for dinners. Be quick – even a toddler who plays well independently senses when mom is cooking and immediately wants full attention. Secondly, have some emphasis on veggies but it must taste good. Be quick, taste good. This veggie-packed rigatoni pasta with goat cheese recipe checks the boxes.

It’s not complicated. It tastes better than you could get at any chain Italian restaurant. You’ll be eating sooner than you can get takeout and it’ll be cheaper too. It’s a win all around and that’s why it has been a staple in my meal planning for the last few months. The timing for this recipe is perfect because we’re finally getting to see fresh zucchini and carrots showing up in the local farmer’s markets.

June 15, 2020 by meaganleanne

Food, Healthy eating, Recipes

Favorite Recent Eats

Being in quarantine has changed my life in a lot of ways. There’s been some difficult stuff to deal with but I’ve also been making some positive changes. I was dealing with depression leading up towards Easter and those addictive Cadbury eggs gained me an extra 10 pounds. I’ve been cooking a lot more and my typical grocery budget has at least doubled. I’ve been discovering a lot of new recipes, rediscovering old ones, and really trying to cultivate my cooking skills.

June 1, 2020 by meaganleanne

Food, Healthy eating, Recipes

What I Ate Wednesday 11-1-2017

Sometimes things don’t go to plan. It’s how life works and sometimes it just has to be ok. Yesterday was one of those days and honestly I’m ok with that. I try not to buy treats too often but when aunt flo comes to town, indulgent nibbles are in high demand. I woke up yesterday with some of the worst cramps and I didn’t really feel like eating. Ice cream is one of the best foods for cramps so breakfast was mint chocolate ice cream… a great start to the day! I did manage to consume some wholesome calories yesterday with a 3 bean salad (recipe below) and blow-your-mind creamy cauliflower soup.

What I Ate Wednesday

Breakfast – Mint Chocolate Ice Cream

Lunch – 3 Bean Salad

This 3 bean salad has been my staple recipe for the last couple months. I make it at least once a week because it’s quick and easy to make and it’s so versatile. Here are a few of the ways I’ve had this 3 bean salad:

November 1, 2017 by meaganleanne

Healthy eating, Meal Planning, Recipes, Vegetarian

What I Ate Wednesday 10-18-2017

I tend to enjoy reading “What I Ate Wednesday (WIAW)” posts or watching WIAW vlogs and I decided I’d like to start sharing posts of my own! One of the things I’m working on currently is more consistent meal planning to cut down on food waste as well as to save money from eating out. I’ve done meal planning in the past but I’m trying to be more dedicated with it now. Not only is this helping to save money, it’s more nutritious eating and healthier all around. Overall it’s just a big fat win. I’ve been using the Knock Knock What to Eat pad to plan our meals which has been working well. It’s $15 on Amazon right now but I found it at my Books-a-Million store for $6.50.

I’ve been staying on top of planning lately and I’ve tried out quite a few new recipes in the process like this vegan Chai Butternut Squash Soup last week that was absolutely fantastic. I had my doubts but I was truly blown away by how amazing this was.

I’m trying to incorporate better snacking food into my diet. I’ve been avoiding bringing home snacks like chips, crackers, and in my husband’s case, peanut butter. This leaves a hole in our pantry because snacking food or “lunch accessories” are pretty important. Some ideas I’ve had are: homemade scotch oat cakes, fresh veggies and vegan ranch dressing, frozen yogurt – I really like the So Delicious Coconut Yogurt – berry bites, roasted chickpeas, homemade pita chips and hummus. Brady and I would also like to shift towards eating more vegan food and less dairy but that’s going to be implemented at a fairly slow pace.

October 18, 2017 by meaganleanne

Healthy eating, Weight loss

Motivation Monday #6

Hello! It’s Monday again and time for another roundup of healthy motivations to get you through this week! I was just recalling that it’s been about 2 years since I started posting some blog posts and almost exactly 2 years since I signed up for my first Iron Girl! It’s crazy to see how this journey has taken shape over the last couple of years with all the little bumps in the road. I’m pretty sure I’m going to be doing the race again this year though I haven’t signed up yet. My sister and I are still planning on running the Chicago Half Marathon as our first half at the end of September so that’s the money priority at the moment.

In other news, the Summer Corn Chowder is back at Panera! This is the first thing I ever tried at a Panera after going on a date with my mom to see Mamma Mia back in high school.

Meal Inspirations

I’m currently working on cleaning out my recipe book and reorganizing it into a more useful resource because at the moment, I’m rarely using it and so many of my printed recipes are just hanging around. I follow a good collection of food blogs and I often find some recipes there that I can use or modify to fit my needs. Pinterest is another tool I use a ton but if I’m looking for something a tad more specific, Google search is a great recipe finder. Here are some of the recipes I’ve curated this week!

April 24, 2017 by meaganleanne

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