Happy Healthy Meals with Risa Auger

Like a good set of tools, different circles of friends help us in different ways. Some are for fun, some are for confiding, some are active, some are your drinking buddies, some are from your childhood, some are your past or current coworkers… ok, you get the idea. Here’s the thing. 

Your tribe is ALL of these people. And you are the sum of the five folks you spend the most time with. Online, in person, in your ears or who you are watching. (No really, if I watch too much Seinfeld, I become so crazy sarcastic!) 

In this episode, I chat about optimizing your healthy habits with your interaction levels with each circle to make you the best version of you possible. Your favorite version of you. The BEST version of you. 

I also chat about my meal plan for this week and how I totally screwed up my lunch today. LOL. Oh well.  Make sure to send me your email to get links for the recipes I mention that are on my meal plan for the week in the episode.  

Did you love this episode? Leave me a review and share it with a friend. I love hearing from listeners! Send me an email at [email protected] or visit my website, risaauger.com. I look forward to hearing from you - with comments or specific questions about the get together you are going to. 

This weekend we went to the fair and a concert, so my voice is all funky and it hurts a bit to talk for an extended period of time. This episode is short but filled with tips on making the most of your meals out when life hands you a couple curve balls. Summer is like crazy schedule light. It’s a warm up for the holidays. A great time to practice making healthy decisions with some treats all around. Like other things, you have to practice to get better at it. 

Best tips: 

1. Stay hydrated! 2. Bring your own 

3. Eat healthy at other meals 

4. Do a lap at the event and make the best decision possible. 

Send me your email to get the chicken and bok choy recipe that I mention in the episode. 

Did you love this episode? Leave me a review and share it with a friend. I love hearing from listeners! Send me an email at [email protected] or visit my website, risaauger.com. I look forward to hearing from you - with comments or specific questions about the get together you are going to.

To my fitness clients I say: one lift, one move, one squat, one minute, one workout at a time.

And this is why: NO ONE IS PERFECT and we all started somewhere.

YUP> that is the cold, hard truth. We all start at the beginning. We are all human. We all meander our way through this thing we call life going in the general direction of health and prosperity. 

So, when I say it’s ok to not be perfect. And, it’s ok to not like something “super healthy,” and if you have that scoop of ice cream for dessert… it’s OK! 

In this episode I reveal the real reason that I don’t have a cookbook yet (which actually sorta came to me while I was talking), a few of my fave veggie recipes and also a realistic standard to hold yourself to. 

Did you love this episode? Leave me a review and share it with a friend. I love hearing from listeners! Send me an email at [email protected] or visit my website, risaauger.com. I look forward to hearing from you - with comments or specific questions about the get together you are going to. 

Email me if you want the brussels episode that I mention in the episode! 

People often ask me if my kid eats the same things that we do. The answer is NO. Heck no. Well. Mostly No.

I’ve talked about this before, but since we’ve been on summer break and spending a LOT more meals with my kid, I thought I would re-visit this topic a bit. 

One thing I try to teach (an re-teach) my kid about food is that our taste buds change, so trying things again makes sense. You could totally end up liking something if you are older or if it is prepared in a different way. 

Aside from meal planning and cooking, I am not big on giving advice. I am a big fan of leading my example. My husband and I eat a lot of greens, we eat varied items, we hold back and are not having oversized portions, we drink a lot of water and go easy on the sugar. That’s not to say we don’t ever indulge (because some Saturday nights = brownies and wine), but those are not every day. 

My kid eats many things (I wish she ate MORE veggies though), just not as many as us. She will try just about anything for $1. She will honestly let you know what she thinks of it. Not surprisingly, She will ask for more when she loves it! 

My #1 tactic to sneak more veggies into her meals is to hide them in cheese or pasta. Ravioli works the best. Thank you Trader Joe’s for having a a cheese and veggie filled option year-round! 

If your kid eats mostly “kid food” try making it the best version of that “kid food” that you possibly can. 

Did you love this episode? Leave me a review and share it with a friend. 

I love hearing from listeners! Send me an email at [email protected] or visit my website, risaauger.com. I look forward to hearing from you - with comments or specific questions about the get together you are going to.

Being invited to a BBQ is bound to happen this summer, multiple times. It’s quite inevitable and the classic American get together! What better way to celebrate the season than outdoor cooking with good friends and family surrounding you? I certainly can’t think of a better one. 

Like any get together, there will be a lot of food out for you to enjoy. Before you go though, make sure to plan ahead a little bit. In this episode I share a few things to focus on and a few things to avoid while you are out having fun. 

Rule one. Step away from the snack table. You are there to have fun and make memories, not stuff your face (on purpose or not). I tend to graze. A bite of this and a bite of that … all those bites add up during a whole party! So. Step away from the buffet and have some fun! 

Eat mostly these: Fruit, veggies, green salads, lean meats (choose ones with rubs, not sauces), fresh lemonade, unsweetened iced tea and sparkly waters.

Avoid these: Store bought potato and Mac salad, heavy desserts, sugar drinks, heavy beers, over salty chips and snacks with unpronounceable ingredients. 

Did you love this episode? Leave me a review and share it with a friend.  I love hearing from listeners! Send me an email at [email protected] or visit my website, risaauger.com. I look forward to hearing from you - with comments or specific questions about the get together you are going to. And make sure to join my email list to receive bonus info with every episode. 

It’s suuuummmmer! And that means it’s time for BBQ and coleslaw and tons of watermelon. Just thinking about this makes my mouth water… I am also still craving warm foods though. Am I the only one? I sure hope not! 

No one wants to heat up the kitchen with the oven, which means it’s time to break out the small appliances. In this episode, I share how I use the air fryer, slow cooker/instapot, toaster oven, stove top and even the microwave to make meals happen while staying cool. In the episode I forgot to also mention panini and waffle irons! 

Air fryer - veggies and small pieces of meat (wings, fish “sticks,” strips, meatballs). The recipe I mentioned for broccoli: EVOO, salt, pepper, broccoli florets. So simple. So darn delicious! 

Slow cooker - soups to serve cold, shredded meats, roasted meats, one pot pastas. 

InstaPot - cooking from frozen, meatloaf, baked potatoes, steamed veggies 

Toaster oven - everything you would normally do in the oven at a smaller size. Reheating pizza. Small casseroles. Roasting a smaller amount of veggies or meat. Broiling to finish for a crusty crunch. 

Stove top - use a grill pan to get the marks that make all things just look more tasty in the summer without lighting a flame and standing in the sun.

Microwave - quick steam of veggies and thawing of frozen meats when needed. 

Did you love this episode? Leave me a review and share it with a friend. I love hearing from listeners! Send me an email at [email protected] or visit my website, risaauger.com. I look forward to hearing from you - with comments or questions. 

We all do it. We all love it. We all have our fave spots. Yup. Eating out. Making your own meals is a fantastic way to control portions and ingredients for yourself. But, we all eat out from time to time. To celebrate. For work meetings. To take a break from the kitchen. When we travel. There are a ton of reasons. Eating out is not an excuse to undo all the hard work you’ve put in in the kitchen and the gym. It’s also not an automatic big salad (though, that’s my usual default because I love them!). 

Here are a few tips to enjoy every bite and still fit in your fave jeans. 

1. Pick something super delicious. There is no point to eating something you don’t want or like, even if it’s the “healthiest” item on the menu. 

2. Split your meal with a friend 

3. Ask for half to go in a box right away 

4. Ask if the restaurant has a smaller portion size 

5. Pick one “splurge worthy item” and pair it with a super healthy one 

6. Ask for all sauces on the side 

7. Order an appetizer or ala carte item and a side salad 8. Hydrate before (so you’re not over-hungry) 

9. Pick the restaurant 

10. Eat a light meal before/after 

In this episode, I’m chatting about these, plus details and things to avoid! Did you love this episode? Leave me a review and share it with a friend. I love hearing from listeners! Send me an email at [email protected] or visit my website, risaauger.com. I look forward to hearing from you - with comments or questions.