Planned, Prepped, and Productive: Real Food Cooking for Busy Moms

Reasons Why You Aren’t Eating Your Veggies.BiologYup. It’s just in our nature to avoid veggies. Many vegetables contain bitter compounds and as humans we are wired to avoid bitter compounds because they are more likely to be poisonous. Rude, huh? The one thing we need more of and our bodies are telling us to shun it. Not fair.As humans we also have natural affinity for sweet foods (like breast milk). Some people might be even more sensitive than others to the bitter compounds in foods meaning that a veggie that tastes just fine to some people will be too bitter for someone else.Lastly, our ability to taste bitter compounds is strongest as children, which is when many of us were forming our opinions about vegetables. Yup, there’s so much stacked up against us in our quest to eat those veggies.Forced Vegetable ConsumptionI would be shocked if there wasn’t a time in your past when you were told, eat your broccoli and you can have your dessert.Heck, I’d be surprised if you haven’t told your children something similar, but did you know that this very scenario can be damaging and have the opposite effect on your children (and maybe left a bad taste in your mouth {literally} as well?A retrospective study found that many teens who were forced to eat their veggies or other food items as children reported difficulty eating those food items today. In fact around 70% of those children avoided food items they had been forced to eat as a child, whereas only 30% reported that forced veggie consumption make them more likely to try new things now.Really Bad VeggiesNow I don’t have any studies to back this one up, but if you think that watery frozen vegetables that have been microwaved or steamed are what veggies are supposed to taste like, there is a reason you don’t like veggies.Veggies can be prepared in a wide variety of ways and taste absolutely delicious…but many people grew up eating underseasoned, overcooked, and just plain bad veggies. This can totally play a role in your hesitancy to try brussel sprouts again!Veggies Aren’t ConvenientLet’s say you don’t really fall into any of these camps and you actually like vegetables.Heck, maybe you used to eat them really well…and then you had kids.…and now you’re lucky if you’ve managed to shovel in a handful of your kid’s goldfish and a package of fruit snacks by the end of the day.We are busy, and we often sacrifice every last bit of ourselves to those sweet (but demanding) kiddos.(read the full show notes here)Sources: Humans reject bitter tastes and have an affinity for sweet tastesThe result of forcing children to eat their veggiesFruit and Veggie Serving SizesAverage fruit and vegetable consumption in the United States2015-2020 health guidelines

Convenience Foods This Dietitian Swears By1. Bagged Salads-Making a salad gets expensive quick! It’s also hard to get through all of those fresh ingredients before it goes bad so I love adding a bagged salad to my dinners as a way to get those veggies in!2. Pre-chopped veggies-You definitely pay for this convenience, but some nights I just need dinner to happen and letting someone else chop my veggies gives me just the right amount of extra help I need to put dinner on the table3. Storebought bread- I wish I was a “homemade bread” kinda gal, and while I like to make it as a special treat I have not yet mastered making it regularly4. Frozen fruit and veggies-Let’s stop demonizing fruit and veggies when none of us are eating enough of them. If frozen is the way you get them in, that’s totally fine!5. Tortilla Chips-I’ve tried making them. Totally not worth the investment of time, and let’s face it. Tortilla chips aren’t the beacon of health in your diet anyway so don’t stress about making them.6. Uncooked flour tortillas-If you love the taste of fresh tortillas, uncooked tortillas are totally the way to go!7. Crackers-If you have kids, crackers are probably on your grocery list regularly, I’ve never tried making them…but I think I’ll just let the store take care of this one for me.8. Canned tomatoes-I don’t love the flavor of most canned veggies, but tomatoes are delicious and can help you make homemade pizza sauce or spaghetti sauce super quickly!9. BBQ Sauce-BBQ sauce is actually pretty fun and easy to make! But sometimes I just don’t have the time, be sure to check labels on this one as bbq sauce can have lots of added sugars so find one that meets your health and nutrition goals.10. Canned Beans-A pressure cooker makes canned beans totally do-able, but if your freezer isn’t stocked, you probably still don’t have the 30 minutes it will take to add them to your dinner, so canned beans to the rescue!11.Canned Tuna-Most of us don’t get that recommended fish in our diet regularly, canned tuna is a fast and easy way to get it!12. Coleslaw Mix-Eat it raw in a salad OR mix it in with something else like these shrimp thai rice noodles (a 30 minute meal!)13. Condiments-I’ve tried making my own ketchup. It was gross. Plus, how much ketchup can one person really get through before it goes bad? Just. not. worth. it.14. Chicken broth/stock-I would love to get better at making this, but until then better than bouillon in all the flavors is totally delicious!15. Sausage-Just no. Tried it, and I’ll stick to the store thanks.Resources:FREE Meal Plan Magic Facebook GroupFree Meal Plan Magic email mini courseHomemade NaanHomemade Seasoning SaltBenefits of meal planning and preppingWhy cooking from scratch is totally worth it

Gourmet cooking may be the last thing on your mind as a mama, but Marlee has some tips that make it do-able and shares why she thinks it’s important and matters even in today’s busy world.Hey Mamas.So, you see the title of this post and you may be thinking, gourmet cooking? I’m barely surviving….no way I’m gonna be doing any “gourmet cooking” any time soon.But I promise, there was some intention behind asking the amazing Marlee Brady of I Just Make Sandwiches to be on the podcast.I spent several years working in food service management and commercial kitchens prior to becoming a mom and starting this community.…and ya know what. So much of what I teach here I have learned from observing chefs and seeing HOW they are able to put a meal on the table quickly for a huge crowd.Chefs are MASTERS of meal planning and meal prep ya’ll (though they might not call it that).It was for that reason that I knew I had to get Marlee on the podcast to talk about gourmet cooking.Gourmet Cooking With Marlee BradyMarlee is a trained chef who worked in the culinary field before hanging up her professional apron to start who own food and cooking community (and rock the mom life, so she gets THAT crazy too).Marlee focuses on teaching others how to elevate their dinners and make gourmet cooking a part of their regular life (…and just take a look at her blog or instagram…she rocks it, her food is mouth-watering!)Inside This Episode You’ll FindWhy gourmet cooking and cooking from scratch matters even in a world with modern conveniencesWhat a trained chef has learned about time management from her career in the kitchenA simple tip for elevating your dinners that DOESN’T take extra time3 Benefits of cooking from scratch that you can see in your lifeHow a chef makes homemade meals on the regular without a meal plan (hint, there’s still some planning involved)If You Want More From Marlee, You Can Find Her The Following Places (And She Just Had A Baby So Go Give Her Some New Mama Love!)Website: https://www.ijustmakesandwiches.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ijustmakesandwiches/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ijustmakesandwiches/Marlee Also Has Some Great Resources Available For Her Listeners, So Check Them Out If You Want To Elevate Your Own Dinners!Basic Cooking Principles email courseSeasonal Produce Guide7 Simple hacks to elevate your dinnerElevated Holiday Meal HelpWant to know my thoughts on Gourmet cooking and cooking from scratch? Check out the following past episodes!Why Cook from ScratchMeal Prep that tastes great in 3 easy stepsHow to meal prep your thanksgiving dinner

Three Simple Steps To Meal Prep That Tastes GoodThe key to making meal prep taste delicious, fancy, and even gourmet is to plan your meal prep strategically and combine meal prepped foods with fresh foods and storebought foods for the ultimate simple but fresh meal plan.To illustrate this idea, we’ll use my Valentine's Day Menu. For Valentine’s Day I like to bust out my pasta machine for probably the only time I’ll use it in a year, I’ll make a white and red sauce for variety, some roasted broccoli to round out the meal, some crusty bread as an appetizer, and molten chocolate lava cake and ice cream for dessert.My mouth’s watering just thinking about it.To strategize my meal prep, I ask myself the following three questions about the menu I’ve plannedStep 1: What Parts Of This Meal Can I Meal Prep Or Purchase Premade Without Affecting Quality?In this case, I know that the meat sauce can be made a day or two in advance without affecting the quality. In fact, thing like tomato based sauces often taste even better the next day because the flavors have more time to come together.I like to make my own bread , but in this case since it’s not the star of the show and I’m already going to be letting my kiddos get messy in the kitchen with the pasta I’m going to buy bread from my local bakery that will taste delicious.I’m also buying my ice cream, again, making ice cream is fun but in this case I want to focus my energy on other things and storebought ice cream is still delish.Step 2: What Parts Of This Meal Can I Make Partially In Advance Without Affecting Quality?This is the step that takes the most practice. A lot of things can be done partially in advance, but it can take a little trial and error to figure out what works and what doesn’t.I’ll give help you out with this menu though.Pasta dough can be made a day in advance and stored in the refrigerator.The batter for the molten chocolate lava cakes can also be made a day in advance and stored in the refrigerator.I don’t want to cook my veggies in advance (I almost never cook veggies in advance)…but I can either buy pre-chopped broccoli or chop it in advance.Step 3: What Parts Of This Meal Will Taste Best Made Entirely Fresh?Some things just shouldn’t be meal prepped if you like enjoying your food. Alfredo sauce could be made in advance, but will taste so much better fresh and it’s quick and easy to make so we’ll make that entirely the day of.We’ll also roll out and boil the pasta the day of so it’s super fresh.Finishing TouchesWhen you prioritize your menu and take strategic shortcuts, your every day and holiday meals will come together quickly and easily. In this case, most of our energy will be put toward rolling out and cooking pasta. We will also reheat the red sauce, make the white sauce, roast the already cut-up broccoli, cut the bread, and bake the molten lava cakes.It sounds like a lot, but it’s so much more manageable when parts are done in advance, and you’ll be shocked at how quickly it all comes together.Want to try this menu out for yourself? Sign up for email updates and get all the recipes for this menu straight to your inbox and try out this meal prep strategy for yourself!I’d love to know, what’s one thing you could do today to make tomorrow’s dinner easier WITHOUT compromising the quality of your food? Tell me in the comments below, soon you’ll be a #mealprepaddict when you see how simple your meal times can become with just a little preparation.

We all have those 15 minute gaps in our day where we end up just scrolling social media, but how much better would our days go if we filled up those minutes with tasks that will make meal time go smoother.  Here are 25 ideas how you can use that time. Read to or play with your kids- Fill that attention bucket for your kids and see if they actually let you make dinner in peaceListen to a podcast, watch a youtube video, or read an article on cooking or kitchen organization-Learning is the key to making a change so using your breaks to learn something new will make your goals seem so much more realisticOrganize your spice rack or drawerThrow away expired condiments in your fridge-Because an organized kitchen is a happy kitchen!Submit your grocery order for the week-Yup, in today's day and age with grocery pickup you can literally do your grocery shopping in 15 minutes.Take a fridge, freezer, or pantry inventory-Knowing what you have on hand makes meal planning so much fasterWrite down your family's favorite dinners-This is another time-saving trick, don't reinvent the wheel, your family will love you for keeping their favorites on rotationWipe down cupboard doorsClean stovetop or microwaveMeal Prep snacks for the week (cut fruits and veggies, fill baby food pouches, make trail mix)Meal prep chicken in slow cooker for the week (try this recipe)Organize your recipesBrowse pinterest for new recipes you'd like to tryMeditate or take a 15-minute power nap (Sometimes  a break is important, but try putting that phone away for an actual break instead of just a social media one)Plan an upcoming event or party Sometimes I just need something fun to do...if I keep my fun projects on my list, then when I'm perusing pinterest it's with a purpose in mind instead of mindless scrolling.Schedule your upcoming weekMake a list of leftovers your family can use up and leave it on the fridgeMake a list of available snacks for your kids and put it on the fridgePre-cook your grains for dinner that nightChop your veggies for dinner that nightMeasure out ingredients or make any sauces for dinner that nightOrganize a cupboard or drawer in the kitchenLoad or unload your dishwasherCall a friend or family member just to chat-Remember, making time for you will make your whole life run smoother. Make a dinner time emergency list (things you can make in your sleep with very little effort)

Keystone habits are  “small changes or habits that people introduce into their routines that unintentionally carry over into other aspects of their lives.” -Charles DuhiggI am a BIG fan of personal development books. I’ve got a load of about a hundred loaded in my scribd account and I binge listen whenever I can (in the shower, on a run, in the car, you name it!So when I say a book is good, and it changed my life, know that this is coming from someone with lots of personal development books under her belt, so give me a listen!This post contains affiliate links, read my full disclosure .I’m sharing just one little tidbit of The Power of Habit (aff) by Charles Duhigg, but the whole book is so interesting and will truly transform the way you think about your life and habits.What Are Keystone Habits?Charles Duhigg defines a Keystone habit as “small changes or habits that people introduce into their routines that unintentionally carry over into other aspects of their lives.”I like to think of Keystone habits as a way of hacking your own life.Basically, a keystone habit is a small and manageable shift or change that acts as a catalyst for success in many other areas of your life.To clarify, let’s start out with an example. I’m going with the easiest example from the book. Making your bed.According to Duhigg, “Making your bed every morning is correlated with better productivity, a greater sense of well-being, and stronger skills at sticking with a budget.”Isn’t that cool?I don’t know about you, but I’m often overwhelmed with all the changes I want to make in my life (aka, things like improving my productivity and sticking to a budget, actually).Now, Duhigg is not saying that making your bed will CAUSE you to be a better budgeter, but maybe that habit unlocks the ability within you or clears your mind enough that reaching those other goals just comes naturally.With all the guilt that goes on when we don’t “slay our goals” the way we want to, I love this idea of setting myself up for success in a way that doesn’t even feel like extra work.Feels like a win-win to me!Examples Of Keystone HabitsThe cool thing about keystone habits, is that no one can define what your keystone habits are, that’s for you to figure out.It can really be any behavior that you identify as a catalyst for other good behaviors, something that you do that can cause a waterfall effect and the benefits of it can spill into other aspects of your life.Duhigg does identify several keystone habits, and I have one that he DOESN’T talk about…but I have identified as a major player in my own life (think you can guess what it is??)ExerciseIt’s no surprise that exercise hits this list.If I were reading this a year or two a go I likely would have rolled my eyes and said, yeah yeah, but after my 3rd child I decided to finally let go of the excuses and whip my booty into shape, and now I’m a believer.I seriously feel so good, I have increased confidence, I can keep up with my kids without feeling winded or tired, I sleep better, I’m more patient with my kids, the benefits of exercise (and the increase in good habits/behavior) seems endless.Duhigg wouldn’t be surprised as he notes that exercise triggers people to eat better. He also says that people who exercise note increased patience, less stress, and more productivity at work.read more here.

The 5 Powerful Reasons We Eat That Are Not Health Or NutritionFor survival.If you’re thinking that sounds a lot like health or nutrition, you’re right in some ways they have similarities, but health and survival are two very different ideals.Someone who is focused on survival does not have the luxury of worrying about how much fat is in his meal or whether or not the eggs he’s eating are free range.Restricting and controlling our food is a luxury afforded to us because we have an abundance of food.I don’t know what your circumstances are, but even if you are not LITERALLY eating only for survival (as in you don’t know where your next meal is going to come from or how it will be paid for), you may be in survival mode because of other circumstances in your life.As a mom of 3 kids 4 and under, I have spent a fair chunk of the last 4 years of my life in “survival mode”And that’s okay, because survival is probably the most important reason we eat…because if we’re not alive, none of these other reasons matter much, do they?If during these times you are subsisting on takeout, convenience, food, and whatever you can get your hands on, instead of feeling guilty take the time to assess your situation and accept that there is a season for everything.I will have an upcoming episode on getting out of survival mode, but only when your life has slowed down to the point to make that possible.Until then, just express some gratitude that the drive-thru exist and be on your merry way.2. For culture and relationshipsI have the fondest memories of visiting Puerto Rico as a chlid and making fry bread with my abuela, or gathering lemons from her lemon tree in the backyard.I enjoyed wandering the island and enjoying piraguas (puerto rican snow cones), piña coladas, deep fried seafood empanidillas. The list goes on.Only in my adult life do I realize, yikes, none of these foods were very healthy.But these foods connect me to my family and culture, which is so important to me because I always felt a little distant from my hispanic culture growing up in the mountains of Utah.I’m sure your food memories are different than mine, but I am willing to bet you have some connections to food that are not necessarily “healthy” by today’s definitions of the words, but that are important to you nonetheless. Culture and connection is one of the important reasons we eat.3. To Cope with difficult emotions.Emotional eating is one of the important reasons we eat.Nutrition expert Ellyn Satter said this about emotional eating.“it is natural to eat for emotional reasons. Eating can raise your spirits when you are low, soothe you when you are tense, and distract you when you are upset. We cook special meals to celebrate and we use food to help us connect with other people. But you abuse emotional eating when your feelings go straight to eating: when you feel upset and automatically reach for food to settle yourself down.“Emotional eating is a natural response to difficult emotions, and only becomes a problem when it’s abused or it’s the only tool in your arsenal to handle difficult emotions…but if, like me, you like a bowl of ice cream to soothe you after a difficult day of motherhood give yourself from grace and understand that it’s natural and you’re finding resources to help you cope.4. For funIs there anything more fun than planning a big superbowl party and creating a spread of delicious game day food to enjoy?Read More at https://www.callmebetty.com/#16-the-5-powerful-reasons-we-eat-that-aren't-nutrition/

I am so excited to be welcoming my first guest to the planned prepped and productive podcast! Ahuva Magder Hershkop is a Registered Dietitian and online course creator.  She runs a brick and mortar pediatric based nutrition practice in Toronto, and teaches moms online everywhere to change their expectations and mindset about family meal time. Ahuva believes strongly in the power of a nourishing family meal, but believes providing that meal should only take so much out of us (a girl after my own heart!)Ahuva and I connected on instagram a few months back, and I have loved following along with what she shares and had a great time interviewing her. Inside this episode you'll find: The number one complaint most moms have about family meal time AND how you can overcome itHow to find more peace at mealtimeA dietitian's perspective on how to deal with picky eatingWhat a balanced meal should look like and how you can reframe your mindset and expectations to fit a wide variety of successful familiy mealsHow to re-define your meal time expectations and give yourself more grace. If family meal time is overwhelming to you, this is absolutely the episode for you. If you'd like to hear more from Ahuva find her in one of these spots!On Instagram: @AhuvaRDIn her private facebook group: The busy mom's guide to feeding your family

Here Are The 10 Reasons Why Cooking From Scratch Is Totally Worth It.  It tastes better! Okay, so this one is kind of a gimmie, but seriously.  While I do have a few favorite restaurants, I have found that 99.623% of the time I prefer the food I make at home to food I would eat in a restaurant.  Sure, it’s nice to be catered to and served at a restaurant, but most of the time the food isn’t worth the cost and calories! It’s Cheaper. This is probably the biggest reason to get off your rear and put your apron on rather than heading out to a restaurant, or even the freezer aisle at your grocery store.  The cost of convenience foods adds up QUICK and, as aforementioned, it usually doesn’t taste good enough to warrant the additional cost.  I will often “splurge” on grocery store items like fancy seafood and specialty ingredients as a reward for cooking from scratch and skipping the convenience foods.  It’s a great motivator and can helps me bring 5-star restaurant quality dishes to the table. It’s Fun. This was just the tiniest bit more true when I didn’t have a daughter who screamed as if she was being tortured when I put the baby gate up to keep her out of the kitchen, but it’s still a great motivator to get me in the kitchen. I love the creativity involved in cooking from scratch and I love trying new things.  It’s a good thing my husband and daughter are both adventurous eaters and humor me as I play in my adult playground.  I will also mention that cooking is a CHEAP hobby.  You have to eat anyway, right?  Might as well have as much fun and be as creative as possible when you put meals on the table. It gives you greater control of what you put into your body. This is one of the most important reasons to cook from scratch.  While I studied nutrition in school, I absolutely hate label reading and I find that trying to eat a balanced and healthy diet can be really disheartening and sometimes downright depressing.  I really don’t like thinking too much about what I eat, and I prefer to just trust my taste buds and my body.  When I am cooking from scratch, I know every single thing that I am eating.  Those things aren’t always the best for me, BUT I am aware that I am eating them.  I can’t tell you how many times I have eaten something only to look at the label and be disgusted at the amount of sugar, trans fat, or sodium that I have ingested.  When I make my own meals, and even my own desserts, there is a mindfulness of eating that comes from having seen the ingredients come together into a finished product and that knowledge changes the way that I eat.5. It connects you to the planet. So I recognize that this reason makes me sound a little like a hippie, but it’s totally true, and a totally awesome benefit of cooking from scratch.  Since I’m already being a little philosophical here I might as well keep going.  I believe that one of the BIGGEST problems with our generation is that we have been handed EVERYTHING.  Food is always in the refrigerator.  Water is always in the tap.  Anywhere you might want to go is a car or a plane ride away.  This creates a disconnect and a lack of gratitude for all of the amazing things we have been given.  When you cook from scratch you are one step closer to where food came from.  Bonus points if you buy your food from a local farmer at a farmer’s market who can tell you the story behind the food you are eating.  DOUBLE bonus points if you grow the food yourself and can truly see it come full circle, from seed, to plant, to table, and most importantly  TO BELLY! 😉Read more here.

Why Changing Habits Is More Powerful Than Setting GoalsI am all about setting goals, and it’s usually my go-to method for achieving something, but this year I have really tried to take a step back and work on my habits instead.Habits dictate so much of what we do in our lives, and as we work to create good habits we will see slow but permanent behavior change start to emerge in a way that takes less effort than traditional goal-setting.Myths About Changing HabitsI am sure you have heard that it takes 21 days to create a new habit.I am also pretty sure that you could tell me about many instances where you have changed a behavior for more than 21 days only to fall right back into old habits.Did you know that this 21-day thing is a total myth?It’s comes from a Plastic Surgeon named Maxwell Maltz in his book psycho cyberkinetics about self-image. In this book he states that it took his clients roughly 21 days to get used to their new image after surgery.He also noted, that in his own life he noticed it took a minimum of 21 days to form a habit.So, our idea that it takes 21 days to form a habit comes from a book that is usually mis-quoted where zero actual research was done.So How Long Does It Actually Take To Form A New Habit?Let’s dig into some actual research, shall we?A study posted in the European journal of social psychology found that it took anywhere from 18-254 days to make a behavior change regarding eating or drinking habits.This range is huge, and most individuals took much longer than the expected 21 days.Not to mention, that even this study has it’s limitations. This study looked at only 39 individuals, and only habits related to eating and drinking.The takeaway? Changing habits is complex and different for everyone!Why Goals Aren’t Always The Best Way To SuccessSo what is the best way to work on changing your habits? Should you make a goal?There are loads of books out there on habit change, and this topic is sure to come up more on another day, but in my experience changing a habit looks just a bit different than a goal. Let me give you an example of a goal that I set that would have been more effective if I had looked at changing my habits instead.Like many others, I have baby weight that I would like to lose.This summer I made a SMART goal to lose 15 lbs by the end of summer. If you aren’t familiar with the SMART model, the idea is to achieve your goals it should be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely.So let’s make my goal to lose 15 lbs a smart goal.Specific-Yes, it’s a specified number of lbsMeasurable-Yup, you can measure the number of lbsAttainable-As a dietitian, I know that weight loss at a rate of 1 lb per week is a reasonable and healthy goalRealistic-This one is questionable, I should have probably accounted more time for plateaus etc…but as stated earlier, a weight loss of 1 lb per week when making appropriate changes is fairly realisticTimely-Yup, I would complete my goal by the end of the summer.So let’s look at what actually happened. I made drastic lifestyle changes to make this goal happen including cutting out sugar almost entirely, increasing whole foods, decreasing carbs and overall calories.One week I got on the scale, and YAHOO, I’d lost 2 lbs!The next week however, I was up 3This pattern continued and at the end of 7-8 weeks I gave up, because suddenly my SMART goal was no longer attainable in the time allowed.This is why I think that goals are not always the best tool for the type of change we need to make.