olive oil

I have a four year-old and a two year-old and while eating isn’t without it’s challenges, we have a schedule and some ground rules. These are my tried and true six ways to get kids to eat healthy food. “You’re so lucky your kids are good eaters.” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard that in my four years of parenting. The truth is, it’s not luck. It’s years of thoughtful, mindful decisions surrounding food choices for our family. I realize it’s not this easy for everyone, particularly marginalized moms, moms who are on WIC, moms of color and moms who live in food deserts. But for the average mom, which most people reading this blog are, here are six ways to get kids to eat healthy food. One snack a day. Our kids are snacked out. They get snacks at school, at activities and seemingly between breakfast,…

These Brussels sprout breakfast potatoes were something I tossed together out of the remnants of my fridge…and there were EFFING AMAZING. I’m really not into food waste. Like, it bothers me. It’s horrible for the earth. It costs us more money. It’s not sustainable. The list goes on. So last Thursday when I had next to nothing in my fridge (I grocery shop on Fridays) and I came across a half empty back of shredded Brussels…I had to get creative. I don’t love sauteed Brussels. I didn’t want eat straight up Brussels and eggs. But I do love breakfast potatoes. And crispy Brussels are DELICIOUS. So you combine the two, wam bam boom. Perfect breakfast side. Served with two or three runny eggs? Perfect breakfast. Health benefits of Brussels sprout breakfast potatoes: cruciferous veggies are anticarcinogenic cooked and cooled potatoes are a resistant starch, meaning they feed beneficial bacteria in…

I randomly made these chicken & refried bean tostadas and now I will not eat anything else because they’re so. damn. good. I grocery shop every Friday. I make a rough meal plan, then make a grocery list based off the ingredients I’ll need to make those meals. Prior to doing this, I check and see what’s on sale at Whole Foods so I don’t end up spending seven hundred dollars on groceries. And it turns out that A Dozen Cousins beans were on sale. I also discovered that you can purchase these beans at a discount on Amazon (here). And here’s the thing: this post is NOT sponsored. I am certain A Dozen Cousins have no idea who I am. But I know who they are, because as it turns out, their beans are FREAKING AMAZING. But a little backstory. I went pretty strict paleo/Weston A. Price back in…

This crockpot beef & veggie greek stew is so easy, delicious and healthy. It’s also keto, paleo and gluten-free! I like crockpot meals. They make my life easier. I can throw a bunch of stuff in a pot and take my kids to the park and come home a few hours later and BAM. Dinner is ready. Usually I “forget” a snack and my kids are so hungry they eat it. By forget I mean I don’t bring snacks so that I don’t have any when my kids ask for some. It’s okay for kids to get hungry. It’s good for their digestion and for the amount of food they eat, aprticularly as designated meal times. I’m not against snacks, but I AM against snacking all damn day, which seems to be the norm with kids these days. My son has breakfast at 8am, goes to school, has a snack…

This gluten-free Greek quinoa is delicious, easy to make, healthy and perfect for meal prep! I have been very, very into quinoa lately. Which is interesting, because it’s not really something I ever eat. I always have some in my pantry, but I make it maybe once or twice a year. But these last few weeks I’ve just been really wanting some damn quinoa. And you know the thing about cravings? It’s often your body’s way of telling you what it needs. Don’t get me wrong, if you’re really craving a chocolate cake or you crave sweets all day long, that’s a good indication you have some sort of gut dysfunction or gut dysbiosis (high levels of bad bacteria, low levels of good bacteria). But if you’re craving salt, fish, greens, nuts, even dark chocolate – it’s a good indication that your body needs something in that particular food. So…

This meal prep chicken & veggie salad was SO delicious and ready in under five minutes thanks to a lil’ Sunday prep! On Sunday, I clean. I make food for the week. I plan the next five days out so that I’m organized. And you guys. It makes a HUGE difference in my stress, happiness and overall quality of life. I know what I need to get done and when to do it. I know that I’m not going to be rushing every morning to make lunch for my son’s pre-k. I know that I don’t have to take time each day to make a ton of food. I know that I’m saving money by not eating out. And it f*cking rules. It makes my life SO much easier. This week I made a bunch of veggies and proteins and then I’ve ended up throwing them in a bowl each…

What can I say? This gluten-free veggie shakshuka was everything I’d hoped it would be: freaking delicious, beautiful, full of delicious veggies and healthy protein and topped with fresh herbs and cheese. Name a better breakfast. You CAN’T. Seriously you guys, this was so good. I love waking up and making a healthy, delicious and filling breakfast. I feel like this is a breakfast I would make if I were living in the Italian or French countryside, growing my own veggies and raising chickens. It just feels fancy and European and it’s so delicious. I actually have no idea what I’m talking about, seeing as I’ve never been to the Italian or French countryside. But like, doesn’t it just seems like that kind of breakfast?? Health benefits of this recipe: rich in protein – each person gets three eggs which is nearly 20 grams of useable, healthy proteineggs are incredibly…

I really love the flavors of rosemary honey dijon chicken and I meal prepped this for easy proteins throughout the week! I’m alllll about some meal prep. Saves me time. Saves me money. Reduces stress. I’m never scrambling to figure out what to eat throughout the week, I never stress about what to pack in my four year-old’s school lunch. My meal prep menu this week included: this rosemary honey dijon chicken (if that was not obvious)steamed broccoliroasted balsamic brussels sprouts (toss in olive oil and balsamic glaze, roast on 415 for 15-20)buttered carrots (peel, chop, boil, drain, toss in butter) sweet potato rounds (peel, slice, boil) chimichurri (one bunch of parsley, one bunch of garlic, a bunch of green onions, lots of olive oil and some red wine vinegar – blend until smooth) Tips: I grilled this recipe, which is SO quick and easy and requires next to no…

This paleo huevos rancheros recipe is surprisingly easy, quick, healthy, gluten-free, keto and low fodmap! I love food. It’s as simple as that. I saw a popular Instagrammer post a plain salad with chicken and talk about how she just loves boring meals (no shame, good for her) and while that’s cool – it ain’t me. I don’t like boring food. I want variety, I want flavor, I want spices and depth and deliciousness. And I want it to be healthy. That’s how I came up with this huevos rancheros recipe! It’s not a traditional recipe and I’m sure any native Central American would make a better version, this is how I made it. And honestly, it was pretty damn good. Health benefits of paleo huevos rancheros: 20 grams of protein, mostly from the eggsrich in choline from the egg yolksloaded with antioxidants from the tomatoes, bell pepper and avocadorich…