Taking off the weight - What really works

Little Minnow (AKA Trek) now at 10 wks

With a masters degree in natural health and a love for all things healthy it is easy to give nutrition advice.  This time, however, after the birth of our fifth kiddo I find myself  14 pounds over my normal weight and needing to shed the weight myself.  So I am not only giving advice I am sharing what I am currently doing to help loose that weight myself.

I had our 5th child January 6th Trek Anderson Neeley.  I LOVE HIM TO PIECES!  He is so precious.  The one thing I do not love is the extra weight he left me with!  Now that he is a few months old I am working to take it all off.  I had 17 pounds to go when he was around 6-7 wks old.  I now have 14 lbs and am so glad it is not more!  One thing I noticed when searching the web for post natal weight loss ideas was that a lot of the tips were only helpful if you weren't already making healthy choices. Suggestions to give up soda and fast food although good ideas aren't that helpful if you already subscribe to a healthy lifestyle.  So if you haven't already start by eliminating the obvious junk like soda, candy, and processed foods.  Now if you are already past that I discovered there were not a lot of  new ideas really, just the same tried and true stuff that applies to all of healthy living.  So here is where I am at in the process and what I am doing to shed this weight as fast as possible!.

Make time for you!

The first thing I did to start that process was to get my sweet little minnow on a 2 1/2 to 3 hr feeding schedule so that I have the freedom to leave "little minnow" with daddy while I work out.  A bit of set aside time makes a big difference.  If you plan exercise ahead of time it will happen.  If you expect it to just happen it won't.

Drink to your health

I try to drink a lot of water and herbal tea and throw in some lemon to keep bloating at bay and detox the system.  I know you have all heard this a million times!  However keeping track of how much you drink a day and using a sports bottle with a straw really helps me.

Exercise

I joined a gym... That was a biggy for me as we don't have extra cash lying around with 5 kids, but it allows me to focus on working out and keeps me from having to stop every few minutes to help kiddos.  I try to go early before my husband leaves for work.  He is great about filling in for me that hour and gets the kids fed and going on their morning routine.  One thing that helps in that department is to have the kids know what is expected of them.  Every day is the same in that they all know to get dressed, make beds, and clean rooms up before breakfast.  Then they eat and do their chores (bathroom and dishes) before we start homeschool at 8 to 8:30.  So whether it is me or dad they can keep the morning moving along.

Find alternates to the gym that you can do if you can't get help with the kids. Here are a few I like..

SHAPE magazines Top 10 Moves to Tone Your Trouble Zones
Need to get rid of saddlebags, arm flab, or a muffin top? Use these moves to fight flab at home—and win!"

Workout at home with these workouts posted on my blog that don't require a gym or expensive equipment.

Work out with a video series like Turbo Jam, Insanity or P90X
Work out with free online workout videos from netflix, hulu, youtube, etc,,

Visit six sisters stuff a great blog for a complete list of 25 workouts you can just click on!  Thanks girls!
Grab your dumbells and throw a few reps in between commercials while you are watching TV at night.  Take the kids for a hike, push that huge stroller all over town, dance with the kids to pandora, or just set the timer for 30 minutes and do whatever exercises come to mind till it goes off.

Take advantage of FREE APPS that help you with free workouts, diet and exercise logs, motivate you or track your progress.  I like the free Nike Training Club app from itunes so far the best, but there is A LOT out there!

Photo from Total Beauty

Follow this link from Total Beauty for "12 apps that will make you skinny".  Great resource!

Exercise is a HUGE component to weight loss, and body shaping, but so is diet.  By diet I do not mean to go on one! Just adjust the quality of what you eat.  I follow these rules to keep me on track..

Try to skip as much as possible packaged pre-made foods. 

 When you do by packaged foods read labels.  All natural is a good start but even sugar can claim that so look a little deeper. Keep in mind if it is not organic and it is from a large company like kraft or gm the grains may be genetically modified since they are not required to label it as such.  So try to stick to organic.  I can't afford to do everything organic so I usually make a homemade version wherever possible

 Focus on what to eat not just what not to eat.  

I add extra veggies and beans to soups, casseroles, eggs, and most any dinner dish to up the nutrition, fiber and taste factor.  This is easier to do if you have a fridge stocked with veggies.  Right now I have cucumbers, carrots, beets, onions, garlic, celery, kale, spinach, mixed field greens, zucchini, mushrooms, and Tons of fruit in my fridge. That gives me and the kids a ton of snack options... I have lots of recipes here on this blog just check out this link to see the recipes from healthy egg rolls on the grill, homemade tortillas, to granola and other staples.  There are lots to be inspired by and they are all simple if I made them!

Go quality and eat those super foods!

I love adding quinoa, chia seeds, barley, nuts etc.. into snacks, muffins, smoothies, and meals to bump up the nutrition level.  I have a whole list of "newer" super foods on a previous post here "10 new super foods!"

Avoid white flour and white sugar

Choose whole grains and healthier sweeteners like stevia, xylitol, sucanat, and honey or date puree.  I have a whole article on all natural healthier sweeteners HERE at "The Sweet Stuff Line up" and it gives you the low down on chemical sweeteners as well. Stevia, xylitol, sucanat, and honey are all big hits at our house.  

Make it! don't buy it!

Lots of unwanted ingredients can easily be avoided by simply skipping the packaged version and making it yourself.  I make tortillas, ranch dressing mix , biscuit mix , pancake mix, tomato sauce, yogurt, granola bars, granola, humus, berry pancake syrup, smoothie packs for the freezer, Popsicles, frozen burritos, coconut milk ice cream, cough syrup, pizza sauce and crust, pumpkin spice lattes, you name it we make it!  You can find all these recipes HERE or search DIY kitchen at the side of the blog.  It saves a ton of money too!

Eat often and don't skip meals.

If you eat less you will weigh less right?  Well not exactly... You need to eat to fuel your nursing if you are a new mom, or to fuel your life and exercise.  Eat 6 small meals a day rather than 3 large ones with lots of snacks.  This keeps you full, helps you make better choices and keeps your blood sugar in check. 

Learn to cook!  It makes healthy eating so much yummier and creative!  

Eat fat and love it!

That is right... I said it...eat fat and like it!  The right fat that is.  You still want to skip that hydrogenated fat, but go for it with organic unrefined coconut oil.  Coconut oil is a delicious alternative to margarine and butter that you can bake and cook with.  We butter our toast with it and use it on everything.  It is so good for you I throw some in my smoothies!  Here is a longer explanation of all the health benefits of coconut oil and how to use it Here at an earlier post "One of nature's best healers! 20 NEW reasons to love coconut oil!  

Keep a food and exercise journal.

By keeping track of what you eat and when you get a real picture of your overall nutrition and can easily spot your weaknesses.  You can also spot when you tend to lapse in judgment and prep yourself for the next time.  I gotta say you think twice about that bite of chocolate cake if you are going to have to write it down.  Get a free printable fitness journal  from my blog  here fitness freebie -free printable fitness journal.

Rule out food intolerances.

Many people find gluten, wheat, dairy or other food intolerances to really hinder weightloss and their well being.  My digestion hasn't been good since baby arrived so I am avoiding lactose, and wheat for a while to see if I feel better and to get rid of the bloating.  These irritants often hamper weight loss as well.  Many people on gluten free diets have shown remarkable weight loss progress and great gains in their overall health.

Quit stressing about it!

I have to admit I struggle with this one.  Stress will slow your metabolism, increase the hormone cortisol which tells your body to retain weight around your belly, cause you to crave sweets, and  sabotage your efforts to make healthier choices.  So find an activity that helps you relax, take your B vitamins that stress depletes as well as your regular supplements, take a few deep breaths and find a few moments to thank the Lord for all the good in your life.  Gratitude melts stress, negativity and draws you closer to your creator.  

Loosing weight is a valid goal but try to relax and make choices that help you become healthier overall rather than choosing actions that lead to short term weight loss at the expense of your overall health.  

Enjoy who you are at any weight and remember you are so much more than the number on your scale!

Pumpkin, Pumpkin, Pumpkin! The best HEALTHY pumpkin recipes!

I know that last year I posted A LOT more health and fitness workouts, exercise tips, and the like, but being almost 7 months pregnant is not conducive to that.  So healthy recipes it is!  I just had 3 large carved pumpkins given to me to cook up so I am swimming in pumpkin puree.  I have roasted and pureed 2 of them filling about 7 large mason jars.  Some have been tucked into the freezer (with headroom in each jar so they don't burst of course), but now I can't wait to use them in some delicious, truly inspired healthy recipes.  Pumpkin lends itself to healthy recipes as it is a great substitute for half of the fat in baked goods with it's moisture and is packed full of vitamins, fiber, minerals and other nutrients.  But really aside from all that who doesn't love pumpkin in the fall!  Keep in mind that no matter how decadent these recipes look I only chose healthy recipes or recipes that with a few small tweaks would become healthy.  There is an over abundance of sugar and fat laden pumpkin recipes out there.  This is for those of us who want to eat healthy and LOVE it all at the same time.

Pumpkin Pie Baked Oatmeal

This yummy recipe comes from budget bytes a great healthy, budget friendly blog.  Sub out the refined sugar for 1/2 the amount of honey and you get rid of the refined sugar while keeping all the sweet goodness!

Pumpkin Chocolate Granola Bars

How beautiful are these bars!  To make them a little healthier just swap out the brown sugar for 1/4 cup honey and you are good to go.  See the recipe and a beautiful array of artistic photos of these bars at Pastry Affair
Sweet and Salty Roasted pumpkin seeds

You can find the recipe for this delicious and healthy treat from HERE from For the Love of Fiber.  What could be healthier?

Simple Crock Pot Apple Pumpkin Butter

This is a quick easy, HEALTHY, recipe from For the Love of Fiber is a perfect way to use your fresh pumpkin and apples this season!

A classic Pumpkin Nut Muffins

This recipe uses whole wheat, and to make them even healthier use fresh pumpkin, sub out the vegetable oil for coconut oil, and use 1/4 to 1/3 cup honey in place of the 3/4 cup raw sugar.  Find the whole recipe HERE at Skinny Taste.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Bars

These decadent looking treats are actually gluten free, vegan, and free of refined sugars!  Find the 

recipe HERE at Clean Green Simple


Healthy Pumpkin Pancakes

This Allrecipes favorite would be a perfect way to use some of your freshly harvested pumpkin!  To drop some of the sugar use apple or pumpkin butter in place of syrup or a dollop of plain yogurt sweetened with stevia on top like we do.  The full recipe found HERE at Allrecipes.

Pumpkin Pie Fudge

Who would believe you could have fudge and be making good food choices all at once!
This fudge is made with coconut oil for a healthy fat, and uses only 2 Tablespoons of maple syrup as the only sweetener.  Throw in the addition of a nutritious vegetable like pumpkin and you are guilt free! Recipe found HERE at Unwheated.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

I know it says butternut squash, but sub in a pumpkin for a similar flavor.  I LOVE this recipe from my William Sonoma "Soup" cookbook.  It is the whole reason I got the cookbook!  I had the soup at a relatives and could not get enough of it.  I think the secret is the large amount of garlic that is roasted to a sweet mellow flavor and the delicious leeks.  Truly healthy and I am looking forward to making this again but with my large supply of pumpkin! I found the whole recipe Here at Indulge and Enjoy. So you can do just that!

Now I tried (for hours!!) to find just the right pumpkin cinnamon roll recipe to share with you guys. Something perfectly delicious, made with whole wheat, coconut oil, and honey or other unrefined sugar, however it was a bust.  Everything I found was loaded with white flour sugar and fat or  vegan or gluten free or yeast free.  I didn't want something hard and healthy that had no resemblance to a true cinnamon roll so I will have to create my own version.  I am getting a bosch mixer and grain mill tomorrow (SQUEAL OF DELIGHT!!!) that my mom picked up for me out of town from a craigslist ad, and I can't wait to get started on the challenge!  YUMMY!! Have any ideas for your favorite healthy delicious ways of using pumpkin?  Share it in the comments!

What To Do With 6 Gallons of Ready To Expire Milk

I know this is a crazy dilemma but some of you money saving mamas out there must have run into something similar.  Here is how it happened to me...
I answer the phone and a friend says she has some extra milk from the soup kitchen and would I like some.  I say "sure!".  I get off the phone assuming I have an extra gallon of milk.  In actuality she shows up with her husband behind her carrying a CASE, yes a case of milk.  Six gallons of milk packed into a milk crate soon made their way to my table.  I was grateful for the thought so I smiled and thanked them as they walked out the door.  After they had I left I stared at my table for a while... I use almond milk, and at my house we don't drink milk we just use it in cereal for the hubby and sometimes the kids.  I love free food though as our grocery budget is a tight one with 6 people. What was I going to do with 6 gallons of milk that by the expiration date were supposed to be drunk in the next few days!!

A friend just stopped by as I was writing this post.  Perfect I sent her home with 2 gallons!  That just leaves 4!  Now if you have a large enough freezer you could just freeze them all.  Some people complain that fat free milk separates a little after being frozen.  You can shake the milk as it is freezing every 30 - 60 minutes to try to stop that from happening.  I never have a problem with 2% or higher fat milks separating.

As far as the freezer goes though it doesn't work for me at the moment because I have been processing apples from a friends tree and have filled it with several bags of apple pie filling.  So I could only cram in 2 gallons after much rearranging.  With two in the freezer that leaves 2 to use up.  I am thinking a creamy soup like chowder for the majority of one gallon.  Since we are a family of 6 we always make a double batch of soup.  The other gallon is in my crock pot making Homemade thick and creamy yogurt.

Ok it is 1% milk so it will not be as thick as the yogurt I usually make, however it will be yummy drinkable yogurt for the kids, and handy for making Ranch Dressing from Scratch (recipe here), used as buttermilk in pancakes

( I LOVE the healthy delicious Oatmeal Pancakes we make) and other baked goods.  You can make a huge batch of pancakes if you have time to cook them all up and then freeze them for an easy breakfast.

I also will use some in place of half of the fat in homemade biscuits or scones .

 I also use yogurt as a great addition to my smoothies (my recipe here) (my recipe here) to add some tanginess and a protein boost.  Anytime you have ready to expire milk on hand it is a great idea to make yogurt because the fermentation process extends the life by at least 2 weeks or so.

Need a  few other ideas to use ready to expire milk?  How about making rice pudding, cooked pudding, baked oatmeal to eat and one to freeze, quiche, cream of whatever soup from scratch to use in recipes ( you can freeze it), or bread pudding like my delicious pumpkin bread pudding recipe!  Making flan would be a good use as well of any extra milk.  How do you use extra milk when you find it on super sale at the store or have some that needs used up soon?

Healthy Baking Substitutes

Just wanted to share these healthy baking tips I found from Picklee .  Coming into baking season soon with fall approaching!


Be sure to check out her great post to see exactly how to make the substitute and what foods they work best in. 

 The measurements are not cup for cup always and there are some baked goods that work better than others.  Just thought you healthy eaters out there would appreciate this!  I have used most of these substitutes but the avocado and the black beans are new ones to me!  Looking forward to trying them out!  For more on sugar substitutes be sure to see my past post The Sweet Stuff Line Up!

Crispy Healthy Egg Rolls On The Grill!

I was craving egg rolls, but not the greasy, pork filled kind you can buy.  I wanted a lighter egg roll with a little ground turkey, and tons of vegetables.  So I thought I would make my own.  But I wanted them crispy but not fried and I definitely did not want to turn on my oven while it was 95 degrees outside!  My husband suggested it might be possible to grill them .  It worked beautifully!  

Crispy Healthy Egg Rolls

Ingredients

2 cups cabbage ( about 1 small head)

2 medium carrots

3 green onions

1/2 lb organic ground turkey

( you can omit this and add some mushrooms in it's place if you want them vegetarian)

2-3 cloves of garlic

1 inch piece of ginger peeled and chopped fine

!/4 cup soy sauce

1/2 Tablespoon of cornstarch

1 pkg egg roll wrappers

olive oil

Directions

Prep all your veggies quickly and easily by throwing it all in the food processor and pulsing it till everything i chopped to your liking.  I usually cut the cabbage in smaller wedges and the carrots into a few chunks to break it down to keep from having large chunks left. Saute your turkey and crumble it up with a spatula while cooking.  Now drain the fat and set it aside.  Throw all the veggies into a pan to saute in a small Tbl of olive oil.  While they are cooking mix the soy sauce with the cornstarch to get it to coat the veggies nicely.  Now toss it into the cooking veggies.  Once the veggies are cooked turn off the stove and add in the turkey and mix up.  Important to note that you need to let the mixture cool down before you start rolling the egg rolls.  I failed to do this and mine split in a few places where the hot filling weakened the wrapper.

 Fill the egg rolls with a few tablespoons of  filling and start rolling.

You can follow the guide on the back of the egg roll package for rolling directions.

Now you start rolling.

I lay them on a cookie sheet as I roll so I can easily transport them to the grill and so they are not touching as they will stick together if they are.

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Oil the tops lightly with a pastry brush

Now place them oiled side down and lightly oil the unoiled side.

Just grill a few minutes and when it looks golden and crispy flip them!

You will be rewarded with a batch of crispy delicious egg rolls that have only a fraction of the calories that restaurant ones have!  Let me know if you try it!  They were a big hit.  We scarfed them all up in no time flat!

All Natural, DELICIOUS Watermelon Lime Sorbet with No Added Sugar!

I was at Trader Joe's while visiting my sister in Santa Fe and saw these beautiful watermelons for $3.50!! Half the cost of what they are where I live.  So I decided to make a delicious, refreshing, TOTALLY HEALTHY watermelon lime sorbet.

You can make it with an ice cream maker or without!  The recipe is very simple.

Watermelon Lime sorbet

Photo courtesy of Rachel Ray

My version is sweet, light, refreshing, and oh so delicious as well as being completely healthy! 

8 cups of cubed watermelon

1/3 cup fresh lime juice

1 tsp powdered stevia 

Now you can make this two ways.  The first way does not require an ice cream maker. For this method simply place the watermelon chunks on a cookie sheet and freeze.  While that is freezing mix your stevia into your lime juice.  Once the watermelon is frozen throw it and the lime juice stevia mix into the food processor .   Since the fruit is frozen it will blend all nicely and stay a nice sorbet consistency with out the need of the ice cream maker.

 If you want to use the ice cream maker throw all the ingredients into a processor or blender and then into the ice cream maker.  If you have a room temperature watermelon you may have trouble getting your ice cream maker to freeze it all the way past a slush.  So start with cold or slightly frozen watermelon.  If you choose to use a warmer melon you may just need to throw it into the freezer for the last bit.  If you are serving it right away keep an eye on it that it doesn't freeze too hard!  If you are serving it later you will need to pull it (if frozen hard) out of the freezer early to let it warm to a better consistency and shave with a fork before serving.

My regular sized watermelon (not personal size and not huge) made two batches in the ice cream maker and left me a batch and a half of watermelon lime mixture for popsicles!  The kids loved it both ways and I felt great giving it to them!  I have really tried to keep my kids sugar intake limited and this is a fun way of doing it so they don't feel deprived.  In fact the neighbor boys scarfed them down as well and didn't even notice the lack of added sugar!  Let me know how it goes.

P.S. If you are looking for some other sorbet, smoothie and popsicle recipes check out these posts I did earlier with TONS of recipes that will refresh on a hot day, satisfy a sweet tooth and keep you looking great in a swimsuit!

Refreshing Mango Strawberry Lime Salad

Green Smoothie Guide. 

Cool Summer Treats that Cure the Urge to Splurge! 

All Natural No added sugar Mango Sorbet

Refreshing & Delicious Strawberry Mango Lime fruit salad!

I know that this is not a very complicated fruit salad, but the taste combinatioin is incredible.  So I had to share it!  I just went to Sams's club and they had great deals on the mangoes, the strawberries and the limes.  So to fend off a late night dessert attack last night I made this.

It was so delicious!! All you need is a handful of strawberries, a lime ( or just a wedge or two), and a champagne mango.

 I know some people are not familiar with the best way to cut a mango so I demonstrated it here.  It makes it much easier.  You simple cut off the two sides of the mango, leaving the slice with the seed as thin as possible.  Then as pictured below you score the mango first lengthwise and then width wise.

 When you are done you should be able to pop it inside out and have little chunks ready to go.  You can see that I cut a little too deep as you should not cut through the skin at all.  This is how we cut mango when we just eat the mango off the skin.  We drizzle with fresh lime and eat the chunks right off.

For the salad you follow the steps above to cut the mango then flick the chunks off with you thumb nail into the bowl.  Slice up your strawberries however you like and squeeze your lime wedges over the top.  That is it! Just stir it up and enjoy!

Simple, healthy and INCREDIBLY tasty!

Delicious Quick and Healthy Broccoli Salad

I love a good broccoli salad with crunchy nuts, crisp broccoli, and a hint of sweetness in the dressing.  Unfortunately most of them are doused in mayonnaise, sprinkled with bacon and coated in sugar.  Neither mayo, bacon, nor sugar are things I want to be eating much of so I created my own version after looking at a lot of different recipes..

photo courtesy of all recipes  

Broccoli Salad

1 head of fresh broccoli (1 1/2 lbs.)

1 small red onion thinly sliced

1/2  cup raisins (grapes would be a good substitute)

1/2 cup toasted walnuts, sunflower seeds or any other nut

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1 Tbs white whine vinegar

1 tsp sugar

10 Healthy Make Ahead Snacks TO GO & the Snack Station!

This time of year there is so much going on that it is harder to make something healthy every time you or one of the kiddos is hungry.   I am finding we don't have much to eat on the go sometimes when we are busy because I won't buy processed crackers, cookies, granola bars etc... and I don't have time to make it right then.  It is also so much more economical to make snacks yourself as opposed to buying them, ans so much healthier as we all know.  I am trying to stock my fridge and pantry with healthy ready to go snack foods that we can grab before a trip to the park or the kids can grab for themselves while I am busy with one of the other 4 kiddos.  I like the idea of prepackaging my own healthy foods, because it is so helpful to have something to grab.  I I  have started trying to have one food chore day a week where I prep snacks, granola, dips etc so we are ready for the week. Here is what I have come up with for myself so we can eat well no matter how busy we are.

Hard boiled eggs 

Photo from fotostock

I know it is simple but farm fresh eggs are a great snack for the kids. It is easy to boil up a whole pot full at a time and store right back in their original egg carton marked "hard boiled eggs".  They are full of protein and taste great as well as being conveniently in their own packaging!  To make them put uncooked eggs in a pot of cold water.  Now add a tsp of baking powder and salt to make them easy to peel.  Bring the pot to a boil for about 1 minute, then take them off the heat and let them sit 10-12 minutes.

Celery filled with peanut butter

Photo from fotostock

Who doesn't like this classic snack.  I like that I can make a whole plateful to keep in the fridge and have them ready to go for hungry kiddos.  Do not plan on stacking them as that just gets too messy.  A single layer works best.  Some like the addition of raisins.  We get plenty of sugar elsewhere so we skip that part.

Fruit Skewers

Photo from fotostock

These are great fresh or frozen!  Just skewer grapes, strawberries, all kinds of melons, kiwi, mint leaves, bananas, apple and orange chunks or whatever you have on hand.  Then store in the fridge or freezer.  These are great with or without yogurt dip.  For the yogurt just sweeten plain yogurt with honey or stevia and dip.  They make a great Popsicle alternative with tons more fiber and all around nutrition!

Homemade yogurt

Photo from fotostock

I have a great recipe for homemade organic thick and creamy yogurt that you make in the crock pot.  I use my large crockpot and make a gallon at a time!  If you sweeten half of what you make with stevia or honey you can keep it in your fridge in ready to go jars.  Then when you need a quick snack it is already sweetened, served, and easy enough for kids to get for themselves.  I love a handful of homemade granola (recipe here) mixed into this.

Homemade granola bars

Photo from Whole Foods market

These are easy, yummy, healthy and great to throw in a bag and go.  Just wrap each one individually in cellophane and when you need it you are ready.  You can find several recipes HERE.

Ready to go veggie cups with homemade ranch or hummus

Photo from Pinterest no credit

I make my own ranch (recipe here) and humus (recipes here).  Just portion some out into small reusable plastic cups and add the long strips of cut up veggies.  Now just grab and go!  Make a weeks worth for your family and you will find it so much easier to be getting all your veggies in!

Frozen Homemade Burritos
(Bean or Breakfast)

Recipe and photo from Talia Christine's blog You can make these ahead of time with my homemade whole wheat tortilla recipe.  To store them wrap them in cellophane and store in an airtight container in the freezer. You can also change up the filling and use eggs, cheese and soy sausage for breakfast burritos too.   When you want one just reheat.

Homemade Snack Bags

Photo from Joy Bauer

We mix cheerios, or other whole grain cereal, almonds, sunflower seeds, chopped up apricots (less sugar than other dried fruit), whole grain crackers or pretzels, and mix it all up.  You can make these ahead of time and package in the snack size zip lock bags so you have a ready made snack. 

Yogurt pops

Find the recipe from these pops at the Gracious Pantry

Use your popsicle molds for yogurt pops.  Use plain unsweetened yogurt and add your own natural sweeteners like stevia or xyilitol etc (Still not sure what to use?  See my previous post on natural sweeteners here.)  then add frozen fruit chunks or puree it all in the blender.  For the blended option throw yogurt and fruit or fruits of choice in the blender with a small amount of juice.  Just enough juice to make the blending easier and then pour into molds. For more healthy "popsicle style" treat recipes look HERE.

Brewers Yeast Popcorn in snack bags 

photo from 123rf stock photos

.Pop up some popcorn on your stove with a little olive oil, then thow on some brewers yeast ans sea salt before throwing into small zipper seal snack bags ready to grab for the week.  The brewers yeast adds a parmesiany flavor and a ton of B vitamins.  The popcorn stays nice and crisp for days.

The Snack Station

For me the whole point of this was to find snacks that my kids could help themselves to (besides fruit), and snacks that I could grab and head to the park with.  Enter the "snack station".  I will be making one for the fridge and one for pantry items that do not need refrigeration.  That way if I am busy with homeschool, or something else they can help themselves to mommy approved choices.  

Photo from Stuff I like

What are your healthy ideas for homemade snacks to go?