Tag: healthy snacks

Recipes, running, Uncategorized

Healthy snacking

Movin' it with Michelle

 

I was recently inspired by a healthy snacking social project put on by Nuts.com, so I wanted to share some of my favorites. There are also some GREAT ideas on this healthy snacking page that touch on all walks of life.  Vegans, kids, high protein and quick snacks for work are just a few examples.

So I thought I’d share a few of my own favorites.  First of which is my spicy chickpeas. These yummy morsels are packed full of protein, and you can easily snack on the go.  Another quick “on the go” snack for me is, roasted pumpkin seeds. You can make your own with my recipe or buy store bought.  They are high in protein, dietary fibers and micronutrients.

 

Pumpkin seeds, YUM!
Spicy roasted chick peas!

 

I’m a huge fan of roasted nuts of all kinds, really.  These protein packs from Target are also something I love to have in the fridge because they are a wiser alternative to chips or pretzels. While I am not a big dairy eater, I do find these don’t upset my stomach.

oscar-mayer-p3-portable-protein-packs

Eggs…eggs, and MORE eggs.  I hard boil a dozen or so on the weekends, and portion them out into baggies.  Often times I’ll ditch the yolks, but sometimes I just eat the entire egg in 2-3 bites, LOL!!

8-30eggs
Yup, that’s just for my work week. I eat at least 2 egg whites every day.

Fresh fruits and veggies are another go-to that I portion out so that I can easily grab and go!!!

8-30foodprep

Tonight I’ll admit, I wasn’t feeling so hot.  I could’ve just hunkered down on the couch and felt sorry for myself.  So instead, I whipped up a batch of my famous Chicken soup and did a quick Pilates core workout.  Never miss a Monday, Right?!

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What are you favorite healthy snacks?  Do you try and meal prep in advance to help avoid temptation?

Hope you all have an amazing week!!!!

Cheers!

Michelle

 

 

marathon training, Recipes

Refocusing and a recipe

Movin' it with Michelle

So wow…I haven’t blogged in a week.  My goal of 2-3 times of posting per week was shot last week.  And I’m totally ok with that.

Why?

Well, because I’ve realized I’ve spent far too much time engulfed in the virtual world that I lost site of what matters most.  What’s that?  Why family of course.  MY family.  ❤

So with that, I’ve spent more time reaching out, hanging out, and hugging my kids just a little tighter.  Most nights we are wrapped up in blankets on the couch watching previous episodes of “Once upon a time” on Netflix…TOGETHER.  And it wasn’t always this way.  Before my daughter’s accident, more times than not we would all go our separate ways after dinner.  But now, we nearly rush to spend our evenings together most nights.

My training is also back on track, and I managed to log 26 miles last week, which is a distance PB for 2015.  I had my 15 miler on Saturday, and it mentally jarred me, briefly…I had forgotten how hard a long run can be, especially when your only distraction is YOU.  No one to talk the miles away with, just you, and the road.  My first few miles truly SUCKED.  No pretty way around it, but I kept going.  I’d stop to stretch every few miles, and at miles 6 and 11 I fueled with my Chia HUMA gels. Just when I wanted to quit, I looked back on my first marathon and how hard it was and how badly I wanted to quit.  But I had my awesome sister with me, cheering me on every step and I could hear her voice in my head as I plugged along the middle of my run.  Mile 11 I started to really fade as I had run out of Nuun and the temps were getting REALLY warm for how I was dressed.  (It was 38 degrees when I started and finished up at a balmy 61 degrees). Then Andrea, Carolyn and my hubby shot me texts and suddenly the spring came back to my step and I took off.  15 miles?  DONE.  And with the help of 7 cardinals, 2 blue birds, and countless squirrels and chipmunks that cheered me on for 2 1/2 hours, LOL!

Mentally one of my toughest runs this year.
Mentally one of my toughest runs this year.

We booked our family vacation for the summer today, and I am SOOOOO excited.  We are headed to Marco Island, Florida for 5 glorious days.  We haven’t had a real vacation (we like our Chicago/Michigan staycations, though!) in 3 years, so this is long overdue.

So today I spent the afternoon meal prepping and making healthy snacks. (Gotta get beach body ready! lol) I made Kale chips (not sure how I feel about them, yet lol) and spicy chickpeas to keep handy.  Here’s the chickpea recipe:

Spicy Chickpeas

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Rinse and dry two large cans of chickpeas

Place the chickpeas in a large bowl, and add the following seasonings:

1 teaspoon Tumeric

1 teaspoon Garlic powder

1 teaspoon Cumin

1 teaspoon smoked Paprika

Kosher salt

Toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and place on a cookie sheet.  Bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour and 20 minutes, tossing every 20 minutes.  YUM!

YUM!
YUM!

How was your week?  Do you take regular vacations? What’s your favorite healthy snack?  Have a great week, y’all!

❤ Michelle