Diet Adjustment

Whoa! OK, so scheduling posts is a great idea in theory, but when life gets away from you... you end up with posts (like this one) that have a title and no text. :D Oh, well. Fixing that now. Apologies if you showed up earlier to a whole bunch of nothing! :)

I'll keep this short and sweet. I've dieted for a million years, it seems like. You name it, I've done it. This year, I'm really trying to keep it real with a long-term plan in mind. Right about the time I was getting sick of the stuff I've been packing (and paying for the Vemma products), I learned about Trim Healthy Mama from a friend. I borrowed the book, skimmed through it, and found that it is just what I'm needing for this season of my life. So, book on order, THM food purchased and in the pantry/fridge... recipes pinned on Pinterest.

I think Trim Healthy Mama is a great blend of three different ways of eating that I've tried over time- Paleo, Atkins, and Vemma Bode. The important things to me are that THM focuses on:

• Macronutrient partitioning (pair your protein with either fat OR carb... not both until you are at goal weight). 
• Nutrient density (great focus on healthy fats like coconut oil, grassfed meats, etc.)
• Flexibility (no set plan for the day- you can switch between meal types on any given day)
• Grace (they use stevia, dairy, and a lot of other items that the paleo world frowns on, but make things more livable- I need a very gray-based diet... black and white sends me to crazyville).

That's that. As with any plan, there are lovers and haters out there. Particularly because this was written by Christian women and has some 'controversial' content in it beyond just the diet part. Regardless, I'm taking what I can and leaving the rest. This is all very packable too, so I'll be adapting my weekly bento fest. 

Anyone else adjusting their eating plan? 

Visit Trim Healthy Mamas's profile on Pinterest.

Related articles

• Bento Break
• Not One Way: My Way is Not Your Way
• Plan B: Bravo Month
• Vemma Bode Bento (Week 4)

Bento Break

It's Spring Break here in my part of the world! And I'm experimenting.... as much as I believe in the whole bento thing, I'm taking the week off. I'm pretty much home this week anyhow so this is a good opportunity to see what happens when I'm not all pre-packed and ready to go.

I also have been struggling with some tummy issues (yay for DGL... magic pills for gastritis, I tell you), and have been avoiding food because I wasn't sure what exactly was causing the upset. So, I have 8 boxes sitting in my fridge that I need to dump and put in the dishtub for the dish boy to clean. He's going to LOVE me. I can only imagine the commentary this evening...

Thus, no packed meals this week. No post. Just an acknowledgement that sometimes we all need to take a break- from whatever is working for you- in order for it to keep working in the future.

Oh, and I just read Trim Healthy Mama and I'm excited to incorporate some of those recipes into my current way of eating. The meals are very similar, but THM has more leeway and more interesting recipes than what I've been doing. I'd love to eventually quit paying for the Vemma products, but they are working for now so I will continue.

Are you taking a break from something? 

Related articles

• Eating on Autopilot
• Vemma Bode Bento (Week 1)
• Vemma Bode Bento (Week 2)
• Vemma Bode Bento (Week 3)
• Vemma Bode Bento (Week 4)
• Bento on a Budget
• Not One Way: My Way is Not Your Way

Vemma Bode Bento (Week 4)

This week, I had to force myself to make food. I wish I understood why I tend to avoid doing things that I know need to get done... and that I know are best for me. It wasn't a big deal once I got in the kitchen (after one false start at lunchtime when my family all converged to eat and mess up my prep space... so I vacated). I just put on an episode of Freaks and Geeks and got to work. I  also ran out of some my Vemma Bode Burn towards the end of the week, and I didn't realize how much I had come to rely on the stuff. It's a way I can easily get some protein down in the afternoon consistently.

burn & cheese 

burn & pistachios

burn & sesame chips

burn & olives

ham & cream cheese

cottage cheese & pb

chicken & bbq sauce

blackened salmon

chocolate

vanilla

turkey mcmuffin

sparkling water

Snacks for the Family

Obviously, a big theme of my life is learning to take care of myself in the midst of family life. I chose them, I love them, and I wouldn't change them.  However, I am finding that having snacks ready to go is a huge plus during this season of my life. Now, I've figured out my meal packing and family dinner preparation, but one area I was still struggling was snack food. We have bins of veggies, fruits, and dairy (yogurt/cheese sticks) in the fridge. But I was buying a lot of snack food- granola bars, etc.- that add up very quickly. Part of the problem is that kids were grabbing those things because they were easy, rather than eating dinner or heating up leftovers. And there are times were I need to yell at them- "Grab your water bottle and a snack and GET IN THE CAR!" (Not that I ever yell. Ever. <eye roll>)

I needed to portion out the snack stuff I brought into the house. Magic! All of the sudden, kids were not eating mass quantities of the convenience stuff. Now, I'm not sure what happened, other than they are aware they have a limited quantity and therefore are being smarter with their choices, but it's working. 

Basically, I just used the same awesome candy jars my mom bought for me (family holiday tradition thanks to my grandmother). Instead of putting all the granola bars in one bin, all the fruit snacks in another, jerky in another, etc., we parcel them out by person.

Here's how it works:

• Kids unload car. 
• We stack like items together on the counter. 
• We divide up the items based on likes/dislikes.
• We put items in the jars. 
• Dad gets a plastic bin to take up to work.
• Kids eat out of their own candy jar. 
• If they dislike something, they can trade with a sibling for another item.

Love it. Not my problem anymore! And our budget is going further as well... (I still don't understand the mechanism here, but it suspect it has to do with greed and territorialism.... I'm kidding... sort of.)

Lots of junk in these jars, but mostly healthy-ish stuff from a discount grocer nearby.... kids picked Buddy Fruits, Funky Monkey fruit snacks, veggie chips, beef jerky, some candy, etc. I scored some Perfect Fit cookies (protein), olives, and nuts. I actually find I need to reapportion my bin during the week to share with the kids because I'm just not getting through them... which is good, but also nice to have some quick options to grab if I get behind on my eating plan.

And I'm having fun playing with Canva and Zemata to help with my blogging. Neat tools I learned about from other A to Z bloggers by visiting their blogs!

Related articles

• Food for the Family
• Vemma Bode Bento (Week 2)
• Friday Food Fest (Episode 1)
• Bento on a Budget
• Not One Way: My Way is Not Your Way

Food for the Family

One of the things I have been working through is how to get my family fed in the evenings. Sure, I'm good. I have my meals for the day packed. And I eat on a schedule that doesn't always work with eating together in the evenings (especially if half of us aren't at home or we wait for dad to arrive from work).

Now, the family food is cooked and in the fridge/freezer/pantry, but it seems to be a task of gargantuan proportions for the rest of the family to get the food out, heat it, and eat it. I tried making sure there was a 'menu' list on the fridge. Didn't work at all. Last night, several parties that shall remain nameless chose to eat Hot Pockets rather than the pre-made food. Another party chose to not eat and woke up at midnight starving and had to brave unknown creepy things and sounds to sneak into the kitchen, nab some food, and run back to the bedroom before the zombies could attack.

I give. My priority right now is my own health and well-being. I have made things available to my family, but obviously that is still too hard for them. I cannot be everything to them, and with our schedule the will have to make some choices to step it up. However, I will feel guilty and eventually quit caring for myself or opt to take on their stuff if I can't make this sustainable for them.

Here is the new plan... bins in the outside fridge with all the fixings. This accomplishes several things:

1. No one can say they forgot what was for dinner. Grab the freaking "Tuesday" bin and eat what is inside it.
2. My inside fridge actually will have some space for leftovers and snacks now, in spite of my huge shelf of pre-packed meals. 

chili and spinach salad

pork chops, fried potatoes, asparagus

The bins are the Mainstays Large Storage Basket from Walmart. ($3.49) They are cheap and big enough to fit a 9x13 dish (needs to be set on top of something in the bottom or tilted a bit). I purchased four- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. Friday is pizza night. Saturdays and Sundays are leftovers, snack foods, and sandwiches/frozen items. I'll be adding 4x6 cards with directions, so that anyone in my house can prepare the dinner. I'm not sure what the new 'rule' will be, but I know it will be that you have to eat what is in that night's bin.... no grabbing yourself a corn dog or some other junk because you don't want to fix it. I think I'll leave it to them to figure out... the rule may be that he who is hungry first is responsible for rounding up the rest of the family to cook together. 

I'll let you know how it goes in a few weeks. I'm taking down the list that has been ignored. (Note that things keep getting crossed off, but magically are never eaten. It's like the oil and flour that never run out... except the family is still hungry.)

Bento on a Budget

I'm a big fan of the whole bento box thing. I think it makes lunches more fun for all ages. When I started researching this, I found many options for boxes- including some amazing ones from PlanetBox that are very cool. (If you are a night-before/morning-of lunch packer, your kiddo may like on of these.) However, they are very cost prohibitive for a family of 6.

ziploc divided, ziploc short round, glad mini-round

toothpicks, silicone baking cups, mini-dippers, salt shaker

easy lunchboxes coolers and slim ice packs

sharpie

I was looking for something I could pack in advance, so I knew I needed 20-30 boxes at any given time. I also wanted other 'support' lunch supplies. Here is what we use to keep our 'bento on a budget'.

• Ziploc Divided Container Rectangle (~$3 for a 2-pack at most regular stores)
• Easy Lunchboxes mini-dippers ($8 for 8)
• Easy Lunchboxes cooler ($8)
• Fit & Fresh Slim Ice Packs ($8 for 4)
• Wilton Silicone Muffin Cups ($8 for 12)
• Coleman Salt & Pepper Shaker ($1.27 at Walmart.com)
• Light My Fire Spork ($10 for 4)
• Ziploc Short Round ($4 for 5)
• Glad Mini-round ($4 for 8)
• Colorful toothpicks (~$2 at most stores)
• Seasonal napkins (varies)
• Seasonal toothpicks (varies)
• Seasonal muffin cups (varies)
• Printable lunch notes (free- see my bento on a budget board below)
• Black sharpie (wipes off the lunch containers with a tiny bit of oil- oily fingers work!)

There ya go... the least expensive route I could find to pack tons of these little guys. I'm really thankful that I can just pick up another bento when my son crushes one to death in his backpack. For more interesting ideas, you can follow my "Bento on a Budget" Pinterest Board below.

Do you know of any inexpensive tools I should put in my lunchkits? 

Follow Julie Cunningham's board Bento on a Budget on Pinterest.

Vemma Bode Bento (Week 3)

Since I was out of town all day Friday, I had to shop/prep/cook today. With that in mind, I chose pretty simple meal options. I learned last week that I avoided packing the meals that required heating, so no more of that. I also threw out about 5 meals from last week because the veggies didn't stay good all week or I just didn't like it. This is a journey. I'm doing well with hopping right back on plan after I choose to get off for a social occasion or unplanned meal out... which is a huge victory for me! That's a lifestyle and mentality shift that makes me proud of myself. Go Jules! :)

Recap:

• BEST: ham, cream cheese, veggies (note the repeat- AGAIN!)
• WORST: gumbo and chili (reheating was a total fail)

Prep:

• Wash and cut up all veggies after soaking in vinegar water. 
• Figure out how to add carbs to more meals for 'high carb week'.

cottage cheese, pb, veggies

ham, crackers

turkey/bacon tortilla

roast chix, mango lime dip

sparkling water

illy caffe

cherry cola zevia

turkey egg mcmuffin

chocolate

vanilla

burn & pistachios

burn and cheese

Now I have a bunch of to-go meals ready for the week! I also prepped my weekly family meals... but I'll post that here in a sec. Happy Julie shelf in the fridge- full of yumminess.