Such a good read! 


https://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/sources-of-potassium.aspx

Pack-And-Go Lunches for work

If you're like me, you have more things to do than you have time for. Whether you have a typical 9-5 job or work overnights, making time for food can be rough. I have found a blog with tons of quick grab-and-go healthy lunch meals for work. There's tons of different options for everyone's taste and plus each one is super healthy! 


http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/22293/mealtimes/lunch/pack-go/slideshow/pack-and-go-healthy-lunch-recipes-for-work/

August Health Awareness Month

• Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month
• National Breastfeeding Month
• National Immunization Awareness Month
• Psoriasis Awareness Month
• World Breastfeeding Week (first week of August)
• National Health Center Week (second full week of August)
• Gastroparesis Awareness Month
• Contact Lens Health Week (August 22-26)

To continue this mini series, i've found a delicious sounding recipe for chicken tenders! this is definitely an american classic! i found this recipe from a cute blog called 2teaspoons. I've included the ingredients and instructions below along with a link to her blog! try these out and let me know what you think! also leave me ideas in the comments FOR THE NEXT RECIPE! 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
• ¾ cup flour
• 1 egg, beaten
• splash of milk
• dash of salt and pepper
• optional: your favorite dipping sauce!

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place a wire rack inside a baking sheet. Spray rack with cooking spray.
2. Melt butter in a skillet over low heat. Add breadcrumbs and slowly stir until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
3. Set up breading station by putting three shallow bowls on counter. Fill first bowl with egg and milk, second bowl with flour, and third bowl with breadcrumbs, salt and pepper.
4. Cut chicken in to bite-sized pieces. Dunk chicken in egg mixture bowl, then flour bowl, then shake off excess. Place chicken back into egg mixture bowl, then roll in breadcrumb bowl, coating thoroughly. Press breadcrumbs into chicken and place on a wire wrack.
5. Once all chicken pieces are breaded, spray chicken with cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes, until chicken is fully cooked (internal temperature of 165 degrees). Let rest for 5 minutes.
6. Serve straight up or with your favorite dipping sauce!

http://www.2teaspoons.com/

I've been seeing this documentary floating around the internet the past few weeks. I decided to watch it and see what it was all about. All I can say is you need to watch it for yourself! Let me know what you think.

I watched this documentary on Netflix.

Chips & Dip (Alternative Series Part 3)

For the 3rd part of this series, we're going to look at one of my favorite snacks - chips and dip. Below I've included the Nutritional Facts for Taco Bell's chips and cheese. They're super high in calories, sodium and fat for what you're getting. So let's look at some healthier options for a quick cheat day snack!

Skinny Guacamole + Homemade Tortilla Chips

This recipe comes from Quentin Bacon. It includes a cut down on calories and homemade pita chips! http://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/healthy-recipes/skinny-dipping-4-healthy-chips-dips

Fresh pico de gallo

This one comes from a blogger named Tiffany. Pico De Gallo is my favorite thing to eat with chips or on top of other dishes. http://blog.feelgreatin8.com/fresh-pico-de-gallo/ 

Corn & Black Bean Salsa 

This one is so yummy! http://blog.feelgreatin8.com/corn-black-bean-salsa/

Vegetarian Buffalo Bean Dip

Do I really need to give this one an introduction?? http://happyfoodhealthylife.com/lightened-vegetarian-buffalo-bean-dip/

Vegan Mexican Cheese 

Last but not least, I have found a recipe from a fellow blogger who swears his Vegan Mexican Cheese tastes exactly like the real thing. Check it out here! https://minimalistbaker.com/vegan-mexican-cheese-three-ways/

Let me know if any of you try out these recipes and also leave a comment telling me which one was your favorite! Stay tuned for part four! 

Nutrition Facts

Calories in Taco Bell Nacho Chips And Cheese Sauce

Serving Size: 1 serving

• Amount Per Serving
• Calories330.0
• Total Fat21.0 g
• Saturated Fat3.5 g
• Polyunsaturated Fat0.0 g
• Monounsaturated Fat0.0 g
• Cholesterol3.0 mg
• Sodium530.0 mg
• Potassium0.0 mg
• Total Carbohydrate32.0 g
• Dietary Fiber2.0 g
• Sugars3.0 g
• Protein4.0 g

Healthy Baked Potato + New Series!

So, recently I posted a blog on healthier versions taco recipes and it gave me an idea! I'm starting a mini-series where I go out and find healthy versions of American classics. Dishes we ALL LOVE but our bodies do not. Today, we're going to look at a classic loaded baked potato. Now, loaded baked potatoes aren't necessarily bad for you; a large baked potato contains around 300 calories and is high in fiber. It's what we put on them that make it high in calories, fats and sugars. 

Some of the top favorite toppings are bacon, cheese, sour cream, fried onions and chili. Now, lets break that down in nutritional value. Below is a Nutrition Facts chart of a loaded baked potato from Texas Roadhouse. As you can see, one serving contains 53% fat. That's way too high considering it's just one potato and most likely not your entire meal.  

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 potato
Amount Per Serving
Calories from Fat 135 Calories 530
% Daily Values*
Total Fat 15g		23%
	Saturated Fat 0g	0%
	Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg		0%
Sodium 0mg		0%
Total Carbohydrate 30g		10%
	Dietary Fiber 0g	0%
	Sugars 0g
Protein 0g
Vitamin A - Vitamin C -
Calcium - Iron -
*  Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Nutrition summary:

Calories 530

Fat 15g

Carbs 30g

Protein 0g

There are 530 calories in a 1 potato serving of Texas Roadhouse Loaded Baked Potato.

Calorie breakdown: 53% fat, 47% carbs, 0% protein.

I've combined some of my ideas along with other bloggers to come up with healthy alternatives for you. 

Instead of bacon, try out slices of avocado. You can also use turkey jerky as a substitute. Just make sure to check the sodium count!

Sour cream can be switched out with low-fat yogurt. You can also add different spices and seasonings to this if yogurt isn't your favorite. (Example: 1 tablespoon non-fat plain yogurt mixed with 2 teaspoons chopped scallions, 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon curry powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt.) 

For a fiesta twist on a baked potato, try out 1-1/4 cups fresh salsa, 1 ounce reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeño peppers and 1 tablespoon green onions.

There are always low-fat/reduced fat versions of your favorite cheeses and even vegan options! Reach for one of those options next time. 

Crispy onions can be made from home and still taste the same! Instead of frying them in a pan full of oil, try baking them in the oven instead. This will help you avoid all of those extra calories. 

If you are looking for a healthier alternative to a white russet potato, you can try out sweet potato. They contain about the same amount of calories, but sweet potatoes are lower on the glycemic index and have more fiber.

Those are just a few options for now. I hope some of you try these tips out and let me know what you think! Leave me a comment about ideas for the next recipe in this series!

Check out the links below for more recipes 

http://www.eatingwell.com/article/16444/hot-potato-10-healthy-baked-potato-toppings-you-havent-tried/ 

https://www.fatsecret.com/calories-nutrition/texas-roadhouse/loaded-baked-potato

http://www.cookinglight.com/eating-smart/smart-choices/low-calorie-potato-toppings#potato-size-low-calorie-potato-toppinghttps://glutenfreegirl.com/2013/06/oven-dried-onions/

Souces

https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/3311?fgcd=&manu=&lfacet=&format=&count=&max=50&offset=&sort=default&order=asc&qlookup=11674&ds=&qt=&qp=&qa=&qn=&q=&ing=

http://www.theyummylife.com/baked_potato_bar 

Back To School Lunch Hack

     School starts in just a couple weeks and that means setting the dreaded alarm, making coffee, rounding the kids up and the drive to school. It also means packing lunches. I recently stumbled across a post on Facebook by a mom who used a plastic shoe organizer and filled each slots with chips, drinks and a dessert. It looked like a very cool idea! But I decided I would tweak her idea and come up with some healthy alternatives to chips and processed sugar. 

First of all, you will need to pick up one of these organizers. I found this one online at Office Depot for only $10! There are also smaller ones available if you don't have the space for a large one.

     Next, you will need to decide what you are going to fill the slots with. Like I said above, that particular parent filled the slots with chips and desserts but we are going to go for a healthier version. 

     For main dishes, you can go for sandwiches, turkey wraps, and quesadillas. These of course will need to be refrigerated. I found this organizer on Amazon for $8.99. They will double your storage space and make it easy for kiddos to grab in the morning.
                                                                                                                                                                     

     Lastly, you will need snacks or side dishes to go with their meals. I made a list of healthy but yummy snacks. 

Jerky

Granola

Trail Mix

Muffins

Peanut Butter packs

Pretzels 

Crackers

Fruit

Popcorn

     Drinks can include water, flavored water, Powerade, Gatorade, lemonade or tea. 

Here are links to the items I spoke about earlier: https://www.amazon.com/1PCS-Fridge-Storage-Organizer-Bins/dp/B01GWLLCTS/ref=pd_sbs_79_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=E12YGPPT4S74D5NW73PT 

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Honey-Can-Do-Over-the-Door-24-Pocket-Polyester-Shoe-Organizer-in-White-SFT-01242/202868002?gclid=CjwKCAjwzYDMBRA1EiwAwCv6JkGKGOfn9NsIzKUkVnbZn1AX87TXvIYikBumQTXFuSj_H-nikb4jrBoCW08QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CKWdrqG8ttUCFc0vgQodOJoGaQ