Food - Lindsay's List

by lindsaymwright

loving lately – the pregnancy edition

March 14, 2014 in Baby, Blog, Fivethings Friday, Food, Lists, Pregnancy by lindsaymwright

First things first – happy (early) birthday to my Mama! May you have many, many years of nagging me to death and kissing my babies. :) I love you.

Today I thought I’d share some things/products that are making life easier on me during this pregnancy! Things that bring a little smile to my face or help fill up my ever-expanding belly. Be warned – some were sent to me for free, but most I spent Travis’ hard earned money on. This was fun to put together – I’ll probably have a Part II.

LOVING LATELY

Yes To Blueberries Intensive Skin Repair Serum

I don’t know what it is about being pregnant, but I want to spend money on myself. Like my skin or massages or pedicures. Anything that makes me feel more beautiful, I guess.

I found this serum at Target during my first trimester (I use their night cream as well) and I’ve been loving it ever since. It’s lightweight and doesn’t make your face all greasy. Plus, like all of the Yes To products, it’s all natural and smells great. I order now through Amazon’s Subscribe and Save (bundle 5 products and get 20% off each month) so I’m never without it.

Chips! All the CHIPS!

I’m totally that pregnant woman that says, “Baby NEEDS these _____.” (<-fill in the blank with something ridiculous. Chips for this example. Adorable aztec-patterned Ezra + Eli leggings work well too.) As I’ve complained about over the past 7 months, food and I don’t really get along due to pregnancy nausea. I don’t really have a ton of cravings – I eat to get full and to stay on top of the nausea. Chips work well for me! My latest crunchy loves include Lundberg’s Wasabi Rice Chips and Garden of Eatin’s Red Hot Blues (tortilla chips with a kick!).

Tamara Grand’s Ultimate Booty Workouts

Tamara and I became friends when she started submitting videos for my Tuesday Trainer series (man, I miss doing those! Hope to get back to them later on this year!). She is an EXCELLENT trainer, blogger and mama.

She wrote a BOOK! Ultimate Booty Workoutsis an amazing collection of glute-sculpting workouts and exercises (Tamara is even the model in several of the moves!!). The book, which is perfect for both beginner and expert, moves you through a 3 phase “bootylicious” program (<-my words, not hers. :) ). Each exercise has a thorough description and visual – it’s really a great resource!

I’ve been incorporating several of these just while at home in the afternoons and LOVE the variety that Tamara provides. Great book, friend!

Unisom + B6

Here’s a tip for combatting pregnancy nausea (but you should talk to your doctor first!)!

Take 1/2 of a Unisom (doxylamine only) and 50 mg of B6 every night before bed. The dose of Unisom is so low that it really has no effect on your sleep (or making you feel groggy the next day). Legend tells that this mixture mimics an anti-nausea medicine sold in Canada – I have no idea if that’s true. I do know that it helps to take the edge off of the queasiness and that I can tell a difference between the days I take it and those that I forget.

Cross Training Couture tops

Lastly, I’ve been wearing Michelle Myers’ Cross Training Couture tanks ALL pregnancy long (Michelle happens to live near me in Asheville, NC!). Most of them are size medium (and you can tell) but I have a few size large.

They’re flowy. They’re incredibly inspirational. And they cover my bump. LOVE!

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QUESTION: What are YOU loving lately?? Leave a link if it’s something I need to buy! Winking smile

splendid…lindsay

travis611 Comments »

by lindsaymwright

what (my kids) ate wednesday

March 12, 2014 in Blog, Family, Food, Kids, WIAW by lindsaymwright

Anyone else have a sunburn from yesterday?? It was a toasty 73 degrees here in Western North Carolina! We spent the majority of the day outside and my skin is screaming, “Abuse! Skin abuse!” today. Not so much as screaming it as being easily offended when I brush up against things and freaking the heck out.

Anywoo…in honor of “What I Ate Wednesday,” I wanted to share some of the foods that my kids LOVE to eat. Some are healthy, some are not.

The rundown:

I’m the type of mom/person who feels like if my kids get 2 veggies and 2 fruits in a day, we’ve WON an award.
We buy mostly conventional foods but I do make a point of buying organic MILK, CHEESE and the “Dirty Dozen.”
From April through September, our lunches consist of “Snack Plates.” see below.
Clara will eat anything under the sun (she seriously digs broccoli…dipped in ketchup) and Henry could live off of Applegate Chicken Tenders and PB&J’s.
In my cupboard, you’ll find whole grains, a box of Fruit Loops, all-natural fruit leathers, Lance cheese crackers and Blue Diamond almonds.
I try to balance what’s on sale with what my kids will eat with what I would like for them to eat.

It all comes out in the wash and equals one big happy, well-fed, thriving family. Above all else, we focus on a “food is fuel”-mentality and banish talk of calories or being skinny/fat. We don’t obsess. Food is food.

Here’s a look (aka every picture I could find of my kids and food):

——–

QUESTION: Were you a good or picky eater as a kid? What types of foods do you feed your kids?

splendid…lindsay

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by lindsaymwright

wordless wednesday

February 5, 2014 in Blessings, Blog, Family, Food, Kids, Love, Wordless Wednesday by lindsaymwright

—————–

More Wordless Wednesdays: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6 (Colorado Edition), #7,#8, #9, #10, #11, #12 (Color Me Rad edition), #13

—————–

QUESTION: Leave a wordless comment below if you’re awesome.

splendid…lindsay

travis611 Comments »

by lindsaymwright

discussion post – “why do we cook on snow days??”

January 29, 2014 in Blog, Blogging, Discussion, Food, Rambles by lindsaymwright

This topic could have easily been a Facebook status, but I decided it was a good enough question to warrant more input from you readers.

So, it finally snowed here yesterday! From about 9AM until dark, the sky dumped a beautiful, fine powder. I kept thinking it would let up but it never did! We probably got 2 or 3 inches. It was BEAUTIFUL and just what I had asked for! (P.S. Why isn’t sledding as fun as I remember it being?!? I was DONE after about 30 minutes. #old)

When it snows here in Western North Carolina, things stop. Schools close, everyone retreats to their houses (after the prerequisite trip to the grocery store for milk and bread. You know, so we can have bread cereal for dinner) and if you’ve got a fireplace, you make a big fire.

Another common occurrence?

WE BAKE!!

Cookies, brownies, cakes. Anything sweet and chocolately – yep! We need that for a successful snow day.

I kept reading all these Facebook status’ yesterday about what people were making (chili, cornbread and brownies were the overall winners) and I couldn’t help but wonder WHY.

WHY does snow automatically mean you need to cook or bake??

I don’t know the answer (Heck, I felt compelled to make mac n’ cheese and some almond butter protein bars – not because we needed food- just because it was snowing), but I’m thinking it has to do with TRADITION. Do we spend time in the kitchen because that’s what our mamas did when it snowed? What if you lived in a place where it snowed constantly in the winter, like Alaska or New York? Do those people bake brownies all winter long and get really chubby??

I’m intrigued. And I wanted to hear from YOU.

What are your snow day traditions? What is a “must have” food? And WHY do you think we do the things we do? Comment below.

splendid…lindsay

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by lindsaymwright

NO-junk chocolate pudding (vegan/paleo)

January 10, 2014 in Blog, Dessert, Food, Pinterest, Recipe, Snack by lindsaymwright

Ya’ll. Please, oh please, don’t judge me for the ONE photo I took for this recipe. With my iPhone. Unstaged. And in not-so-great lighting. With a kid yanking on my arm.

Hey! I never claimed to be a food blogger.

(I’m actually not sure WHAT kind of blogger I’m claiming to be. A lazy one? Pssst….I even had the audacity to add a “Pin It” option to that hideous picture.)

The only real reason I’m sharing this recipe is because I’ve NEEDED access to it for the past four Januarys. And I suspect that there are a few of you out there that are in need of something sweet right now.

You see, the past few years, my church family and I have participated in the Daniel Fast. It’s basically 21 days of VEGAN, NO SUGAR. The only sweetener that’s allowed is honey (and even then, some people think that’s “cheating.” <-hate that word, especially when it seems legalistic in the religious-fasting sense.) I’m not participating in the fast this year because, well, I’m with child and I didn’t think it wise. BUT, I know that there are some readers that might be fasting (or dieting refined sugars – this recipe will suit you too!) and so I thought I’d share.

It *might* just get you through the next 21 days!

Or you might try it and hate it.

Hey! I never claimed to be a food blogger.

NO-JUNK Chocolate Pudding (Vegan & Paleo)

Adapted from this recipe

INGREDIENTS
10 dates, pitted and cut into quarters
10 dried figs, cut into quarters (stems removed)
2 tablespoons unsweetened dark cocoa powder
3-4 tablespoons raw nut butter (almond, cashew, or peanut)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 to 1 1/2 cups water

In a blender or food processor, place the dates, figs, cocoa, nut butter, vanilla, and 1 cup of water and pulse until just beginning to blend. Slowly add water as you continue to pulse, until the mixture is creamy, smooth, and the desired consistency. Store in the refrigerator or freezer for up to 5 days.

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QUESTION: Are you watching your refined sugars this month? Made any goals that involve limiting unwanted sugars??

splendid…lindsay

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by lindsaymwright

my holiday eating plan

November 28, 2013 in Blog, Diet, ED, Family, Food, Goals, Inspiration, Kids by lindsaymwright

I posted this journal entry LAST Thanksgiving. The message remains relevant, except I’ve taken it one step further this year as my children are even more interested in the actions/mindset of Travis and I as parents. I’m constantly thinking, “How will MY behavior effect my children and their own body image?” I may never know the answer, but I want to do everything I can to set an example of BALANCE.

Anyway, I KNOW that someone out there needs to hear the message, so enjoy!

And Happy Thanksgiving!!!

———–

“Fill up your plate with half vegetables, a quarter lean protein and a quarter of the good stuff.”

“Make sure you snack on healthy foods during the day so you don’t overeat during the main event.”

“Stand more than an arm’s length away from munchies, like a bowl of nuts or chips, while you chat so you’re not tempted to raise your hand to your mouth every few seconds.”

“Wear the tightest clothes you have. You’ll notice you’re overeating and be able to stop yourself.”

“Burn off all the calories you’ll eat during dinner by exercising like crazy early in the week/day.”

“Know your calories!!! Choose pumpkin pie over pecan. Even better, skip dessert altogether. Dressing is THE DEVIL! Mashed potatoes- a demonic indulgence. Choose low glycemic foods over high glycemic foods.”

“Choose a BLUE-colored plate or better yet, bring your own blue plate to dinner. The plate that helps you to eat the least amount is one that is blue, that color has the least appealing blend with food.”

“Bring your own healthy salad so that you’ll have something to eat. These people don’t understand you and this healthy living path you’ve chosen.”

You’ve heard these before. I know you have because they’re everywhere we look – magazines, Dr. Oz, Oprah, even healthy living blogs. Tips on staying healthy during holiday meals.

We thrive off these “RULES”. We NEED them or we’ll go rampant like rabid raccoons all over that Thanksgiving/Christmas meal, standing over the table, elbows akimbo, scarfing down carbs and spoonfuls of gravy. In fact, who needs a spoon!?!? We raccoons will just drink it straight from the gravy boat.

Oh the sheer horror of losing control!! It’s more than most can bear! And that’s why we form PLANS. A strategy to reign us in. Because heaven forbid we actually indulge once and then carry on with our healthy living journey.

To hell with that.

I’ve lived 30 years with a plan and honestly, I’m so tired. Maybe it’s just that I now have my APPETITE back, but it seems illogical to me to set special rules for eating. I’m hungry. And the food at holiday meals is some of the best of the year. Why wouldn’t you want to partake in it?!?

Because most of us don’t trust ourselves. Or our bodies.

From 1998-2004 or so, I would “fake eat” at Thanksgiving and Christmas. I’d follow all of those rules I listed above and make up some of my own. Pushing food around on my plate to make it seem like I ate. Spitting food out into napkins, hoping no one would notice. And if I’m being perfectly honest, a couple of those dark years, I’m sure I went upstairs and purged that meal. The meal my mama worked so hard to cook.

?!!!?!?!?

Dude. What the heck!

It’s unacceptable behavior. And it directly opposes the very sentiment behind Thanksgiving. We’re supposed to be THANKFUL for this food that we’ve been blessed with. Thankful for the hands that prepared the meal. Thankful that we can break bread together.

When food rules and game plans are introduced, a little bit of that thankfulness is pushed to the back and a feeling of control and what I would describe as obsession takes first place.

My Holiday Eating Strategy:

I don’t have one.

Well I guess I kinda do. I’m going to fill up my plate with a little bit of every thing that looks good to me. I’m going to eat my food and talk to my family and enjoy this time that I’m blessed with. And if I want seconds, I’ll go back for them. Not partaking in my sissy’s homemade pumpkin pie would be a tragedy. After the meal is over, I’ll continue on with my healthy life.

No starvation. No binge eating. Just normal eating of some pretty amazing food.

Yep. I like this plan. It’s one I want my children to mimic in the future.

Will you join me??

QUESTION: I know I missed some of those “food rules.” What are some of the other ones? What’s your favorite dish at Thanksgiving dinner?

splendid…lindsay

travis619 Comments »

by lindsaymwright

thinkThin review and #giveaway!!

November 14, 2013 in Blog, Food, Giveaways, Review, Snack by lindsaymwright

I’m not sure I’ve been upfront enough about my LOVE for nutrition bars.

I could seriously eat them once (or twice) a day.

In college, I remember trying the Zone diet (among a zillion other diets. The cabbage soup one was probably the most ridiculous. And, OH SO stinky.). Anyway, you’re instructed to eat a diet with a macronutrient breakdown of 40/30/30 (protein, carbs, fat). I actually really love that breakdown and it works well for me now, but in college, I was ALL ABOUT THE ZONE BARS. I remember eating like a box a day and calling it good. Meaning that I ate NO real food, no cooking – just gobs and gobs of bars.

I know better now. Thank God.

These days I practice a whole foods diet with an 80/20 breakdown. 80 percent real, whole foods (one ingredient foods) and 20 percent of anything else I want to eat. Nutrition bars fall into that 20 percent for me and I use them for post-workout refueling or while traveling. The convenience factor is huge for me – we’re generally out of the house for 3-4 hours every morning and I like to have something that’s easily accessible.

Recently, thinkThin sent me some of their high protein/low sugar bars to try out. I’ve seen them in local grocery stores and at Trader Joe’s but never tried one. First, I loved the taste and texture of these bars. I’ll be completely honest here – taste comes FIRST for me when purchasing and is even slightly more important than the nutrition stats. If a bar claims to be the healthiest/vegan/all-natural/most-amazing-thing-on-Earth but still tastes like dirt, I probably won’t be buying it multiple times. Taste wins. Always. (it’s a good thing I think vegetables taste amazing!)

In addition to the taste factor, the thinkThin bars also met some of my other requirements:

High protein (I usually look for something over 15 grams)
Low sugar
Short ingredient list with ingredients I’m familiar with

All in all, a great nutrition bar that I’ll definitely be purchasing for myself! Thanks thinkThin!

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!

thinkThin has offered to give TWO Lindsay’s List readers a box of their own bars! Use the rafflecopter widget to enter below – winners will be announced NEXT TUESDAY! Best of luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

splendid…lindsay

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by lindsaymwright

wiaw – current pregnancy cravings

October 16, 2013 in Baby, Blog, Diet, ED, Food, WIAW by lindsaymwright

Hello Wednesday!

As I told you guys yesterday, food is starting to become appealing again! I still have some aversions (anything greasy or too sweet) but for the most part, I’m turning a corner of wanting all.the.foods. I love this part of pregnancy – the EATING. I know two things about myself and food though:

1) Due to my eating disordered past, I won’t be a woman who “lets herself go” during pregnancy. I just know too much about nutrition and can easily take this knowledge too far and become obsessive.
2) Luckily, I’ve grown up a bit. I have no food rules or food guilt in pregnancy. If something sounds good, I’ll eat it (HUGE difference from the Lindsay of 10 years ago). ….But always in moderation.

I feel like my approach to food (and fitness) has only gotten better over the years. Some might look at what I eat and think it’s unhealthy or “bad.” But I know better. With a more relaxed approach, I’m WAY healthier than I was in years past. Sometimes “unhealthy” is actually very healthy.

To that end, here’s what I ate yesterday (which was everything I wanted to put into my mouth – no rules – just being thankful for food):

Breakfast

Protein pancake (Plant Fusion Chocolate P.P + Egg Whites, topped with maple syrup and PB2)

Post Workout

Banana – unpictured and scarfed down in the gym parking lot.

Pre-Lunch Snack

Bagel Thin with cream cheese (side note: I HAD to have a bagel and made Travis leave work, drive to the grocery store and get me one. Keeper.)

Lunch

Janetha’s Quick & Clean Chicken Noodle Soup (MAKE THIS!! I added mushrooms but kept everything else the same.)

Afternoon Snack

Golden Delicious apple + sea salt

Dinner

Chicken Tender Salad (I only ate a bit of this – by the end of the day, I’m kinda DONE with food.)

—————–

QUESTION: What was the best thing you ate yesterday??

splendid…lindsay

travis615 Comments »

by lindsaymwright

wiaw – linking morning sickness and hypotension

October 2, 2013 in Baby, Blog, Diet, Food, WIAW by lindsaymwright

Pregnancy is simply fascinating to me!! I think what I love the most is hearing and reading about each woman’s different pregnancy story, knowing that in the end, we end up with a baby but the 9-month journey to get there is different for most everyone. There are even discrepancies between THIS pregnancy and Henry’s pregnancy, Clara’s pregnancy. The way I feel, my thoughts, the way my belly grows and, as I’ll talk about today, THE FOOD.

I have so many freaking food aversions right now, it’s ridiculous! What sounds good one day will make me gag the next. I’ve noticed a trend though.

Like most pregnant women, I CRAVE salty foods. Salt is like my new best friend. There’s actually scientific evidence backing me up on this one. You see, the RDA recommends limiting sodium to less than 2,300 mg a day. That’s for the average person. A pregnant woman metabolizes sodium much differently and may need anywhere from 2,000 to 8,000 (!!) mg per day (source). No wonder we crave salt!

Linking Morning Sickness and Low Blood Pressure

Try to stay with me here. I just told you that a pregnant woman needs more salt than the average person. Did you also know that a pregnant woman’s blood pressure is significantly lowered due to the hormone relaxin? I ALREADY had extremely low blood pressure leading into this pregnancy, so every time I go to the doctor for prenatal appointments, the nurses marvel at my numbers. It’s called “hyPOtension” – the last time I went in (which was last Monday), my blood pressure was 90/59 mmHg.

Want to know the symptoms of low blood pressure?

Signs and symptoms of hypotension may include dizziness, fainting, cold and sweaty skin, fatigue (tiredness), blurred vision, or nausea (feeling sick to your stomach). (source)

This sounds eerily like MORNING SICKNESS!! (Travis actually connected the two – he’s way smarter than me.)

Now I know that you don’t have to be hypotensive to experience morning sickness, but I really think that my low b.p. combined with morning sickness has led to me feel pretty darn crappy over the last 6 weeks. Interesting fact: My nausea dissipates when I eat salt. Sugary foods do nothing to take the edge off. So that’s what I eat: SALT!!!

Here’s what yesterday looked like….

Before getting out of bed (sorry for the dark iPhone picture): Mini saltine crackers

Breakfast: Oatmeal + Egg Whites + Butter

Post Workout: Chocolate Thinny Mint Shake (Chocolate whey p.p., chocolate soy milk, peppermint extract, ice)

Pre-Lunch Snack: Good Beans (this x3)

Gatorade! (all day long)

Lunch: 2 eggs + american cheese + morningstar veggie links + raspberries

Afternoon Snack #1: Some “Dump Cake” – google the recipe – it’s pretty much pure butter (salt)

Afternoon Snack #2: Granny smith apple + The Laughing Cow mini babybel mozzerella (sent to me by TLC – SO good..and salty!)

Dinner: 1/2 rack ribs + french fries + stewed okra & tomatoes

mmmmm….ribs!

Themes:

Salt
Minimal vegetables
Minimal fruit
Minimal water
Notice that no snack was eaten pre-bed (which I normally would have)…this is because I’ve morphed into my mother and bedtime was 8pm.

Not a diet I’d recommend to ANYONE, but for right now, we’re in survival mode over here and it’s getting the job done. Smile

QUESTION: Do you SALT your food? <-normally NEVER! Do you think you’re over or under the RDA guidelines for sodium intake? <-right now – YES!

splendid…lindsay

travis614 Comments »

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loving lately – the pregnancy edition

LOVING LATELY

Yes To Blueberries Intensive Skin Repair Serum

Chips! All the CHIPS!

Tamara Grand’s Ultimate Booty Workouts

Unisom + B6

Cross Training Couture tops

what (my kids) ate wednesday

wordless wednesday

discussion post – “why do we cook on snow days??”

WHY does snow automatically mean you need to cook or bake??

NO-junk chocolate pudding (vegan/paleo)

NO-JUNK Chocolate Pudding (Vegan & Paleo)

my holiday eating plan

To hell with that.

Because most of us don’t trust ourselves. Or our bodies.

My Holiday Eating Strategy:

thinkThin review and #giveaway!!

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!

wiaw – current pregnancy cravings

wiaw – linking morning sickness and hypotension

Linking Morning Sickness and Low Blood Pressure