Category Archives: Healthy Recipes

Vegetable Chicken Quinoa Soup

October 19, 2013

There are so many things I love about fall, but my favorite has to be that it is soup weather! I love the smell of having a big pot of soup simmering on my stove top. It’s also easy to sneak in a bunch of healthy vegetables into a soup and my kids will eat...

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Turkey Chili with Kale

October 10, 2013

I went on a search for a turkey chili a few weeks ago and spotted a picture of this turkey chili with kale and loved how colorful it was that I had to try it. It might not look exactly like a traditional chili, but it is SO good. Try a big bowl of this...

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Lunch Box Idea: homemade pizza lunchables

September 25, 2013

Here is an embarrassing confession: I like pizza Lunchables. Yes, I realize they are “kid” food and that they are completely disgusting. That doesn’t stop me from liking them. I was excited when I found a recipe for a homemade version because these are a lot less money and they aren’t loaded with preservatives. Also,...

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Roasted Red Pepper Pesto with Kale and Feta

September 25, 2013

I was searching the internet for vegetarian recipes and stumbled upon this one. The idea of using a roasted red pepper pesto on pasta instead of a tomato based sauce intrigued me. The ingredients sounded great together and the picture looked lovely and it did not disappoint. The pesto is fresh and flavorful and great...

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Grilled Fish Tacos

September 21, 2013

Don’t let the amount of ingredients fool you, this is a super easy recipe for fish tacos. Instead of using a batter and frying the fish it is marinated in a simple citrus marinade and grilled and served with a tangy cabbage slaw. So much healthier, but still so delicious. Feel free to add more...

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Lunch Box Ideas: Things to put in a thermos

September 18, 2013

Hey! I’m back to share with you what I packed for my son’s school lunch the past week. This week I focused on things to pack in a thermos. At first I was a little nervous to send a thermos in the lunch box because I wasn’t sure if the food would stay hot and...

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Healthy Lunch Box ideas–week 2

September 11, 2013

Here are the lunches I packed for my son the past five days. You can check out week 1 here. Day 1: Homemade Lunchables (Ritz crackers, cheddar cheese, turkey (or ham), diced watermelon, celery, pistachios, and gogurt. Day 2: Sometimes you just need a classic. PB&J, carrot and celery sticks, apple,...

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6 Healthy Lunch Box ideas

September 4, 2013

My oldest son started first grade last week and I didn’t realize how excited I was to pack a lunch box for him each day. It seriously has been a fun thing for me. Now you might want to ask me how much I love it in a few months, but for now it’s something...

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Megan
I love all of these lunches! For the pb&j sushi, even quicker than using flattened bread is to make them on whole wheat tortillas. No flattening required.ReplyCancel
Randi
I send my son with salad too and he eats it too! 🙂ReplyCancel
Misty
Awesome ideas. Thanks! Pinned. (-:ReplyCancel
Misty
Awesome ideas. Thanks! Pinned. (-:

I am wondering where you got the yellow green and orange cupcake holder looking plastic things you have stuff in. I really like them!ReplyCancel
- Melissa Hadfield
  Misty,
  I got the cupcake holders in the dollar section of Target. I think I bought them around back-to-school time so they might have them now. They have been so great for the lunchbox!ReplyCancel
Dawn
All those healthy foods and then a gogurt?ReplyCancel
Audrey
Man, do I wish I could send almonds / peanut butter / pistachios to school! It’s been two years since you posted this, would love to hear an update.ReplyCancel
- Kaede
  Wow where do you live that you can send peanuts and peanut butter to school????ReplyCancel
  - Melissa Hadfield
    I lived in Utah and now in Alaska and my boys have been able to bring peanut butter for lunch in both states. I love peanut butter sandwiches because they’re fast and my kids can make them, but I understand why they aren’t allowed. I haven’t ever had to research this, but are there other nut butters that are approved alternatives to peanut butter?ReplyCancel
- CJ
  My son’s school allows peanut products. His lunch treat is usually dark chocolate almonds. ReplyCancel
shell
Hi. These are great ideas! What container and lunch bag do you use? Thanks!ReplyCancel
Colleen
Regarding salads: another option is a chef’s salad with lettuce or spinach leaves, hard boiled egg cut up, ham cut into chunks, cheese, tomatoes…add pineapple or apple chunks.ReplyCancel
Colleen
Can also make fruit kabobs

another option is a chef’s salad with lettuce or spinach leaves, hard boiled egg cut up, ham cut into chunks, cheese, tomatoes…add pineapple or apple chunks.ReplyCancel
- Camille Walker
  Those are great ideas!ReplyCancel

The truth hurts…and other weighty matters

August 13, 2013

So, I just updated yesterday…but I feel like I left out a few things: I really hate being completely honest…and vulnerable, but I’m going to be. Only because I think I’m not the only one who struggles with these things…weight that is. Talking about it openly can help to facilitate the discussion of health in...

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Camille Walker
Cassia,

I didn’t know you had a struggle with binging/purging and my heart aches for you knowing that it has been such a roller coaster. But one thing I do KNOW about you in that you are one of the strongest willed fighters I know. (And a beautifully, positive person.) I have no doubt that you can do this and be in a happy, healthy place with your body and mind. You are so incredibly inspiring and I just love you.ReplyCancel
Alena@TheHomemadeCreative
Thank you for sharing your story, and with such transparency. I have a question for you, if I may, and if you’re comfortable answering it. Why do you credit the HCG diet with your struggle with binging and purging? I ask because I did that diet 2 years ago, before conceiving my daughter, and I didn’t experience anything like that, despite having previously struggled with an eating disorder (Compulsive Overeating with Dissociation), and found that I was able to maintain the basic eating style (veggies, fruit, lean meat, no grains, healthy seasonings) for almost a year (it kinda fell apart at 8 months pregnant because, despite my baby being extremely healthy, I bought into the lie that only having gained 7lbs, and losing 3 sizes, couldn’t be healthy, and I started eating highly fattening processed foods out of fear, which made my pregnancy end in a lot of discomfort for me – and I only gained 3lbs in 2 months). Anyway, I am curious why you believe that the diet was responsible for this issue, as I’ve never heard that before, and am actually planning to do the diet again next month (I had PPD for 5 months, after my daughter’s birth, and gained 56lbs).ReplyCancel
- Cassia Denton
  Alena, I’m actually really glad you asked and I think maybe I’ll amend my post with the “why” because I do think it’s a very good thing for people to know who might be considering the HCG diet.
  
  For me, it’s kind of a “this is a potential side effect” type of deal. Not that it for sure will happen to everyone who does this diet, but that from my experience and many of my friends, family and HCG online community friends, MANY many people struggle with eating disorders after the diet. A lot of it has to do with doing such an extreme diet and depriving yourself for so long. Part of it has to do with the binge (“loading”) at the beginning of the diet. The concern for many is that disordered eating can lead to an eating disorder, and the 500 cal. hcg diet is so restrictive that it certainly is disordered eating. For me, and I know many others, the idea is that there is such a desperation to lose weight, that you’re willing to do something drastic. It becomes somewhat of a trigger or gateway to eating disorders. For most that I’ve talked to candidly, binging is the problem and for some it’s anorexia. Personally, I technically fell into both (and all three since I would also purge.) I would eat so so few calories during the week, and binge and purge on the weekend. When I originally did this diet, I did it with 8-10 family and friends. ALL but one gained it right back, and the one keeps it off with an eating disorder. Another eventually lost the weight, but she got there through healthier avenues…namely, smaller portions and a whole lotta exercise. 🙂
  
  After coming off the diet for the second time and truly struggling to maintain, even despite my incredibly low caloric intake, I could not keep it off. I did some serious research and chatted with a few health professionals and found that my basal metabolic rate had decreased substantially. Our bodies are really amazing things, aren’t they?? So, if we subject them to starvation, they’ll learn and adapt. So it says, “okay, if you’re going to eat less, I’ll use less.” We’re pretty efficient like that!
  
  So another fantastic side effect that I experienced and is not at all uncommon, was substantial hair loss. I mean…it was scary how much I was losing. Also, my fingernails would peel…that’s not right!?
  
  I will say, that if an individual was considering gastric bypass or something like that, this is probably a safer option. But really, I’ve always known that to make a real change, it has to be for life. I can’t just starve myself for 8 weeks and go back to regular eating, but after the deprivation of the 500 calorie diet, it’s just too tempting to indulge a bit.
  
  I wouldn’t presume to tell you what to do, you clearly know what you’re getting yourself into and how to maintain, I just think that if you’re willing to be a little patient, maybe you’d really like weight watchers or the carb cycling from Chris Powell’s book? (of course there are lots of other programs that are equally awesome, I’m just a fan of those two) I’m really happy with the results so far!! I’m not yet 3 weeks in and I’m down 10 lbs.
  
  I am really sorry about the PPD…I know it’s the worst. And if you’re like me, it’s really a weird thing, because never in my life have I been prone to depression, but that time right after baby arrives is really rough on my body image.
  
  Either way, I hope you’ll keep me updated. Losing weight, however one does it, takes hard work and dedication, and I can always use the inspiration!!! 🙂ReplyCancel
Kali
Cassia- Bless you for your honesty, because truthfully, you are helping others by being so brave. Like you said, you are not alone. There are a lot of people in your same boat. I have done the whole weight loss thing 3 times as well and it is awful hard. But so rewarding when you do it the right way. You are looking incredible and have always been stunning in my eyes, no matter what the weight. What is inside of your shines through to your outer appearance which is why you are so beautiful. I am impressed with your self discovery, how you educated yourself on what works for you and then applying it. YOU ROCK.ReplyCancel
- Cassia Denton
  Kali, first of all, thank you and second, you’ve totally been my inspiration!! I even mentioned you in my first post here: http://www.mymommystyle.com/?p=4967 I love what you’ve done and you’ve always done it the right way!!! You’ll be proud of me, I actually signed up for my first 5k!!! 🙂 (only because it’s a color run, and if I’m going to do a race, it ought to be very fun and colorful!!) We’ll see how that one goes and go from there. 🙂 Funny, I used to LOVE running??!?! What?? I was crazy 🙂 I wish I was still that crazy!!ReplyCancel
Krista
You are seriously amazing! The more I read, the more I REALLY wish we were closer. Dang it.

I think you look great. WTG. I wish I had a talent for writing and putting into words exactly how I feel, but I’m terrible. A lot of this sums up how I feel.

Thanks for posting.ReplyCancel
Brittany Littleton
I think I am insulin resistant too! I would love any info you have!!!!ReplyCancel
- Cassia Denton
  Hi Brittany,
  Sorry this is so slow!! I kept trying to reply from my phone, but it just wasn’t working. But now that I have a computer again, here we go.
  One of the most frustrating things for me was that when I would go on diets, I would eat super lean, healthy greens, complex carbs etc. I would NEVER go over 1200 calories and yet, I couldn’t lose a lb to save my life! In fact, I even sometimes gained a lb?? I was exercising with personal trainers 3 days a week and working out on my own another 3 days a week. In fact, on the days I worked out with my trainers, I did 2-a-day workouts. All in all, I lost less than 5 lbs in 3 months of that rigorous schedule! My trainers never believed that I was following a strict program and the nutritionists didn’t believe my food logs either. In the end, they all just gave up on me. Only me and my husband knew for a fact that I was following their programs religiously!! I kind of gave up on myself too at the time. So, I went off their programs for another 3 months and at whatever I wanted and gained exactly 2 lbs?? How did that make any sense?? It didn’t…at least not at the time. But then, like I mentioned, I was doing research about pregnancy and pcos and I came across a random article about insulin resistance being the culprit of so many of my problems. After self-diagnosing, I was pretty sure I had it, but then I went to the dr.’s to have some testing done. It originally came back inconclusive, but after a couple more tests it was confirmed. That was about 5 years ago…testing has truly come such a long ways since then!! All I know for sure is that when you go to get tested, be sure to tell the doc to look at your insulin levels, NOT glucose. Especially if you’re already sure you don’t have diabetes, that test will be wrong for a person with insulin resistance.
  
  This gives me a good idea. I know a doctor who has spent a lot of her life studying weight issues and insulin resistance…I’m only hesitant to ask her to write a post because she works at the same clinic I went through to do the HCG diet…while I don’t think it’s entirely horrid, I just don’t think it’s a good solution to most weight problems…so…idk…I’ll talk to her and see if she’d like to write a post on insulin resistance for My Mommy Style. She knows SOOOO much! I’d refer you to her if you live in Utah by chance? She works at the MD Diet clinic in Ogden Utah.
  
  Anyway, One of my favorite things that I found after I learned that I was Insulin resistant was The Insulin Resistant Diet. HEre’s a link so you can see what I’m talking about….It’s not just good because of the diet, but because of the information. I actually think the diet is really great though too…but I just personally always need to mix my diets up so I don’t get bored. 🙂
  
  http://www.amazon.com/The-Insulin-Resistance-Diet–Revised-Updated-Fat-Making/dp/0071499849/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377616583&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Insulin-Resistance+Diet–Revised+and+Updated
  
  This is also a really great article about insulin resistance and how to self-diagnose as well:
  http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-10-31/health/sc-health-1031-diabetes-insulin-20121031_1_insulin-blood-sugar-diabetes-educator
  
  You can easily get yourself tested at a hospital as well. What will be really useful about getting diagnosed is that you’ll be able to get a prescription for Metformin (make SURE you get extended release, or you’ll get nauseous!!) which will really help you start to lose weight if that’s your goal, and just maintain healthy insulin levels in general. In fact, I really need to ammend my post to add the fact that I just started taking metformin again since it really helped me lose weight last time, but after all the moving I’ve done, I forgot about it until my mom just reminded me.
  
  I hope these couple of things help out in some way. Knowing if you have it can really help you figure out how to proceed with your goals, whether it’s to get pregnant, lose weight or keep yourself from getting diabetes.ReplyCancel

Roasted Spaghetti Squash with tomato-garlic sauce and chicken meatballs

August 10, 2013

I purchased these roasted garlic and basil chicken meatballs at Costco the other day because they looked good, but as soon as I got them home I had a major brain fart moment and couldn’t figure out what to make with them. After a quick google search I found this delicious recipe from...

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