Chicken Salad (No Mayo)

Back to school: Lunch Ideas

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This past week I had the opportunity to be on the local news station, Channel 5 West Palm Beach and speak with John Favole to share about healthy and fun school lunch ideas for back to school!! Please check it out to learn my best tips in the video!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I brought a few boxed lunch options, each had a fruit, veggie, sandwich and dessert.

For fruit I recommend what’s in season and currently there are abundant fresh strawberries so I cut those up and added fresh mint leaves. Grapes cut in half and watermelon cut into stars.

Veggies, I packed sliced cucumbers, grapes tomatoes and added fresh mint along with carrots precut into chips which are great to dip into hummus.

Make eating fun by cutting sandwiches into heart shapes, I made sunflower seed butter and honey sandwiches because peanut butter is not allowed in area schools. Preferably buy the unsweetened sunflower seed but that is just ground up sunflower seeds with salt which you can find at Trader Joes or Whole Foods.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On set I made no-mayo chicken salad, this is great to stuff into pitas, mom and dad will want to take this for lunches too! Make a big batch the night before and put together with fruit and veggie choice. Get kids involved with packing their lunches, have them help pick out their fruit and veggies combo for the next day. Add a sweet note when they aren’t looking for a nice surprise. I took a blank note card and cut into thirds then wrote on each one, “You’re amazing!”, “I believe in You!”, and I Love You!”

My chicken salad recipe was originally published on Vitacost.com

Here’s what you’ll need to make it:

3 cups cooked chicken, cubed
1 medium/large avocado, diced (about 1 cup)
1 cup apple, diced
1/2 cup celery, diced

For dressing:

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 tsp. each salt, pepper and cayenne pepper

Directions:

In small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients.
In large bowl, combine chicken, avocado, apple and celery with dressing.
Fill pita halves with chicken salad. Wrap up to bring for lunch the next day.

Yield: 4 cups

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo credit by Melissa Perlman of Blue Ivy Communications.

Thanks Melissa for the opportunity to go to news Channel 5 WPB to share my message of health for families!!

Welcome To BlueIvy Communications

 

Crockpot Chicken and Veggie Soup

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When I have a sore throat all I want is chicken soup and muffins, blueberry muffins! I didn’t have any muffins stashed in my freezer or have the desire to make them but I DID have all the ingredients to make this very soup! What is your go-to food when you are under the weather?

All you have to do here is chop a few veggies and throw them in the crockpot, it doesn’t take long at all. Ready in 2 hours on High or 4 hours on Low.

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Ingredients:

1# organic chicken breasts (or thigh if you prefer)

2 medium carrots, sliced

3 celery stalks and leaves, sliced

1 shallot, chopped

2 small zucchini, sliced

1/2 tsp pink salt

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 bay leaf (remove before serving)

1/4 tsp ground turmeric

6 cups filtered water

Method:

1. Cut veggies and add to crockpot then add whole chicken breasts to crockpot (you will shred these once cooked!).

2. Pour in water and stir in spices.

3. Cover and set to cook on High for 2 hours or Low for 4 hours.

4. remove chicken from crockpot and shred, then add back to soup and stir.

5. Ladle soup into bowls.

Yield: 8 cups

I think she liked the soup?! Honor preferred to put it in the pocket of her bib and pick it from there and eat it Smile

Plenty made it to the floor for our dog to happily lick it all up, hah!

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Please enjoy my short, sweet and embarrassing video talking about our dinner 🙂

Double Chocolate Lactation Support Cookies

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If you’re a new mom and breastfeeding like me, you want to make sure your milk supply keeps up with your baby’s needs and something to keep up with your wild appetite due to increased caloric needs while breastfeeding. Enter lactation support cookies, of course! There is a classic recipe on the web, however it contains loads of white flour and white sugar, and those don’t support good health one bit.

Here is a no-bake version with tons of healthy ingredients plus the beneficial ingredients of oats, flax, and brewer’s yeast all noted to support good milk production. Plus no baking means more time for you to bond with your baby!!

Ingredients:

1 + ½ cup rolled oats

2 T. ground flax

1 T. brewer’s yeast

1/3 cup honey

2 T. coconut oil

pinch pink salt

2 T. organic cacao powder

¼ cup hemp seeds

½ cup dairy free chocolate chunks

2 T. water

Optional Topping: ¼ cup unsweet coconut flakes

Method:

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor except water and chocolate chunks. Pulse until well combined.

2. Add in the water if batter needs it then pulse in the chocolate chunks.

3. Scoop out cookie batter by the tablespoon with a mini ice cream scoop and roll in coconut flakes.

4. Serve immediately or store in a glass container in the fridge.

Yield: 16 Cookies

 

I get all of my ingredients from Vitacost.com. Use my referral code to save $10 off your first $30 purchase!

Referral code: https://goo.gl/sQVF0r

An Apple a Day Keeps Cholesterol at Bay

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We’ve all said it before…”An apple a day keeps the doctor away.”

But did we really believe it?

Well, it’s true.

Research from Ohio State University finds eating a single apple each day for four weeks can improve your LDL cholesterol by an amazing 40%.

These low density lipoproteins are often pointed out as the “bad guys” when it comes to your heart health. But they are critically important to your health. They travel through your bloodstream and do their best to repair damage to your arterial walls.

However, they do have a “dark side.”

“When LDL becomes oxidized, it takes on a form that begins atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries,” said lead researcher Robert DiSilvestro, professor of human nutrition at Ohio State University.

The research involved a group of healthy patients who ate apples less than twice a month.

During the four-week study, 16 of the participants ate a large Red or Golden Delicious apple daily. Another 17 participants took capsules containing 194 milligrams of polyphenol extract – a type of antioxidant found in apples. The final 18 subjects took a placebo containing no polyphenols.

The placebo had no effect on oxidized LDL cholesterol. Taking capsules containing polyphenols had some effect. But it wasn’t nearly as much as eating a fresh, ripe apple.

According to DiSilvestro this could either be because there are other things in the apple that contribute to the effect. Or these bioactive compounds might be better absorbed when they’re consumed in foods.

No matter which is true, the evidence is clear…

An apple a day really does keep the doctor away!

Dana Nicholas is a writer, guest blogger, and consultant for Nutri Health Supplements. Dana is passionate about helping people enjoy more active, vibrant lives through nutrition and supplementation. Visit Nutri-Health at www.nutri-health.com

Extend Your Life by Staying Connected with Others

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It’s well-known that people who are overweight or obese face some serious health risks as they age. However, it turns out obesity may not be nearly as dangerous as being lonely.

In a presentation at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, loneliness expert John Cacioppo revealed some startling information.

It turns out feelings of extreme loneliness can increase an older person’s chances of premature death by a whopping 14 percent. That’s about twice as high as the risk of dying early from obesity.

Does this mean you’ll die early if you live alone?

Certainly not!

It’s not solitude itself that poses a negative outcome. Rather, it’s a personal sense of isolation; based on your own feelings and emotions.

“Older people living alone are not necessary lonely if they remain socially engaged and enjoy the company of those around them,” says Cacioppo.

During their research, Cacioppo and his team identified three core dimensions to healthy relationships.

§ Intimate connectedness – having someone in your life that affirms who you are.

§ Relational connectedness – experiencing face-to-face contacts that are mutually rewarding.

§ Collective connectedness – a feeling that you’re part of a group beyond your self.

How can you keep these connections intact?

Stay in touch with former co-workers, take part in family traditions and share good times with family and friends. These opportunities keep you connected to the people you really care about… and the people who care about you.

“Retiring to Florida to live in a warmer climate among strangers isn’t necessarily a good idea if it means you are disconnected from the people who mean the most to you,” said Cacioppo.

Writer Bio

Dana Nicholas is a writer, guest blogger, and consultant for Nutri Health Supplements. Dana is passionate about helping people enjoy more active, vibrant lives through nutrition and supplementation. Visit Nutri-Health at www.nutri-health.com