Easter on my Mind

I'm not sure if it's because I'm getting older, am more mindful, am a new mom, or what, but it really feels like we're rolling from one festive holiday to the next and next week is already April and Easter! Do any of you feel that way? I know if you go to any stores it's quite obvious, as Valentine's stuff goes on sale we see St. Patrick's Day stuff and Easter stuff already lining the shelves, and I still can't figure out when chocolate became the go-to food for all the holidays?! I do love chocolate, but try to limit myself and lately try to go dark or not at all (I'm also choosing quality, so that I feel it's worth the indulgence!).

Either way, holidays can be a hard time to stay on track with healthy eating. I keep working on my personal development and I think a few terms stand out to me - contentment and now imperfection. I am striving to be who I am and love it (rather than try to be a version of myself that I'll never achieve). So whatever you're working on, make sure you're not being too hard on yourself or expecting perfection - first of all, I've learned that it's impossible to achieve, but we also have to remember that we all likely define 'perfect' very differently. I continue to pin new quotes that inspire me (and hopefully inspire some of you) - feel free to share your favourites in the comment section below!

So, try not to stress about Easter. Enjoy time with family and friends, get outside, relax, do what you need to do for yourself. As my followers know, I tend to enjoy food jokes and having fun with food themes for holidays. I found a few cute snacks on Pinterest that I wanted to share with you. My first thoughts with Easter go to eggs and carrots and what I can do with them - perhaps you have a tradition you'd like to share that is food related or a gift that is not food related.

Bacon and eggs bunny from worthpinning:

Pineapple chick from FamilyFun magazine:

















Cheese and cracker chicks from CanadianFamily:

There are so many ways to get creative and include veggies, fruit, and protein in your holiday celebrations. Happy Spring to you all!

Cheers,
Steph Langdon, RD
something nutrishus

Not today, not this month, all year...

I had 'dreams' of posting this on St. Patrick's Day, but alas, my little one decided she wanted to be held and needed mommy (so of course I obliged). It gave me lots of time to think about what I wanted to share. Then came Dietitian's Day and I totally agree with what a follower wrote on my facebook page - nutrition month should be all year. {Then I found some time one evening and thought I scheduled this post to go out last week, but now I find it sitting here as a draft...}

I have quite a few people in my life that have been or are going on hot holidays (we stayed home this winter due to the little one) and I know that many people use a holiday, or the fact that summer is coming, or their wedding is approaching, etc. as a goal for getting healthy or losing weight. This brings me back to some of my favourite words - moderation and mindfulness. Why not strive for balance (not perfection) and a lifestyle you can lead/live all year long?

Leafy greens and other green veggies are important to us all year, not just on St. Patty's Day when folk like me think of all kinds of green food. I like to make any holiday into a 'fun with food' type of day, whether that is playing with the actual theme or festive colours.

Since green is on my mind, I wanted to share a few recipes with you. I recently tried these Popeye muffins from the green forks and loved the colour as well as the fact that they taste like banana muffins.

We've also made Alton Brown's guacamole for a variety of potlucks and sporting events. Another favourite that we often come back to is roasted broccoli with shrimp. I also enjoy adding greens to smoothies (I froze some 'pucks' of extra spinach for this purpose), eggs, and soups, such as with my lucky New Year's soup.

At a close friend's (and great cook) house we were treated to Jamie Oliver's Jiggy Jiggy Greens - which I still have yet to try to make at home.

So what's the deal with greens? This time of year I find that more people start turning to salads, so perhaps you just want to change things up a bit or perhaps you're not sure how to store them or use them (ie. recipes). EatRight Ontario has a great collection and a few tips on these nutrient dense veggies.

Let me know if you had any 'fun with food' this week or how you're getting in your greens this year. Don't forget to check out my instagram feed to see what's going on in my life, kitchen, and mind these days!

Easter is coming, what will you come up with?
Cheers,
Steph Langdon, RD
www.mutrishus.com

Less is More and it's already March!

Almost 4 months into motherhood - which for my blog means that I have all sorts of ideas, some of which I managed to jot down (and hope to return to) and others that have been lost to me, and of course, few that have been posted. I don't regret where I am spending my time these days, although it has definitely been an adjustment and I'm still getting used to how much I am needed by our wee-one. I do think it fits well with mindfulness, moderation, and minimalism that I've been trying to focus on. I am very aware of spending time with my daughter and being there for her - as my husband says, "it's an investment". I am also now more able to find time for he and I as well as a bit of time for me (see here I am, typing away - I'm calling that moderation!).

I have less time to do the things I used to do, so it has been great that I was able to (and continue to work on) remove some clutter and unused items from our home. I managed to donate some things, shred or recycle a few others and even sell a few.

It is March, which means that it's nutrition month, so I have been eager to post something for you. I'm sharing Dietitians of Canada's tweet-a-day on @LeadPilates and @fueledbySKmilk if you're on twitter. You can also check out some resources on the 'Eating 9 to 5' theme on the nutrition month website. I think it's a great theme and covers basics like breakfast, snacks, lunch, supper, and temptations or on-the-go choices we may face. Since I have less time, I am very aware of making big batches these days. My daughter seems alright with grocery shopping, so we're still able to get what we need, but I now do things like prep veggies at 8pm after she's asleep. I try to have quick things ready during the day for the moments that I can grab a quick bite or reheat something. Suppers have been alright as my hubby also enjoys cooking and will take over for me or have some quality daddy time so that I can get creative in the kitchen.

I haven't been as active on here or sharing articles on my facebook page, but I do still post on instagram quite often if you're on there. I hope you're all doing well, enjoying some nicer weather, and perhaps partaking in nutrition month activities or learning something new to help get you healthily through your work day!

Cheers,
Steph