Blog

food on a cutting board with a note pad with a recipe

Late Night Meal Planning

Have you heard the saying “New Year, New Me”? Once the calendar shifted to January, my personal email was flooded with ways to create new fitness and eating habits, new wardrobe suggestions, tips on how to become a better parent, and the list went on and on. The start of a new year tends to get people thinking about New Year’s resolutions and setting goals for themselves. I have never been one to set a New Year’s resolution but having a 5-month-old and a 4-year-old at home, I have decided this is a great year to set some intentionality for my late-night habit!

Children helping make food in the Kitchen

We All Love Food

A few weeks ago, my 9-year-old daughter came home from school excited to show me a paper that she had been working on. It was titled “Food” and the first sentence was “We all love food.” Isn’t that the truth! She goes on to say that half your plate should be fruits and vegetables, and that you can have sugar once in a while. She talks about MyPlate and tells a little bit about each food group. On the back she made a list of foods for each of the food groups. As a mom and dietitian, her paper made me smile.

plastic utensils and straws

Less Waste, One Step at a Time

During this same week of 2021, I wrote a blog about my efforts to use fewer single-use plastic products at home. I didn’t like the idea of these products building up in the landfill nor did I like the idea of spending money on something that is meant to be thrown out. I focused on trying to cut back on using zip-top bags. I tried to use reusable bags and containers where I could and set the goal to use just one box of zip-top bags over the course of a whole year. In the first year, I made it about 10 months before I ran out. I am glad to say I can now meet that goal easily; it has become a habit. For context, I am the only person who lives in my house.

calendar

30 Days of Movement with Spend Smart. Eat Smart.

Being physically active is one of the most important things people of all ages can do to improve their health. Being active has many benefits, including:

ROASTED CHICKPEAS

Roasted Chickpeas

Happy New Year from the Spend Smart. Eat Smart. team! I am excited to kick off the new year with our first recipe of the month for 2023 – Roasted Chickpeas. I am not a person to set resolutions each year, but I do try to grow and learn by reminding myself to stay curious and try new things. When I started testing and writing up this recipe for the website, I had to remind myself many times to be willing to try new things.