Dinner...

I've received several e-mails over the past few months from readers who are wondering what I serve my family for dinner. I've been trying to think of a way to address the issue in one long blog post, but decided maybe I just need to photograph our dinner every once in a while and share them here on the blog along with some of our favorite tried and true recipes. Because of my work schedule and the boy's activities the key for dinner around here is quick-and-easy!! Before we transitioned to a healthier lifestyle "quick-and-easy" meant food out of a box or can...or came direct from a nearby fast food chain. One of my biggest fears when we first started this process was how I would handle dinner. It's taken a lot of trial and error to find foods that my kids enjoy, but now that we have been at it for over a year we have some staples that my family loves and I find it so much easier to cook now than I ever did before. The best part is that my kids are filling up with wholesome, healthy foods which means they aren't grazing around the kitchen looking for snacks after meals.

One of the keys for me was finding healthier alternatives to my kids' favorite meals. Take for example, chicken nuggets...my youngest son absolutely LOVED chicken nuggets and chicken strips from fast food chains that were filled with who knows what. After seeing THIS VIDEOand reading about the effects the added products have on our bodiesI knew I needed to find a healthier option for my kids. Maria posted this chicken "breading" recipe so I gave it a shot and my boys loved it. The only adjustment I made was to add a little more salt. This recipe has become a staple recipe at our house. I typically double the recipe so we have leftovers as these are very easy to re-heat on the nights we have activities. You can also use the leftovers to make a chicken strip roll up by placing the chicken, some shredded cheese, lettuce and any other toppings you want on a piece of flax flat bread. The recipe on Maria's site will bread appx. 2 large organic chicken breasts which will make appx. 8-10 chicken strips. On a side note...if you're not familiar with Whey Crisps just know that you might get sticker shock when you look at the price. I held off ordering these for a very long time because they are expensive. However, one tub lasts my family 2-3 months and we get a lot of use out of them. I add whey crisps to protein drinks, deserts, snacks, etc....

On the side I served another one of Maria's recipes...Cinnamon Streusel Muffins. I love these muffins because they contain a lot of flax seeds (you can read about the benefits of flax seeds HERE) and they are very filling. The boys eat these muffins for breakfast, snack, dinner...you name it!