{The Tasting Plate Concept}

Making a healthy lifestyle change can be difficult to maintain. One thing that I have learned is that when trying to cut down on sugars and bad fats, you may need to challenge what traditionally may be eaten at a certain meal time.
For many, breakfast must come out of a box or pop out of a toaster and loaded with buttery & sugary condiments. Many of us also view morning tea snacks as a coffee and a highly processed cupcake that we call a "muffin" to make us feel better or a pastry type treat.

One way that I have found keeps it interesting in our house, is introducing the tasting plate idea into a few meals.

I have often served a breakfast plate with a little yoghurt, half a banana and a slice of whole wheat Vegemite toast. I find that my boys love eating a 'tasting plate', as it is inherently is full if variety.


Today for morning tea/ brunch. I made up two plates with a glass of sparkling lime water. One each for me and my youngest son.
On it I had:
Carrot sticks, pear slices, a fig, small handful of cashews, 2 dates and a small container of natural yoghurt with apple purée and cinnamon.
Mr Cheeky (3yrs) ate everything I did, except for the cashews - but he did try them. I don't have to worry of he doesn't like one component as the whole thing is healthy and it's about trying different things and building good eating habits.
I also find that when you eat this way, you enjoy it more and savor each part. Maybe the Japanese are onto something with their bento style meals ;)

Q: Have you or your kids ever eaten 'tasting plate/ bento style'?

Lauren x

{Things I am learning not to miss}

For this year we decided to have a few friends around for New Years Eve. Most of us have kids and trekking into the city with overtired kiddlets in toe doesn't spell fun to us. AT ALL. So, amidst all of the festivities two weeks ago, it turned out that our microwave wasn't working. The part that heats up the food. I may have had a slight panic. Much to my surprise now (due to debating over repair vs replace debate) it has been sitting out of the kitchen and in the laundry. Awaiting the verdict on it's fate. The biggest surprise to me is that in the last 2 weeks, I haven't missed it. I know, I shocked myself as I was first thinking about I use this thing all the time. 

Another thing that I am not missing a lot of, is certain foods.   

As a lot of you know by now, I start every year with a 'Daniel fast' for 21 days. This is basically a plant based diet that I do for health benefits and a spiritual purpose {I have talked about this more here in the past}. 
So I started this year with the usual plan, but I am considering keeping the no-sugar rule slightly longer in a hopes to help me deal with a medical problem I have {I don't talk about it much but here, but it is something that I have been dealing with for ages - click here for more on that}. When I tell people about my fast and sugar free considerations...I am often met with looks of pity and sorrow. 
 
However, once you kick over the first few days which are notorious for lethargy, headaches etc...as your body cleanses itself, the benefits are amazing! I absolutley love the change in my energy, my clarity and I am starting to loose some cm's too! 

You could be forgiven thinking that giving up sugar and processed food {and for me meat - part time} means you are left with a plate of over steamed veggies or a bowl full of lettuce at every meal. But truth is, once you start, the variety is actually quite large. You just have to be creative and plan ahead. 

This year I think I will stick with this eating plan for a bit longer due to my newest cookbook to my collection for Christmas: 'I Quit Sugar' by Sarah Wilson {click here}. If you want to improve your health and do it in style, check her e-book bundle out and for under $30 you will not be sorry!

                                                            

Lauren x

Q: Have you made any changes to your eating so far this year? 

{Snack Bar & Water Bar}

Don't know about you, but right as December approaches, the fridge starts to turn into the 'party fridge' zone. Christmas time in our house usually involves an adult version of 'fridge Tetris' whereby attempting to fit the ham, trifle, salads, left overs and a bunch of drinks inside.

But, the tree is down. No sign of Christmas is in sight. A new year is starting and my fridge is now cleared of all the junk.

It is time to welcome back the snack bar:


I started this last year and it had brilliant results for each member of our family. Considering we have two fridges, our snack bar is quite large. But use what space you have, make it easily accessible to the kids also. I'd much prefer them grazing on this on holidays and after school, than packaged sugar, fat and salt.

Sweet ideas:
- Fresh fruit cut up (melons, grapes, berries, kiwi fruit)
- Plain yoghurt with Apple sauce
- Sugar free truffles (recipe coming soon) 

Savory ideas:
- Veggie sticks (cucumber, carrot, celery, capsicum)
- Cherry tomatoes
- Homemade Hommus
- Cheese cubes

Water Bar:
Under all the nuts and dried fruit, I filled the right hand fridge with bottles of water.

So today, right after I re-claimed the fridge, I found my boys sitting with each other with cut up rock melon, cucumber sticks and a bottle of water each. With one son addicted to chocolate and the other fast becoming lemonade obsessed, it was nice to get back to normal!

Lauren x

{Summer's A Comin'}

Over the last few months I have been feeling quite tired. I had no exact reason to, either. I wasn't sick.I wasn't pregnant (although I did check). I wasn't sleeping horrendously. I was just not making it through to the end of the day without the 3pm feeling of needing a nanna nap. Which doesn't fit into the school pick-up schedule at all. 

I normally eat my main meals very healthy. But I am not regularly exercising. 

Then it clicked!