Healthy Meals Archives | Joyful Messes

The Benefits of Cooking Together as a Family

Food is more than just a source of nourishment; it brings people together and strengthens relationships. Families cooking together can profoundly impact the family’s health, relationship, and overall well-being. This article will explore the benefits of cooking together and how it can positively impact your life. What are the Benefits of Cooking Together as a Family Preparing food together is an excellent way to spend quality time with loved ones. It is a fun and interactive activity that encourages communication, cooperation, and creativity. Cooking together allows family members to bond over a shared interest and create positive memories that last a lifetime. Moreover, cooking together has many health benefits, such as better control over ingredients, improved nutrition, and increased consumption of vegetables. Health Benefits of Family Cooking One of the biggest benefits of cooking together is that it allows for better control over ingredients. Families can choose healthier ingredients and control portion sizes when they…

Clean Eating

How to Use Your Instant Pot to Help With Weight Loss

With the fattening holiday season just over, I’m sure a lot of you are wondering how to shed those extra pounds. Well, your personal kitchen assistant, a.k.a. Instant Pot, is the best way to help you lose weight and stay slimmer. Besides being healthier, the food also retains most nutrients and flavor – so is more flavorful. You could even experience the happiness of seeing your kids eat their veggies without a moan! So, let’s get started on how you can use the Instant Pot to help you lose weight. How the Instant Pot Helps The instant pot saves you time, energy, and nutrients. Even the medium to tough cuts of beef can be ready to eat in hardly any time. For example, check out this Instant Pot London Broil recipe from Corrie Cooks. Made from the top round cut, the cooking time is just 20 minutes. That’s less than…

Breastfeeding Diet Plan

Breastfeeding Soups For Healing, Milk Supply + Weight Loss

Soup season is here, and soups are an amazing meal for breastfeeding mamas because they offer a lot of nutrients. Soup is also so simple to make and throw together, as well as being cozy and comforting on those long, tired days with a newborn. I had all my babies in the fall or winter, and lived in the Seattle area during that time. I LOVED soups in the fall and winter because of the comforting, delicious meal that makes the whole house smell good. I also eat most of my soups out of a mug, so it was an easy, one-handed option while breastfeeding. If you make your soup with bone broth, the healing benefits after birth are AMAZING! I equate my quick weight loss while breastfeeding to the protein shakes I drank and all the soup I drank! I LOVE both, and both are amazing for nourishing postpartum…

Food & Recipes

Nutritious Spins Of Foods Both Kids + Moms Love

This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx.com on behalf of Conagra Brands#ad #goodeats Staying healthy can be more difficult as the fall and winter approach, and all the cravings for the best comfort foods start hitting us. Pumpkin spice is already here before September! It is also a busy time of year with school, drop offs and pick ups, after school activities and home work. I am new to the school schedule, after homeschooling, and I thought with the kids gone a few hours I would be in HEAVEN! But, there is a lot to do, with a less time after school. We are still struggling with getting our reading and writing practice in, as well as some computer work, so quick and nutritious dinner or meal options for myself and the kids are a lifesavers! Frozen food options have come a LONG way from TV dinners. I am personally a…

Food & Recipes

Why This High-Protein Pizza Is My Go-To Lunch Staple For Picky Eaters

This post is sponsored by Sweet Earth, but all opinions and thoughts are my own! #ad #SweetEarth #ConsciousbyChoice Back-to-school season is officially here in Florida, which being a Pacific Northwestern, it seems a little crazy to be starting school the beginning of August. This means I have to wake up early, pack food and get everyone dressed in one, quick swoop. In order to accomplish this with all three of my boys, I HAVE to have lunches and snacks packed the night before. My children are also not big eaters and very picky. This makes packing a lunch they will actually eat very challenging. I made the mistake of packing two cookies for dessert, and of course he ATE NOTHING but the cookies. That was a fail on the first day, so I needed to get smarter. My first-grader also won’t eat a tuna or turkey sandwich because it gets…

Breastfeeding

How To Lose The Baby Weight Naturally, Without Working Out

After you have a baby, you may think that breastfeeding will cause the baby weight to just fall off naturally. You can eat what you need, and before you know it, you are back to your pre-baby weight with no major effort. Actually, losing the baby weight while breastfeeding can happen naturally, with no workout plans or fitness regimens. I know exactly how to lose weight while breastfeeding, without working out because that is exactly how I lost the baby weight fast after my first two pregnancies. Here’s a quick run down of my experience, what I’ve learned, what didn’t work, and how you can do it too! Eat as CLEAN as possible for every snack and meal (more on what this looks like below) Use protein shakes for fast nutrition Walk as much as possible Don’t eat unless you are hungry (intermittent fasting can work really well!) Use milk…

Food & Recipes

Simple Summer Entertaining With A Pizza Board

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #FreschettaFresh #CollectiveBias Cheeseboards are all the rage for entertaining throughout the year, but they don’t work well for the warm summer months. Cheese go soft and lose their texture in the warm weather, so I have another simple entertaining idea for you – A Pizza Board! These are so simple and fun, yet they offer an awesome way to entertain for the summer. I’m going to go over my essentials for a good pizza board, which includes a frozen pizza because that is so simple! From there, I doctor up the board with snacks, dips, veggies and fruit to allow for lots of different sampling and munching. As a mom of three boys, entertaining has to be simple, easy and yummy. Freschetta is an awesome problem solver when it comes to fresh, yummy…

Food & Recipes

5 Simple Tricks For Fast Meals To Keep You Fit, Full + On Track For Weight Loss

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #FindItInFrozen #PickUpFoodThatFits #CollectiveBias #ad Fast entrées are essential for mamas who are working hard to lose weight, feed themselves and feed their families. I am a big fan of fast entrées because my boys still give me little time for lots of cooking. When I do cook, I actually do more of the batch-cooking style, where I cook and prep a lot at once, which really helps me have things ready to go and warm up. I also do this for myself, because otherwise I end up eating hand fulls of cheese crackers, crusts of peanut butter and jellies, a few gummy bears and cheese sticks. Then I wonder why I am so tired later that afternoon. So, I have a few tips and tricks that can really help you have some healthy…

Breastfeeding

The Lactation Cookie List for Hungry New Mamas

Lactation cookies are amazing ways for new mamas to increase milk supply, enjoy a sweet treat, and ensure that you are producing enough milk for your new baby. I am personally a fan of healthy lactation cookies, which are just as satisfying and effective. Either way, this is your lactation cookie list. I’ve linked up the best recipes for lactation cookies both healthy and completely delicious. Some cookies are no-bake, while others are standard cookies you mix and bake. I also have some awesome cookies that come in a mix and pre-packaged that I’ve been able to try. These lactation cookies, healthy, bake and no-bake, will knock your socks off and give breastfeeding mamas plenty of options to consistently keep their sweet tooth satisfied and milk supply healthy. What ingredients are important in lactation cookies? Typically, lactation cookies are considered lactation cookies when they have the following ingredients: Oats either…

Breastfeeding

Lactation Brownie Batter Protein Smoothie

This lactation smoothie is amazing for both increasing milk supply as well as helping you lose that baby weight. YES, you can do both! Lactation smoothies are a key component of my program, The Postpartum Cure, and I highly recommend them because they are full of nutrients, which is the trick to keeping your milk supply while losing the baby weight. Many mamas struggle to lose the baby weight while breastfeeding because they fear their milk supply will decrease with their weight. This doesn’t have to happen. Eating the appropriate nutrient-dense foods will help you maintain a healthy milk supply and lose the weight easily. Hundreds of mamas are losing the weight with my app and program, so if you like lactation smoothie recipes with clean and organic protein powder, you’ll love the program! Let’s get to the recipe and ingredients! Lactation Brownie Batter Smoothie For Milk Supply + Weight…