There’s nothing like real world experience to teach you a thing or two.

To all of you parents who have written to me in the past saying “Isabel, with all the responsibilities I have in one day with the kids, work and the house, I just don’t have time to eat healthy.” I GET IT!

Holy Moly…who knew a little 8 lb baby could take up so much time…I mean the whole day.

Since eating healthy is an absolute must for me (I just wouldn’t have it any other way), I really had to come up with some quick and easy snacks that I could grab at any time, especially if my little munchkin didn’t let me get to make breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Even if you don’t have kids and are just busy, busy, busy all day….here are a few of the healthy snacks I enjoy (most of which can be grabbed with one hand while holding a newborn in the other).

1. Nut Butter and Honey on Ezekiel Bread (or any sprouted grain bread) – Although this would taste better toasted, I can make do with the colder version. I put 1-2 TBSPs of natural peanut butter or almond butter on 1 slice of Sprouted Grain or Spelt bread with ½ tsp of raw honey. I make 2-3 of these at a time and leave them in the fridge for easy grabbing.

2. Deviled Eggs – These do take a bit of prep time so I have to wait for my husband to come home in the evening to make them. I hard boil 6 eggs. Once cooled, I cut them in half and place all of the cooked yolks in a separate bowl. I add Dijon mustard and olive oil to the yolks and mash them up so they become creamy. I put the creamy mixture back into the center of the egg whites and sprinkle Celtic Sea Salt and Fresh Pepper on top. I keep these in the refrigerator for an easy protein snack.

3. Turkey and Roast Beef Rollup – These are simply just deli turkey breast and roast beef wrapped up in a rollup (I only buy the turkey and roast beef that is fresh and natural, not any of the cold cut supermarket brands with added nitrites and nitrates). I add some mustard to each rollup and keep them all in a container in the fridge. Again, another quick protein snack. These are also great with baby carrots.

4. Frozen Grapes – If you’re searching for something sweet, grapes in the freezer are a great way to curb a sweet tooth. I keep a bunch of these in the freezer and snack on them along with some raw nuts. Just a handful of grapes with some walnuts really keeps me full and satisfied until I can get to my next meal. It’s also a great “sweet” pick me up (for all those sleep deprived parents and even non-parents out there).

5. Bag of Trail Mix – I absolutely do not go anywhere without my bag of trail mix. Right now I have almonds, walnuts, brazil nuts, dried apricots and raisins all in a bag with a touch of Celtic Sea Salt added. Yesterday I took my little guy to the pediatrician and we were there for what seemed to be hours! Thank goodness for my trail mix, otherwise I probably would have cried more than the baby did.

Do you have a easy and quick healthy snack you can share with the rest of us? I would love to hear it. Post your favorite healthy snack below.

In health and happiness,

Isabel De Los Rios
www.TheDietSolutionProgram.com

  

Any day now I’m about to go from plain ol Isabel to Tia Isabel (that’s Aunt Isabel in Espanol).

My sister Vicky is exactly 9 months pregnant today and little baby Alex is on his way. Her new baby Alex will be the first grandchild and my first nephew, actually my only nephew and my whole family just couldn’t be more excited! (Did I hear someone say spoiled?)

Unfortunately Vicky’s pregnancy hasn’t been all baby booties and teddy bears, if you know what I mean. It’s been quite a tough road. Gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, and the need for an insulin pump have made these past 9 months quite a challenge.

In Vicky’s own words…

“I know if I had taken better care of myself before I got pregnant and lost the weight my doctor had recommended (along with my crazy little sister) none of these problems would have been so bad”.

Look, nobody’s perfect. We all make mistakes, even when it comes to our health. But what’s more important here for my sister and for you, is that you make eating and living healthy just that, a way of life!

Now with a new baby on the way, Vicky and her awesome husband are committed to making healthy living a part of them, not just for them anymore but for their new child.

The good news and the bad news is that our children mimic everything we do. Your habits will sometimes become their habits (scary huh?).

I’ll never forget when my old neighbors said to me, “Isabel, our 10 year old woke up this morning and ate leftover chicken and veggies for breakfast, instead of the bagels we bought. I wonder where she got that idea?” I loved it!

When parents bring in their children into my office wondering why their child’s weight has now become a health hazard, I always have to ask, “How is the whole family taking care of themselves or better yet, how are you taking care of yourself?”

I know this is a tough question to answer but these little people are looking to us for their answers and many times our actions speak louder than words. We are their role models.

So as a mommy, daddy, aunt, uncle, grandma, grandpa or just neighborhood friend, what can you do today to be a healthy influence to a child?

1. Develop one new health habit each week that involves your child. Want to go for a walk with Mommy to make our legs and our heart strong? Want to pack carrots in your lunch bag and see how many veggies we can both eat? Want to pick a healthy recipe and cook together? The options are endless. Make sure your child feels like he or she is an important part of your healthy life.

2. Let’s try and stay away from words like “weight loss” or “weight gain” and definitely avoid the word “fat”. Make it about “HEALTH”. We are going to take a family walk so we can all be healthy together. These foods make my heart and my muscles strong. Want to see Mommy or Daddy do pushups? Cool, right? Let your child know that being healthy is fun.

3. Be the healthy change you wish to see in your child. Show your child that genetics, time, and nothing else can get in the way of you getting healthy. Work on your biggest health obstacle and chances are you will see the same change in your child.

Commit today to good health not only for yourself but for those wonderful little people in your life that look up to you and emulate you.

As for me….I’m going to make sure my new baby nephew’s first word is Broccoli!

In health and happiness,

Isabel De Los Rios
www.TheDietSolutionProgram.com