Moms on a Mission: Quick, Convenient & Healthy Meals for your Family!

When you are strapped for time use all available conveniences to help you make healthy meals for you family. Frozen vegetables and pre-cut vegetables (preferably organic) are a quick alternative if cutting & chopping just isn’t feasible. That's a relief living in Knoxville where fresh fruits and vegetables are hard to find in the middle of winter!

Never make one of anything. If you are making a meal, make enough to give you at least one extra meal.

Eating three meals a day plus snacks can sound daunting when you don’t even have time to shower. How will you find time for healthy choices? Think convenience & rethink meals. Plan ahead, be prepared, ask for help, and use your freezer a lot!

Plan ahead whenever possible, always make extra, and don’t forget your freezer is your friend. Also, don’t be shy. Ask for help – preparing a meal or snack is something family and friends can do for you.
Fitness Tip: Set aside time on the weekend for a family nature walk/hike and turn it into a scavenger hunt (how many different birds can you hear/find, different color plants etc.). You don’t have to be in a wilderness area, a local park can offer plenty of opportunities to seek out interesting flora and fauna (ducks, bugs, flowers…)

MOMS WITH A MISSION: Drink More Water

When pregnant and breastfeeding you need 60+ ounces of liquid a day. You will hear this so much that water will begin to not sound good anymore. Try making yourself a spritzer when you have had enough of the plain tap version. Add a splash of juice to sparkling water for a refreshing, hydrating change. Always carry water with you when you are on-the-go so you can sip throughout the day (using an aluminum or stainless steel reusable water bottle is best for your health and that of the environment – brands such as SIGG or Klean Kanteen are great options).

Fitness Tip: Train for a “child friendly race/walk” with your child. Set periodic, attainable, goals (distance, time, exploring new terrain like a hilly park) to keep it interesting and challenging.

Top 10 Tips for Staying Healthy During the Holidays!

• Eat smaller portion sizes
  

• Be active for at least 30 minutes a day 
  

• Lay off the junk food 
  

• Spend more time outside away from the kitchen 
  

• Don’t leave food out on the counter (out of sight, out of mind) 
  

• Buy only the foods you absolutely need from the store 
  

• Take the stairs instead of the elevator while shopping Drink more water (helps fight hunger) 
  

• Chew gum (helps fight hunger) 
  

• Refrain from being bored, do what ever it takes to stay active and away from the kitchen.
  

MOMS WITH A MISSION: Eat a Rainbow of Foods

A general rule when it comes to food is the brighter the better because the color pigments of foods are where all the vitamins and phytonutrients are found. Potatoes and jicama are some of the few natural white foods. Most often, if a food is white, it has been processed in some way, i.e. white bread & sugar. White is not a color of the rainbow, so eating a rainbow of foods will help you increase fruits and vegetables in your diet and reduce the processed foods in you diet. What foods make up the rainbow?

• Red: tomatoes, strawberries, raspberries, beets, red peppers, radishes, pomegranate
• Orange: oranges, persimmons, yams, butternut squash, carrots, apricots
• Yellow: onions, yellow peppers, Yukon potatoes, spaghetti squash, sweet potatoes, bananas
• Green: kale, broccoli, spinach, asparagus, lettuce, green peppers, herbs, peas, green beans, kiwi
• Blue: blueberries, blackberries, blue potatoes, acai berry
• Purple: eggplant, grapes, figs, plums

Challenge your kids to find the rainbow on their plate!

Fitness Tip: Take the family dog out for a walk together, or if your child is old enough, give him this daily task (or more than once a day – even better for both child and dog!). If you don’t have a dog, help your child arrange to walk a neighbor’s dog.

Congratulations to Stroller Strides Franchisee of the Year Finalists!

Tummy-Taming Tips from Stroller Strides

Start working off that Turkey and get ready for your little black dress for your New Year's Eve party! Here is some tips from Lisa Druxman, founder of  Stroller Strides to help you flatten that belly!