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You are here: Home / Archives for healthy

How to Cook Healthy Meals When You’re Short on Time

December 29, 2022 by Wendy S

Cooking healthy meals can be a challenge, especially when you’re short on time. It’s easy to resort to fast food or processed meals when you’re busy, but these options are often high in calories, sugar, and unhealthy fats. However, it is possible to cook healthy meals even when you’re short on time. Here are some tips to help you get started.

Plan ahead

One of the biggest time-savers when it comes to healthy cooking is planning ahead. Take some time on the weekend to plan out your meals for the week, make a shopping list, and prep ingredients in advance. This can save you a lot of time during the week, as you won’t have to spend as much time chopping vegetables, cooking grains, or portioning out protein sources. Planning ahead can also help you stay organized and ensure that you have all the ingredients you need to make healthy meals.

Keep a well-stocked pantry

Having a well-stocked pantry can be a lifesaver when you’re short on time. Keep a variety of healthy staples on hand, such as whole grains (such as quinoa and brown rice), canned beans, canned tomatoes, frozen vegetables, and nuts and seeds. These ingredients can be used to create a variety of healthy meals in a pinch. For example, you can make a quick grain bowl by combining cooked grains with canned beans, frozen vegetables, and a homemade dressing. Or, you can create a healthy soup by simmering canned tomatoes and beans with frozen vegetables and spices.

meals

Image Source – CC0 License

Use your slow cooker

Slow cookers are a great way to cook healthy meals when you’re short on time. Simply add ingredients to the slow cooker in the morning, and you’ll have a healthy and delicious meal ready for dinner. Slow cookers are great for making soups, stews, and braises, which are all perfect for busy weeknights. Slow cookers are also a great way to cook tough, inexpensive cuts of meat, as the long cooking time helps to tenderize the meat and make it more flavorful. This guide on how to cook white chicken chili in an instant pot is a good example of what you can do with a slow cooker.

Use convenience items

While it’s always best to cook from scratch, there are some convenience items that can help you save time without sacrificing nutrition. For example, pre-cut vegetables and fruit, rotisserie chicken, and canned tuna can all be used to create quick and healthy meals. Just be sure to read the labels and choose options that are lower in sodium and added sugars. Pre-cut vegetables, for instance, can be added to stir-fries, omelets, or grain bowls to add nutrition and flavour without requiring any prep time.

Try one-pot meals

One-pot meals are a great option when you’re short on time, as they require minimal prep and clean-up. Some examples include chili, soup, and pasta dishes. These meals can be made in advance and easily reheated for a quick and healthy dinner. One-pot meals are also a great way to use up any leftover ingredients you have in the fridge, as you can throw them all into the pot and create a delicious and nutritious meal.

Filed Under: body mind spirit, food, Life Tagged With: healthy, meals

5 Products to help you get healthy!

January 8, 2015 by Wendy S

5 Products to help you get healthy @ mapsgirl.ca

 1. Vitamix

This is first on my list because you have to start getting healthy by making sure that you’re getting the right nutrition!  Craig wrote a great post about our Vitamix!

Vitamix @ mapsgirl.ca

Vitamix 1732 TurboBlend VS Blender

2. Meal Planner

Making sure that you’re eating the right foods at the right time of day is very important! We use The Organized Family Menu Planner by Glow Baby to help keep us on track!

Menu Planner by Glow Baby @ mapsgirl.ca

The Organized Family Menu Planner by Glow Baby

3. Fitbit

Tracking your movement, activities, steps and calories can help keep you motivated!  The new Fitbit Charge has a lot of amazing features, including the number of stairs climbed!

Fitbit Charge @ mapsgirl.ca

Fitbit Charge HR Wireless Activity Wristband

4. Yurbuds

When I run, I have to listen to music.  The regular ear buds that you get with most devices, don’t stay in when you’re running.  


Yurbuds Inspire Pro Female Performance-Fit Sports In-Ear Headphones
(also available for men)

5. Contigo AutoSeal Waterbottle

Hydration is important! I love that the Contigo bottle auto-seals and doesn’t leak! It’s also easy to drink from and fits in most cup holders. Most importantly, it fits in the cup holder on the elliptical at my gym!


Contigo AutoSeal Water Bottle


 NOTE: Some of the links above are affiliate links and I may get credit if any purchases are made.

Filed Under: Affiliate, body mind spirit, Life, Products & Reviews Tagged With: blender, Contigo, FitBit, FitBit Charge, food, healthy, meal planner, meal planning, smootie, Vitamix, Yurbuds

How fast is your chicken recipe? #ChickenDotCa

September 30, 2014 by Wendy S

Now that activities are in full swing, there are many nights where we need to get something on the table quickly!  We’re eating quickly before heading out the door, between activities or even on the run!

Fast food used to be our crutch, but when we made the choice to live a healthier lifestyle, that isn’t an option any more.

So now our “fast food” is just recipes that don’t take a lot of prep or cook time!

Quick Chicken Pot Pie

This is a family favourite and is really easy with left-over chicken, frozen veggies, canned soup and a pre-made pie crusts!  Prepped, cooked and ready to eat in 50 minutes! 

Quick and Easy Chicken Recipes #ChickenDotCa

See my recipe below!

 

Chicken.ca has so many great Quick and Easy Recipes to choose from!

What kid doesn’t love Chicken Fingers?

One quick and easy recipe, that my girls love are the Almond Crusted Chicken Fingers with Sweet Potato “Plum” Sauce

 How Fast is your chicken? #chickendotca

 http://www.chicken.ca/recipes/almond-crusted-chicken-fingers-with-sweet-potato-plum-sauce

Breakfast for Dinner is always a favourite!

On the weekends, if we cook a big roast chicken, there is always leftovers. Using the leftover chicken breast, the Chicken & Egg in Mug is not only quick and easy, my girls are able to make it themselves!

How fast is your chicken? #ChickenDotCa

http://www.chicken.ca/recipes/chicken–egg-in-a-mug

To see more Quick and Easy Recipes

Click on over to the Chicken.ca recipes section — http://www.chicken.ca/recipes/cat/8/quick-n-easy

 

To see all of the other great things that the Chicken Farmers do, follow them!

Facebook: Canadian Chicken
Twitter: @ChickenFarmers
Instagram: ChickenDotCA
Pinterest: ChickenDotCA


Quick and Easy Chicken Pot Pie
2014-09-30 18:33:02
Serves 4
Using convenience products like canned soup, cooked chicken, frozen veggies and refrigerated pie crusts make this comfort food classic a cinch to prepare. It’s chock full of flavor and ready in just 50 minutes.
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Save Recipe
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Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
35 min
Total Time
50 min
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
35 min
Total Time
50 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 package refrigerated refrigerated pie crust (2 crusts), at room temperature
  2. 1 can Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
  3. 1/2 cup milk
  4. 2 cups cubed cooked chicken
  5. 2 2/3 cups frozen mixed vegetables (carrot, green beans, corn, peas), thawed (about 2 2/3 cups)
  6. 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Instructions
  1. Heat the oven to 400°F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate with 1 pie crust. Trim any excess.
  2. Stir the soup, milk, chicken and vegetables in a medium bowl. Spoon the chicken mixture into the pie plate. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup cheese. Place the remaining pie crust over the filling. Trim any excess. Crimp the edges of the top and bottom crusts together. Using a sharp knife, cut several slits in the top crust.
  3. Bake for 35 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Sprinkle the crust with the remaining cheese.
By Wendy [mapsgirl]
mapsgirl.ca https://www.mapsgirl.ca/

Disclosure: I am participating in the Chicken Farmers of Canada campaign managed by SJ Consulting. I received compensation in exchange for my participation in this campaign. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Filed Under: Ambassador, Chicken Farmers, Recipes Tagged With: chicken, healthy, recipe

Getting Healthly: 6 month update — Normal BMI #NewMapsgirl

March 18, 2014 by Wendy S

For the last 6 months, I’ve been focused on my health. I’ve been eating better. I’m exercising 3 days a week. And I’m feeling great!

When I started this journey, I wasn’t even close to having a normal BMI.  I was overweight.  

But with a lot of hard work, at my last measurement, just over 1 month ago, I had lost 13″ and 24lbs.

In the last 4 weeks, I’ve lost another 3 pounds! 

Getting Healthy: Normal BMI

Normal BMI!

Getting Healthy - BMI

As much as I’ve been watching the scale and tape measure, I’ve also been keeping an eye on my BMI.  As of today, I am Normal!

BMI Categories:

Underweight = <18.5

Normal weight = 18.5–24.9

Overweight = 25–29.9

Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater

 

Why is a normal BMI important?

(info from the CDC)

BMI is used as a screening tool to identify possible weight problems for adults. However, BMI is not a diagnostic tool. For example, a person may have a high BMI. However, to determine if excess weight is a health risk, a healthcare provider would need to perform further assessments. These assessments might include skinfold thickness measurements, evaluations of diet, physical activity, family history, and other appropriate health screenings.

 The BMI ranges are based on the relationship between body weight and disease and death. Overweight and obese individuals are at increased risk for many diseases and health conditions, including the following: 

  • Hypertension
  • Dyslipidemia (for example, high LDL cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol, or high levels of triglycerides)
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Coronary heart disease
  • Stroke
  • Gallbladder disease
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Sleep apnea and respiratory problems
  • Some cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon)

Since I have a family history with so many of the things listed above, getting healthy and getting back into the “normal” range was important to me!

Still have work to do

I still have work to do though.  I would like to be more in the middle of the normal range, so I have about 10-14 pounds more to lose.  I’ll confirm this with my trainer and doctor to make sure I’m hitting the correct targets.

Flash Player 9 is required.


What is your BMI?

Are you in the normal range? Are there things you can work on to become healthier?

Other awesome things that are happening

Since Craig and I have adopted healthy habits, I have seen our girls do some things that make me very happy.

Just the other day, Rachel stopped and read a nutrition label to see the amount of sugar something had in it.

Lauren will grab fruits and veggies from the fridge more frequently than she asks for candy.  She still has a sweet tooth so we’re working to curb that!

 How are your health goals going?

If you’re on a healthy journey too, let’s support each other! Leave a comment below and let me know how you’re doing!

Filed Under: body mind spirit, Life Tagged With: BMI, healthy

MyFitnessPal Tips: Importing recipes is easy!

March 1, 2014 by Wendy S

MyFitnessPal Importing Recipes

Pin it!

In honour of the fact that today is National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day, I thought I would share a yummy recipe and some tips on using MyFitnessPal!

I found a great apple and peanut butter snack recipe that is perfect to share today and fits perfectly into my new healthy eating habits.  When I went to myfitnesspal today to enter the recipe, I found that they have added a tool for importing recipes! 

New Recipe Importer is easy to use!

When adding your food to your diary, there is now an option under “Recipes” to import from a URL — http://www.myfitnesspal.com/recipe/box (**Update** I have been told that this may not be available to all users yet; it may be something that is being phased in)

Previously, you had to manually enter in all of the information and it would generate the nutritional information about that recipe.  You can still do that, but why? The new importer allows you to enter the URL from the site where you found the recipe, it crawls the site for all of the important info needed, allows you to make changes if needed and you’re done!

Copy and paste the URL

MyFitnessPal Recipe Import

Edit the Ingredient list

MyFitnessPal - Recipe Ingredients

Add missing ingredients

MyFitnessPal Recipe - Ingredients

Save the recipe

MyFitnessPal Recipe - Save

You can see the recipe in MyFitnessPal’s database:

MyFitnessPal recipe in Database

Click to see recipe in myfitnesspal!

 Now I can log the recipe whenever I have it!

Apple Sandwiches with Honeyed Peanut Butter & Oats

Apple Sandwiches
2014-02-28 09:41:18
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Save Recipe
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Ingredients
  1. 1 tablespoon rolled oats
  2. 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  3. 3 tablespoons unsweetened peanut butter
  4. 3/4 teaspoon honey
  5. 1 tablespoon raisins
  6. 1 medium apple
Instructions
  1. Combine the oats and cinnamon in a dry skillet over medium heat and toast, stirring occasionally, until the oats are golden. Cool before using.
  2. Mix together the peanut butter and honey.
  3. Core and slice the apple into 6 rounds. (If you don't have an apple corer, you can slice the apple first and then cut out the centers with a small cookie cutter or knife.)
  4. Spread 1 tablespoon of peanut butter on 3 of the apple slices and sprinkle with raisins and oats. Top with the remaining apple slices to form sandwiches.
Notes
  1. If you are not eating the apple right away, you can brush it with lemon juice to prevent browning. A solution of 1/4 cup water and 1 tablespoon lemon juice does the trick without tasting too lemony.
  2. For strict gluten-free diets, be sure to use gluten-free oats.
By Emily Ho
Adapted from theKitchn
Adapted from theKitchn
mapsgirl.ca https://www.mapsgirl.ca/

This post was inspired by the 31 Days of Writing Prompts for March from The SITS Girls!

March 31 Days of Writing Prompts

Filed Under: body mind spirit, food, Life, Recipes Tagged With: healthy, myfitnesspal, snacks

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mapsgirl@gmail.com

Why “mapsgirl” ?

Wendy is a cartographer! She draws maps!

When not mapping, Wendy is also a mom to two daughters. They are the inspiration of this blog. Passionate about child passenger safety, Wendy was a certified Car Seat Technician in Ontario, Canada from 2008 to 2020. [Read More …]

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