Fun & Unique Healthy Foods for the School Year!

A product was given for review for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.

Now that the school year is well underway, you may be slacking on healthy lunches and snacks for your child or just running out of ideas!

Let me refresh you and introduce to you several great, organic and natural companies to get you and your child back on the healthy eating track at school and at home!

Erewhon

Erewhon (pronounced AIR-wahn) derived its company name from a famous nineteenth century novel by Samuel Butler. In the novel, “Erewhon” (made by rearranging the letters of the word “nowhere”) was a utopia in which it was a crime to be sick, and everyone was responsible for his or her own health.

Since 1966, Erewhon has led the organic revolution. They remain passionately committed to providing pure organic foods. The Erewhon organic foods are made of non-GMO ingredients and their cereals feature nine certified gluten-free flavors.

One of my children's favorite breakfasts and snacks is the Erewhon Cinnamon Crispy Brown Rice. It is certified gluten free, USDA organic and Non-GMO Project Verified. Each dairy free and nut free serving delivers 2g protein and 1g fiber with only 2g sugar. It’s a delicious and healthy cereal but also delicious as a fall-themed rice krispy treat!

Some of our other favorites are the Erewhon Rice Twice Cereal, Harvest Medley - Gluten-Free Cereal and the Simply Vanilla Gluten-Free Granola! So tasty as breakfast with milk, in yogurt or even in desserts!

Peace Cereal

Peace Cereal not only tastes great, but is made from great ingredients, such as premium whole grains, nuts, and dried fruits, and every Peace Cereal product is either USDA Certified Organic or Non-GMO Project Verified!

Want to try something fun and delicious to get your children excited about eating healthy? Try the Peace Cereal Purple Corn Flakes! They are lightly glazed flakes made with purple corn, a new trending ingredient, and brown rice. Each serving has only 90 calories, 2 grams of protein and 2 grams of fiber. It tastes just like Frosted Flakes but healthier! My children found these so fun, different and delicious!

Some of their other favorites from Peace Cereal were their Organic Blueberry Walnut, Raisin Bran and Coconut Chia Almond! So many delicious, unique cereals! My children asked for them by name every morning!

ZÜPA NOMA

ZÜPA NOMA is a line of ready-to-sip chilled soups that are made using Certified Organic ingredients. With only the best produce picked at the peak of ripeness and superfood seasonings like coconut, pumpkin seeds, and turmeric, ZÜPA NOMA has an average of 4 servings of fruits & vegetables per bottle! Since we use the whole veggie, seed to skin, and don’t add any sugar, ZÜPA NOMA is also full of fiber and considered a low-glycemic food.

Compared to juices, ZÜPA has 90% less sugar than most green juices on the market and has as much fiber as an entire apple or a cup of broccoli. Additionally, ZÜPA has 80% less sodium than most canned soups on the market. ZÜPA NOMA comes in six flavors.

I am a person that has trouble eating as many veggies as I should. these soups have been a great solution not only for my children but for me too! We now have a tasty way to get a variety of vegetables and fruits in our diet and it is perfect for sticking in a lunch box!

My daughter especially found these delicious and has begged for it every day for lunch! She loves all the fun and delicious flavors she can choose from and I love that she is exploring so many different flavors and foods with each bottle of soup!

This grab and go solution is perfect for everyday, every age – and you’ll enjoy sipping your soup SO much, you may only want to DRINK YOUR VEGGIES from now on.

* Disclosure - This product was given for review for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.*

Kick Start Healthy Eating with #AtkinsMealKits! @AtkinsInsider

This post was sponsored by the Role Mommy Writer's Network.

I talked a few weeks ago about receiving the Easy Peasy Meal Kit from Atkins. It was good then and it is good now!

Receiving this kit has really kicked me in the butt to figure out my eating and be more conscious of what I eat, when I eat and how I eat! I many times eat on-the-go while I teach, run around with the kids or pick up kids from school. My day seems to be one activity after another and I used to binge eat, grab an unhealthy treat for the road or eat everything I could find at night after the kids went to bed.

Eating the Atkins meals when I have a chance to sit down and grabbing the Meal Shakes or Meal Bars when I am in a hurry has been so easy and I love that they are giving me the nutrition I need to get through the day.

Plus, their food tastes pretty good too! The Meal Bars were my favorite! I was endlessly stealing them back from my husband's hands when he was trying to sneak one away from my stash! :)

And I love the great variety of meals that were included in the kit. There were meals great for breakfast, lunch and dinner! They were full of flavor and nutrition and there is sure to be a meal for every taste bud and preference!

If you are looking for an easy peasy way to kick start your healthy eating and become more conscious of the food you eat, check out the amazing meal kits from Atkins. They really make healthy eating easy and I definitely recommend the Easy Peasy Meal Kit! The Easy Peasy Meal Kit ($97.99) is the most comprehensive kit with all meals included, and consumers make their snacks and side dishes. The kit includes a variety of Atkins Frozen Meals, Meal Bars and Shakes to cover breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is the most comprehensive kit I have ever seen and it was really helpful for getting me back on track!

Buy It:

You can purchase Atkins Meal Kits at Atkins.com, where you can ALSO receive free support from nutritionists, access educational materials and share insights from your personal weight-loss journey with members of the Atkins community.  The Meal Kits may also be purchased as a recurring subscription.

* This post was sponsored by the Role Mommy Writer's Network.*

Travel the World While Eating Delicious @noodlescompany Salads!

A product was given for review for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.

On a hot summer day, there is nothing more refreshing than a fresh, tasty salad! Especially as I am trying to get back on my weight loss track after a busy summer full of eating stuff I probably should't have!

So when I don't want to cook but I don't want to sacrifice my good nutrition, I head to one of my favorite restaurants - Noodles & Company and grab one of their NEW delicious and fresh salads!

Noodles & Company recently launched three summer salads that I am LOVING– the new Napa Market Salad with Chicken, Chicken Veracruz Salad and the guest-favorite Med Salad with Chicken – as part of their new “World Tour” menu.

In addition to using authentic ingredients such as Gala apple slices, fresh, hand-cut corn and avocado, the salads also feature bacon never given antibiotics or hormones, which further demonstrates the brand’s continued commitment to real food, real cooking and real flavors as part of their Made. Different. positioning – they never use any artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners or preservatives in any of their dishes and that means so much to me!!

And what I love even more is I get to go on a culinary journey through Mexico, California and Greece with these three bold and flavorful salads!

I got the chance to try some of these delicious salads and I really was impressed! The mix of ingredients and dressings were interesting, unique and best of all - DELICIOUS!!

I first started out by trying the *NEW* Napa Market Salad with Chicken!

Fresh and flavorful market ingredients embody the Napa Market Salad with Chicken. Mixed greens are layered with Gala apple slices, Roma tomato, red bell pepper and pulled grilled chicken. Tossed with pomegranate vinaigrette and topped with bleu cheese crumbles and naturally raised bacon, this salad offers a sweet and savory explosion of flavor.

This salad had all the food groups! :) I loved the sweet apples paired with the salty bacon topped off with the flavorful vinaigrette. It was a great mix of ingredients and I would definitely get this salad again!

The next time I went to Noodles & Co., I tried the The Med Salad with Chicken. I also really enjoyed this salad!

Guests are invited to explore the richness and splendor of Greece with Noodles & Company’s The Med Salad with Chicken. Mixed greens and romaine are first layered with tomato, cucumber, red onion and Kalamata olives. The salad is then tossed with spicy yogurt dressing and topped with cavatappi pasta and feta cheese for a fresh, flavorful bite.

This salad had a little twist on it with noodles added in! I loved that I got a little pasta with my salad and the yogurt dressing was really delicious! This salad is also a great mix of flavors and I would definitely get this one again as well!

And if you like a little kick to your food, then you may LOVE the *NEW* Chicken Veracruz Salad.

A foray into Latin flavors, the Chicken Veracruz Salad starts with a bed of mixed greens and is layered with Roma tomato, red onion, chili-lime chicken, crumbled, naturally raised bacon and fresh, hand-cut corn. This salad is then tossed with Jalapeno Ranch dressing and topped with crispy jalapenos, avocado and cilantro with a wedge of lime, for a spicy, citrus kick.

So if you are looking to shut off the oven and take a break from cooking this summer without sacrificing your diet and health head to your local Noodles & Co. and taste flavors from around the world with their new salads! The flavors are great and they are so refreshing!

* Thank you to Noodles & Co. for their product for review! Disclosure - This product was given for review for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.*

Healthy Summer Eating

A product was given for review for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.

Summer is the perfect time to start eating healthy and/or to continue to eat healthy! It helps the swimming suit look great and keeps you energized through the heat and the sun!

I have two healthy food companies to feature today that are helping me and my family stay healthy and eat healthy this summer - whether we are snacking or making dinner! Check them out below:

Three Bridges

We are HUGE fans of pasta in our house and my personal favorite is tortellini! My favorite brand to make for dinner is Three Bridges because they offer affordable, delicious organic pastas! And their sauces are really delicious too! Their range of products makes it easy to whip up a healthy, delicious meal in minutes!

Three Bridges’ products embrace the simplicity of fresh, premium natural and organic ingredients that you can see and recognize. Their line includes 100% Natural, Certified Organic & gluten free varieties. Three Bridges pastas and sauces are made in small batches with only the finest ingredients, sourced locally when possible.

Check out some great meal ideas below that are perfect for summer meals, entertaining and healthy eating. Find out more about these recipes on the Three Bridges website:

Crudité and Lemon Pesto Goat Cheese Dip—take a break from the overused store-bought guacamole and chips and change up your appetizer dip!

Vegetable Pesto Pizza—stray away from the classic marinara sauce!

Bruschetta with Pesto—a tasty twist on the classic!

Superfood Pesto Cauliflower Pizza—the crowd-pleasing cauliflower pizza recipe that everyone is sure to enjoy

Organic Spinach & Cheese Ravioli with Sautéed Vegetables and Pesto

Beanitos

And for all you fellow snackers, grab a healthier snack this summer - Beanitos —makers of USA-farmed whole bean snacks that pack up to 5 grams of fiber and protein per serving.

Their newest offerings include:

Black & White Bean Skinny Dippers™—Beanitos’ healthiest offering yet! These 100 percent baked chips have only 90 calories and 2 grams of fat per serving! Perfect to dip in guacamole or hummus!

Garden Fresh Salsa and Sweet Chili & Sour Cream—crowd pleasing flavors for any summer party!

White Bean Crunch Mac n’ Cheese—These 100 percent baked snacks boast 4 grams of protein per serving!

My children were big fans of the Mac n' Cheese Crunch snacks because they were cheesy and crunchy good! Little did they know it was good for them too! :) And my husband loved the Nacho Cheese White Bean chips and he didn't know he was eating bean chips until I had to point it out!

Our snacks are healthier this summer with Beanitos!

Buy It:

You can purchase both Beanitos and Three Bridges products at your local retailer.

* Disclosure - This product was given for review for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.*

Guilt-Free Summer Eating with @meltorganic & #Giveaway

A product was given for review for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.

Looking to make a small but significant change in your diet this summer as you get ready for bikini season???

Then let me recommend MELT Organic's all natural butter substitutes!

MELT Organic’s all-natural butter substitutes are made with fair trade virgin coconut oil and other good-for-you plant and fruit-based ingredients. Available in original Rich & Creamy and Honey varieties, MELT spreads were created for butter enthusiasts seeking a healthier alternative. Brand new additions to the product line include Buttery Sticks, specially formulated to perform just like butter when baking, and Probiotic Buttery Spread, a butter improvement that delivers active cultures more effectively than yogurt. Finally, a way to make your favorite recipes guilt-free!

MELT Organic Spreads

MELT Organic spreads are North America’s first line of luscious butter improvements that are truly good for you. Each variety of MELT Organic features the Perfect Blend of the healthiest oils. This Perfect Blend is made from natural, fruit- and plant-based organic oils: virgin coconut, palm fruit, flaxseed, sunflower and canola. Each serving of MELT Organic is a rich source of Medium Chain Fatty Acids (the “good fats“) that your body burns as energy instead of storing as fat, thereby boosting metabolism.

Each square of MELT Organic spreads are truly good for you: certified organic, non-GMO (Non-GMO Project Verified), kosher pareve, and made with Fair Trade Fair for Life certified organic virgin coconut oil and Rainforest Alliance certified palm fruit oil. And MELT Organic spreads are also soy free, gluten free, and dairy-free.

 MELT Organic Buttery Sticks

And I am excited that they recently introduced NEW MELT Organic Buttery Sticks! MELT’s NEW Buttery Sticks is made from a creamy blend of virgin coconut oil, hi-oleic sunflower oil and palm fruit oil. Unlike any other vegan or vegetable oil sticks, MELT is optimized for baking and cooking with oils that are not high in omega 6 ALA’s, like soybean, canola, safflower. Even better, MELT Organic Buttery Sticks bake and cook just like real butter but with 1/3 the saturated fat and fewer calories. Moms agree that MELT’s new buttery sticks exceed their expectations.

Each stick is truly good for you and continues their commitment to source only eco-social and environmentally friendly ingredients and packaging: certified organic, non-GMO (Non-GMO Project Verified), kosher pareve, vegan and made with Fair for Life Fair Trade certified organic virgin coconut oil and Rainforest Alliance certified palm fruit oil. MELT Organic Buttery Sticks are also packaged in sustainable cartons made with wind energy. MELT Organic Buttery Sticks are also trans fat free, dairy free, gluten free and also soy free and canola free.

I am so excited to use MELT Organic buttery sticks and spreads in my cooking, baking and daily butter needs! I am a huge fan of coconut oil and I am so excited to use it even more now with these products!

Buy It:

You can purchase MELT Organic products at your local retailer.

Win It:

MELT Organic is generously offering 4 MELT Organics coupons to a lucky winner!

Enter here for a chance to win:

FOUR MELT Organics Products 
(in the form of free product coupons)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

* Thank you to MELT Organic for their product for review! Disclosure - This product was given for review for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.*

Give Mom a Break from Cooking with Healthy Meals from @Bistromd

A product was given for review for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.

Mother's Day is coming up and it is time to give mom what she really wants - a break from cooking!!! You can give mom healthy meals that even help her lose weight, eat healthier or just give her one less thing to worry about with meals from BistroMD!

I know that getting a break from cooking is at the top of my wish list this Mother's Day and I have really enjoyed not having to cook for myself and having healthy meals delivered right to my door from BistroMD.

BistroMD has collaborated with fitness icon Denise Austin, to create convenient and customizable healthy meal options to combat stress overeating and the consumption. Each meal in the Denise Austin Program, available nationwide, features quality protein, is low in sodium and fat and will not contain added MSG or simple carbohydrates.

I received 15 delicious meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner and they included meals such as Dark Chocolate Chip Crepes, Canadian Bacon and Swiss Omelet and my favorite breakfast meal, the Bagel Sandwich with Egg, Turkey Sausage and Cheddar!

If you love bagels this is just the breakfast for you! They have combined all-natural turkey sausage, whole eggs and cheddar cheese to give a one of a kind breakfast sandwich that will keep you full with 35 grams of protein. It really did keep me full until lunch which is rare for me!

And for dinners and lunches I received tasty meals such as Manicotti with Vodka Marinara, Beef Shepherd’s Pie, Hickory Smoked BBQ Pork with Peach Crisp and my favorite the Grilled Salmon with Lemon Dijon Dressing

This delicious entree of grilled, center-cut salmon with a lemon Dijon dressing is one that you can’t get enough of. This dish is accompanied by seasoned spinach and a hearty side blend of brown and wild rice. This meal was bursting with flavor and the salmon was perfectly cooked and so delicious with the lemon Dijon dressing!

The meals were easy to reheat, were always right on hand in the freezer when I needed a quick meal, and were always healthy including vegetables, protein and fruits in each meal!

BistroMD was great to work with, they customized my meal plan to what meals I wanted and they were delivered quickly and easily! I looked forward to trying every meal I received and was pleasantly surprised by the bold and unique flavors in every meal!

I have to say, I think BistroMD meals make the perfect gift for the mom that is tired of cooking, looking to lose weight or just wants an easy, healthy meal every now and then (that she doesn't have to cook herself!)!

Buy It:

You can purchase BistroMD meal programs (standard, Gluten-free, Diabetic, Menopause, Silver) and plans starting at $119.95 from the BistroMD website.

* Thank you to BistroMD for their product for review! Disclosure - This product was given for review for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.*

Stay Warm this Winter with Campbell's Organic Kids Soups

A product was given for review for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.

There is nothing better than a hot bowl of chicken noodle soup on a cold winter day or during a miserable cold!

This winter we are enjoying hot bowls of Campbell's Organic soups and having fun while we eat them too!

Campbell’s® Organic offers soup without preservatives or compromises. Available in vegetarian, gluten free and fun varieties for kids, these satisfying soups deliver the delicious taste you expect from Campbell’s®, crafted with certified organic ingredients. Campbell’s® Organic is comfort food to warm your body and soul.

Campbell’s recently introduced a brand new line of Organic Kids Soups! Available in Mega Noodle, Chicken & Stars and pasta shapes inspired by Disney’s Frozen, each new soup includes organic farm-grown ingredients, delicious herbs and spices, and no preservatives or ingredients grown with GMOs.

My children's favorite were of course the Frozen inspired soups!!

Campbell’s® Organic soup inspired by Disney’s Frozen is non-­GMO* and USDA certified organic so you can feel great about what your kids are putting into their mouths… at least during lunchtime.

Your kids will love the delicious taste and fun shapes. You’ll love that they come from a place you trust. Campbell’s® Organic soup inspired by Disney’s Frozen is non-GMO,* made with USDA certified ingredients and sealed in convenient cartons made without the use of BPA.

My children LOVED eating these soups, they tasted great and I loved that this created a simple but nutritious meal on a busy, cold winter night!

Buy It:

You can purchase all three Campbell’s Organic Kids Soups at grocers nationwide in the soup aisle for a suggested retail price of $3.29 per 17oz box.

* Thank you to Campbell's for their product for review! Disclosure - This product was given for review for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.*