#they’re like dessert dog food or cereal but eating them like cereal is a bad idea but it’s also hard to judge how many is a normal cookie

[monsterbroth]

I made some sugar cookies so I could test my tiny tiny cookie cutters and I feel like I’ve discovered something evil on accident

[gojocumdumpster]

Cooking with the Baki boys😭👩🏾‍🍳

(Baki,pickle,jack,retsu)

Warnings: none

Gender neutral reader

Y’all i’m so busy this weekend and week i have church tomorrow and a baby shower, today I had a sweet 16 to go to for my cousin that ended at 10PM now my sister homecoming and i’m just getting back home and now I have to go pick up my makeup i left at my aunts house getting ready 🥲 then i have to wake up at like 1-2AM and go on a flight on sunday to go to disney for the week and then on friday im going to universal studios 💀😭

Baki:

He says he can cook but the only thing he can make is microwaved ramen noodles….💀 last time he made noodles he forget the damn water and you could smell through out the house this man just stood there like this with the damn noodles in his hand😭. Last time there was a puddle in the kitchen and this man had slipped and he had a bowl of cereal in his hand and that was just it for you.😭😭

Pickle

No, just no. Sometimes he’ll just tower over you watching you cut the veggies or meat, he’ll help in the kitchen sometimes when you allow him to he’s pretty good at remembering where the dishes go and the ingredients you used, but when he helps with the meal it’s a whole disaster last time you told him to put the pepper in the pan so you can cook them which he did you told him not to touch his damn eyes and wash his hands first but he does not like listening so what did he do…touch his eyes😭 he was running around like this to go wash his eye💀💀

Jack

He prefers to stay out the kitchen because of his massive hands they tend to get into things they’re not suppose to be in, he doesn’t know what “Wait.” means he’s always hangry and sneaks snacks if you take to long. Yes he’s grateful for having you cook for him and be his but this man loves his food, whenever you cook steak he always says “I want it raw.” you thought he meant something else for a second but this man was dead serious, last time he got banned from the kitchen for a week because he said “Hey babe you know how i like to eat my meat? I like to raw dog it.” you were like…

Retsu

The best of the best, this man is cooking breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, he loves watching those gorden ramsay however the hell you spell his damn name and he judges the food himself, he doesn’t want you to cook the food, he’s not saying your a bad cook you are but that’s what he loves to do it’s his passion especially his home country meals but whatever he cooks has you on that toilet calling for backup toilet paper this is you every time on the toilet 😭

[topsytervy]

Scotcharoos ~ Pope Heyward

Blurb: you decide to make some of your grandma's scotcharoo bars with a little bit of help from your boyfriend, Pope.

Word Count: 1,273

Warnings: swearing, grammar/spelling mistakes, i think thats it

I'm going to add this just in case you don't know what scotcharoo bars are. They're basically just rice krispie treats but you add peanut butter in with the rice krispies and top it with a mixture of melted chocolate chips and butterscotch chips. A very poor and vague description but that's all they are. Nothing really special about them but everyone in my family (myself included) go absolutely nuts for them and I wrote this cause my grandma just sent me a chunk of scotcharoo bars from the batch she just made.

~~~~

Pope looked over your shoulder as you poured in the mixture you just brought off the stove, a confused look on his face. “What exactly are these again?” Your boyfriend questioned.

“They’re scotcharoo bars. My grandma always makes them. It’s basically kind of like peanut butter Rice Krispie treats with chocolate on top.” You explained.

You had practically grown up with scotcharoo bars and it was usually something your grandma made at least two pans of since everyone in your family always went back for more. Tears were often shed when you were a child cause everyone always seemed to nag them before you could get one and if you did, by chance, happen to get one, one of your older cousins snagged it from you, using the same ‘they’re bad for your teeth, we’re doing you a favor’ excuse every single time.

Not anymore though because after an hour and a half on the phone with your grandmother and a very casual ‘I haven’t had scotcharoos in so long’, you had a package in your arms a week and a half later containing, not only the bars themselves but your grandmother’s recipe as well.

Take that cousins.

So now here you were, spatula in hand as you poured the Rice Krispie cereal into the metal mixing bowl you had down.

You handed Pope the bowl. “Can you mix this together please while I get the chocolate and butterscotch chips and start melting it?”

Pope nodded as he took the bowl from your hands, beginning to mix the ingredients together.

You grabbed the butterscotch chips and chocolate chips, pouring them into a microwavable bowl before putting them in the microwave for a minute.

As Pope continued mixing, you pulled out a pan and buttered it well.

"You eat these a lot growing up, sweetheart?" Pope asked, looking at you.

You nodded. "Every holiday and birthday, scotcharoos were there. There was never one left in the pan because they were either all eaten by the time you went home or you were taking some home with you." You smiled at the memories brought back by making the simple recipe.

Pope smiled. "Well, I can’t wait to try them."

You grabbed a fork as the microwave beeped, stirring the chocolate and butterscotch mixture before putting them in for another minute, figuring that it would be thoroughly melted after that.

"I have one last bar my grandma sent me that you can have a piece of." You offered, walking towards your counter.

Pope feigned shock. "You would share a dessert you love so much with me?" He teased.

"Unless you don't want it, then I'll just…" You trailed off, bringing the treat closer to your mouth.

"No. I'll take it. Save you from a cavity." He placed the bowl down and grabbed the bar from your hand.

He couldn't lie, it did look rather delicious, and listening to you rave about it all the time constantly made him wonder what these infamous treats taste like.

He took a bite as you picked up the bowl, mixing the Rice Krispies in a little more.

"You know what? These aren't half bad." Pope nodded, taking another bite once he swallowed his first one.

You took the bowl over to the pan and spread the mixture out, patting it down as you nodded. "It honestly wasn't a family get-together unless these bad boys were there. I'm pretty sure half my cousins only showed up to see if the scotcharoos were there."

The microwave beeped and Pope went and grabbed the bowl handing it to you as you grabbed the spatula.

"Thank you," You pecked his lips as you took the bowl.

You stirred the chocolate and butterscotch again, making sure it was all mixed up and melted before pouring it on top of the Rice Krispies, spreading it as evenly as you could with the spatula.

"And now we wait for it to all cool and set." You grinned once you were finished, holding the spatula out towards Pope. "Wanna lick it clean?"

Pope took the spatula from your hand. "Hell yeah."

You giggled at his excitement as you picked up the pan and brought it to the fridge to hopefully make the treats cool down faster.

Pope gathered up the dishes and brought them to the sink, filling it with warm water and a little dish soap. He turned and leaned his back against the counter as he waited for the sink to fill, watching you as you made room for the pan in the fridge. Once you were sure that nothing would fall out, you stood up straight and closed the door, turning to face your boyfriend.

“They should be ready to eat soon.” You told him, walking over and wrapping your arms around his waist.

“Yeah. You’re gonna eat a meal first though. By the time you’re done with your food, dessert will be ready.” Pope pressed a kiss to the top of your head.

“Well, I made dessert so that means you get to make lunch.”

Pope shrugged. “Easy, peasy, m’lady.”

“Oh, really? What are you going to make?” You raised an eyebrow.

“Mac and Cheese.” You laughed at his answer and he grinned. “I said it was easy peasy.”

You nodded. “Yeah. Mac and Cheese is pretty easy peasy.”

****

After your lunch, which consisted of mac and cheese with little pieces of a hot dog thrown in it, you got up and walked over to your fridge, pulling out the pan of scotcharoos and grabbing a knife. You cut them into squares before grabbing two pieces from the pan and walking over to Pope, handing him one.

“Why, thank you, sweetheart.”

“You’re very welcome, darling.” You smiled as you kissed his forehead before taking a bite of the treat.

“I’m going to be honest,” Pope told you, “Still good but not as good as the piece you had me try.”

You nodded. “I agree 100% but, in my defense, my grandma has been making these for god only knows how long and this is my first time making them.”

“Fair point.” Pope popped the rest of the bar into his mouth. “After a few more tries, I’m sure they’ll be as good as your grandmas and we’ll be serving them up at Christmas parties as well.”

“Oh? We’ll be serving them? So you’re going to help next time?” You raised an eyebrow.

“I always help in the kitchen.” Pope defended himself.

“Yeah. Help make a mess.” You laughed and Pope’s jaw dropped.

“Clearly you’ve never cooked with John B or JJ. I swear to god, JB once got egg on the ceiling. Like, how does one do that?”

You shrugged. “Talent.”

Pope rolled his eyes. “My point is, I am very helpful in the kitchen. You just like picking on me.”

You grinned as you sat on his lap, wrapping your arms around his neck, your half-eaten bar in your hand. “Of course I like to pick on you. You’re mine to pick on, Pope.”

It was Pope’s turn to laughed as he leaned forward to press a kiss to your lips. Your eyes fluttered closed and that’s when you felt your bar get snatched form your hand. Your eyes snapped open and you saw Pope pop the rest of your treat into his mouth, humming at the taste.

You crossed your arms and pouted. “That was a dirty move on your part.”

“And I’m sure you’ll get me back at dinner when you steal some of my food so think of this as a pre-payment for what you take off my plate later.”

~~~~~

[deesselouvre]

Tagged by @v-v-e-g-a !!! ♡♡♡♡♡

Tag #1

1. Icon: Beehunter from Arknights

2. My content: This is my main/personal blog so it's mostly just reblogs of funnyman jokes, Helpful References/Tips, and interests I'm either too lazy or not enough into to make a sideblog for (JJBA, Animal Crossing, Castlevania [debatable], etc.)

3. Letter colour: I'm assuming this is blog title color so--white.

4. Header: a screencap of Invader Zim saying "PHASE TWO" but instead it says "HOES MAD". I need to change it tbh but idk to what.

5. Url: I love vampires AND thigh high socks,,,,Could I Make It Anymore Obvious

6. Blog title: From one of those phrase/word generators I forgot why I used it, but I really liked the phrase even though I'm really bad at poetry...

Tag #2

Who were you named after?: I Vibed(tm) with Maid Marian from the Disney Furry Robin Hood Movie as a kid but I wanted it to be more gender neutral so now I'm Mr. Mosbey ☆ Ellis is similar enough to my deadname so I can get onto family and the like for "forgetting"

Last time you cried?: I don't have a concept of time so I don't remember so,,,,,maybe a week or two?

Do you like your handwriting?: I guess? It's pretty a looking blend of print and cursive but it can be hard to read if you're reading it for the first time :(

What is your favorite lunch meat?: FRIED BOLOGNA. If cooked doesn't count idk honey ham or turkey I guess ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Longest relationship?: 2 years. Don't Ask.

Do you still have your tonsils?: Yup.

Do you bungee jump?: Nope!

What is your favorite kind of cereal?: Honeycomb, w/ French Toast Crunch as a close second. But tbh as long as its not bland like cheerios or corn pops/puffs I'll live.

Do you untie your shoes when you take them off?: I DESPISED tying my shoes as a kid idk why so I always slip mine off.

Do you think you’re strong willed?: Not particularly, I think? I'm a people pleaser but I'm also stubborn as hell so....

Favorite Ice Cream?: Birthday Cake!!! French Vanilla or Wedding Cake is good too--anything really REALLY vanilla-y is top notch.

What is the first thing you notice about a person?: Their smile and I guess like...idk how to put it....their Build? Like if they're lanky with broad shoulders or tall 'n buff or short 'n stocky, stuff like that.

Football or baseball?: I only attend football games for the Marching Band halftime shows

Favorite donut?: Anything filled with cream or custard tbh. Maple-flavored dunkin donuts donuts are good too, though.

What are you listening to?: A lot of Vouge Remixes/Music apparently? Like DJ Boyfriends and stuff. I like high-energy beats.

If you were a crayon, what color would you be?: A deep jewel tone that's labelled "peacock" but you can't really tell if its a green or blue until you use it.

What is your favorite smell?: Vanilla Bean Noel from Bath and Body Works, Honeycomb, and Harry's Pomegranate-Spice Blend Soap (really specific I Know). Hairspray always smells really sweet to me idk why people say they hate the smell???

Who was the last person you talked to on the phone?: My D&D group (5 HOURS!)

Hair color?: Too dark to be blond, too light to be brown. I wanna dye it either that jewel toned blue again or black, but I don't feel like buying hair dye rn.

Eye color?: Brown brown brown! FUCK what anyone says brown eyes are the BOMB my entire family has either green or blue eyes so I've spent TOO LONG self-depreciating over that shit.

Favorite food to eat?: Lemon Cake w/ mascarpone is soooo good. Nothin tops Hoppin' John with Wild Rice though.

Scary movies or happy ending?: Happy Endings. I'm not (that) much of a sap but Scary Movies sometimes really work up my anxiety :(

Last movie you watched in a theater?: Once Again, time is an illusion but I think Frozen 2? NO it was Birds of Prey! Loved it.

What color shirt are you wearing?: A black State Marching Band Championship hoodie.

Favorite holiday?: Halloween by default since a good 80% of holidays are boring.

Beer or wine?: I've only had (dessert) wine but I didn't really like it so neither I guess. I don't see myself liking beer anyways.

Night owl or morning person?: Night Owl but God likes to punish me so I always wake up at 6/7/8 even when I don't need to anyways.

Favorite day of the week?: Tuesday or Friday? Time isn't real, dude.

Favorite animal?: BATS BATS BATS!!! I have a plushie of a Mariana Flying Fox I got from the zoo as a wee kid and I WUV THEM their name is Mango :3c. I also like peacocks because of their colors, & hummingbirds because they remind me of my grandmother and how they zip around!

Do you have a pet?: 3 cats (Meimei, Rico Suavé, and my dearest darlingist loudest witch cat Mina) and 3 dogs (Emmy, Jake, and Gucci "Chupi" Chupacabra).

Where would you like to travel?: Japan (b/c I'm a weeb and I've wanted to since middle school), but tbh visiting just about anywhere would be cool, especially in Europe just because I keep slacking on language learning. My family vacations for Food mainly so anyplace with good, different grub than Southern Landlocked USA is 👌👌👌👌.

♡☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡

I never know who to tag in these ddgdkddjkskabcksbals uhhhhhh @binch-im-stressed @screamingredpanda @6fangs @foolishrats @wondertainment & any mutuals or ppl who constantly interact because I'm writing this in my notes app and never use desktop tumblr so I can't really keep track of my mutuals like everyone else (;´༎ຶД༎ຶ`)

[utdrmonsterobserver]

Sans and Alphys: junk food, junk drinks

Papyrus and Undyne: healthy food, healthy drinks

but if it’s a buffet, it’s both!

Undyne can handle junk food and is good at controlling what she eats and drinks, unlike sans and alphys. they both have temptations for chips, juice, cheese, and slushies.

Papyrus still has his preferences, though. As much as he finds difficulty in interesting places, that goes the same with food choices. We all know he likes dinosaur oatmeal, so that means he may like cereal and other grain foods. For some reason, he never wanted to try out his spaghetti in the first place... or maybe he did and already hated on it cause he thinks the tomato sauce is what sans uses for his hot dogs. Undyne corrected him it’s tomato sauce for pasta, it can’t be used for junk dogs cause junk dogs can be topped with tomato ketchup. Papyrus shrugged it off (PSHHHH WHATEVER) to avoid asking the difference between tomato sauce and tomato ketchup. Papyrus then went deeper into spaghetti and discovered more about all types of pasta. It’s a hint Sans has tried out his spaghetti before, and he said his brother could do better to make the food more edible. Then, he wanted to serve others instead for dedication and seeking recognition to make new friends. That’s how he got the idea of wanting to capture the human, cooking food to jape them. All the labels on the microwave say spaghetti to have the human think the microwave can heat up only Papyrus’ spaghetti. Undyne was a great cooking teacher to Papyrus, but it seems that’s the only recipe taught. Reaching the surface, he and Undyne eat vegetables like salad and vegetoid-farm-brand greens. Papyrus has never tried juice, tea, or soda, so he hydrates by energy drinks, vitamin water, and water.

Sans isn’t much. He’s all into junk food. Alphys joins but only if she feels like trash or wants to eat a snack. Toriel will teach him how to eat his vegetables. He’ll mind it and make all his junk food turn green (stubborn!). All his food disguised in green to trick Toriel he’s eating “healthy”. Then he found those crunchy veggie chip brands and it’s much better than tasting the veggie itself. The size of desserts can intimidate him that only a slice or nice cream would help, or else he’ll leave or sleep on the feast. anything sugary, he’ll dodge unless it’s a slice worth the wait. if he sees who’s cooking any type of food and whoever serves their dish to him, he’ll eat it unless it looks bad. undyne and papyrus are already two cooks and toriel and muffet is two bakers by his side. ( sidenote ; we dont have evidence sans met muffet but I still remember that fanmade sans animation where he got stuck in spider webs ,, i thought it was real too ) even muffet’s bakery looks bad, but taking the spiders out make it a lot better. reminder that he eats ingredients separately, so if you want him to eat a burger, he’s gonna take it from bottom bun to skip-lettuce to tomato to patty w/ cheese to top bun. and that’s why he never eats his burger at grillbys to do the ketchup prank instead. same for sandwiches and burritos. he’ll eat authentic restaurant food and rate their performance. he can’t handle spicy food with alphys. he can handle coffee and smoothies, he’s fine with cold ice drinks and hot drinks.

alphys and undyne eat cheap microwavable foods at home if ever broke to order at a restaurant. undyne already learned not to burn the stove, so she could do the same as alphys. Another time, she’ll try to cook again without burning the Surface down. for now, Toriel doesnt want anyone to touch the stove except Papyrus. Undyne hates junk food but drinks junk drinks and junk snacks Alphys eats.

everyone loves bubble tea and popcorn! chewey gud an vry yummmyyy

the kickstarter showed juice goin thru sans but this?? this food and drink theory post is for ppl who want drinks to actually process in physical monster bodies even if they dont have a body ^^ the food and drink both go thru the monster soul to convert into energy instead of making them look like they’re having an accident! drink can also make them have a bit of insomnia if drank at night, oops! :’D

[iamjjmmma]

Cheapest Foods at Walmart (AKA I Tell You My Full Childhood Diet)

For those of you who may be tight on your budget, especially for the people I know who live in Appalachia and frequently struggle with poverty and normally go to Walmart because it’s the only thing around, we know that searching for the cheapest food can be tricky if you’re shopping in basically a giant warehouse. We know the rules, yada yada yada. Buy Great Value, not the name brand. Sell your soul to coupons. Live on leftovers. Buy bulk if you can. Those help, but not as much as choosing cheap purchases in the first place. Right here, straight up, is the cheapest possible food you can buy at Walmart. Ramen Noodles. Hey, they don’t have a reputation without having a reason for it. Basically any type of pasta that strikes you as obviously cheap. A big box of bowtie pasta for 75 cents? GET IT. Birds Eye Veggies. Cheap cuts of meat… you know, the no-name brand, $1 a pound meat. Whole chickens. While it is on the more expensive side, going for $5-6, and it requires lots of prep, whole chickens can last you for a very, very long time. For a cheaper and easier (yet smaller) alternative, buy whole cornish hens. A package of generic hot dogs. Whatever milk you get, make sure you get the Great Value Whole Fat milk. While it’s not “healthy”, per se, being underweight isn’t healthy, either. An 18-pack of eggs. Great Value, of course. Peanut butter’s pretty cheap and a good source of protein. Nice if you can buy sandwich supplies too. Generic white bread. Generic white rice. Beans. Those are seriously cheap. And you can easily grow your own with a water bottle and a wet paper towel. Cooked rotisserie chickens. Those are relatively cheap and good if you’re in a situation to where your power is out due to a snowstorm or something. Fresh potatoes. They’re incredibly cheap and filling. Chili’s pretty cheap, too. A big bag of generic apples if you’re worried about fruit. Those huge Malt-O-Meal cereal bags. They’re about the same price all across, no matter what kind you get, so you can have a nice amount of choices when it comes to cereal. I LIVED on those as a kid in the morning. Dried, steel-cut oats. I remember eating these in front of the TV when I was a kid for HOURS, and my parents had no problem financially with fulfilling my dried oats addiction. Onions. Those are 30 cents each. Saute them and mix them with your ramen noodles and you’ve got yourself a meal under a dollar. A huge tub of plain yogurt. Seriously, it’s so HUGE that you’ll have trouble being able to fit it into your fridge. And for $3, that’s a heck of a lot of yogurt. It’ll taste disgusting, but it’ll give you lots of nutrients and probiotics, which is great for you if you’re sick. Carrots. Those are also cheap, although I hate them. Maybe it’s because I ate them so much as a kid. Lentils. This goes back to the beans idea, but whatever. Bananas are cheap if you’re not keen on apples as a fruit source. Ransack the soup aisle- soup in general is pretty cheap unless you’re going for the organic stuff. Great Value bottled water. I know, I know… not food. But you can buy 78 of these bad boys for $5. Compare that to 5 water bottles for $5 at McDonald’s. You can’t get away with that perfect “we’re cheap” reputation, Walmart. You just can’t. Cookies, like Oreos or Chips Ahoy, sell at a pretty reasonable price. That was our #1 dessert as a kid, and I still love them. A huge bag of Utz Potato Chips. Now, they have a big bag full of tons of little bags that are both cheap and perfect for your lunch box, and that was what I lived on when I went to school. Popcorn. Bagged is more expensive, but still pretty cheap at $2-ish a bag. Chickpeas are pretty underrated. 57 cents a can we’re talking about. That being said, go to the canned veggies aisle and see if you can find anything else obviously cheap there. Generic granola bars. If you’re allergic to nuts like me, you have to do some scouring on the back, but you can walk away with spending $2 on 16 of these. And they have a lot of energy. If you’re craving ice cream, freeze the plain yogurt you just bought. Canned tuna. It may be small, but it’s better than nothing when you only have a dollar on hand. Also an important source of protein. Spinach can come cheap, but make sure you don’t accidentally buy the organic one. Generic spinach is hard to come by in Walmart. Corn when it’s in season. 75 cents an ear is not bad at all.

[musicfeedsmysoul12]

Haven Raised Chapter 6

Summary:  Harry's life is completely changed when his aunt and uncle are forced to take him to a funeral at a relatives. Now being raised by Primrose Evans, her sister Grace and the citizens of Havenfall, his life is going to be a roller coaster.

AO3 link

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Harry and Ron grinned at each other as Ron sat down next to Harry, nudging his shoulder.

“This is going to be spectacular!” Harry said cheerfully. “My mother will be happy I’ve made a friend and gotten into the house I wanted.”

“Even if she doesn’t understand the houses?”

“Even then.” Harry laughed. After the rest of the sorting, Dumbledore stood up to say a few funny words and food appeared on the tables. Harry squinted at him. “He’s either crazy or he’s messing with everyone.”

“Or both.” Joked a brown-haired boy. He offered his hand. “Justin. It’s nice to meet you- I read a few books but I assume you’re not like what they say?”

“Not at all. My aunt Grace read those and made fun of them. My mother was angry and is discussing taking some of them to court.” Harry sighed. “Especially the Tales of the Boy-Who-Lived. Mom is furious she never found them before.”

“My sister has a few of those books,” Ron remarked, chuckling at the horrified face of Harry. “Easy. Mom made sure she didn’t take it too seriously. Reminded her it was a story and that was that.”

“Where were you raised?” A slightly snooty looking boy said, introducing himself as Zacharias.

“America. My biological mother had a cousin who lived there who took me in after some unpleasantness with my maternal aunt and uncle.” Harry replied. “I have a companion animal thanks to panic attacks that occur occasionally thanks to them- he’s a dog named Spot.”

“Interesting,” a boy who said his name was Ernie Said. “He tame?”

“Of course. We don’t know what breed he is other than some magical one but he’s very tame.” Harry said.

“Then there’s no problem,” Zacharias said, sounding bored. “You speak well Harry.”

“My mother’s named Primrose and she was often teased for being ‘Prim and Proper’ as a child. In turn, she began acting like it to annoy those who bullied her. I picked some mannerisms up.” Harry said stiffly. He picked at his food. It was very delicious but he found he missed his mother’s cooking. “Is that curry?” He asked, nodding to a bowl a little further down.

“Ah, you would like… oh wow no.” Justin covered his face while Harry laughed at Justin, taking some of the curries as Ron handed it to him.

“My aunt and uncle hated my heritage. My mother, however, hunted down an Indian woman to teach her how to cook traditional foods for me.” He said calmly. “I do love it, and I will tell you if you are treading the line.”

“You’re being quite open.” Zacharias Said.

“I have panic attacks and nightmares. Better warn you now than in the middle of the night.” Harry replied.

“Makes sense,” Ron said, eating a large serving. “I was nervous earlier about the one you…” he winced, realizing Harry may not want to talk about it but Harry just pressed on.

“It is nerve-wracking. I understand.” The talk turned back to family and he learned that all but Justin, another boy named Wayne who was rather quiet and himself were purebloods that year- a surprising thing given the acceptance of all from Hufflepuff. The girls- Megan Jones, Susan Bones, and Hannah Abbot- were pureblood as well which was just as odd.

“What does your mother do for a living?” Zacharias Asked Harry after they talked about their own parent's jobs.

“She runs my estate though she refuses to touch that money. As well she works at a bowling alley-“ there were no looks of confusion so he kept going, “-that doubles as a bar. I know she’s considering going to school like she had originally planned before the death of her grandmother made her the guardian of her younger sister soon. My aunt Grace- her sister- graduates from muggle school this year.” Harry shrugged. “I hope she does. She always wished to go to culinary school.”

“She gave it up for her sister?” Justin Asked.

“Full scholarship- meaning her schooling would have been paid and everything. But she chose her sister.”

“A true Hufflepuff.” A kid near them said. Harry jumped and realized almost the entire table had been listening in. Cedric, a little further down, looked somewhat embarrassed but smiled.

“It’s so we can know if the first years are okay,” he told Harry upon seeing the look. “Make sure they’re okay at home and stuff. Also…”

“Harry Potter,” Harry said dryly. America had prepared him for celebrity gossip.

The feast lead to dessert appearing, something Harry wasn’t as fond of given he recognized little. He had something that looked like a pie that tasted pretty good.

“You like treacle tart?” asked Ron. Harry blinked.

“I have no idea what I’m eating but it tastes excellent,” he admitted.

“It’s a traditional British dessert.” Justin offered. “A tart.”

“...To me, tarts are like mini pies. Not this.” Justin laughed at Harry who rolled his eyes, grinning.

After their dessert, Dumbledore stood up to give news.

“Welcome all to Hogwarts!” he said in a booming voice. “As you are all undoubtedly full and tired, I will keep this brief! Our caretaker Mr. Filch has a list of items that are banned on his door that you may all see, while our Herbology Professor, Professor Sprout, would like to remind everyone that Greenhouse Three is not to be trifled with.” His face and tone turned serious after a moment.

“As well, I would like to inform students that Professor Snape’s probation period is over. He will be allowed to take points and issue detentions once more.” A black-haired professor sneered at the students. A professor in a turban was near him and Harry felt his forehead suddenly ache. He winced and reached up to grab it.

“You alright?” Ron asked. Harry shrugged.

“Headache.”

“As well, for this year,” Dumbledore said, “There is a corridor on the third floor that is out of bounds due to issues concerning a possible nest of some sort of breed of doxy that is particularly dangerous.”

“Doxy?” Harry asked Ron quietly.

“A pest. Their bite is kinda venomous.” Ron said, shrugging. “They’re not all that bad but a big pest at times.”

“Huh.” Harry blinked as a Prefect (whatever those were. He assumed it was kind of like what an RA was from his mom’s description of what they were when they’d been watching some show with them in it) came towards them.

“Hello! I’m Susie Danvers!” the girl said cheerfully. “If you could just follow me please?” The first years followed her out of the hall and down a few hallways, Harry feeling somewhat overwhelmed by how many turns they took when they came to a bunch of barrels on a wall. “This is the entrance to Hufflepuff!” Susie said in a clear voice. She rapped her fist on one, singing along, “He-l-ga Hu-ff-le-pu-ff.” A barrel in the middle seemed to grow and open up, leading to a large room that was very earthy, with the scent of earth and water saturating the room. The doors were round, and Harry whispered to Justin- the only one who may know what he said-

“Hobbit holes.” Justin burst into snickers as Harry looked around and saw how open the room was, light streaming in through high up windows and portraits that were moving covering the walls.

“You hit the wrong one or do it in the wrong way and you’ll be soaked in vinegar,” Susie told the first years about the barrels. A bark distracted her and Harry grinned.

“Spot!” he dropped to a knee to hug the dog who ran up to him, licking his face.

“He’s a handsome pup, Mr. Potter,” Susie said with a smile. He grinned up at her as she turned to the rest. “Now, we have two dormitories. One for those who consider themselves female, and one for those who consider themselves male. The girls are on the right, boys on the left.” Susie recited carefully. “As well, I would like to inform you that Professor Sprout holds a weekly meeting for the House so people can air their grievances and deal with other issues. She is not here right now as it is the beginning of term but she will have a one-on-one meeting with you next week to ask you questions.”  Susie explained.

The boys went up to their room, discovering it was very airy with nice windows and desks and plants everywhere. Spot had his dog pillow beside a bed with Harry’s trunk at it- right under a window. Harry grinned.

This was going to be interesting.

-0-

Their first day of classes, Harry was a little surprised by the food on the table in front of them.

“Going to have a full English?” Wayne asked as he loaded up his plate.

“I usually tend to stick with cereal in the morning,” Harry said, blinking at the options. “Or toast. Mom usually works days so it’s busy in the morning.”

“Well, we have time now,” Ron said. “Want to try anything?”

“... I feel that Dr. Diego would come here to yell at me himself if he knew what I could possibly be eating so I will stick with toast and fruit.” Harry said, eyeing the foods.

“Dr. Diego?” Justin asked.

“My mom’s friend from back home- well, her boss’s friend who she speaks to a lot and considers a semi-friend anyway. He’s the town’s doctor- healer,” Harry said to the looks from those, not in the know. “He is very big on healthy eating. I think he has a heart attack when my mother and JD- her coworker- get bored and make… strange combinations out of bar food.” Harry shuddered, remembering some of those combinations.

Professor Sprout- a plump woman with dirt all over her robes- came down to hand them their schedules then.

“As well, today I would like you all to come one at a time to the office I have in the common room after supper. We will have a short meeting, alright dears?” she asked with a smile. The first years agreed and went to their first lesson which was Charms.

The professor was a small wizard named Professor Flitwick who squeaked at getting to Harry’s name and fell off a stack of books. Harry did not want that to set a precedent for the first week at Hogwarts but had a horrible feeling it would.

At least after that, Professor Flitwick did not treat him any different. Instead, he acted as if Harry was any other student as he began teaching them Charm theory- explaining that Charms were some of the more dangerous pieces of magic.

“What not many people know is that most curses- even those you learn in Defense Against the Dark Arts- are actually Charms.” the Professor said to the class. “Charms are the base for curses, jinxes, hexes and so much more. Even more, there is much difficulty in how a Charm can be cast as one mispronounced word can lead to death. As such, we do not do practical magic for a few weeks at the very least.”

He went through the syllabus with them, explaining his plans and Harry diligently took notes while Ron scowled at the pages of his own notes and the syllabus He hated taking notes.

“Are you okay Ron?” Harry asked him in a quiet voice while Flitwick was going through something.

“How can anyone read when it’s all floating around?” He asked, cross.

“...Are you dyslexic?” Harry asked, remembering a boy in his class with a similar problem who was dyslexic.

“Huh?”

“It’s a learning disability,” Harry said, unaware Flitwick was near them. “The words really float around for you?”

“...yeah.”

“I think there’s like special books… no wait, magic…”

“We will give you the best help we can Mr. Weasley,” Flitwick suddenly said, in front of them. The boys blushed. Flitwick was keeping slightly quiet as he spoke. “But please, pay attention. I do have a dyslexic Ravenclaw in the fifth year who can spell your books for you Mr. Weasley but again…”

“Sorry, sir.” The boys said. They paid attention the rest of the period and Flitwick gave Ron the Ravenclaw’s name- a Penelope Clearwater. Luckily, they passed by a group of Ravenclaws to their second class of the day- Transfiguration with the Gryffindors- when they found the girl. She spelled his books and taught him the fairly easily spell before heading to her own class.

McGonagall took their explanation on why they were a little bit behind easily, stating she was used to first years being late, and she understood speaking to an older student well.

Their lesson with McGonagall jumped right into magic, something Harry raised his hand to ask about.

“Professor, in Charms we were told we would have to wait for a long time until we used magic. May I ask why the rules are different in this class?” he asked.

“Five points to Hufflepuff for the question,” McGonagall said. She looked pleased. “Few ask about this, and I always wait to see if they will do so. I am pleased someone has decided to.” Granger looked annoyed but interested in the answer, the Gryffindor girl holding her quill ready. “The truth of the thing is that unlike Charms, Transfiguration is a subject that when you start out, will rarely go wrong in that it can cause harm. Yes, some spells are dangerous and should not be taken lightly but the truth is that at this age, few students have enough power to cause harm with Transfiguration. Mostly it simply will not work. Charms, however, can go wrong in any possible way. Not because it is an easier subject- never that- but because it requires less forcing of the subject to change.” She turned her desk into a pig and back, too much applause.

“The desk’s natural state is a desk, not a pig. It fought me every step of the way to change and it was much easier to change back then not. As such, it requires great power to force this- power your bodies have but you are too young to properly focus. Charms are less tricky and more likely to go wrong.” She nodded. “As such, we teach you right from the start with Transfiguration so your bodies become used to forcing things to change.”

With that, they were given matches after a small series of notes- in which Harry made sure to help Ron with by showing him a cheat sheet Grace had made him of shortcuts for common words like ‘with’- and informed how to turn a matchstick into a needle.

No one but Granger got very close to it, but no one minded now that they knew why.

Lunch was after that class. Harry was pleased to see more Indian style foods were there, which Cedric- who was sitting near them- explained as being a house elf magic thing. House elves apparently served the school and could tell when someone preferred certain foods over others.

“Like how a few of our Jewish students keep Kosher- the elves will recognize it and give them Kosher food,” he explained.

The next class after was History of Magic. Halfway through the class, Harry gave up on notes and began playing hangman with Ron. He just couldn’t do it.

Luckily- no one else could either.

Later after there was supper in which everyone chatted about their days. Spot had appeared out of nowhere, feeling Harry was stressed apparently.

“What kind of dog is he?” Cedric asked.

“I have no clue,” Harry said honestly. “He just appears when I need him.”

“He’s a big dog already,” Wayne said.

“He’s a good dog.” Ron insisted. Harry grinned at his friend.

Yeah, he was.

After supper was when Sprout met with the First Years individually. She went in Alphabetical order so Harry was second last.

“Hello, Mr. Potter!” Said the woman with a smile as he came in with Spot. “Do you mind if I call you Harry?”

“No, my teachers back in America called me by my first name. It’s strange to be called by my surname.” Harry replied. “Though I understand the need for professionalism.”

“Well then Harry, I will call you as such while we are one on one. Now, how was your first day?”

“It went well. No issues other than History being boring.” Sprout nodded.

“Yes, we can't change that though. The Board still deflects it every time we bring it up. Mr. Lupin tries but he’s one voice.” She shook her head. “Anyway- Can I ask you about your family?”

“There’s really not much to say. I have my mother and aunt- though she’s more of a sister than an aunt.” Harry shrugged. Sprout nodded.

“From what I read in your file- which was given to me and discusses the bare basics- I can understand that. Your mother treats you well?”

“Yes. She gave up a position at a college for me and Grace- my aunt. She works hard to give us food and pay our bills and her boss,” he controlled his blush firmly, “has always helped us when we needed it most. She refuses to touch the money she’s given for me any more then she has to.”

“She sounds wonderful.” Sprout said kindly. “You don’t worry about her dating anyone at all? I understand some children worry about their parents falling into a new relationship when they’re here.”

“No,” Harry said, shaking his head. “She wouldn’t date anyone who didn’t like me or Grace. I doubt she would date anyone, not in our sphere of…” he frowned, trying to think of the word. “Social sphere.”

“Like who?” Harry shrugged at Sprout’s question. It was weird thinking of his mom dating at all. “Well then, I’m glad your happy Harry. Are you looking forward to any particular class?”

“I’m looking forward to an elective I saw. Care of Magical Creatures.” Harry admitted. Sprout laughed.

“You like animals?”

“Love them.”

“Well then, I suggest chatting with Hagrid, our groundskeeper. He knows all about animals and he was… friends with your biological father.” Harry froze.

“Oh…”

“He’s a good man.” Sprout said. “A lovely one. He’ll like chatting about animals most though.”

“That’s okay. I love animals.” The rest of the meeting was just her making sure he knew how to use a quill- and her expressing interest in his notebooks and pens. Flitwick has mentioned them to her and both were interested in that he used them.

“It’s easier,” Harry said. “I’ll use parchment for assignments and stuff but I like pens and notebooks for notes.”

“Understandable.” Sprout said, nodding. “Parchment has magical properties which is why we use it still but a notebook and pen sounds much easier!”

“It is!” Harry Agreed. The session was over after that and he went up to his room, letting Ron have his own chat.

Ron came back pensive, laying down on his own bed.

Your brothers are great people but you are a great person as well. You don’t need to prove it. Sprout had told him, followed by her telling him not to listen to his mom when she compared him to Percy. That he was his own person.

Ron sighed.

He didn’t know what to think about that.

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I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!

Plot Points

-I changed the painful death thing because I feel that with a sudden change in seats of the board of directors that they would pay more attention to Hogwarts thanks to more attention on them. They agreed to let Dumbledore house the stone but not give that speech.

-Yes, Binns is still around thanks to greedy board members.

-Ron is dyslexic! I love this headcanon but I always disagreed the teachers wouldn’t know what to do- at least Flitwick would know someone who could help!

[prsfood]

PARIS HABITS

carry around bottled of diluted juice, choose a strongly flavored one OR water with 0% syrup off brand U (about 6 for a lot of syrup).

unsuspicious:

Broth-based soups (chicken/veggie/beef broth, not cream) and plain popcorn come to mind...shrimp is also very low cal and high protein.

What really confuses my family is when i take out my ice cream sandwich. Little do they know, its a klondike 100 calorie light bar, but it looks like a regular ice cream bar so it doesn't raise suspicion.

cooked veggies with shrimp

Thing I always do is an eggwhite omelette with celery and tuna. My fam says its gross cuz of the two mixed but you only need like 3 eggwhites, maybe a half can of tuna and a bit of chopped up celery. Makes a lot for low cal!

I always go for like 5 saltine crackers and a laughing cow cheese wedge

I got kelp noodles recently - the entire bag is 18 calories. They're clear and can be served cold or hot. Mostly good for Asian foods and salads.

I make egg and cheese wraps for dinner..the whole thing comes to around 200 cals as a meal...1 tortilla, 1 small egg and like, a slice of low fat cheese...it also makes me feel full which is good, esp. when paired with coffee

shrimp. Went out to all you can eat crabs with my friends tonight (ugh, shoot me). While they were pigging out on 5000+ cals of crabs, I was just peelin' my shrimp super slow and eating about 100 cals of shrimp, which took forever and made me look sups normal. Even the cocktail sauce doesn't have that many cals and it is delish

at school for lunch I have a half of a pb sandwich. it's 40 cal bread with pb2 (around 30 cal because I don't use the whole 2 tbsp) so that equals 70 cal. I have it with some fruit (50 cal) and cucumber or celery (0 cal)

My caramel frozen yogurt bars are only 100 calories and are a great dessert, especially around people.

My suggestions are:

Try having silken tofu instead of hard tofu because people don't tend to differentiate between different varieties of the same foods even though they can have substantially different caloires. I don't know where you live but here in Australia the Macro silken tofu is only 50 calories for 100g while hard tofu is over 100 calories or more for the same amount.

Home made ice blocks/popsicles with diet drinks and fruit (I mentioned this recently on a different forum, I'm not steal, promise!!!)

Instead of steaming veggies roast them - ie 'carrot fries', because they have that association with fries even though they are low cal

It's already been said by rice cakes (You can find 10cm diameter ones for 23 calories) and you can top them up with salads and hummus etc.

Low calorie smoothies ie. Made with just frozen fruit, ice and water

1 cup silk unsweetened almond milk with sweetener and fiber one 80 cal cereal. 110 cal.

two slices 45 or 40 cal bread with Turkey breast, tomato, kraft fat free mayo. 150-160 cal.

two slices 45 or 40 cal bread with two tbsp pb2 & 1 tbsp smuckers sugar free jelly. 135-145 cal.

Pickles are a great go-to zero calorie food when I crave something salty. That or 100 calorie microwave popcorn. If you make it in an air popper, though, and only spray a little I Can't Believe It's Not Butter on it then its even less (depending on serving size of course). You can add a little salt too, or No-Salt (Potassium Chloride) if you're watching sodium its a great alternative.

Also love the zero sugar/zero calorie energy drinks from Monster or Rockstar. Gets me through the day if my energy wanes. The V8 flavored green tea energy drinks are good too and 50 calories if you only need a little boost.

Jennie-O makes a ground turkey that is like 97% fat free. Less calories and fat than ground beef but still high in protein.

Turkey bacon is like 25 calories per slice that you can pair with egg whites (also about 25 calories per serving).

Hebrew National makes a hot dog that is like 98% fat free and only 45 calories each (versus like 200 for regular hot dogs dripping in saturated fat.. blegh).

And finally, one of my favorite desserts when I need something sweet is fresh strawberries sprinkled with Truvia (zero calorie sweetener) and it is delish!

i go to subway and get a 6 inch veggie delight with all veggies, no cheese and yellow mustard

it's 230 calories but it's really filling and normal looking lol

Bare naked noodles? 16 cals a pack but I can get 2/3 sevings from it with raw shaved courgettes <3 and a stock cube about 30 cals altogether!

shredded crab sticks kani kama like pasta its like: 40 cals crab+20cals lettuce= 60 cals of a full plate

I love low cal bread (35 cal per slice!) with apple butter on top. (30 cal for 2 TBSP). I usually like to eat all of my food in one meal so I like to side it with either no fat plain Greek yogurt (tastes like heaven if you add sweetener and cinnamon) or plain oatmeal with, again, sweetener and cinnamon.

salads, for obvious reasons! lots of veggies

wraps. get a good brand of low cal tortillas, and maybe a spread you like (salsa has always been my favorite)

rice (mix it with lots of veggies for a stir fry)

Salad wraps. What's great about tortillas and pitas, is no one can really see what you've stuffed in there. So use it like a hidey-hole and just fill with vegetables.

I do meat and veggie dishes that are mostly veggies. Like string bean chicken and beef with broccoli. It sounds like a "real" meal but I mostly only serve myself the vegetable part!

Make a huge Asian like bean sprout "stir fry" (I just cook it with water) and season it up as you want, you can add a few shrimp and they're only 7 cals each

Sauerkraut! You can eat a ton and it's super low cal

A big salad with a fewwww grilled chicken strips

If you don't fear carbs, there's a few breads that are 45 cals a slice, you could make a veggie sandwich with a couple of slices and it'd only be a lil over 100 cals

Tuna salad. More veggies than tuna, skip the mayo. Even saltines are not terribly high cal.

Believe it or not, a baked potato.  This is one of my fav dinners: a large baked potato with salsa and guacamole and a big salad.  Most people (no doubt your mum as well) know to look past salad because it has next to no calories, even by the bucketful.

But potatoes are considered indulgent foods.  Turns out tho, it is all the crap people put on them (sour cream, bacon bits, CHILI for gods sake!) or cook them in (think french fries or crisps) that is bad.  You can top a potato with salsa (lots) and guac (a little but positioned to look as big as possible) and, when paired with a salad, looks like a giant plate of food.  If you start to feel like you are over-ful (a real possibility with this meal) you can skip eating the potato skin, which most people leave off anyways so it won't look suspicious.

Aubergine or courgette boats! Stuff with mushrooms/spinach/chickpeas/Quorn mince or whatever, top with some bread crumbs and/or cheese.

This is the best thing for anyone!

400g cauliflower with some water in a blender - blend till Mashed potato consistency, it makes soooo much! About half a large plate piled! And only 100 calories, then you can add whatever you like since you have so many cals left over. And simply adding rosemary and pepper is delicious!

If you want it to look more like a dinner meal add something like

Chicken thigh - 200

Salmon - 255

Hoki Fish - 175

Stuffed mushrooms

4 medium size or 2 HUGE portobello mushrooms (would be in the 250-300g region, so 30-40 cals)

Bake in the oven for 15 mins.

Top with 1/2 can of lentils (113) mixed with 3 laughing cow triangles (105 or 75 if using the light version) (you could also use another soft cheese). Add in herbs and spices (garlic is great with this) and bake for another 10-15 mins. You could even add a bit of proper grated cheddar or mozzarella as well to make it seem even more high calorie. Wouldn't be more than 300 even with the addition of full-fat cheese.

Grated cauliflower looks like rice with a lot less cals.

Soups with a ton of broth.

[acnlexplorer-emily]

4 Simple Steps to Jump Start Your Healthy Lifestyle

Who doesn't need to live a joyful, energetic life filled with vibrant health? It is a goal we all share and aspire to. But sometimes it seems so far from our reach that we find it easier to just keep doing what we do and not be worried about it until we must buy larger size clothing, are shocked by a photo of ourselves or get bad news and strict orders from the physician. 

And once we reach that point we announced"Starting tomorrow I am going on a diet and exercising" we proclaim this endeavor with no plan, system or plan just fueled by a combination of good intentions and utter frustration. And how long can our unplanned advancement last? Not very long at all. 

That is because you can not just go from point A to point Z. A baby does not crawl 1 day and run the next, right? There are steps in between, steps that are required to ensure your success. By following, practicing and assessing your current standings on those four steps you can naturally and realistically transition from dieting to healthy living.

Mental Preparation

There are hardly any customs and behaviours we could change from one day to another, and our health and eating habits is definitely not among them. We're talking about undoing a life's worth of ideas, relationships and connection with food and exercise. 

Your craving, okay demand for chocolate, your love of lasagna, your love of Brussels sprouts and almost all of their vegetable family, and of course the emotional connection we have with food. Most individuals don't find relaxation after a demanding day or inner turmoil in a bowl of brown rice with teriyaki tofu and fresh fruit for dessert, no it's bring on the mashed potatoes, gravy, fried chicken and pecan pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. 

And if you're the jock or the cheerleader in college or were the last one to get picked for groups, you have some positive or negative relationships with physical fitness. These associations, thoughts and beliefs are deeply ingrained and they aren't likely to give up their well rooted holds without a struggle. So you must begin the slow process of establishing healthy habits and developing a positive, health promoting mindset that will be open, welcoming and supportive of change in healthy eating, exercise and healthy living all around.

Accountability

The majority of the time we maintain our health aims to ourselves for two reasons #1 The Secret Before and After"I am not going to tell anyone about my plan to lose 20 pounds. Then completely take them for a loop with my fabulous transformation" or reason #2 Fear of Failure"If I say I will lose 20 lbs. By my birthday and I really don't everybody will know I am a failure and a loser". In both cases you're doing yourself a grave injustice, due to protecting yourself from reality and protecting yourself from criticism you're also depriving yourselves of support, encouragement and liability. And by not telling your own supportive, positive friends and family of your goals you're really avoiding responsibility, which you're reminded of each time you hear a well planned check-up question like"So how is the diet going?" Or"Have you begun eating more veggies and drinking more water instead of diet soda?" Or"Can you go to the gym like you said you would?

Reevaluate your Diet

Get real about your diet. All those sodas you consume, they've calories exactly like the sugar and milk you've got on your 5 cups of coffee daily. Again, this has to do without having a basic comprehension of how and where to begin rather than having a support system to hold you accountable. So make sure to do whatever is essential to lay that foundation for achievement. No one said that this was going to be easy, but getting honest and real about what you are doing wrong and then taking action to fix those bad habits, which includes asking for help, is an essential step.

Physical Activities

Though some physical activity is better than none, this is another area where we need a reality test. Eating while you are standing up does not burn off the calories of everything you are eating. Going on the treadmill for half an hour does not cancel out eating chocolate bar. If you enjoy the stationary bike as it is the best piece of gym equipment for studying, you need to stay home and read since you would probably burn the same number of calories. 

Finding the most benefit from exercise requires work, maybe that is why it's called a workout, both emotionally and physically. If you're not prepared to make the commitment to a mindful session in which you give 100%, you are not getting as much out of your workouts as you think or desire, which means you are not seeing results, which contributes to frustration and giving up. 

Find an activity you like, yes you can enjoy exercise when you discover something you prefer. If you do not like traditional gyms that is fine, there are many different things you can do enjoy dancing, running, fencing, hiking, tennis, swimming, boxing, roller/ice skating, bicycle riding and you know there's much more. 

Engage in such activities 3-4 times per week. Be mindful and current when doing your physical activity, this means concentrating both in mind and body. Honor the fact that you've taken time from your day to do something good for your body and remember your target and what you would like to accomplish.

Find out ACNL EXPLORER EMILY that teach you how to live healthier life.

5 Ways To Develop A Healthy Lifestyle

Everybody requires some hints once and while, but if your health is at risk then the stakes go higher. However, your health doesn't have to be immediately threatened in order for it to be a fantastic idea for you to get serious about living in a more healthy manner. The majority of us know that drinking and smoking or consuming loads of junk food on the sofa are bad ideas, but there's more to being healthy than just this. In addition to finding ways to push your mind ahead, you need to work to enhance your physical body by doing a number of those five items, or even better, all five items, listed below:

Eat Healthy as Possible and Maintain Portions Reasonable

All of us know that fresh fruits and veggies are a good source of nutrition. We've grown up hearing about this, but a great deal of people complain that they are costly. Try shopping at a farmer's market or only purchasing the fruits and veggies that are on sale. Worried about them going bad in the fridge? Then go ahead and find the suspended or even canned varieties. Whatever it takes, get fruits and vegetables into your diet instead of only fruit flavored drinks or dried fruits on your cereal. In addition, keep your meats lean and prevent sugared drinks as soon as you're able to. Here's the thing, however, none of this is going to be quite as successful as actually controlling your portions. Keep portions as little as possible and keep your eating schedule routine. Some people today need four meals, some folks like only three and others favor several very tiny meals. Locate a routine and stick with it.

Stay Consistent with Exercise and Just Advance with Caution

Whatever commitment you make to exercising will have to be held constant. You want to be certain you follow your routine and don't psyche yourself out by setting goals that are too lofty or are only going to exhaust you or worse yet - hurt you. Be cautious when you proceed and don't push yourself when you can have a little step forward instead. Whether you would like to hit the gym, take up a martial art, swim laps at the pool, go for walks, or buy an at-home DVD workout program and stick with it. Consistent effort will provide you the results you need in a way that nothing else can compare to.

Get Loads of Sleep and Don't Starve Yourself

Folks get carried away trying to be a superhero and this is just not required. You don't need to be a gung ho Marine so as to get fit. You can stick to a sensible sleep program is effective for your biological rhythm and you're able to eat enough food to feel satisfied without going overboard. Starving does not help you or does trying to cram in a lengthy workout regimen when it cuts into a good night's rest. Take naps if you want to and you might have the ability to get more from your workout, too. Manage yourself or all the exercise advances aren't likely to have quite the same effects.

Maintain your Workouts Fun and Find a Partner If You Can

Nobody will keep doing mind numbing running routines if they despise them or will they keep up with any other physical pursuits. You need to engage your mind, even if this means getting video games designed to increase fitness since that is what interests you. Try to find someone else involved with you, but don't build your entire exercise regimen around them. You need someone to be with you for companionship, not because you rely on them. Also bear in mind that dogs create some of the best walking and walking partners around since they're always happy and ready to go. You can have fun taking them out and get in quality time, and you know they want the exercise exactly like you do and you'll be safer no matter where you go to your canine friend by your side.

Find Social Support to Keep You Going Through Tough Times

Finally, do try to get people aware of what you're doing. You can either tell family and friends - so long as you understand they are going to have positive things to say - or you could go online. There are service communities on the net that may really help you and can provide you precisely what you require. It may change your life for the better.

Three Powerful Suggestions For A Healthy Lifestyle

Everybody wishes to be much healthier and have more energy. This is much more crucial than anything else, as you won't have the ability to enjoy life if you don't feel your very best. There are several activities you can take and customs you can practice to be healthier. These should not be tough or complex. What truly matters here is consistency, because you can not simply practice healthy living sometimes and expect to benefit. Let us take a look at some crucial suggestions that can allow you to enjoy a healthier lifestyle.

Getting enough sleep makes a significant difference in how you feel. When you are often sleep deprived, it may be detrimental to a number of areas of your life. You can not perform your best in the workplace (or school) when you're tired. It might present a real danger when you're driving or doing anything that requires a high level of alertness. It can even boost your risk for a variety of ailments as time passes. Getting far more sleep usually means making conscious changes in your lifestyle. A good deal of things, like consuming coffee during the night or watching late night TV is frequently responsible. Some, however, have sleep problems that will need medical assistance.

Apart from needing physical activity, your body also benefits from being outside daily. If you do all your exercising in the gym, you still need to ensure you get some fresh air and sun. It does not have to be for long amounts of time. It is common nowadays for people to go from the office to the mall to the gym etc. Find excuses to go outside the home, whether it is a walk in the woods or just a walk around the area. If it's nice out, consider fun outdoor activities you may plan with friends or loved ones.

Research suggests that those who participate in activities they genuinely like are healthier and keep their mental alertness more efficiently as they become older. You will need a feeling of balance in your life, and this also includes time for yourself. Your favourite sport, pastime or curiosity could enrich your life a good deal. You ought to select a few activities that engage your body or mind in some helpful way. For many, free time is spent in front of the TV, which is a purely passive action. In case you're having trouble coming up with any ideas, try to recall what interested you as a kid or teen.

If you basically keep these suggestions in mind, they could allow you to have a lifestyle that is much healthier. Health isn't about a couple of aspects of your life, but about how everything fits together. This is the reason you ought to focus on each area of your life, such as your diet, relationships, hobbies and exercise habits. It's also imperative that you remember to not take everything so seriously, seeing that understanding how to loosen up is among the most important facets of good health.

[sky-on-blog]

1. What’s the last thing you ate? Ice cream, I think, last night.

2. What’s your favourite cheese? Pepper jack.

3. What’s your favourite fish? Salmon.

4. What’s your favourite fruit? Pineapple, even though it hurts my mouth to eat it raw.

5. When, if ever, did you start liking olives? I’m pretty sure I’ve always liked olives -- at least, the black ones. I used to take them from salad bars and eat them by themselves when I was little. Green olives are okay. I dislike Kalamata olives, though.

6. When, if ever, did you start liking beer? Probably like, after I turned 21. I disliked it for a long time until I tried things other than my mother’s Coors Light.

7. When, if ever, did you start liking shellfish? I’m pretty sure I’ve always liked shellfish, too. I don’t understand how people can not like crabs?

8. What was the best thing your mom/dad/guardian used to make? Uh. Nothing, really. My parents are pretty terrible cooks. Do cookies count? Because I can make those, too.

9. What’s the native specialty of your hometown? I don’t know. Scrapple? Delaware doesn’t have a lot of “native specialties.” Apparently muskrat is a thing that people eat there, even though I lived there until I was 24 and never once encountered it (thankfully).

10. What’s your comfort food? Goldfish, or peanut butter Captain Crunch. Also peanut butter M&Ms. And Reese’s.

11. What’s your favourite type of chocolate? Milk. 12. How do you like your steak? Medium rare. I thought I didn’t like steak for basically my entire life because I only ever had it more well done.

13. How do you like your burger? Medium, I guess? I’ve never really compared.

14. How do you like your eggs? Over easy, and preferably atop hash browns.

15. How do you like your potatoes? Fried and crispy. Mashed potatoes are good, too, though.

16. How do you take your coffee? With flavored creamer, or cream and sugar if it’s just regular cream.

17. How do you take your tea? Depends on the kind of tea. I like iced green tea, but only if it isn’t bitter -- so like, not from a teabag. And hot tea is okay, but I mostly just drink that to help with my throat or to relax; I don’t really love the taste, or anything. When I do drink it, though, I just drink it plain -- with the exception of some honey if I feel really bad, but again, that’s less for the taste and more for the effects. 

18. What’s your favourite mug? A fox-shaped one that I got as a gift.

19. What’s your biscuit or cookie of choice? Peanut butter chocolate chip.

20. What’s your ideal breakfast? Uhh. Depends on my mood, I guess. But there’s a place in Haines City that has these apple cinnamon waffles that are pretty amazing. 

21. What’s your ideal sandwich? Those Italian, oven-baked sandwiches from Domino’s. They are amazing. Turkey clubs are great, too.

22. What’s your ideal pizza: Light sauce with pineapple and jalapeno. Red Baron’s frozen Mexican pizza is awesome, as well.

23. What’s your ideal pie (sweet or savoury)? Pumpkin -- sweet. I wholly prefer sweet pie to savory.

24. What’s your ideal salad? The one you get at Olive Garden. That’s the only salad I can actually get excited about. Oh, or black bean and corn salad, oh my god. 

25. What food do you always like to have in the fridge? Something easily accessible. It’s not a “food,” but I always like to have soda. And onions, preferably red.

26. What food do you always like to have in the freezer? Again, something easy to make. Oh, and burgers.

27. What food do you always like to have in the cupboard? Goldfish, cereal, candy, coffee.

28. What spices can you not live without? Salt is the only one I could probably actually not go without, but cilantro and cayenne are pretty excellent, too.

29. What sauces can you not live without? Eh. I can live without most sauce -- I prefer things to be more dry. Does salsa count as sauce? I tend to miss that when I don’t have it. 

30. Where do you buy most of your food? Walmart. It’s right across the street, and it’s cheap. But we also go to Publix pretty often, too. 

31. How often do you go food shopping? Usually about once a week, but it depends on when Jeremy’s and my schedules line up and when we start to run out of food.

33. What’s the most expensive piece of kitchen equipment you own? ...I’m drawing a blank. Jeremy’s dad got us a frappuccino maker that we’ve never used in the pantry. Oh, there’s a Keurig in the closet, but it doesn’t work. Does that count? I mean, we have a microwave and an oven, but we don’t own those. Maybe the toaster oven?

34. What’s the last piece of equipment you bought for your kitchen? A coffee maker, when the Keurig stopped working.

35. What piece of kitchen equipment could you not live without? The microwave, without a doubt.

36. How many times a week/month do you cook from raw ingredients? Me personally, never. Jeremy, for both of us to eat...probably a few times a month.

37. What’s the last thing you cooked from raw ingredients? Chicken enchilada casserole. It wasn’t very good, which is why I don’t cook.

38. What meats have you eaten besides cow, pig and poultry? Lamb and deer are the only two I can think of. They have a lot of alligator down here in Florida, though, and I’ve been meaning to try that. Oh, I tried frog once, and it was awful -- but granted, it was at a pretty awful restaurant.

39. What’s the last time you ate something that had fallen on the floor? Yesterday, a walnut fell onto the kitchen counter and I still put it in my ice cream. I probably ate something off the floor yesterday, too. It happens.

40. What’s the last time you ate something you’d picked in the wild? Years and years ago, when my friends and I went cherry-picking.

41. Arrange the following in order of preference: Italian, Mexican, Chinese, Indian, Thai, Sushi – Sushi, Mexican, Thai, Chinese, Italian, Indian. Although, I’ve only ever had Indian food once, and nothing there was very good except the naan. So maybe that place just wasn’t very good.

42. Arrange the following in order of preference: Vodka, Whiskey, Brandy, Rum – I haven’t had brandy in a while and I don’t really remember what it tastes like, so I’m going to leave that out of the equation. But probably rum, whiskey, vodka, although I like all three pretty well.

43. Arrange the following in order of preference: Garlic, Basil, Caramel, Lime, Mint, Ginger, Aniseed – I’ve never had aniseed. But otherwise -- lime, garlic, ginger, mint (as long as it’s in dessert), basil, caramel. If the mint is in something savory, then it goes at the very bottom; I really hate mint in savory things.

44. Arrange the following in order of preference: Pineapple, Orange, Apple, Strawberry, Cherry, Watermelon, Banana. – Pineapple, orange, strawberry, apple, banana, cherry, watermelon.

45. Bread and spread: What? Like, my favorites? I like pumpernickel bread, and...I don’t know. Mayonnaise? That chili spread -- the famous one with the rooster -- is pretty good, too.

46. What’s your fast food restaurant of choice, and what do you usually order? Probably Popeye’s -- spicy chicken, usually tenders, with red beans and rice. 

47. Pick a city. What are the best dining experiences you’ve had in that city? Uh. Newark, in Delaware, has this pretty great Japanese buffet.

48. What’s your choice of tipple at the end of a long day? What’s a tipple?

49. What’s the next thing you’ll eat? I’m not sure. I might eat some cereal or Goldfish or something before work.

50. Are you hungry now? Sort of, but I don’t know what I want.

51. Do you eat your breakfast everyday? No. I’m never hungry when I wake up; I have to force myself to eat, like, a granola bar when I go to work. 

52. At what time do you have breakfast? Whenever I get up and feel like it. 

53. At what time do you have lunch? Whenever they give it to me at work, or just...whenever Jeremy and I get hungry.

54. What do you have for lunch? Different stuff. Usually burgers, hot dogs, fries -- something easy.

55. At what time do you have dinner? When I get home from work, so usually around 9:30-10.

56. What do you have for dinner? Again, different stuff.

57. Do you light candles during dinner? No.

58. How many chairs are there in your dining room and who sits in the main chair? There isn’t a dining room in our apartment, but there’s a table in the corner with four chairs. There isn’t a “main” chair; they’re all the same.

59. Do you eat and drink using your right hand or the left one? Right, usually.

61. Mention the veggies that you like most: Pickles, onions, jalapenos, tomatoes. 

62. What fruit and vegetable do you like the least? Cantaloupe is my absolute least favorite fruit -- I can’t stand the taste. And my least favorite vegetable...probably Brussels sprouts.

63. You like your fruit salad to have more: Uhh. I haven’t had fruit salad in a long time. I guess strawberries?

64. You prefer your vegetable salad to contain more: Tomatoes.

65. What’s your favourite sandwich spread? Oh, I answered this earlier -- mayo or that chili spread. Admittedly, though, I haven’t had very many sandwich spreads.

66. What’s your favourite chocolate bar? Crunch. 

67. What’s your favourite dessert? Peanut butter brownie sundaes.

68. What’s your favourite drink? I don’t know. I’ve been in a weird drink place lately where I don’t know what I want. Margaritas are pretty great, though.

69. What’s your favourite snack? Goldfish.

70. What’s your favourite bubble gum flavour? Just like, wintergreen, probably, or spearmint. I like lemony ones, too. They used to have a strawberry lemonade one that was really good -- I don’t know if it still exists. But I’m not a big fan of gum, and my teeth have like, no enamel, so I never chew it. Oh, I used to like Juicy Fruit a lot when I was little.

71. What’s your favourite ice cream flavour? Green tea. I can only ever find it from Haagen-Dazs at some Publix. Oh, and brown sugar. Baskin Robbins has one that has brown sugar in it and it’s fucking incredible, but I’m pretty sure it’s seasonal. 

72. What’s your favourite potato chip flavour? Sour cream and onion, or just regular.

73. What’s your favourite soup? Chicken tortilla.

74. What’s your favourite pizza? Jalapeno and pineapple. 

75. What’s your favourite type of dish? Sushi, or Mexican.

76. What food do you hate? Cantaloupe. Peas. Brussels sprouts. Oatmeal. Applesauce. Anything mushy like that. Oh, and oysters/clams. And frog.

77. What’s your favourite restaurant? Hibachi.

78. Do you eat homemade food, food delivered from outside? I eat both, but I prefer food that’s not homemade, usually.

80. Who cooks at home? Jeremy.

81. What kind of diet (e.g. low-fat, high-fiber, high-carbohydrate, balanced diet etc.) do you have? Uh. A really unhealthy, salty, fattening one.

82. How do you keep yourself fit? I don’t.

[fiveshots-nokills]

All numbers, Widow and Gerard ;)

oh my god why would you do this to me

1. Who is the early bird/ Who is the night owl?Amelie can stay up all night no problem but ask her to get up early and she’ll kick u in the faceNeither of them really liked getting up early but Gerard was less bitter about it2. Who is the big spoon/ Who is the little spoon?Gerard is the big spoon. (Was?)3. Who hogs the cover/ Who loves to cuddle?Amelie is that bitch who hogs the covers but does Gerard care? no. he just wraps himself around her and forces her to share and she fake pouts but she loves it and after a while of being in talon she started to ask sombra to do the same because as she started to remember she couldn’t handle being alone4. Who wakes the other one up with kisses?Gerard def (although Amelie would on Gerard’s birthday)5. Who usually has nightmares?Neither of them They’re Happy There’s Nothing Wrong HaHaHaHAHAH i’m in pain6. Who would have really deep emotional thoughts at the middle of the night/ Who would have them in the middle of the day? Gerard is the kind of person to be like “do you think pigeons have feelings” in the middle of the night but if you’re talking abt legit deep probably Amelie7. Who sweats the small stuff?Amelie, but like secretly. She’s nervous sometimes that she’s too aloof and not affectionate enough for gerard but he loves her just the way he is GoD I’mGiVIng MYselF FeeLS AnoN8. Who sleeps in their underwear (or naked)/ Who sleeps in their pajamas?Amelie wears floofy sweatpants and tshirts. Gerard sleeps shirtless but he wears pants (sometimes)9. Who makes the coffee (or tea)?Amelie, bc she doesn’t trust gerard to make hers right10. Who likes sweet/ Who likes sour?Amelie has a sweet tooth. gerard just likes candy,, any and all candy11. Who likes horror movies/ Who likes romance movies?Gerard loves horror movies. Amelie is a coward (Gerard also likes romance movies, and Amelie complains about them but secretly she thinks they’re adorable)12. Who is smol/ Who is tol?Gerard is the smol,,, i mean his gf is like 6′0 so13. Who is considered the scaredy cat?Amelie lmaooo14. Who kills the spiders?Gerard ironic bc a spider got him in the end hahahha kill me15. Who is scared of the dark?Amelie again. it’s why she likes that gerard cuddles her he makes her feel safe16. Who is scared of thunderstorms?Amelie… but she pretends she’s not while hiding under the covers “just for fun, gerard, stop laughing”17. Who works/ Who stays at home?Gerard works from home most of the time !! he tries to never be stationed away for too long, or to get stationed near where Amelie is performing if he can.18. Who is a cat person/ Who is a dog person?Amelie is a cat person and gerard is a dog person. they have one of each. the cat’s name is Noire, it’s a black cat with beautiful yellow eyes. the dog’s name is Ulysses bc Amelie thought it was dumb so of course Gerard went with it19. Who loves to call the other one cute names?Gerard ofc but Amelie calls him things in french20. Who is dominant/ Who is submissive?no21. Who has an obsession (over anything)?Amelie loves ballet. She loves watching it, dancing it, and the classical music that goes with it. Gerard really likes collecting state quarters, even though he lives in france. amelie thinks it’s stupid. he thinks its fun.22. Who goes all out for Valentine’s Day?Amelie, surprisingly. She’s got the wine, the fancy dinner, the romantic stroll through the park – if it was up to gerard, he would probably just stand outside her window with a jukebox thinking that was romantic23. Who asks who out on the first date?Amelie asked gerard, which surprised him a TON. i mean, he was flirting with her for months but he didn’t think she reciprocated?? and then one day she’s like “so want to get coffee on saturday” and hes like SHIT YEAH OKAY SOUNDS GOOD24. Who is the talker/ Who is the listener? Gerard talks a lot more but that’s okay. Amelie chimes it when it counts.25. Who wears the other ones clothes?Both of them. Gerard looks great in a tutu. Amelie loves his sweatshirts and his overwatch jacket26. Who likes to eat healthy/ Who loves junk food?Amelie eats super healthy bc she’s got to stay in shape. She sneaks chocolate a lot though. Gerard likes to taunt her by eating a family sized bag of doritos in her presence once. He sleeps on the couch that night.27. Who takes a long shower/ Who sings in the shower?Amelie takes a super long shower. They both sing. They’re both terrible at singing.28. Who is the book worm?Amelie. She’s read pride and prejudice ten times. She still cries at the end.29. Who is the better cook?Amelie, but she’s never around. Gerard mostly makes frozen lean cuisine meals or hot pockets30. Who likes long walks on the beach?you would think i’d say amelie but neither of them honestly? they don’t get much time to go to the beach and Gerard prefers the woods anyway31. Who is more affectionate?Gerard, at least overtly.32. Who likes to have really long (deep) conversation?Amelie. She doesn’t really do small talk, especially since they don’t get to spend much time together.33. Who would wear “not guilty” t-shirt/ Who would wear “sin” t-shirt?Amelie wears the “not guilty” t-shirt and gerard wears the “sin” t-shirt34. Who would wear “if lost return to…” t-shirt/ Who would wear “I am…” t-shirt?Amelie reluctantly wears the “if lost return to” shirt and gerard of course wears the “i am gerard” shirt with the biggest shit-eating grin on his face. there’s a picture of them wearing it in disney world. gerard has mickey ears on. amelie looks like she wants death.35. Who goes overboard on the holidays?They both spoil each other honestly. Amelie sometimes feels bad bc she makes a lot more money than gerard does but he’s like I Must Treat My Wife Like The Queen She Is36. Who is the social media addict?Gerard. He has everything and he’s famous on all of them. Amelie runs a very successful instagram37. Height difference or age difference?Height difference. Gerards a few inches shorter and Amelie teases him a lot about it38. Who likes to star gaze?Amelie, but Gerard will join her just to see how pretty she is under the night sky there i go again giving myself the feels39. Who buys cereal for the prize inside?gerard, obviously40. Who is the fun parent/ Who is the responsible parent?Gerard is the fun parent to outsiders looking in, but in reality, it’s amelie that sneaks her children cookies when they’ve already had a snack and who lets them eat dessert before dinner sometimes and spoils them41. Who cries during sad movies? Both of them, though Amelie will never admit to it.42. Who is the neat freak?Amelie, god. she’s never around to clean up though, so their flat gets to be a mess sometimes43. Who wins the stuffed animals at the carnival for the other one?Gerard tries. He really does. He wants to have a grand romantic gesture but in the end, he just really can’t beat amelies aim jesus i need to stop44. Who is active/ Who is lazy?Amelie is more active but I would never call Gerard lazy. He’s an accomplished fighter and works hard to protect the people he loves and the world. People write him off as a goof sometimes, but he can be very serious when he needs to be and is excellent at his job.45. Who is more likely to get drunk?Amelie. She always thinks one bottle of wine isn’t enough to get her drunk. It’s more than enough.46. Who has the longer food order?Gerard. He just wants to try everything47. Who has the more complex coffee order?Amelie lmao but normally she makes her coffee herself bc the baristas “never get it right”48. Who loses stuff?Gerard, amelie is really good about keeping track of her things since she travels so much. Meanwhile, gerard’s got one shoe at watchpoint gibraltar and the other at the Swiss HQ and for some reason can never remember to reunite them49. Who is the driver/ Who is the passenger?Gerard drives bc Amelie is always tired and needs rest50. Who is the hopeless romantic?Both of them

Whew I did it i hope you like my cute headcanons (although it’s my personal headcanon that post-talon stuff widow regrets killing gerard but no longer has feelings for him which is Really Angsty so)

Send me a ship & some numbers!

[crimsonblackrose]

Eating in a foreign country can be difficult, especially with dietary restrictions. I don’t really have any other than being a wimp when it comes to spicy foods. I love to cook but at home in the country side with our tiny tourist grocery store there aren’t many options, especially options that won’t go bad before I use it all. As a result I probably haven’t been eating healthy. I mean I’ve got basics; pasta, bread, cereal, eggs, rice, peanut butter and jelly, but this is honestly the first time I’ve ever lived alone. In college I lived and worked in a Residential Hall so I ate most of my meals in the cafeteria. I didn’t cook often because I didn’t have my own kitchen or the right supplies to use the one in our common rooms. After college I lived with my Aunt and Uncle and cooked big meals for them and their kids. It’s really easy to not have to worry about food going bad when there’s a teenage boy in the house whose on every possible sports team offered at the school. Which puts me at the conundrum I’ve been at for over a year and still don’t think I’ve mastered. Which is what do you do when you’re living in the country side in another country with only the worlds smallest grocery store within walking distance?

Make a lot of mistakes

Waste a lot of food due to surprise mold

Scour the internet for recipes for single people

Eat a lot of bread

Fight with lazy days where you don’t want to go to the store

Look up translations of what things are

Substitute for what you actually have available

leftovers

Realize by the time you get home and the time you have to go to bed means your options for down time are doing something relaxing or spending the whole evening cooking.

The first time I went to the store I bought a lot of basics that all the households I grew up in always had on hand. Flour, spices, salt, sugar, and the worlds largest bag of rice. Sadly a lot of it got buggy before I could use it. It’s really disturbing to open up flour and see it moving.  Essentially the majority of people who live here drive to a grocery store further away and tourists who come in droves during the summer making the air smell of bbq are the majority of frequent shoppers at my local grocery store. They only tend to buy their weight in beer, soju, and meat. What the store has is limited and tends to be in bulk for families/groups on vacation. There’s not a lot of options of milk or cheese, not a big selection of vegetables and a lot of the produce is seasonal. Meaning I have to wait for the right season and stock up and then freeze it if I want some later.

The other big problem I have is that I’m one person and I don’t eat a lot and I kinda hate leftovers. During the school year I tend to eat a bowl of cereal, then lunch at school, which leaves only dinner as something that I have to be creative about. And thus I don’t go through food as quickly as I probably should. Plus in Korea pretty much everything molds before I have a chance to get to it or finish it. So instead of normal dairy milk 우유, I drink vegetable milk or soy milk, because it doesn’t go bad as quickly, I just have to be careful that it doesn’t get thick. I also freeze my bread and pop it in my toaster oven when I want to eat it, because I don’t go through bread quickly either. Eggs are difficult because I like having them on hand but I don’t use them nearly as fast as I need to and I’m not a huge fan of eggs on their own.

Despite all of this I have figured some things out. I’ve pretty much given up on vegetables at this point, other than carrots and cherry tomatoes, my grocery store sells most veggies in bulk. But hot dogs are easy, so is peanut butter and jelly or sweet pre-made curry with rice. I’ve figured out my favorite instant noodles, and have become a pro at basic pasta, salmon patties, and corn fritters.

During camp season (two weeks of summer and two weeks of winter) my basic cooking skills have to get level up beyond laziness. The cafeteria at school closes for break leaving me with an additional meal I have to figure out. A friend suggested a meal planning service in Seoul, that all their food is vegan. They’re called Sprout. You just select what you want by Friday, confirm your order via e-mail and then go to pick it up on Seoul.

Easy right? Well….

The first time I ordered through them it was a nightmare. I talked to the foreign teacher at the middle school whose diet is more restrictive than mine since they’re pescatarian and decided to put an order in for both of us. After all it had a lot of food I hadn’t had since my Aunt wanted to do a detox. Things like chia seeds, quinoa, and millet. With the combination of my order and the other teachers’ it came out to 7 days worth of food. Here’s where things got complicated.  I decided to pick up the food in person, at their shop. Their hours for pick up at the time were only on Sunday or Monday night from 6-8pm. As a person who likes to be in bed before ten when I have work the following morning neither of these options put me at ease. But I did it. I met up with a friend on Sunday, prepared with a backpack and an unwavering belief that I am strong and can carry ridiculous amounts of groceries.

It was dumb. 7 days worth of food is not something that you can carry easily, especially if you’re foolish and go shopping and fill up your backpack before you even get to the store. Even more so if you have to lug 7 days worth of meals (plus extra because they were nice and threw in some free meals) over an hour home through trains in plastic bags.There was no comfortable way to carry the bags. It got to the point where I boarded the ITX home completely embarrassed from the angry red marks all over my arms and the rash looking broken capillaries from all the blood vessels that had busted under the skin. I’ll spare you the photo I took. For over a week my forearms were bruised and spotty which isn’t a good spot to be bruised when your students, small children, are constantly grabbing your arms to get your attention

Thankfully now they’ve changed it up a bit. They now have a company that for about $8 will ship the food anywhere in Korea and it will arrive either on Tuesday or Wednesday. Which is what I did this year for winter camp. (Especially since my apartment is being remodeled and I can no longer just cross the parking lot to get to my lunch.)

What all did I end up ordering? Every week they change-up their menu. Which is great because it’d get super boring if they didn’t. For my first round I got Tomato and Basil Chickpea Stew, Chickpea Koram Curry over brown rice, lentil and vegetable casserole with lemon and thyme, smoky lentil stew, white bean and garlic rosemary stew, lemon garlic brown rice lentil soup, Thai vegetable curry bowl, quinoa burrito bowl and chopped vegetable salad with an Italian vinaigrette. Those were what I ate for lunch and dinner for summer camp. I loved all of it except for the Thai vegetable curry bowl which was too spicy for me that I ended up giving to my coworker.

I also ordered breakfast which were vanilla chai chia pudding, cinnamon millet breakfast bowls with nuts, seeds, and raisins, dark chocolate millet breakfast bowl with nuts and seeds and shredded coconut, and a strawberry chia pudding. My coworker and I didn’t like these. There’s something about chia pudding first thing in the morning that my brain can’t comprehend. I wasted so much time trying to sleepily chew the millions of tiny seeds that it just go ridiculous. And the dark chocolate millet breakfast bowl was intensely chocolately but not sweet, it was too much. I ended up dumping them into my blender with fruit and milk and drinking them like smoothies.

Snack and dessert wise I ordered millet patties and carrot cake cupcake with cashew cream cheese, coconut fudge brownies, coconut  cream cheesecake pie with chocolate drizzle and a reeces pieces peanut butter pie. The last two of which I left frozen and didn’t really defrost before eating but still really enjoyed. But out of all of them the carrot cake was utterly amazing.

This time I ordered much less. I had learned from previous experience that their breakfasts are just not my thing. Instead I ordered a ton of their lentil stews because I know those are what I love. They arrived in the middle of the afternoon at my school and I ran down to pick up the cooler. It wasn’t particularly clean, I think one of the desserts I decided to try melted (I now know why they’re frozen) and honey got over all the containers, but it’s nice not having to worry about lunch.

It can get a little pricy, about equal to eating out for every meal, but it’s also pre-made healthy vegan food delivered straight to your door. So I don’t mind ordering every once in a while. It means I’m not just surviving off of tuna mayo triangle kimbap for lunch all the time.

  Sprout Eating in a foreign country can be difficult, especially with dietary restrictions. I don't really have any other than being a wimp when it comes to spicy foods.

[wellbeingremedies]

How to eat Chia Seeds ?

Chia seeds are tiny but extremely nutritious.

Just 2 tablespoons (30 grams) contain 10 grams of fiber, 5 grams of protein, and 138 calories .

They're a great source of omega-3 fatty acids and some minerals essential for bone health, including calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium.

Chia seeds are also flavorless, making them easy to add to many foods and recipes.

Here is way to eat chia seeds.

1. Chia Water

One of the simplest ways to include chia seeds in your diet is to add them to water.

To make chia water, soak 1/4 cup (40 grams) of chia seeds in 4 cups (1 liter) of water for 20–30 minutes.

To give your drink some flavor, you can add chopped fruit or squeeze in a lemon, lime, or orange.

2. Chia pudding

You can make chia pudding as you would chia water. For a thicker, pudding-like texture, add more seeds and let the mixture soak longer.

You can make this treat with juice or milk, including flavorings like vanilla and cocoa.

Chia pudding makes a delicious dish that can be eaten for breakfast or as a dessert. If you don't like the seeds’ texture, try blending it to give it a smoother finish.

3. Chia in smoothies

If you want to make your smoothie even more nutritious, consider adding chia seeds.

You can use chia in almost any smoothie by soaking them to make a gel before adding.

4.

Raw chia toppings

Although many people prefer to soak chia seeds, you can eat them raw, too.

Try grinding and sprinkling them on your smoothie or oatmeal.

5. Chia cereal

To try something a little different for breakfast, you could swap your usual cereal for chia cereal.

To make it, soak the seeds overnight in milk (or a milk substitute like almond milk) and top with nuts, fruit, or spices like cinnamon. You can also use mashed banana and vanilla extract to make a delicious morning treat.

6. Chia truffles

If you're often in a hurry, you can use chia seeds to make a great on-the-go snack.

For a quick and easy no-bake snack, try chia truffles that combine dates, cocoa, and oats.

7. In a stir-fry

You can also add chia seeds to savory dishes like stir-fries. Just add a tablespoon (15 grams) of seeds and mix.

8. Added to a salad

Chia seeds can be sprinkled on your salad to give it some texture and a healthy boost. Simply mix them in and add your favorite salad vegetables.

9. In salad dressing

You can also add chia seeds to your salad dressing.

10. In soup or gravy

Chia seeds can be a great replacement for flour when thickening stews or gravies.

Simply soak the seeds to form a gel and mix it in to add thickness.

11. In oatmeal

Adding chia seeds to oatmeal requires very little effort.

Simply prepare your oatmeal and stir in 1 tablespoon (15 grams) of whole or ground seeds.

12. In yogurt

Chia seeds can make a great yogurt topping.

If you like a bit of texture, sprinkle them on top whole. If you want to avoid the crunch, mix in ground seeds.

13. To make a pizza base

Chia seeds can be used to make a high-fiber, slightly crunchy pizza crust. Simply make a chia-based dough and add your toppings.

The bottom line

Chia seeds are a versatile and tasty ingredient.

They can be added to numerous foods and recipes for a boost of protein, antioxidants, and fiber.

If you’re interested in including these seeds in your diet, try out one of the various options above.

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Parents’ Influence on Children’s Nutrition

Food habits and preferences are developed and established during childhood, so eating and enjoying fatty, salty, and sugary foods (all full of empty calories) in our early years can continue until we die. Nutrition is undoubtedly essential for a child to grow and develop healthily. A poor diet during childhood can lead to long-term health consequences, such as the development of cardiovascular diseases. Nowadays, children’s diets are no better than, if not worse, than those of their parents. Industrial products like sodas, candies, chips, fries, and processed meats are a major part of almost all children’s diets. When you ask children about their favorite meal, McDonalds is usually their big love. This all means that about 35–40% of their energy comes from fat, with 13–18% of this coming from saturated fat! What’s more, this applies to almost every age. Most, if not all, children have difficulty eating fruits and vegetables. They all prefer to eat hot dogs, pizzas, hamburgers, or a meat-based pasta over some traditional homemade food. My two-year-old French godson prefers saucisson over tomatoes, while the three-year-old son of a Turkish friend of mine prefers meat balls and pasta to Aegean-style vegetables. Have you ever wondered how children get their eating habits? As a parent, have you ever considered how you influence your child’s food preferences? I believe that dietary habits can be deliberately established. Think about yourself for a moment. Do you eat similar things to your parents, your friends, and the people around you? Within a given culture, people eat broadly similar foods, and there are no fundamental cultural differences in taste sensitivity. Have you noticed a specific preference in your culture, such as for bitter or spicy foods? These preferences usually begin during adulthood. There are some tastes that clearly symbolize maturity. I remember wanting to have a Turkish coffee when I was a kid, but my mom, like every Turkish mother, would tell me, “If children drink coffee, their skin gets darker.” This meant I couldn’t drink coffee until I grew up! In some Hispanic cultures, elderly people judge children’s maturity based on their tolerance to spicy food. Thus, learning to like these initially unpalatable substances is clearly a part of socialization. Exposure to, and familiarity with, certain foods influences whether we like them. Repeated exposure to a novel food increases our appreciation of it. Familiarity may be a good thing, because new, unknown foods are often considered unsafe to eat, whereas a food we have eaten before without unpleasant consequences is considered safe. Therefore, controlling what children eat influences what they like. Providing children with a healthier diet is likely to increase their appreciation of healthy foods. However, many factors can render it difficult, and even parental attempts to serve healthy foods could be useless. Advertising, for example, usually promotes the unhealthy foods that parents would prefer to limit. Think about all those colorful commercials with children’s favorite cartoon characters eating jellies, candies, and sugary breakfast cereals… Their friends and peers also promote the less healthy foods, because they’re so popular for a given age group. Nowadays, more and more children become kings and choose their own foods. Of course, their choices are not so healthy. After all, who would want a homemade stuffed bell-pepper when they can have KFC. It’s just not “cool”! Cognitive factors, such as knowing the benefits of eating a certain food, can also influence preferences. Weight control, health, and hygiene concerns, are example criteria that are taken into consideration. Studies have shown that women are more interested in health issues than men. Some research showed mothers regarded their children’s health as being significantly more important than their own. This means they can be encouraging their children to eat healthy foods while eating unhealthy foods in front of them. How can you make your children eat something when they see you’re so disgusted by it? Do you think it’s credible to say, “You should eat your Broccoli. It’s full of vitamins and minerals,” when you don’t have any on your plate? The food behaviors of parents definitely affect their children’s preferences. So, before complaining that, “My daughter barely eats any fruit,” ask yourself how often do you eat fruit? How often does your daughter see you eat fruit? Parental attitudes certainly affect the foods children want to eat. Do you value taste over your health? Whatever your answer is, your children will answer the same. Our taste buds learn certain tastes, so the more you cook oily, spicy, sophisticated dishes, the more your child’s tastes become accustomed to them. Of course, everything we’ve learned can be unlearned, but it takes time! So, if you used to eat convenience foods as a child, it will be difficult to change to a raw vegan lifestyle unless you have a serious health problem to motivate you. So, how should you get your children to eat healthy food? Evidence suggests that children have an insight into which foods are good and bad for them. The problem lies in the conflict between what’s “good for you” and what “tastes good.” We pass our knowledge onto out children at an early age. I still remember my parents’ telling me, “Please don’t eat anymore bread. You’ll get fat.” It follows that children have a pretty good idea about the effects of different food, yet as a parent, you still have problems getting your kids to eat healthy foods. In many cultures, women are responsible for feeding children and teaching them about nutrition, so mothers try to make them eat some things while limiting others. Children, on the other hand, like those limited items and ask for them. Mothers often find their nutritional role in conflict with their ‘peacekeeping’ role. Thus, they need to make compromises over what their children eat. Do you also close your eyes to what your children eat, especially if you’re a single working parent with limited time? Maybe you give your kids whatever they want out of guilt. Now, how can we encourage kids to eat the foods they dislike and refuse? Should you put forward a persuasive argument, such as by saying, “Eat it up. It’ll do you good”? Should you negotiate and only make them eat half? Or should you promise a reward or threaten a punishment, such as only letting them eat dessert if they finish their greens? I don’t have any children yet myself, but I can see they are very smart, much smarter than we think. If you ever begin negotiating, it becomes a kind of transaction. I suggest leading by example instead. Do the same thing you want them to do! Inspire them with your creative cooking ideas. Integrate them into your cooking process. Children love to participate in family activities, and cooking should definitely be one of these. Children also love to eat what they cook, so get them familiar with fruits and vegetables. They are like sponges soaking up knowledge, so teach them about foods rather than just telling them what’s good for them. Explain why things are good for them. Children are curious about life, so share your passion with them and be open to new ideas. The sky’s the limit, especially for children, so appreciate their imaginary worlds and boundless creativity. Ask them for help in thinking up new recipes and so on. Ask them do some research for you, as if you don’t know which vitamins and minerals are found in cucumbers. By doing this, you’ll be building knowledgeable, thoughtful, and social adults. If children refuse to eat something you prepared, try revising your recipe. You can find another way to cook something that will be both tasty and healthy. Don’t just try to feed your children but nourish them as well. Educate yourself as well in the process. Your children’s lives, and your own, are precious, so respect them! Read the full article

[dianejhadley]

Kid Superfoods: How to Improve Your Family’s Diet in The New Year

Finding meals and snacks that kids want to eat isn’t always the easiest endeavor. Most kids have their list of favorite foods, and the standard kid-friendly cuisine typically features not-so-healthy choices like hot dogs, pizza, chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese.

Nutritious foods like lean meats, fruits, veggies, whole grains and dairy are important to help keep bodies strong and healthy. According to HealthyChildren.org, children should eat two or three servings each day of both fruits and vegetables, aim for between a whopping six to 11 grain servings each day and include two to three servings of dairy and meats too! But how many parents are following these recommendations? And just how many kids are getting the nutrition they need every single day? According to Health.gov’s Dietary Guidelines 2015-2020, “about three-fourths of the population has an eating pattern that is low in vegetables, fruits, dairy, and oils.”

For parents that want to encourage their children to eat healthier as the New Year rolls in, little changes can make a big difference for picky palates. This year, help your children hit all their daily recommended dietary needs by filling their plates with nutrient rich foods to fuel their growth and please their taste buds. Integrate these superfoods into your daily menus to pack a punch of vitamins and minerals that kids need to stay strong and feel their best.

Blueberries

Blueberries are a fun food choice, because their small size and soft texture are easy for little hands to grasp.  They’re also super healthy and are a good source of vitamin C. Be warned, though, small berries aren’t appropriate for babies and toddlers as they pose a choking hazard.

Some berries can be tart, and the pucker power might keep kids from loving the taste. But making blueberries a favorite requires serving them up the right way. Turn these berries into a sweet snack with these fun hacks:

Yogurt for Dipping

Serve blueberries with a small cup of yogurt for dipping to sweeten the tartness. When choosing yogurt, opt for brands without added sugar or artificial sweeteners. Many dairies even make yogurts formulated for toddlers.

Cheese, Please

Cream cheese also may be used as a dip alternative. You can spread cream cheese on whole wheat crackers and add berries on top. Whole grains, dairy and fruit…three out of four groups accomplished!

Peanut Butter Boats

If your child has a peanut or tree nut allergy, then choose sunflower butter instead! Make peanut-butter boats by slicing a banana lengthwise, spreading each half with peanut butter, then adding blueberries as the ‘passengers.’ The sweetness of the banana mixed with the savory peanut butter takes the bite out of the berry! And kids will love this easy-to-eat snack.

Avocados

Adults love their avocado toast and guacamole, but how do you get kids to eat this smooth spreadable and yummy healthy fat and protein-packed fruit? When kids see ‘green,’ they may turn away. So make this awesome superfood more palatable by pairing it with other tasty treats.

Avocado Parfait

Remember, avocados are fruit so you can pair them with other fruits! California Avocados has a recipe for a parfait that pairs avocados and tropical fruit. You can use whatever fruit your child loves—mangoes, papaya or maybe even pineapple. Alternate layers of fruit and yogurt (the site recommends Vanilla Greek but opt for one you know your kids will eat).

Avocado Grilled Cheese

Grilled cheese is a kid staple, but you can make your child’s a favorite sandwich a bit healthier by adding in some avocado and maybe even slices of tomato.

Fruit Salad

If you’re serving up fruit salad for a snack, dice up some avocado, too! Those green avocados will add some healthy fat to a daily dose of fruit.

Eggs

Eggs are an excellent source of protein. Some kids either love them or hate them, though. Make them irresistible with these hacks:

Cheesy Eggs

Scramble eggs with cheese to change up the flavor and make breakfast more fun. You can serve cheesy eggs as a sandwich with whole grain toast, or just plate those eggs.

Eggs in a Muffin

Healthy microwave muffin recipes typically call for a pop of protein: eggs! If your child won’t eat eggs as is or scrambled, mix them into muffin batter that you can microwave in a mug. One of the healthier muffin recipes just calls for mixing about ¼ cup of oats (or flour), an egg, a splash of milk (use traditional dairy, almond or soy), and some fruit (any fruit!). Add in a tablespoon of nut or sun butter for protein. Pop it in the microwave for about a minute.

Spinach

More green! Spinach often gets a bad rep from kids; it’s leafy and green…and notoriously healthy! While your kids might want to turn their noses up at this leafy superfood, they still benefit from all the vitamins and nutrients. So, add it into their diet, but be stealthy! Make sure you wash spinach thoroughly and be sure to take note of any produce recalls.

Power Smoothie

Mix spinach into a smoothie to give kids a punch of this superfood on the down-low. Spinach is loaded with B vitamins, potassium and other vitamins and nutrients. You can mix spinach with bananas and strawberries for a fruity breakfast smoothie. Everyone has their own preference as to whether to use frozen yogurt or ice (with regular yogurt), but the recipe works either way.

Spaghetti Sauce

Puree spinach and stir the veggie into a favorite pasta sauce. This ensures kids get their leafy veggie, but you don’t have to fuss at them to eat it!

Salad

Pssst, don’t tell your child that the lettuce in that sweet salad is spinach! Mix spinach with romaine lettuce and add in sliced strawberries, nuts and apples for a decadent dinner salad. Top with raspberry or strawberry dressing.

Kale

One of the buzziest superfoods of the last few years was—and is—kale. This veggie is packed with Folate, and Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Vitamin K. Like spinach, though, kale is leafy and not necessarily a kid favorite. This veggie screams healthy…and it is. But it’s also tasty.

Kale Chips

Making kale chips is so easy. Cut up your kale, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with a dash of salt. Bake in the oven for a crisp and healthy snack. The full recipe can be found over at Food Network.

Kale Applesauce

Yes, you can make applesauce in a slow cooker. And that sauce is even healthier if you add kale! Use about a three pound bag of apples for a larger batch, and mix in as much or as little kale as you’d like. Cut up apples into tiny pieces and slice up your kale. Throw the mix into the slow cooker and add about ½ cup of water. Sprinkle the pieces with cinnamon and cook for about 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low.

Pumpkin

Pumpkin is one sweet gourd, and it’s also a holiday and festive fall favorite. Pumpkin can be mixed into so many recipes and snacks for a sweet and healthy snack. According to Health.com, pumpkins are filled with beta carotene and vitamin K.

Pumpkin Oatmeal

Mix in a tablespoon or two of canned pumpkin with instant oatmeal. To sweeten it up, add a little brown sugar and sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg on top.

Pumpkin Pancakes

Having breakfast for dinner? Whole Grain pancakes can be mixed with pumpkin for a special seasonal taste. Add in apples, too, for a heartier pancake mix.

Pumpkin Mac & Cheese

Whipping up some mac and cheese? Stir in a few tablespoons of pumpkin to add in some hidden vitamins. There are many variations on this recipe, but you can even try it for that typical in-the-box staple!

Greek Yogurt

Greek yogurt tends to taste more bitter than traditional yogurt varieties, but Greek yogurt is higher in protein. If your child has an aversion to new tastes, mixing this yogurt into smoothies and parfaits takes the bite out of the bitterness!

Dark Chocolate Greek Yogurt Shake

Blend yogurt, ice, banana, a splash of milk and little bit of dark cocoa powder for a sweet dessert that’s also healthy.

Powerful Parfait

Make a breakfast parfait by layering vanilla or regular Greek yogurt with fruit and granola. You also can grab your child’s favorite breakfast cereal and add it to the mix. Greek yogurt tastes great with chocolate puffs, fruity cereals or even simple corn puffs.

Frozen Yogurt

Mix your favorite flavor of Greek yogurt with fruit or jam, and place in a freezer safe container. Stick it in the freezer to firm up and enjoy easy frozen yogurt. Top with granola, nuts or maybe even sprinkles.

Quinoa

This is a super grain that’s also high in protein. Quinoa can be baked into muffins, pancakes or even made as a hot cereal. You also can serve it up as a savory side cooked in broth. But for kids, opt for the sweeter side of quinoa.

Hot Cereal

Instead of oatmeal or other hot cereals, serve quinoa. Martha Stewart’s recipe calls for mixing this grain with two cups of hot milk. Boil the milk, then add a cup of quinoa. You can mix in maple syrup, cinnamon, fruit…whatever your child likes.

Crumbles for Parfaits or Yogurt

Use the above recipe to also create a quinoa crumble to add into yogurt or parfaits.

Sloppy…Quinoa?

Delish features a meatless Sloppy Joe’s recipe that subs in quinoa! This is one sneaky and tasty way to give kids a daily dose of grains and protein!

Many parents find that their children favor certain foods that might not satisfy all their nutritional needs. It’s common for kids to love the same foods, but it’s also important to vary their diet so that they are exposed to all the vitamins and minerals needed for growth and good health.

Superfoods are super because they are chock full of vitamins and nutrients that fuel the body; everyone can benefit from these foods, especially kids. But not all superfoods may appeal to younger and more discerning palates. Parents can mix these healthy fruits, veggies, proteins and dairy options with other ingredients to create kid-friendly recipes that make these superfoods taste even better. Food battles are winless, so don’t fight them. Instead create meals that are healthy, fun to eat, tasty and infused with superfood treasures!

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Meal plans usually suck. Here are 6 better ways to transform your diet.

Lots of people looking to improve their eating think meal plans are the answer. The only problem? Meal plans usually suck… and they rarely last. So, instead of prescribing yet another doomed eating regimen, check out these 6 ways to transform any diet in a sustainable way.

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“Do I get a meal plan?”

This is the most common question we get from folks who are considering, or just started out in, our nutrition coaching programs.

The answer: No, we don’t do meal plans.

But we can’t blame people for asking.

Sure, meal plans have long been a staple of the fitness and nutrition industry. Coaches are taught to create them. Clients are taught to expect them.

Unfortunately…

Most of the time, meal plans don’t work.

You see, traditional meal plans are explicit prescriptions.

Eat this exact thing, in this exact amount, at this exact time.

For example, you’ll often see:

Breakfast – 7:30am 3 eggs, scrambled 1 cup vegetables 1 piece whole grain toast 1 cup coffee 1 glass water

Morning snack – 10:00am 1 protein bar 1 handful mixed nuts

Lunch – 12:30pm 4 oz chicken 2 cups salad 1 handful seeds 1 glass water

After exercise – 4:30pm 1 scoop whey protein 1/2 cup frozen fruit 1 tsp omega 3 oil 12 oz water

Dinner – 7:00pm 4 oz steak 1 cup cooked veggies 1 baked potato 1 glass water

You (or your clients/patients) might be thinking, “Good! I want a plan. I’m sick of trying to figure all this stuff out! Just tell me what to eat!”

Unfortunately, when we try to follow rigid prescriptions like this, lots can (and often does) go wrong.

For example:

Scenario 1: You just don’t stick to the plan.

No matter how enthusiastic you are, meal plans can be tough to follow.

This is normal. Life can get in the way.

People get busy,

we’re not always prepared,

kids get sick,

bosses expect you to work late,

it’s always someone’s birthday (or a special holiday), and

sometimes you just don’t feel like having a protein bar at 10am.

What’s more, even if you’ve actually paid to have someone make your plan, you might find yourself rebelling against it in subtle (or not-so-subtle) ways.

This is also normal.

Unfortunately, it means you might not get the results you hope for. For instance, a meal plan you hoped would help you lose weight could actually encourage you to gain weight instead.

Scenario 2: You follow the plan perfectly.

In fact, you follow it too well and for too long.

Most meal plans are meant to be temporary.

They’re designed to help a person get to a specific short-term goal, like dropping a few extra pounds before a wedding, learning to manage blood sugar, or cutting weight for an athletic competition.

Our bodies can usually adapt to a rigid way of eating for a short period of time.

But if you’re too strict for too long, you could wind up with disordered eating habits and lasting health (mental, metabolic, hormonal, etc) consequences.

Scenario 3: You follow the plan for a little while but it sucks.

It isn’t sustainable. It doesn’t make you feel better. It doesn’t keep you sane.

Maybe you see some short-term results (or not). But you hate living and eating this way. You never want to see another stupid piece of lettuce or 4 ounces of chicken.

Eventually, you get so turned off by the process that you regress or quit altogether. You conclude that “eating healthy” sucks.

And you miss your big chance to learn how to make healthier, more enjoyable, more lasting and real changes.

Another reason meal plans fail.

One of the biggest (yet generally unacknowledged) problems with traditional meal plans is their focus on “nutrients”.

Real people don’t eat “nutrients”. We eat food.

We eat meals, often with other people.

We eat meals that match our cultural background and social interests.

And we rarely measure things precisely.

Sure, sometimes an explicit prescription is necessary.

For instance, professional athletes or bodybuilders (in other words, people who make money off their bodies and athletic skills) use meal plans to prepare for training and competition.

A prescribed meal for someone in that situation might look something like this:

1/4 cup dry oats

3 oz turkey breast

1 cup steamed broccoli

5 almonds

1 omega-3 supplement

1 cup green tea (unsweetened)

But most of us don’t need that level of surgical precision.

We don’t normally eat “ounces” of things, or refer to food by their nutrients (like “omega-3 fatty acids”).

Instead, we eat foods like:

hamburgers

tacos and burritos

salads

pasta and noodles

sandwiches, wraps, pitas and rotis

stews and curries

cereal and granola

stir-fries

casseroles

Bottom line: If you want to eat better, you don’t have to get weird about things.

You don’t need to weigh and measure everything, or count out your almonds.

Ask yourself: “Is someone paying me to do this?” If the answer is no, you likely don’t need this kind of approach.

You just need to think about what you’re already eating, and how you could make it a little bit better.

This means fiddling and adjusting.

Making small changes and improvements to what you already normally eat and enjoy, one small step at a time.

Think about a spectrum of food quality rather than “bad” or “good” foods.

Welcome to the meal transformation game.

When you play with the idea of a food spectrum or food continuum, you get to experiment with variables like:

what you eat, and

how you eat it.

Think of this as a game.

How can you play “make this meal just a little bit better” in every situation?

In which situations is that easier or harder?

When your choices are limited (for instance, when you’re traveling, or eating at a workplace cafeteria), how can you shoot for “a little bit better” while still being realistic, and without trying to be “perfect”?

(Hint for coaches: this is a great game to play with the people you work with.)

Let’s transform breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Here’s how that “food spectrum” might look in daily life, with a sample day of eating.

Transforming breakfast

Stage 1

Let’s say that your go-to breakfast is a whipped-cream coffee drink and a chocolate croissant.

You pick it up in the drive-thru, and wolf it down on your way to work.

This is your starting point. It’s not “bad”. It’s just no longer working for you.

You’re getting indigestion from rushing, the croissant doesn’t hold you at all, and you’ve just spilled the coffee on your crotch while changing lanes.

Now your game is to improve your breakfast just a little bit, starting with what you already have or do.

Stage 2

Your opening moves in the meal transformation game:

You might replace the croissant with a whole grain muffin.

Instead of a “dessert in a cup”, you get a regular coffee with a single cream and sugar.

You grab a yogurt cup on your way out of the house for a bit of protein.

Naturally, you’re still rushed and busy… so you eat your breakfast with some distractions, while scrolling through emails at work.

But this is a solid start. Well done.

Stage 3

Next level of game play:

You switch the muffin to granola with cottage cheese or Greek yogurt.

You switch the cream in your coffee for 2% milk. (Or even go right to black coffee, you meal player you!)

You add some colorful fruit.

You’re now eating out of dishes on a table, instead of out of takeout packages off the dashboard of your car.

Of course, you’re still checking out the news headlines while you eat…

No problem. We’re keeping it real.

Stage 4

Now you are seriously playing like a pro.

You’ve changed “rushing and panicked” to “set aside a little extra time to enjoy a leisurely breakfast”.

You cleverly prepped an egg frittata with veggies in advance on your food prep day.

The coffee’s become green tea, since you noticed that too much coffee was tweaking you out.

The protein plus colorful fruit and veg have become the stars of the meal.

You’ve discovered you really like lemon water. (WHAT? You don’t even know you anymore!)

You eat mindfully, feeling relaxed, while watching the sun rise.

Ahhh.

Transforming lunch

Stage 1

At this point, starting out, the idea of a sit-down lunch feels flat out ridiculous.

“Eat slowly? Who has time for that during a busy workday? Grab a burger and go!”

Another “car dashboard” meal. Another stomach ache and regret.

You decide you might want to play with this meal too.

Stage 2

To improve this meal a little bit:

You go to a higher-end burger place where you’re pretty sure they use real meat.

You get a side salad with that burger, and maybe just a few potato chips.

You choose a diet soda instead of regular.

You don’t eat in your car, but you do eat by your computer.

That’s OK. You’re progressing.

Stage 3

At this stage, you’re doing a little prep work:

You whipped up some burgers in advance so they are handy and ready to take to work.

You also grabbed some nice cheese and whole grain buns from the local market on shopping day.

For lunch, all you have to do is take your homemade burger and its fixins to work.

You still grab a diet cola from the vending machine to wash it down.

You move from your desk to the lunchroom, where you socialize with co-workers. This slows you down a bit and helps you digest and relax.

Stage 4

You’re having the burger without the bun, alongside a nice pre-prepped salad.

Instead of staying at your desk or in the office, you take a break.

You sit outside and get some fresh air while you enjoy your meal.

For a drink, water’s all you need.

Transforming dinner

Stage 1

It’s 8pm. You’ve just gotten home after an insane day at work.

All you want to do is put food into your face and zone out in front of the TV.

You can’t even imagine making anything more complicated than boxed macaroni ‘n’ cheese right now.

Ketchup and hot dogs are as fancy as it gets.

Stage 2

Same concept, but:

You’re adding some extra protein with the help of a rotisserie chicken leg that you grabbed at the grocery store on the way home.

You’ve added a side salad, just grabbing a few handfuls of pre-washed greens out of a bag.

You’ve whipped up your own pasta.

Work is still on your mind, and a couple drinks will take the edge off.

Stage 3

Things are getting fancy.

You’re upping the protein with a little more chicken.

You’re having a little less pasta.

You’ve also added a nice big salad to the mix.

You’ve cut the booze to 1 drink.

Plus, you’re sitting at the dinner table, instead of flopping down on your couch or standing over the sink.

Stage 4

Again, we’re playing at pro level here.

With your meal planning and prep strategies, even a weeknight dinner looks good.

You can whip up a delicious salad in 3 minutes flat and you have some pre-cooked quinoa on hand.

That rotisserie chicken is still a fast, convenient option, but now it’s got some healthy buddies.

You’re indulging in a single glass of good wine these days, and you take time to savor it.

Meal transformation is not about reaching perfection.

If you’re at stage 1, all you have to do is shoot for stage 2. Or stage 1.5.

If you’re in stage 2, play with getting to stage 3.

And if you’re stage 3, heck, you can stay where you are.

You might never get to stage 4. Or it might only happen at times when you’re relaxed and have a little extra time.

Stage 4 might only happen on Sunday night, whereas the rest of your week is a mix of stages 1, 2, and — if you’re super lucky — 3.

And that’s OK.

How far you progress along the continuum all depends on what YOU want, what YOU need, and what YOU can reasonably do, right now.

Over time, things can change.

Play YOUR game.

Success secret: Have a food prep ritual.

You might look at these photos and think, “How can people possibly do all that?”

One success secret: Having a food prep ritual.

The idea is simple:

Practice planning and preparing healthy food in advance.

This makes healthy eating convenient and easy.

It also makes decisions easier: You don’t have to make a choice when you’re rushed and hangry.

Your food prep ritual can include:

shopping (or arranging to have food delivered)

menu and meal planning

washing and chopping vegetables

cooking/preparing protein (e.g. cooking up some chicken breasts)

cooking meals in bulk (e.g. casseroles, soups, stews, chili)

preparing the dry ingredients for things like Super Shakes or healthy muffin mix

soaking grains/beans beforehand so that they’ll be ready to cook later

sorting foods into smaller containers or baggies

freezing and refrigerating food for later

planning healthy meals that someone else cooks (e.g. using a meal delivery service, deciding in advance what to order at a restaurant, etc.)

looking ahead to ensure healthy eating strategies during the next few days, especially during difficult times (e.g. a busy week, traveling, dealing with a family crisis, etc.)

Mix and match any of these to find what works for you.

Experiment with systems, skills and strategies that work for YOU and YOUR life.

The real goal of a meal plan is to stop using a meal plan.

Fit, healthy people who have a good relationship with food don’t need other people to tell them exactly what to eat at all times.

Living a fit and healthy life doesn’t require perfection, either.

If you are using a meal plan:

That’s OK.

Some people like prescription, especially if they are working towards a specific short-term goal, like cutting weight to compete in wrestling, making sure they get enough nutrients to support a healthy pregnancy, or fueling their triathlon performance.

Keep it short-lived.

Meal plans are supposed to be temporary, working towards a short-term goal.

Keep it real.

As much as possible, try to make the meal plan fit your real life, not the other way around.

If you’re a parent, a worker, a student, or anyone else living in the real world, most of your meals will fall somewhere in the stages 1 through 3 spectrum. That’s perfectly OK. Just experiment with being a little bit better, wherever you can.

Remember all goals require trade-offs.

If you want to achieve a high level of performance or exceptional body composition, understand what you are prioritizing and sacrificing.

Getting very lean, for instance, comes with costs.

Make sure it’s working for you.

If your meal plan is making you feel:

overwhelmed

anxious and fretful

guilty

regretful

bad

overly rigid and/or preoccupied with food…

or any other negative, unproductive emotion…

…and if you find that meal plans result in you:

“falling off the wagon”, hard

getting obsessive and compulsive about food

restricting foods and food groups, or

doing “all or nothing”, usually ending with “nothing”

…then consider trying another approach.

What to do next

1. Consider where you sit on the spectrum of meal “stages”.

Where’s your food game at?

What level are you playing at?

What level would you like to play at?

Given your goals and your current situation, what is realistic?

For example, if you currently eat at stage 1, your goal might be to eat at stage 2 for most meals.

Or, if you eat at stage 3 most of the time but find yourself dipping into stage 1 or 2 meals more often than you’d like, aim to stay at stage 3 a little more consistently.

(Hint for coaches: you can walk people through these questions and help them arrive at their own answers.)

2. Start small. One step at a time.

Pick one meal to transform and focus on that.

For instance, you might leave all your other meals at stage 1, and focus on getting lunch to stage 2.

Concentrate on improving that one meal each day.

Using the examples above, you might think about things like:

adding protein

adding veggies or fruits

eating less processed food

eating more nutrient-dense, whole foods

drinking less alcohol or fewer sweet drinks

drinking more water

eating in a calmer, more relaxed setting, and/or

eating more slowly and mindfully

Of course, don’t try to do all these at once.

Try just fiddling with one or two, and see which ones work best for you.

3. Add things slowly.

Once you’ve improved one meal a day, try another.

If you feel like lunch is a solid stage 2 or 3, play with moving breakfast, dinner, or snacks along the spectrum.

Or, once you’ve improved one factor in a meal (e.g. adding more protein), try another.

For instance, if you’re getting more protein, now try switching out your sugary soda for some soda water. Or adding a little more veggies.

Be patient; small steps add up.

4. Set yourself up for success.

Notice what makes it easier and simpler for you to eat better.

Then figure out how to do or get more of that.

For instance:

Is planning helping you? How could you do more of that?

Is a healthy meal delivery service making it easy? Could you set aside a little more cash to get two meals a day instead of one?

Is setting aside time on Sunday afternoon to cook some protein a good idea? Great, keep on doing that. Book it in your calendar.

There’s no “right” way to do this. Do what works for YOU.

5. Enjoy your meals.

Meal plans don’t usually address how you eat.

Before you change what you eat, you can also try changing how you eat. For example, you could:

slow down

breathe between bites

relax

savor your food

sit at a table if you can, and/or

use real dishes if you can.

Give yourself some time and space to appreciate those tasty concoctions you put together.

Meal time is YOUR time.

6. Work towards being your own boss.

Sometimes you might just want someone to tell you what to do.

That’s fine, and helpful, especially if you’re juggling a lot. But only for a while.

Over time, look for ways to help yourself intuitively and wisely make better choices, rather than just following the rules.

(Coaches, much more than serving up prescriptions, this is your job too: to help the folks you work with arrive at a place where they feel good about making decisions for themselves.)

Think long-term. What do you want to happen over the next few months? Year? 10 years? Do you want to be on a meal plan for the next few decades?

Today, if you were to take one small step towards the “better” end of the meal spectrum, what might that look like?

How can you start playing the “meal transformation game” today?

If you’re a coach, or you want to be…

Learning how to coach clients, patients, friends, or family members through healthy eating and lifestyle changes — including helping them with meal transformation — is both an art and a science.

If you’d like to learn more about both, consider the Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certification. The next group kicks off shortly.

What’s it all about?

The Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certification is the world’s most respected nutrition education program. It gives you the knowledge, systems, and tools you need to really understand how food influences a person’s health and fitness. Plus the ability to turn that knowledge into a thriving coaching practice.

Developed over 15 years, and proven with over 100,000 clients and patients, the Level 1 curriculum stands alone as the authority on the science of nutrition and the art of coaching.

Whether you’re already mid-career, or just starting out, the Level 1 Certification is your springboard to a deeper understanding of nutrition, the authority to coach it, and the ability to turn what you know into results.

[Of course, if you’re already a student or graduate of the Level 1 Certification, check out our Level 2 Certification Master Class. It’s an exclusive, year-long mentorship designed for elite professionals looking to master the art of coaching and be part of the top 1% of health and fitness coaches in the world.]

Interested? Add your name to the presale list. You’ll save up to 33% and secure your spot 24 hours before everyone else.

We’ll be opening up spots in our next Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certification on Wednesday, October 3rd, 2018.

If you want to find out more, we’ve set up the following presale list, which gives you two advantages.

Pay less than everyone else. We like to reward people who are eager to boost their credentials and are ready to commit to getting the education they need. So we’re offering a discount of up to 33% off the general price when you sign up for the presale list.

Sign up 24 hours before the general public and increase your chances of getting a spot. We only open the certification program twice per year. Due to high demand, spots in the program are limited and have historically sold out in a matter of hours. But when you sign up for the presale list, we’ll give you the opportunity to register a full 24 hours before anyone else.

If you’re ready for a deeper understanding of nutrition, the authority to coach it, and the ability to turn what you know into results… this is your chance to see what the world’s top professional nutrition coaching system can do for you.

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