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40 Days of Gluten Free School Lunches
It’s about that time again! School is starting, or has started for a lot of you. Sending healthy gluten free school lunches with your child is COMPLETELY possible. Let me show you 40 photos of my kid’s healthy gluten free school lunches that I have collected! I guess I should disclose that my family is not 100% Paleo…you will see a few things that fall in our 20% non-Paleo, like dairy, Nut Thins, and some rice. However we do try to stay completely gluten-free. I hope you get some ideas and enjoy packing healthy gluten-free school lunches for your kids!
Like the lunchbox? Get it here!
Foods and Items I frequently used:
- Like the lunchbox I use? You can get it here.
- Can’t afford the PlanetBox, try these instead.
On days you want to send HOT leftovers, I recommend this Thermos to keep it hot till lunchtime!
Shared on: Tasty Traditions, Kelly the Kitchen Kop, Thank Your Body, Natural Family Today, Old Fashioned Friday, Girl Meets Nourishment, and Holistic Squid
20 Recipes Using Bacon Fat!
Paleo is so liberating! Before Paleo, I used to shun away from fat and gave into the whole “low-fat” culture. I hung that up 2 years ago when I began my journey into eating whole, real, unprocessed foods and realized that saturated fat is not what’s killing us. And the best thing Paleo has done for me is given me a love for BACON! Oh I heart bacon…and I no longer feel bad about eating it, as long as I do in moderation. I’ve continued to lose weight and I continue to feel amazing all the while eating bacon a few times a week. We cook it on our griddle which cooks it perfectly. We prefer thick sliced bacon and try to get bacon that comes from pastured pigs.
A few years ago, I would just throw the bacon fat away, but as I was becoming more aware that bacon fat is not bad for your body and it makes food taste even more delicious, I started saving it and using it in various ways.
How to Save the Fat: once the bacon fat has cooled, pour it into a little jar and store it in the fridge. Some people recommend straining it to prevent any larger clumps of bacon or fat from going into the jar. Scoop it out as needed.
In the fridge, bacon fat will last for months and months (especially if you are careful about making sure all the chunks of bacon are out of it) and even several YEARS! Ask your grandparents! Just give it the “whiff” test before using. If you have large amounts of bacon fat to save, you can toss it in your freezer.
On the countertop, bacon fat will last for several weeks. It’s best to put it in the fridge to prevent it from becoming rancid.
20 Delicious Recipes Using Bacon Fat
1. Roasted Beet & Basil Salad with Hot Bacon Vinaigrette – Oh my!
3. Make Bacon Mayo.
4. Use it to fry my Fishy Bites in…or anything else!
5. Make these Silver Dollar Pancakes with it, subbing out the grapeseed oil for bacon fat! (We order our almond flour from here)
6. Sweet Potato Drop Biscuits – these are from my FAVORITE cookbook right now, Beyond Bacon! It’s a beautiful cookbook dedicating to the hog! Use bacon fat in place of lard (it’s really the same thing).
7. Stir Fried Eggs!
8. Bacon Fat Vinaigrette Dressing – we make this all the time and it’s delicious!
9. Maple Bacon Aioli to dip Sweet Potato Fries in!
10. “Cornbread” – follow this recipe, BUT while putting the batter together, add a few TB of bacon fat to the 9″ baking square and melt in the oven. Then add the batter and bake according to directions. No joke…this tastes like cornbread and it’s a staple in our house. (We buy this almond flour)
11. Bacon Cookies – substitute some bacon fat for the coconut oil!
12. Fry your steak in it!!! OMG!
13. Yellow Lard Cupcakes (or Cake) – I made these and LOVED them. We substituted bacon fat for lard and it was incredible!
14. Bacon and Cream Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms – if you do dairy, this is amazing!
15. Bacon Deviled Eggs – I have had these a few times and they are sooooooo good!
16. Paleo Roasted Stuffed Tenderloin – doesn’t this look beautiful!
17. Saute your spinach, in bacon fat!
18. Saute your cabbage in bacon fat!
19. Saute your kale in bacon fat!
20. Spinach Bacon Potato Frittato – eliminate feta if dairy-free. This is on the menu!
So, don’t throw another drop of that delicious bacon fat away! You have no excuse now…eat up and enjoy!
________________________________________________________________
You can find some of the ingredients for these recipes here:
- raw honey
- wild caught salmon
- shredded coconut
- almond flour
- coconut flour
- vanilla extract
- celtic sea salt
- real maple syrup
- good olive oil
Shared at Real Food Forager
The Healing Powers of Aloe Vera & How to Use it at Home
Aloe Vera has more healing properties than most any other plants or herbs on the planet! It is a disinfectant, antibiotic, antimicrobial, germicidal, antibacterial, antiseptic, anti fungal, and antiviral!
My husband and I have lived in 6 different places, in 6 six years of marriage (thank you Army), and everywhere we have lived, we have kept an Aloe Vera plant in the yard or in a pot. You may see a lot of Aloe Vera products pop up in the stores as people are becoming more aware of it’s benefits; but the best way to use it is to grow it yourself.
This underrated power plant is one of the best things you can carry in your home remedy arsenal. It comes from the lily family, the same family that garlic and onions belong to. And another incredible thing about this plant is that it can be used both internally and externally:
Here’s How it Helps Our Body:
• Halts the growth of cancer tumors.
• Lowers high cholesterol.
• Repairs “sludge blood” and reverses “sticky blood”.
• Boosts the oxygenation of your blood.
• Eases inflammation and soothes arthritis pain.
• Protects the body from oxidative stress.
• Prevents kidney stones and protects the body from oxalates in coffee and tea.
• Alkalizes the body, helping to balance overly acidic dietary habits.
• Cures ulcers, IBS, Crohn’s disease and other digestive disorders.
• Reduces high blood pressure natural, by treating the cause, not just the symptoms.
• Nourishes the body with minerals, vitamins, enzymes and glyconutrients.
• Accelerates healing from physical burns and radiation burns.
• Replaces dozens of first aid products, makes bandages and antibacterial sprays obsolete.
• Halts colon cancer, heals the intestines and lubricates the digestive tract.
• Ends constipation.
• Stabilizes blood sugar and reduces triglycerides in diabetics.
• Prevents and treats candida infections.
• Protects the kidneys from disease.
• Functions as nature’s own “sports drink” for electrolyte balance, making common sports drinks obsolete.
• Boosts cardiovascular performance and physical endurance.
• Speeds recovery from injury or physical exertion.
• Hydrates the skin, accelerates skin repair.
Aloe Vera contains over 200 active components including vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes, polysaccharide, and fatty acids. This explains why there are so many uses and remedies for the Aloe Vera plant.
FIVE Ways to Use Aloe Vera at Home:
1) Aloe Vera is amazing for your skin. The clear fluid of the aloe vera plant is 99% water, so it’s no wonder why it’s great for your skin. It hydrates, moisturizes, and nourish our largest organ – the skin.
- Acne – Aloe Vera has antimicrobial properties that kill bacteria and anti-inflammatory properties with minimal scarring. Rub it directly on acne.
- Moisturizer – Aloe is not greasy and perfect for someone with oily skin or looking a for natural regime. Place a small amount on fingertips and smooth over face
- Aging – there is vitamin C and E present in aloe which can improve our skin`s natural firmness and keep our skin hydrated. Many of the TOP anti-aging products have aloe vera. Why not save the money and get the product directly from the source – the earth. Dot on wrinkles and under eyes morning and night.
- Stretch marks – rub aloe vera on your pregnancy stretch marks to keep them at bay.
- Sunburn – this is the most widely known use. Aloe vera gel can reduce the pain and swelling you experience during sunburn, act as a protective layer on the skin, and help replenish moisture.
2) Lowers High Cholesterol – when taken internally, aloe vera rebalances the blood chemistry in a way that lowers cholesterol and total triglycerides.
How to Take: People who suffer from high cholesterol can achieve optimal results by taking 1-2 TB of Aloe Vera juice a day (source).
3) Aloe vera boosts immune function and destroys cancer tumors –
Scientific research shows strong immunomodulatory and antitumour properties for aloe vera polysaccharides. That means the gel helps boosts immune system function while destroying cancer tumors. One study published in International Immunopharmacology (1995) showed that aloe vera polysaccharides exhibited potent macrophage-activating activities including producing increased volumes of nitric oxide, which has antitumor potential.
How to take: Work with a naturopathic physician to learn how to add Aloe Vera into your treatment plan.
4) Aloe Helps Reduce Inflammation – Aloe Vera contains 12 substances, including B-sisterole, which can help to slow down or inhibit inflammation.
How to take: rub the gel onto any areas of pain. For rhumatoid arthritis, take internally by drinking 2 to 3 oz. of aloe juice once per day, and work up to 3 times per day.
5) Disinfectant, Anti-biotic, Anti-microbial, Germicidal, Anti-bacterial, Anti-septic, Anti-fungal & Anti-viral – Aloe Vera’s active ingredients are sulphur, lupeol, salicylic acid, cinnamic acid, urea nitrogen and phenol which are substances that prevent the growth of disease-causing microorganisms and act as a team to provide antimicrobial activity thus eliminating many internal and external infections, also active against bacteria. It also helps to treat fungal and viral infections.
How to take: rub on burns, cuts, bruises, and take internally during times of sickness or just to boost the immune system.
How I Harvest and Use Aloe Vera:
There are many ways to actually “harvest” aloe. You can just cut off a piece of the plant when needed, or you can make a batch of the gel and store in the fridge. I like to make large batches at at time. Here’s my method:
Step 1: Cut off large pieces of the plant near the stem. I usually cut 5-10 at a time.
Step 2: Rinse the cut pieces under water.
Step 3: Cut off the top of the shell.
Step 4: Grab a spoon and scoop out all the gel.
Step 5: Pour the gel into a food processor or blender and process it for a few seconds.
Step 6: Freeze in small ice cube trays and use as needed! I leave a little in the fridge, as well.
A Few Things I do With My Aloe:
Face Mask – I add 2 TB of aloe, 1 TB sugar or salt, and 2 TB of raw milk or coconut milk to a jar and stir. Once the sugar/salt is dissolved, I rub it all over my face and leave it on for up to 10 minutes! Then I grab a hot towel and wipe off. Baby butt soft!
I add 1-2 TB to my smoothies.
I put them on my kids dry skin.
I put them on cuts and burns.
I rub it onto my sore muscles after an intense workout.
I hope you now believe in the incredible healing properties of the Aloe Vera plant. Remember “fresh is best”, so pick up a plant, and start benefiting from it!
Sources:
- https://www.naturalnews.com/021858_aloe_vera_gel.html#ixzz2d08K2ftE
- https://www.aloeplant.info/harvest-fresh-aloe-gel/
- https://sacredsourcenutrition.com/top-12-benefits-of-aloe-vera/#
- https://www.aloelf.com/wp-content/uploads/aloe-vera/aloebook.pdf
Shared at: Homegrown & Healthy, Small Footprint Family, and Happy Roots, Happy Soul
Guest Post, She is Clothed With Strength: How Fitness Saved Me
It’s always great when I have a “real-life” friend want to share a part of their life with me on my blog. This article is written from my friend Sarah at She is Clothed With Strength…and that she is! I have watched her transform her body, run half marathons, and encourage others to do the same.
How Fitness Saved Me
Hi Everyone! This is Sarah from She Is Clothed With Strength. I’ll start by saying that I am a fitness fanatic, nutrition geek, homeschooling mother of one, devoted wife, and Jack Russell Terrier Lover.
When Jackie invited me to write for her blog I wanted to write something EPIC. Something that will rally the troops to the gym or the road but ultimately I came here. What better story to share than my own. * shy grin *
I do love fitness. I love talking about it. I love researching it. I love teaching about it and writing about it. I guess you could say I am a fitness geek. Not only do I like to learn new moves that work but I also like to learn WHY those movements work…down to the muscle fibers. Gah! It is great stuff. But, I promise I won’t go into any ‘boring to other people’ details.
Today I want to talk about how fitness really did save my life.
Fitness is a fairly new addition to my life and it is a welcome one at that.
Let’s go back quite a few years.
I have never been an athletic person. I loved to swim, ride my bike, go on hikes, and jump rope. I was never remarkable at anything I did. Honestly, I preferred to read my books and create from within the house. I enjoyed the outdoors but reading curled up on the couch was far more attractive. I went through phases of running but they never really stuck for very long.
I was never a big girl growing up. I was slender but I don’t think I would ever say I was thin either.
There was one thing that was always present in my life…
Depression
The Blues
Melacholy
Never feeling good enough
There were some pretty dark times in middle school and high school. I never talked about it. I suffered in silence. I am not a very open person by default. I am getting better about being more vulnerable with people but that is a more recent development. Until then, I was quiet. I am sorry to any family members or friends who just never knew. It was my fault that I never shared.
Okay, onward….
Ultimately, it was my faith that saved my literal life. I really don’t think my I would have made it out of that pit alive without finding my faith in Jesus. He saved my soul.
But, it doesn’t end there. Just because I have faith does not mean I don’t still struggle. I am not perfect and won’t be on this side of heaven.
Good thing and bad things have happened. I’ve gotten married. We had our son. Job loss. My Mom died suddenly. Secondary Infertility. Etc. Etc. Etc.
One thing was always consistent in the good and the bad. I always ‘medicated’ with food. Stress eating. Sadness eating. Happy eating. Celebrating Eating.
Despite all the amazing things in my life I always kept one foot in that pit of depression.
One day I decided to start running again. I wasn’t good at it. It is hard to run when you weigh a lot. I was slow. But, I did it.
Slowly, my moods started to stabilize. I lived for the endorphin rush that running provided. I got addicted.
Then guess what happened. After lots of 5K’s and two half marathons and training for a full marathon I had to hang up my running shoes. My knees just couldn’t take it. I grieved the loss of running after I limped the last 3 miles of a long run in tears because I was too stubborn to call my husband for a ride home.
At that point, I knew I needed to do something. I couldn’t quit my fitness journey.
That’s when my husband and I walked into the weight room at the gym. We were completely lost and wandering. With fits and starts, we found our groove in the gym. We trained together for a few months until his job prevented us from that. I found a program I loved and found my way around the gym again but this time alone.
Now, I am totally addicted to the gym.
I have found my groove.
I am actually good at this.
I have found my anti-depressant.
I actually discovered that the reason I was never “thin” in high school was because I naturally carry a lot of muscle. So, there really WAS something I was good at. It just took 32 years to find.
There is a meme that I have seen circulating on Facebook that says “Food is the most abused anti-anxiety drug and exercise is the most under used anti-depressant.”
That is TRUTH right there, folks.
In college I had a professor in my Abnormal Psychology class who said that the first step in therapy for his depressed clients was to have them go out for a run every day.
Do I still get sad and depressed at times. You bet I do.
What do I do now? I go to the gym and I squat and deadlift. I do a butt load of burpees. I run sprints on the treadmill. I get those endorphins to such a high level that I can’t help but feel good about myself, my family, and my world.
I am addicted to endorphins.
Exercise saved me. It has brought my life back. I am better Wife, Mom, Friend, and Person. And I won’t stop talking about it. It saved me and it could very well save you.
Find Sarah Online:
Sarah is the Wife of Chris and the Mother of Caleb. When she is not squatting, deadlifting, jump roping, or dying from burpees she is homeschooling and making her house a home. Fitness is her passion and she longs to help more women see their worth through the transforming power of exercise.
MythBusters: Protein Powder
I’m kicking off a series today titled, “MythBusters“; a copy-cat to the popular show on the Discovery Channel, but I’ll be adding in my own real food twist. MythBusters is a science fiction show that uncovers the truth behind popular myths and legends. If you’ve never seen the show, go watch it!
In this new series of mine, I’m going to be taking a real food look at some of the popular “myths” in today’s society. And today I’m going to talk about…
Protein: The Good, The(Not-So) Bad, The Ugly
Before we look at protein powder, I think it’s important to take a look at how much protein our body actually needs.
How Much Protein Do I Need?
Here’s 3 opposing schools of thought for you to chew on:
- Protein recommendations from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) – according to their website, I should only be eating 5 ounces of protein PER DAY!!! One chicken breast is roughly 6 ounces. Excuse me while I LOL at this one.
- Protein Recommendations from The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM): this site is pretty reliable, especially for athletes and endurance runners. Protein should be 15-20% of the diet, and the recommended daily allowance (RDA) is 0.8 grams of protein per kilograms of body weight.
- Protein Recommendation from Ph.D. Paul Jaminet, author of The Perfect Health Diet: the micronutrients ratio he recommends is 20% carb, 65% fat, and 15% protein. He bases these recommendations off of these things:
- Observations of our ancestors – a look into the hunter-gatherer diet shows us that our ancestors’ diets were very close to this ratio. They also did not favor lean meats except for periods of starvation and scarcity.
- Composition of human breast milk – Human breast milk is 39% carbohydrates, 54% fat and 7% protein.
- Composition of our own tissues – an average male is 60% fat and 20% protein. It makes sense to eat foods in the ratio that composes our body.
- Preference for omnivorous animals for high-fat diets – all choose to eat an high-fat, low to moderate protein and moderate carbohydrate diet.
15% Protein Looks Like This…
A moderately active 5’10 male of 180lbs should eat 15% protein, which equates to almost 122 grams of protein. His workout day should look like this…
(Click here to figure out your macronutrients.)
Now that you have an idea of how much protein your body, truly, needs, let’s take a look at the different kinds of protein that we can use to fill our body’s 15% needs.
Protein Powder: The Ugly
What is protein powder? Protein powder is a “nutritional” drink that is packed with protein and can be consumed in a number of ways. Protein powder is not only consumed as a drink now, but many people are building recipes around this “nutritional” supplement. Whether you are trying to lose weight, enhance your athletic performance, or a busy mom with no time to make a real meal, protein powder seems very convenient.
Three Kinds of Protein Powder:
- Soy – plant-based source of protein
- Whey – a protein found in milk and is fast absorbing
- Casein – the main protein in milk and is slow absorbing
What’s in Protein Powder?
Let’s take a look at the top-selling brand on the popular Bodybuilder website.
Questionable Ingredients:
Natural & Artificial Flavors – I could not find the specifics on what these are exactly. However, experience tells me to stay away from artificial flavors.
Lecithin (soy) – read here about all the dangers of soy
Cocoa (Processed With Alkali) – Alkali is simply a base, the opposite of an acid. Natural cocoa powder is lightly colored and has a somewhat sharp acidic flavor. Processing it with alkali neutralizes the acidity and makes the taste milder and the color darker. This treatment is called the Dutch process. Doing this makes it sweeter and helps it to mix easier with liquids, however, The Dutch process reduces the amount of natural flavonols, or antioxidants, in the cocoa powder.
Acesulfame Potassium Sucralose – the two most alarming things about this ingredient is:
- According to Cancer.gov it causes cancer (source).
- It contains methylene chloride, a known carcinogen (read source).
Sucralose (aka Splenda)– causes all sorts of issues (source)
- Gastrointestinal problems
- Seizures, dizziness and migraines
- Blurred vision
- Allergic reactions
- Blood sugar increases and weight gain
That is a lot of harmful side-effects to America’s top best-selling protein powder. Sure, there might be some protein powders that are less harmful. If you’ve been around the real food world for a while, you will see that this is often a question that is asked.
Protein Powder: The (Not-So) Bad
“Which protein powder is Paleo?”
Well, none, really. Paleo is about eating WHOLE, unprocessed foods. However, canned coconut milk and almond butter are not whole, yet are accepted as real food. Also, the answer to this question depends on how Paleo you would like to be. I prefer to be 80% Paleo and leave the 20% to other non-Paleo indulgences. Maybe you prefer the same, and this 20% could consist of a decent protein powder.
Here’s a few recommendations:
PaleoPro – a new powder on the block consisting of eggs, beef, and sweetened with stevia.
Great Lake Beef Gelatin – this gelatin powder comes from grass-fed beef. We use it to add to shakes, smoothies, and coffee for added nutrition.
Hemp Protein Powder – it boosts 11g of protein and only ingredient is organic hemp seeds
Egg Protein Powder – this is from egg whites…if you could find one from whole eggs it would be better. Better yet, throw a few pastured, raw eggs in a smoothie.
Protein: The Good
Best Sources of Protein:
Beef
- Hamburger patty, 4 oz – 28 grams protein
- Steak, 6 oz – 42 grams
- Most cuts of beef – 7 grams of protein per ounce
Chicken
- Chicken breast, 3.5 oz – 30 grams protein
- Chicken thigh – 10 grams (for average size)
- Drumstick – 11 grams
- Wing – 6 grams
- Chicken meat, cooked, 4 oz – 35 grams
Fish
- Most fish fillets or steaks are about 22 grams of protein for 3 ½ oz (100 grams) of cooked fish, or 6 grams per ounce
- Tuna, 6 oz can – 40 grams of protein
Pork
- Pork chop, average – 22 grams protein
- Pork loin or tenderloin, 4 oz – 29 grams
- Ham, 3 oz serving – 19 grams
- Ground pork, 1 oz raw – 5 grams; 3 oz cooked – 22 grams
- Bacon, 1 slice – 3 grams
- Canadian-style bacon (back bacon), slice – 5 – 6 grams
Eggs and Dairy
- Egg, large – 6 grams protein
- Milk, 1 cup – 8 grams
- Cottage cheese, ½ cup – 15 grams
- Yogurt, 1 cup – usually 8-12 grams, check label
- Soft cheeses (Mozzarella, Brie, Camembert) – 6 grams per oz
- Medium cheeses (Cheddar, Swiss) – 7 or 8 grams per oz
- Hard cheeses (Parmesan) – 10 grams per oz
Nuts and Seeds
- Peanut butter, 2 Tablespoons – 8 grams protein
- Almonds, ¼ cup – 8 grams
- Peanuts, ¼ cup – 9 grams
- Cashews, ¼ cup – 5 grams
- Pecans, ¼ cup – 2.5 grams
- Sunflower seeds, ¼ cup – 6 grams
- Pumpkin seeds, ¼ cup – 8 grams
- Flax seeds – ¼ cup – 8 grams
I hope this gives you an understanding of what your protein needs are and the proper sources for nourishment. Would love to hear what your favorite protein sources are and if you choose to use protein powder, which ones?
This post is linked to Party Wave Wednesday at Holistic Squid.