1. Salami Chips

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place salami slices on a cookie sheet in rows. Place the cookie sheet with salami in the oven for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the chips are crinkled.

2. Fruit Skewers

Cut your favorite fruit and place them on a skewer instead of in a plastic bag. This is a great way to meal prep and store fruit by placing skewers in a container. It is also a great way to dip fruit in yogurt. Just a few combinations listed below:

·                   * Strawberries, Honeydew Melon and Cantaloupe

·                   *Strawberries and pineapple

·                   * Green Apple and honeydew melon

·                   *Orange and Pineapple

·                   *Mango, Strawberries, Pineapple

3. Pretzels and Nuts

All you need are pretzel sticks, peanut butter, and your favorite nuts. Crush up the nuts of your choice. Dip the pretzel stick in peanut and roll it in the crushed nuts.

4. Peanut Butter and Fresh Fruit Sandwich

Toast whole wheat bread, spread peanut butter, and add your favorite fruit. You can substitute the peanut butter for a nut butter of your choice. Here are a few of my favorites:

·                  * Peanut butter and strawberries

·                  *Peanut butter and bananas

·                  *Peanut Butter and Green apples

5. Frozen Fruit Cups

Cut pineapple and a pear into cubes. Place in a Styrofoam cup with 1/3 cup of pineapple juice. Add orange slices. Freeze overnight.

6. Banana Yogurt Split

Slice Banana in half and add 3 tablespoons on yogurt in the middle of the banana. Top with your favorite fruit and nuts.

7. Apple Quesadillas

Add thinly cut apple slices to one side of the quesadilla and the cheese of your choice on the other side. Flip the side with the apple slices over. Spread butter on the tortilla. Place in a non- stick pan. Cook until cheese has melted

8. Ground Turkey Nachos

Cook 1 lb. ground turkey in skillet until brown. Drain if needed. Add taco seasoning if you desire. Place tortilla chips on a cookie sheet. Add cheese and ground turkey throughout the chips. Place in oven on 350 degrees until cheese has melted. Add lettuce, tomatoes, and sour cream.

9. Cucumbers and Tomato Salad

Cut cucumbers and roma tomatoes in cubes. Add mozzarella or muenster cheese, salt and pepper. There are a few dressings you can add to the mix:

·                  *Italian dressing

·                  *Oil and vinegar

·                  *Balsamic vinegar

·                  *Apple cider vinegar

10. Mini Ranch pockets

Add a packet of hidden valley ranch seasoning to the ground turkey In a bowl. pat about a tablespoon amount of ground turkey onto wax paper. Once complete place in skillet until done. Place on romaine lettuce leaf.

5 Meal Planning Tips For Beginners

When people begin their journey to eating healthy they have a tendency to overthink and over analyze the process. Actually, the majority of time people do not know where to start. Meal planning is not often discussed when they embark on the journey of eating healthy. I was in this same boat when I began my journey to eating healthy. I did not know where to begin but I also knew that I did not want to eliminate certain food groups like the majority of diets require. Planning for 4 to 5 meals a week is ideal and will not allow you to over complicate or over stress yourself. So here are a few tips that I have found to help me when I begin meal planning for a week. 

1. Gather your favorite recipes or recipes you would like to try. I recommend printing out the recipes if the source of your recipe is from online or jotting down the title of the book with the page numbers if you are using a recipe from a book. I actually have a board on Pinterest that I created to keep up with different recipes. 

2. Make a list of the common ingredients that are required for your meals. This will help you see what you already have in the pantry and refrigerator. Mark next o the items that you already have at home so that it makes grocery shopping easier. I have constructed a meal plan several times without doing this step and I have bought items that I did not need. 

3. Write out the meals you have chosen on a calendar. It is always best to be able to visually see your meal plan. This is a time to bring out your crayons, colored pencils, and even uncover your inner virtual creativity. You are the creator of your weekly menu.

4. Set aside a day to go grocery shopping. This is the hardest part of meal planning. My main advice would be to make sure you eat before you go to the grocery store. In the beginning I would say to myself "I have control, I can run in and out in no time and get something to eat afterwards." Oh man, Oh man was I wrong. Lets just say that the meal plan went out of the door and my basket was filled with unnecessary items. So please please please east before you go grocery shopping. Don't forget to bring the list that you created to the grocery store. I usually go grocery shopping for my main items on Saturday and if certain places have deals during the week I wait to go to those places. 

5. Meal Prep is the fun part. It allows you the opportunity to be a chef. I have a family of to adults and one toddler so I usually cook double the servings so that there are leftovers. Usually when I meal prep I put on some music and get swept away by the bold aroma of the food. (can't you tell I love food). Ideally, meal preparation helps to eliminate the stress of forgetting to thaw out food or what to cook all together. 

What are some of your meal planning tips that help you to successfully stick to a meal plan?