Plan

Practical tips and strategies for planning real food meals.

Healthy Food Swaps

9 Healthy Food Swaps to Help You Ditch Processed Food

by Kristin Marr

10 Things Know Instant Pot

How to Use Your Instant Pot: 16 Must-Know Tips

by Kristin Marr

Healthy Dinner Recipes to Make This Winter

Easy Healthy Dinner Recipes to Make This Winter

by Kristin Marr

The Best Instant Pot Recipes

The Best Instant Pot Recipes (Healthy, Real Food)

by Kristin Marr

The Best Lunchbox Gear for Kids

by Kristin Marr

Healthy Kids Snacks Ideas for School and Home

Healthy Kids Snack Ideas For School (Plus, The Best Snack Containers and Tips)

by Kristin Marr

What is Real Food? A complete guide to real food

What is Real Food? A Simplified Guide

by Kristin Marr

What is Einkorn?

What is Einkorn Flour? And Tips for Using Einkorn Flour

by Kristin Marr

20 Healthy Lunchbox Ideas for Kids

Lunchbox Ideas For Kids: 20 Main Lunch Ideas That Go Beyond a Sandwich

by Kristin Marr

Picky Eaters: How to Encourage Exploration and Open-Mindedness with Food (Plus, Recipes to Encourage Exploration)

Picky Eaters: How to Encourage Healthy Eating and a Healthy Relationship with Food

by Kristin Marr

"Real Food" Breakfast Meal Prep Ideas

“Real Food” Breakfast Meal Prep Ideas (Freezer-Friendly, Egg-Free, and Gluten-Free Options)

by Kristin Marr

Real Food Pantry Tour: What's in my real food pantry and organization

Real Food (Capsule) Pantry Tour

by Kristin Marr

livesimplymom

Yesterday, I shared how I store all the veggies an

Yesterday, I shared how I store all the veggies and fruits from the market (via Instagram Stories). Knowing how to store produce is the key to making sure it doesn’t go bad prematurely. I saved the stories to a highlight on my IG story wall called “food storage.” Check it out at @livesimplymom. Next to storage, the second most important thing you can do is plan out your meals! I use weekly themes that are repeated: soup night, pasta night, taco night, popcorn and pizza night (every Friday which is also movie night), etc. With these themes, I have specific recipes and ideas I can easily plan for based on what I have, bought at the market, or need to buy from the store. Without a plan, most of the food you see here wouldn’t make it to a plate. It would go bad. I would most likely forget about ingredients or just give up on making meals halfway through the week due to decision overload (burn out). Prep work (storing produce, taking a few minutes to think about what meals you’ll make) goes a long way— saving you money and time! #livesimplyblog #foodstoragetips #sustainableliving #sustainablefood #foodstorage #veggietips #fruittips #realfood #wapf #wapfkids #realfoodheals #mealprep #foodprep #mealplanner #simplifiedlife #naturalmotherhood #fridgegoals #fridgeorganization #fridgetour #fridgesituation

(Swipe to see all 📸) This week, I decided to wr

(Swipe to see all 📸) This week, I decided to write out the lunch options so the kids can reference the prepped choices each night when they pack their lunches. As the week goes on, leftovers will be a main option too.
This has been super helpful for the kids.
At night, after dinner, they pack their lunches with the prepped foods. It’s their choice as to what goes in their lunch. Last night, they both chose honey sweetened yogurt (the yogurt dip recipe in the snack guide in the Simplified School Lunch course!), chips, cucumbers, and different fruits. The previous night, Londyn went with chicken noodle soup (warmed up in the a.m.), apples, and carrots and ranch. Piper went with quesadillas, apples, celery with sunflower butter, and chips.
This has brought a whole new level of simplicity to our mornings.
In the morning, after breakfast, the kids fill up their water bottles and add an ice pack to their lunchbox.
Lots of practice and modeling! But all that practice and modeling is beginning to pay off—both in teaching the kids responsibility and simplifying our routine. Simplify your routine with the recipes, meal plans, and food prep guidance found in Simplified School Lunch: https://livesimply.me/simplified-school-lunch-kit/ #schoollunch #planetbox #bentoboxlunch #bentobox #lunchbox #lunchboxideasforkids #montessoriathome

One of my goals for 2020 is to SLOW DOWN and ENJOY

One of my goals for 2020 is to SLOW DOWN and ENJOY food... ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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One of the health wisdom nuggets I've been learning over the past year is the role slowing down has on our digestion and ability to process and use the nutrients in our food. (Thank you @backtothebooknutrition)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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There are ways to simplify real food and nourishing meals (meal planning, food prep, themes, repeating meals), but I think sometimes in our quest to "simplify" we try to rush through the process and enjoyment of our food. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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We eat on the run, grab-n-go style, in front of our screens, or in a constant "fight" mode (because stress, etc.) We make the switch to healthier food but stick with the same processed food mentality of FAST, FAST, FAST!! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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But as I'm learning, part of the health benefits of real food really goes beyond the nutrients...⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Of course, a goal is just a goal without action. So, here is the action I've been putting behind this goal: ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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🥬🥬Use repeated themes to simplify meals: take away the planning portion (or automate it as much as possible) so I can focus more on the act of actually preparing and slowing down to enjoy that food. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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🥬🥬Set aside a block of time each day for preparing meals: shutting down my phone and computer and work at 5:30pm so I can focus on being in the kitchen. This also means saying NO to extra activities at night for the kids. This also means getting to bed by 9:30pm each night (and being strict about it) so I can wake up a bit earlier to **sit down** and enjoy breakfast. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Not only is this good for my body from a digestion point of view, but the more I think about it, the more I want to model for my kids just how important it is to intentionally set aside time to SLOW down and ENJOY food (making, eating). ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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What am I teaching my kids by always GOING, GOING, GOING and eating on the go, in front of my computer, or complaining about the need to make and be still to enjoy food? That's not what I want for them or me. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Tell me about a goal you have this year...

Weekend plans: make homemade hot chocolate and wat

Weekend plans: make homemade hot chocolate and watch Baby Yoda 🤣❤️! This is one tradition the kids look forward to every holiday season—the hot chocolate portion of those plans. The super easy recipe is on the blog (head over to @livesimplymom and the clickable link will take you there). https://livesimply.me/make-homemade-hot-chocolate-easy-stove-top-recipe/

“The first supermarket supposedly appeared on th

“The first supermarket supposedly appeared on the American landscape in 1946. That is not very long ago. Until then, where was all the food? Dear folks, the food was in homes, gardens, local fields, and forests. It was near kitchens, near tables, near bedsides. It was in the pantry, the cellar, the backyard.” -Joel Salatin, This Ain’t Normal: A Farmer’s Advice for Happier Hens, Healthier People, and a Better World (<—Next to any Michael Pollan books, this is a must read!) #farmersmarket #wapf #wapfkids #groceriesshopping #groceries #organic #natural #stpetersburgflorida #saturdaymorningmarket #saturdaymorningmarketstpete #littlepondfarm #betterhomesandgardens #kitchensofinstagram #livesimplyblog

What's your favorite Thanksgiving food? (tradition

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