Nanny to Mommy

It is closing in on the end of summer which comes just in time for back to school, back to daycare, back to LIFE and set schedules for many families. I have been preparing the kiddos lunches every day including personalized handwritten notes. I love making their lunch for multiple reasons.
1. I feel like I can make their lunches cheaper than buying it,
2. I can see what they are eating each day, and
3. I can make sure they are eating a balanced, no sugar added meal, and they are teeth friendly lunch options as well.




What does "no sugar added" mean? In this case it means some of these foods still contain sugar naturally. Added sugar has been added to a food or product during the manufacturing process. To avoid added sugar, look for words on a food label such as glucose, sucrose, dextrose, high-fructose corn syrup, raw sugar, rice syrup, corn sweetener, fruit juice concentrate, brown sugar, corn syrup, can juice, can sugar, crystalline fructose, beet sugar, caramel, and barley malt.

This Low Carb Lasagna Recipe was a hit with the entire family, easy to make, and keto friendly. It was sneakily green, perfect for St. Patrick's Day, and a great way to sneak in those veggies to picky eaters.

We have been focusing on a low carb diet for a while now. When we re-focused our nutrition and really start losing weight, cutting out carbs is the way we have done it. If you have asked us what our diet looks like and I don't really give you an answer, it's because no we don't do keto, yes we do low carb, but we still eat carbs because we need them with the amount that we work out. The dinners I make are almost always low carb.

So why do I say this is perfect for St. Patrick's Day?

If you are looking for a keto friendly protein powder then you are in luck! Coffee is mom life fuel. We all know caffeine is great in the morning to get us started and be productive, but...Did you know caffeine also helps you to lose weight?

This is because caffeine can speed up your metabolism, which makes you burn fat without exercising, nor doing anything in particular. You do know that protein is the best macronutrient to lose weight, right?  And because keto is so popular right now, I know many people out there are looking for a keto friendly alternative to their favorite protein powders. I personally like protein shakes because they are convenient on-the-go options whether after a work out or a quick breakfast.

Easy Keto Coffee Protein Shake Smoothie Recipe

I created this easy keto lasagna broccoli bake recipe so my family could have a delicious meal time without too much fuss. My husband has been focusing on the low carb diet called ketogenic for over two years now and within the past year his family has started living this lifestyle as well. My mother-in-law is at her goal weight after years of not being able to lose any weight. She also did intermittent fasting.

What I love about this meal is that you can prep it ahead of time for an easy pop in the oven family dinner idea. I also love that there are left overs to make for easy meal prep. It also re-heats really well. The funny thing about how I came up with this recipe is, my husband bought a bunch of sausage brats on sale and we froze them. I saw them in the freezer after not being able to find any chicken and thought, "I bet I could throw something together with those". I searched a few recipes on Pinterest, but didn't see exactly what I was looking for based on what we had on hand. So this easy family recipe was created! And I wanted to share because it was definitely a crowd pleaser!

My husband and I have been trying to lose weight for over a year. We have been stuck in a rut and decided that we needed to do an overhaul on our diets. My in-laws have had a lot of luck recently with the ketogenic diet and although my husband and I have been considering for a while, we never made the plunge. That was until we watched "The Magic Pill" on Netflix. This documentary was really an eye opener for us and made us want to recommit to our health. Check out this Keto Macro Calculator to help you with your ketosis, weightloss needs.

Being a busy family of four, we like meals that are easy to make and if we can make them ahead of time? Even better. Here are some Keto Approved Side Dishes to complete family dinner time. If you are new to keto, I recommend checking out this Keto Shopping List for Beginners. If you are unfamiliar with something on the list, let me know in the comments below and I'll explain why you need it.

If you have been following my blog for any amount of time, then you know I have struggled with my weight. As adults, my husband and I are trying to learn what is healthy and what works for us because we never had very good or high quality food as children. It isn't that our parents didn't try their best, they just didn't know better themselves.

So trying to re-learn everything about the food pyramid has been difficult because the information that has been on the market can be misleading. My husband has wanted to get on the keto diet train for a while now and I told him if he helps me find recipes, then I am more than willing to try it. My in-laws have jumped on board and so now we have compiled a list of Keto Approved dinner ideas that the whole family is sure to enjoy!