5 Nutrition Principles to Live By

You’ve hit a plateau, are feeling super low on energy, irritable or with cravings gone wild. Your skin may be acting up, or your digestion in slow motion.

I hear you sister, I hear you.

When we find ourselves in this space, we often feel like giving up on ourselves— like all of our efforts are null & void. Well, let me let you in on a little secret. YOU ARE DOING A GREAT JOB. And, giving up on yourself is disservice not only to you & your quality of life & health, but to those that you love.

Today, I’m sharing 5 simple shifts that, when done consistently, will keep you out of this rut. These aren’t quick fixes. They are LIFESTYLE changes.

If you’re feeling like you in a place in your life where you’re ready to uplevel, I invite you to adopt all 5 of these into your daily routine! BUT, if you’re feeling overwhelmed or like you don’t even know where to start… Start with ONE and commit to it consistently for 21 days before layering another one in.

These little tools will be a game changer!

Water First. This is #1!! Your body needs AT LEAST half of it’s body weight in ounces in water each day. So, if you weigh 160 pounds, you’re aiming for at least 80 ounces each day.

Start your day by drinking down 12-24 ounces of water upon waking. Before meals, before grabbing for a snack, before going for seconds...think & drink: WATER FIRST.

Eat more plants. At each meal, focus on filling HALF of your plate with fresh veggies & fruits. Plant foods are packed with fiber, water, antioxidants, phytonutrients and are super nutrient dense, meaning you get the most nutrients for calorie consumption. The Veg Out Meal Plan Series is an awesome way to up your veggie intake, while also saving time, money & taking the guesswork out of what to cook each week. At all meals, think EAT MORE PLANTS.

 Rest and digest.  Remember that food is ENERGY! We don’t need energy to sleep ;)  Ideally, your last bite of the night is dinner. Practicing a 12 hour fast between your last bite in and your first bite the following morning allows your body to rest and digest, and speed up metabolic fire, and increase energy.  After dinner, close the kitchen & think REST & DIGEST.

Track.  What you don’t track goes whack.  Are you moving more (or less)? Changing your movement/exercise routine has a huge impact on how your body needs/uses energy!   Are you snacking more than you thought you were? Old habits creeping back in? Are you achieving more than you are giving yourself credit for?  Track it, journal it, do honest reflecting.

The 14 Day Cleanse is the perfect way to not only tune in to how your body FEELS when you eat certain foods, but also your habits around food.

Check in with your thoughts. How is your mindset? Are you focusing on what is going well? Celebrating the wins? Seeing obstacles as an opportunity for learning and growth? This piece is SO CRUCIAL!

If you stay focused on what is not going well, you will attract more of what is….not going well. Stay focused on the wins, what you are grateful for and what brings you joy & you’ll have more wins, more joy, and more to be grateful for. Download this free journal template to help you stay focused on what serves you! Remember, MINDSET WINS!

Which of these simple steps feels most important for you right now? Comment below & let me know!

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Let’s stay connected! Contact me here, anytime.

Mason Jar Salad 101

It took me a while to get on the mason jar salad train...maybe because they are trendy and I'm not? ! ha!

Turns out I LOVE LOVE LOVE these!  Super easy, practical and delicious way to up your meal prep game.

Choose any combination of ingredients, and layer in a quart size, wide mouth jar.  You can pick up a case of these bad boys for under $12 and use them over and over again.

The possibilities are literally endless here.  Jars can be as simple or crazy as you like, and can be made up to 5 days ahead of time.  

Check out the general method to the madness below, followed by one of my favorite recipes!

Layer, from the bottom up:

3 Tbsp dressing

Protein*

Hard veggies/fruits

Softer veggies/fruits

Pack in the greens.

Optional add ins: Nuts, seeds, cheese

*I recommend having animal protein prepared, but on the side.  Think chicken, beef, HB eggs.  Plant based proteins (legumes, beans, etc) are fine to pack right into the jar!.

Give this Greek variation a go. It does not disappoint! First, make the dressing. Then, layer Ingredients listed in order of appearance — from the bottom >> up!

What You’ll Need:

For the dressing:

1/4 c red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. fresh oregano, chopped
1/4 c olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, smashed

For the salad:

2 cans chickpeas, drained & rinsed

½  red onion, sliced

¾ cup-ish kalamata olives, halved

1 large English cucumber, quartered

1 pint cherry tomato

2 heads lettuce, any variety #easybutton 2 bags salad greens

6 ounce-ish feta cheese, crumbled

…

Measure 3 Tbsp dressing into 5 jars. Divide salad ingredients equally into each jar, in order of appearance above. Dump into a bowl just before diving in, or give it a good shake and take your fork right to the jar.

Want more awesome recipes like this? Check out our meal plans!

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Let’s stay connected! Contact us anytime, HERE.

Meal Prep Made Simple

I remember visiting my sister in Washington state the year before Ziggy was born, and seeing their weekly menu board hung in their dining room. My thought was, “wait, you guys really know what you’re going to eat every day of every week…like all the time? Who does that?!”

It’s funny how things change, because part of my career now is teaching others how to simplify nutrition, meal planning and meal prep. LOL! Incredible how things can shift, right?!

Becoming a mom taught me that time is more valuable than ever, and I continue to be on a mission to maximize it. Meal planning and prepping became one of those things that has done just that.

By carving out a little bit of time, one day a week, (I’m talking an hour) to prep what I have planned for the week, I suddenly find I don’t have excuses to eat crap (or skip) lunch, I don’t walk around hangry and irritable, and I save so.much.time in the long run.

Pro tip: Hit the #easybutton by preparing the same thing for breakfast and lunch each week. This makes it easy to shop for, easy to plan and easy to throw together. Then, every week, switch it up so that you don’t get bored!

One of my favorite ways to get some easy lunch prep on is by making mason jar salads. It took me a while to get on the mason jar salad train...maybe because they are trendy and I'm not?! Ha! But it turns out I LOVE LOVE LOVE these!  Super easy, practical and delish. This can be done with any combination of ingredients, and I’m sharing a little tutorial and a favorite recipe right HERE.

What is your biggest struggle when it comes to meal planning and prep? I would love to know!. Share below, or always feel free to email >> info@sarahkaminski.com

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With a breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes, printable grocery list and 5, actionable simple meal prep tips, The Veg Out Meal Plan Series makes meal planning and prep both SIMPLE and DELICIOUS! Check out what members are cooking up this week:

We're really enjoying all the flavors spring has to offer -- BRACE YOURSELF! 

We're diving into 

—A taco you won’t forget

—Strawberry fields!

—Sweet little eggs in a nest

—A traditional, nutrient dense Italian favorite

—And a flavorful eggplant stack that marries the flavors of spring

If you want in, sign up here by this Thursday (June 6th).

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Let’s stay connected! Contact us anytime, HERE.

Overnight Oats

There are so many amazing variations to these, and honestly, my current obsession!!  Pictured below is topped with fresh blueberries, but anything goes.  Dare to get creative! 

What You'll Need:

1/2 c plain rolled oats
1 Tbsp chia seeds
2 Tbsp ground flax
1 c fresh or frozen berries

Optional; 1 scoop of plant-based protein powder of choice OR 2 Tbsp hemp hearts for a protein boost

Top with 3/4 c milk of choice (I like unsweetened almond, coconut, or soy), and stir well.  The chia seeds will soak up a lot of the liquid!

Wisk together ingredients in a pint size mason jar or glass tupperware.  Pop into fridge, and top with fresh fruit in the morning!  🙌🏻🙌🏻

Want more awesome recipes like this? Check out our meal plans!

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These can be made 3-4 days ahead of time! Some other variations to try:

unsweetened coconut shreds + fresh strawberries

apples and cinnamon

fresh pears + 1 tsp pure maple syrup 

fresh raspberries and lemon zest

fresh watermelon 

finely grated carrot, raisin + nutmeg

pumpkin puree, 1 tsp pure maple syrup + cinnamon 

fresh peaches or nectarines 

fresh blackberries or mulberries + cinnamon 

cocoa powder + fresh strawberries

Freezer Stash Meals

We stopped at target 🎯 before this grocery run and Ziggy asked “why are we buying so many things?”

“Because I’m nesting” 😂🐣

The struggle is so real 🤣🤣

Doing some major batch cooking over the next week or two!! Stockpiling the freezer to make eating as well as possible EASY those first few weeks of healing & transitioning to a family of 4. (👪+👶🏼 omgeeee!)

The response around creating a resource that included my freezer stash plan, with recipes & a grocery list for each was an overwhelming YES! So, here it is!

Questions? Reach out to me directly!!

Meal Planning 101: Part 3

Money.  We all have it, we all spend it.  It’s the HOW we spend it that gets us most often,  Today let’s talk tips to saving the moo-lah when shopping for food.

STEP 3:  DOLLA DOLLA BILLS

Let’s first get back to getting in tune with your kitchen.  Since you now know what is IN your fridge, you know when it needs to be cycled OUT.  We don’t always get around to using every last bit of everything, even though it is our best intention.  At the end of each week, take a look at what’s in your fridge and PRESERVE.  The easiest way to do this is to prep and freeze.  Just about everything can be frozen and used later--let’s look at some examples.

Kraut is super easy and a delicious way to preserve a giant cabbage.

Veggies:  Braise and freeze.  I’m talking greens, broccoli, carrots, peppers...Just about everything (with an exception of lettuce & celery) freeze well for later use. Chop them up, braise in salted, boiling water for a few minutes, drain and pop into a freezer baggie to use in your next culinary creation.  Don’t have time for this? Start a freezer baggie for not-so-hot looking veggies to make a broth for later.

Half open containers of just about anything:  I’m talking the half used quart of veggie stock, the half can of beans in the tupperware, the cup of  cooked rice left from Wednesday.  Measure it, mark a freezer baggie, and pop in the freezer.

Leftovers:  Again, the majority can be frozen--even if it is just one portion.  Great to pull out of the freezer on a whim for lunch or dinner down the road.

2.  Buy in bulk.  You don’t have to be a member of Costco to take advantage of purchasing bulk food.  Buy QUARTS of yogurt rather than cups, BOXES of crackers rather than snack packs, 5lb bag of carrots instead of baby carrots and shop in the bulk section of your grocery store for grains, nuts, and other goodies when it is an option for you.  A pound of organic rolled oats in the bulk section at Whole Foods will run just over $2.  A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.

3.  Commit to one plant-based meal a day.  This will, without a doubt, keep some money in the bank.  Bonus?  Better for your health and the environment!  

4.  Join a CSA!  A CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) is basically a local farm share.  There are so many great options and benefits here.  Our CSA typically breaks down to $23 per week, and provides all of the veggies (plus some fruit!) that we need for the week.  Most farms offer a budget plan, which allows you to spread out payments across a few months.  Ccheck out LocalHarvest for one near you! 

CSA Shares from 2017

5.  Commit to ONE grocery shopping day per week.  You’re using that list you created while meal planning, so no excuses here.  Chris and I were the KINGS of stopping to get “one thing” on the way home from work and would come out $40 in the hole.  Multiply those “one thing” stops by 3, and you’ve spent some serious cash!!  There is a rare exception we allow ourselves to revisit the store each week.  Make that a rule for yourself and stick to it.  

6.  Consider making 2 grocery stops.  Go ahead, call me crazy.  If you are serious about saving money, you should DO THIS!  We make 2 lists each week--one for Aldi, a discount food store in our area, and one for Whole Foods.  The stores are located just miles away from one another.  We get what we can from Aldi, and then get the rest from Whole Foods.  I am more and more impressed with the organic options available at Aldi, and their selection is always changing.  

7.  Commit to the Dirty Dozen list when purchasing produce.  The clean 15 represents produce lower in pesticide residue, while the dirty dozen is the highest, so best to buy organic.  By sticking to this list, I feel good about what I am feeding my family and doing my part to protect the environment from the pesticide funk.

What tips do you have to saving the moo-lah?  Share below!