Toddler Weaning

There are probably tons of blog posts and articles about weaning a toddler from breastfeeding but I haven't read any of them. I probably should have, but I just followed my gut and heart. I hope this helps some of you who are worried about weaning as I was.  I decided that I wanted to try to wean Rio as naturally and painlessly as possible, so the whole process took about 4-5 weeks total. I wasn't in a hurry, so I just took it slowly. When Rio was 22 months, I was nursing morning, nap and night. At this point, I was about 4 months pregnant and my boobs began to ache when I breastfed. This was when I decided it was time to start weaning. First I cut out the morning session. This was the easiest one to eliminate. My husband played a huge role in helping with this. He woke up with Rio and I didn't see him at all until after he had his smoothie. The first few days Rio cried for milk and mama, but only for a few minutes. Daddy gave him a smoothie right away (I made them the night before so they were ready to go). Then I would wake up and make breakfast while he was drinking his smoothie.  He did pretty well with this, and after a week I could wake up with him without him wanting milk. He did continue to ask for milk in the mornings occasionally, but he didn't get too upset about it after the first couple days. We explained that we don't have "milkies" in the mornings anymore,  just smoothies. Anytime he asked for milk during the day, I would laugh and say no milk during the day, silly." I would often give him some fruit or some nuts in case he was hungry. Sometimes he would laugh and put his face by my boob and say "no milk silly!" Then we would both giggle. It kind of turned into a little joke for him, but he understood there was no milk except for nap and bedtime.  Eventually he stopped asking for it. 
A couple weeks went by and we were only nursing at nap and bed time. Then we left for vacation, so we were sleeping in a new place. He did not want to sleep in his crib during nap time, so the first day we were there I told him he could sleep in the big bed with me. I kind of took this as an opportunity to stop nursing at nap time. I told him we could snuggle, but no milk at nap time because we were in the big boy bed. When he asked for milk, I told him he could have milk and sleep in his crib or sleep with me and no milk. He chose to sleep with me. After this discussion and a little whining, the first day went surprisingly well. I got him a new water bottle he could drink out of before nap time, so when he asked for milk, I told him he could have his water instead. After some water and about 10-15 minutes of discussions and songs, he laid his head on my shoulder and went to sleep. 
Day two came around and he wanted milk again at nap time. I told him the same thing as the day before. If he wanted me to lay with him, I reminded him that we didn't have milk at naptime, only at nighttime (he understands the difference between naptime and bedtime.) I felt badly because he cried for a few minutes for milk, but he quickly got over it, drank a few sips from his water bottle and after I sang him a few songs he snuggled up to me and went to sleep. After that day, before naps he would say, "no milk, only at night, when moon and stars out". He understood. So even though I was taking naps with him, I still felt accomplished because he was able to fall asleep without nursing. He stopped asking for it after a few days, but talked about "milk only at night time" a lot.  Sidenote: I've continued take naps with Rio since returning from our trip. I've been pretty tired this pregnancy and I love taking naps with him! It forces me to relax, and if I wasn't napping with him I would do other things (laundry, clean, etc.). Plus I know when the new baby comes I won't have much of downtime, so I'm taking advantage of every moment of rest and snuggle time with Rio. I feel so lucky to not have to work so that I can rest-I forgot how exhausting growing a human is! And now I have a toddler to chase after so that makes it even more tiring. Kudos to you working mamas!! Ok, back on topic...
 A couple more weeks passed and we were still nursing at bedtime, but only for a few minutes so I knew it was more for comfort versus actually drinking milk. At this point, I no longer offered milk, but he asked for it and I didn't want to tell him no since we had been discussing how we have milk at night time. We did start talking about how we need to start saving the milk for the baby (he's really into talking about the baby and my boobs were really starting to hurt at this point).  One night about 4 days after we got home from our trip (exactly one month before his 2nd birthday!), we did our regular bed time routine but instead of him asking for milk, he just said "snuggle mama, sing bird song" so I sang his song (he loves Three Little Birds by Bob Marley) and told him to close his eyes and go to sleep. Then he laid his head on my shoulder and fell asleep. I was shocked. That was it!! Now it's been 5 days and he's gone to bed every night no problem. No nursing at all for 5 days!  There have been a few times randomly during the day where he asks for milk but I just remind him that milk is all gone. He has seen a couple of my friends nursing their babes and he points to my boobs and says, "mama milk all gone". 
The whole process has been way easier than I thought. I was so nervous about it, but at this age, he really understands a lot and I truly think your body and your baby know when the time is right. Listen to that motherly instinct! I think the fact that I did it slowly really helped. I was also afraid that he wouldn't want to snuggle anymore when we stopped nursing but that's not the case at all! He's super cuddly, especially before bed and when he wakes. 

The day we came home from the hospital, when nursing is nonstop! 

I wanted to write about my experience because I was so worried about how I was going to end it, but it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be!! I hope this encourages any of you who are in the same position. I feel so grateful that I was able to nurse him for 23 months and that I will have a little break before baby 2 arrives. I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic. Reach out if you have any other questions or comments. Here are some of my favorite photos of this awesome time in my life. If you are a first time pregger or a new mom, make sure to take some photos if you are nursing. You will cherish them!  

Sleeping by the pool at Rancho Valencia.

           

On vacation in Nevis when Rio was 11 months.

Milk break, Rio at 13 months.

That breastmilk chub! 3 months.

Getting Real...

It has taken me a couple months to finish this post. I want to inform without sounding like I think I have all the answers. I have put off posting this out of fear. I was worried about what my readers would think if I got too real. So please just know that I'm writing this particular post for one reason. To share my experience. I've had lots of different mamas ask me tons of different questions, so I'm going to try to answer a lot of them in this one blog post.  I'm not writing this to say that my ways are better than yours or that you should do what I'm doing.  I am not claiming that my way is the only way or that I know more than anyone else. I truly hope no one sees this post in that way. I'm writing to answer questions and to share. The way I eat and the way I feed my son works for us. I look at food as medicine, but I also really enjoy eating. So does Rio. I'm not an expert in the field of nutrition. I have no formal background or education on the topic. I'm simply telling you about how I feed myself and my baby.  I do think that as a society, in general, we eat poorly. I want others to know that eating healthy can be really easy. And super beneficial to your health, attitude, and well being. At least it has been for me and Rio.

Follow Rio and I on Snapchat @preggerspantry for more recipe ideas. 

Rio is 21 months old. He hasn't been sick. No ear infections, no coughs, no antibiotics.  He has never had any skin irritations or diaper rash. He takes a 1.5 hour nap everyday and sleeps 11-12 hours at night. He's been on over 10 flights and has traveled out of the country. He goes to at least 3 classes or playdates a week where he is around lots of other babies and toddlers. We play at the park and library often and I rarely wipe down the grocery cart or wash his hands after he's played outside or with other kids. I don't give him the flu shot. He is on an alternative vaccination schedule, but has received most of his immunizations. I also haven't been sick since in years (since before my pregnancy with Rio). I taught elementary school for years (hello, germs!) and I didn't receive any vaccinations during pregnancy.  I had gave birth to Rio vaginally and naturally (without medication). I feel lucky and grateful everyday for our health. However, I believe that the foods I feed myself and Rio, along with extended breastfeeding, have made a huge impact on our immune systems and overall wellness. 

I've heard so many parents say that their kids won't eat healthy foods or vegetables. Why is this is such a prominent issue? I have a few ideas. (Again, these are merely my opinions, please don't be mad at me if you disagree.) It's pretty safe to say that we as a society, in general, don't eat enough healthy foods. People go days and weeks without eating vegetables or "real" food. By real food, I mean just that. Unprocessed foods, not from a box or fast food restaurant. Unhealthy food is cheap and accessible. It's everywhere. Kids are given so many choices in and out of their homes. It must be extremely difficult to get them to eat healthy once they've gone to the darkside (haha, ok I know that's dramatic, but you get my point.)  I remember in college when I lived on bagels, pizza and beer. I was lethargic, heavier than I've ever been and my skin was horrible. It's no coincidence. All of those foods are filled with sugar. Sugar is the culprit-it's addictive and it's everywhere-even hiding  in tons of "healthy" foods in our grocery stores. Just like any other addictive substance, sugar feeds a part of the brain that makes you want more. If kids are given sugar, it will take time for their tastebuds to develop a taste for healthy foods. Kids will eat what you eat as a family and what you train them to eat...it's never too late to make a change. I also read somewhere that it can take up to 30 times eating something to develop a taste for it. This is especially true with healthy foods that a person is not used to eating.  When you get the hang of eating healthy, it's pretty easy.  Rio sees that I eat the same foods he is eating-it's so important to model good habits!! Almond butter and fruit begin to taste like candy if you don't eat processed sugar for awhile (I'm serious!). And the processed stuff really starts to taste like garbage and makes you not feel well if your body isn't used to it. Before you know it, you don't crave that stuff anymore. You start to crave real food.  I also think (again, my opinion) that babies are given processed foods at too young an age. Why do doctors tell us to start with cereal? Why is cow's milk recommended immediately after breastfeeding? Why do we think it's ok to introduce them to sugar laden cake at 12 months when most babies have never even touched sugar up to that point?  I don't know the answers to these questions, but my mind is blown that these things are the norm. None of these cultural norms felt right to me, so I didn't give Rio cereal, won't give him cow's milk, and didn't give him a traditional cake on his first birthday. I did make him an amazing smash cake with bananas, blueberries, oat flour, and coconut milk that he LOVED! You can find the recipe here. Rio's diet mainly consists of fresh vegetables, fruit, beans, and healthy fats like avocado, eggs and nuts. He eats salmon if it's wild caught. He also eats ghee and grass fed butter sometimes, but no other animal products or dairy. Rio eats a mostly gluten free diet, with the exception of healthy whole  grain bread for avocado toast. I started giving him this bread occasionally, but not until recently because I've read that babies bellies can't really digest grains really well until they are older. 

My mom, my happy boy Rio, my dog Mayzie and me. 

                                     
If babies are given vegetables from the beginning, on a daily basis, included in every meal,  isn't that what they will develop a taste for? I don't know for sure, but in my case the answer to that question is YES. The human body is resilient and amazing and will adapt to what it is fed. It can also adapt to the sugar/high fat/unhealthy foods that make us sick. Let's not do that to our sweet, perfect babies. I don't want my baby to be overweight and feel sick and have pain.  I don't want to be that way either and that is why I have chosen to eat the way I do; a diet high in vegetables, fruits, healthy fats and proteins. I learned years ago that when I refrain from eating certain foods (dairy, sugar, gluten) I feel better physically, mentally, and emotionally. I have more energy. Do I have cheat days? No, because I don't have to. Do I have cheat moments? I guess you could call it that, but I don't look at it as cheating because I don't feel badly about it. I make good choices even when it's not the best type of food. For example, I eat pizza occasionally (I love veggie pizza!) and I eat chocolate on the daily (dark chocolate only-milk chocolate doesn't taste good to me). I drink wine sometimes (red is good for the heart!).  It used to be harder to eat healthy all the time, but my body has become accustomed to healthy foods and it has stopped craving certain things. I eat dessert if my body craves it. But things like processed gummy candies or Oreo cookies? Never. I used to love Oreos as a kid and I had one a couple years ago and it just tasted so fake and gross to me. I couldn't even finish it. Rio is 21 months and hasn't had a cheat day either. Or a cheat moment. He enjoys snacking on macadamia nuts, raw bell peppers cucumbers, and fresh fruit. No need for sugar or processed food. He drinks a green smoothie every day with homemade almond milk and carrot juice. He's taller than most babies his age. He is in only in the 30th percentile for weight compared to all other babies his age,  but I think that's because a lot of toddlers are overweight because of the foods they eat.  Rio is progressing at or above babies his age in motor, social and language development. He enjoys eating and I've never had to bribe him to eat healthy foods. He loves them. They're all he knows. I know Rio won't always eat this clean. I know someday I won't be able to control what he eats, so I'm trying to develop healthy habits and tastes while I can. 

My little family.

So what's the trick to getting kids to eat healthy? There isn't one. I think it's just about exposing them to the right things from the beginning. I exclusively breastfed for 7 months. Around 7 months I introduced Rio to mashed avocado, then sweet potato. I started a modified version of baby led weaning and gave him chunks of steamed broccoli, squash, carrots, and beets to gnaw on. Whatever veggies we were eating, Rio tried. For the first two months, he only ate avocado and vegetables. At that point, with the veggies I began to give him fruit, coconut, and proteins like beans, lentils and salmon. Around 10 months he started eating nut milks, nut butters, and eggs and healthy fats like coconut, avocado, grapeseed, and olive oil. At 11-12 months we moved to grains like gluten free oats and quinoa, and basmati rice and seeds like hemp, flax and chia seeds.  Rio loves food and is never afraid to try what is put in front of him. He likes things I hated as a kid; lima beans, asparagus, onions, etc. I try to share recipes that aren't overwhelming  and have minimal ingredients. Clean, simple and healthy but also tasty.

A few tips to make eating healthy easier:
*Make green smoothies. This is such an easy way to add leafy greens to your diet and they are delicious! I am going to a whole post about green smoothies soon! In the meantime check my Instagram page for some fun recipes.
* I make my own nut milk and nut butter weekly. It's easy to make and healthier than buying. There are some recipes on Instagram for these as well.
*Meal plan. I always go to the grocery store on Sundays and have a rough plan for what I'm making for that week. I truly feel that having a plan makes everything so much easier. 
*Keep it simple. Make the majority of what you eat fresh vegetables and fruits, healthy proteins and fats, and healthy grains. Eat real food as close to it's natural form as possible. 

I would love your feedback on this post. Is this helpful? Unrealistic? Does sharing this help or give you ideas? What did you do similarly or differently with your babies?

PS-Rio is going to be a big brother! Baby #2 due December 2016!

Plant-Based Routines and Meal Ideas

I recently wrote a blog about my grocery store lists and  foods I always have in my kitchen. Today's post is going to give you a few ideas of things you can make with those items. This blog will focus on our daily routines and plant-based, dairy-free meal ideas. Developing routines and food prepping in advance have cut in half the amount of time I spend preparing meals. Here are some routines we have implemented into our daily lives. Sidenote: If you haven't already, invest in a high powered blender. I recommend the Blendec or Vitamix. I love my Blendtec and use it everyday. 

Routine #1: Lemon Water
I try to start every day with 8 ounces of room temperature or warm water with juice from 1/2 a lemon.

Routine # 2: Green Smoothies
We have a green smoothie every day before breakfast.  It took awhile for this to become a habit, but when I got pregnant I drank one every single day, and have ever since. You can get so many nutrients from a smoothie and it's just a great way to start your day. If you don't have time to make fresh smoothies daily, you can freeze them in glass jars so that you can just grab them on your way out the door in the morning. I switch up our smoothies a lot, adding different nut milks (cashew, almond, coconut), greens (spinach, kale, Swiss chard, collard greens), veggies (cucumber, celery, beets),  fruits (avocado, mango, oranges, apples, berries, pineapple), nuts (walnuts, cashews, pecans), and seeds (flax, chia and hemp).  Our typical smoothie contains homemade almond milk, homemade carrot juice, greens (the main ingredient), chia, hemp or flax seeds, homemade nut butter, banana, and frozen berries. Here are some quick easy recipes for some of our favorite smoothie ingredients. 
*Almond Milk: I make this a few times a week. Soak 1 cup almonds for 24 hours. Rinse and blend soaked almonds in 4 cups filtered water. Strain with nut milk bag if desired. Straining isn't necessary if you're just using the almond milk for smoothies. 
*Carrot Juice: 5-6 carrots, roughly chopped, 2-3 cups filtered water, juice from 1 lemon, 1 inch fresh ginger. Blend.
*Nut Butter-Brazil nut is Rio's favorite. We also love almond, cashew, walnut and macadamia nut butters. They are so easy to make too, just pulse in a high powered blender or food processor. I often add coconut oil, dates, shredded coconut, and/or cinnamon to my nut butters. Nuts are such a huge source of healthy fats and nutrients for our family. Delicious in smoothies, with fruit or by the spoonful. 

Routine #3: Breakfast
After our green smoothies we eat a healthy breakfast. Our favorite breakfast includes eggs, avocado toast and fermented veggies. We also love a good veggie omelette, oatmeal, or spinach pancakes for breakfast.  Here are some of our favorite easy breakfast recipes:
*Power Oatmeal: On the stovetop cook oats of your choice. With a few minutes left to cook, add healthy fat (coconut oil or grass-fed butter), berries of your choice, nuts or nut butter of your choice, and chia, flax or hemp seeds. Add a few sprinkles of cinnamon and raw honey or maple syrup if desired. 
*Spinach Pancakes: (Rio's favorite!) Beat 2 eggs. Mix in 1 ripe banana (smashed) and  1
handful chopped spinach. Add ground flax and cinnamon if desired. Whisk, and fry in coconut oil.

Routine #4: Lunch
Lunch often depends on what we ate for breakfast.  If we eat oatmeal, we often eat eggs and avocado for lunch. Some days I just steam some broccoli and throw it together with black beans and rice that have already been made. This is super yummy topped with avocado and/or nutritional yeast. One of our favorite lunches is roasted sweet potato with quinoa and avocado. a really easy meal, especially if the quinoa and sweet potato are prepared in advance. Drizzle with olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and salt and pepper. Yummy and healthy. We also really enjoy salad for lunch with avocado, fermented veggies, bell peppers and cucumbers drizzled with olive oil, a squeeze of lemon or vinegar and nutritional yeast.  Black bean pasta with ghee, tomato sauce and vegan parmesan is super easy too. Some days I just saute frozen lima beans with quinoa and spinach.  


Routine #5: Snacks
We love homemade hummus with raw veggies (especially bell peppers and cucumbers). Apples and and nut butter are another favorite. We also really like frozen berries and nuts like raw pecans, walnuts, macadamia nuts and pumpkin seeds. Gogi berries, sugar snap peas, hard boiled eggs, dried seaweed and coconut chips are all fun snacks too. Rio and I each eat an apple everyday and he also loves bananas, mango, strawberries, oranges, and kiwi. Sometimes for a snack I make an acai smoothie with an organic, plant-based protein powder, almond milk, beets, pineapple, banana, frozen coconut, dates and a handful of greens. All these snacks are healthy and satisfying.


Routine #6: Dinner
I meal prep for the week by chopping and roasting veggies, making a pot of beans or lentils and a pot of rice and quinoa. These foods are healthy and can easily be used in numerous dishes.  I try to switch up the vegetables, beans, legumes and grains we eat weekly. Versatile veggies that are on my weekly list are cauliflower, carrots, celery, broccoli, zucchini, spinach, sweet potatoes and onion. We also eat a lot of spaghetti squash and butternut squash.  I love roasting veggies like cauliflower, broccoli and sweet potatoes and having them on hand for dinner recipes.  I usually make a pot of veggie broth each week to use for cooking quinoa, lentils, and beans. I love adding vegan parmesan to veggies or pasta and its super easy to make (1 cup raw cashews, 3-4 tablespoons nutritional yeast,  1 teaspoon turmeric, 1/2-1 teaspoon sea salt. Pulse in blender or food processor until finely ground. This stuff is a game changer and a staple in our house!) Sometimes I just google easy recipes based on the ingredients I have. There are so many amazing resources online-the possibilities are endless! Some of our favorite vegetarian dinners are zucchini tacos, falafel burgers, spaghetti squash and chickpea meatballs, zucchini noodles with red peppers, homemade chipotle bowls, quinoa or brown rice pasta with tomato sauce and vegan parmesan, and black bean & sweet potato burgers. Most of these recipes can be found on my Instagram. I try to keep my recipes as clean and simple as possible.  I love using herbs and spices like basil, cilantro, onion and garlic powder, crushed garlic, cumin, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon and crushed red pepper to help spice up my meals. 


Routine #7: Evening Tea
I really enjoy closing my day with hot tea. I add a couple tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and a couple teaspoons of raw honey. Some evenings I prefer to drink kombucha with a squeeze of lemon.

This seems like a lot, but establishing some routines and habits when it comes to food really makes life easier. Would love to hear feedback about your favorite plant-based meals and healthy habits! 

St. Patrick's Day 2016

We love St. Patrick's Day around here. It's a such a fun holiday, we love all things green, and it's Adam's birthday! It's also my one of my best friend's birthdays, so I'm a big fan of this day. We had a fun morning celebrating daddy and eating green pancakes and drinking shamrock smoothies! I posted a similar version of these pancakes recently on my Instagram but today I'm doing a grain free version.  Easy, clean and Rio loves them!   

 

 Clean Green Cashew Cakes: 

1. Heat about a tablespoon coconut oil  in a skillet. 

2. In food processor or blender mix:

        2 eggs

        1 really ripe banana

        1 cup spinach

        1 handful raw cashews

        A splash of almond milk

      2 dates

        A few sprinkles cinnamon

3. Pour mixture into small circles in pan and cook through. 

        

Prior to our pancakes we drank our daily smoothie. This is a typical smoothie we drink every morning but today we will call it a Shamrock Smoothie!

                                                        Simple Shamrock Smoothie

                                                  Serves 3 (Makes about 32 ounces)

                                                                     Ingredients: 

                                                                 1 cup almond milk

3-5 cups greens of your choice (I used kale and chard and a little parsley

1 large banana

1 cup frozen strawberries

Juice from 1/2 lemon

A little water to get it all moving

Blend and enjoy!

                                    

You could make these recipes for lunch or even dinner for your little leprechauns. Later today I'm going to try to make my own paint and do a fun little craft with Rio. I will add that activity to this post too! Also looking forward to  having a date night with my husband to celebrate his birthday!

                                             

Favorite Activities for 1-2 Year Olds

Rio just turned one and a half! 18 months is a really fun age. He's so curious, determined, and gets excited about everything. Most of the time I just let him explore, create and navigate the way when it comes to playing. He loves being outside and is really good at having fun with just a little space to explore, a ball or even just some rocks. We go to the park and the Botanic Gardens often and he has such a great time just doing his thing. He has quite a few indoor activities he's starting to enjoy as well, so I thought I'd share some of his favorite things of the moment. He has recently become really into puzzles. Amazon has some great chunky wood puzzles and peg puzzles, which help with fine motor skills. 

                                                               

This shape sorter cube is also high on his list of faves. He also really loves books (we go to the library to check out new ones every week or two). I've pictured a few of his favorites. 

    

Rio really love vehicles and anything with wheels, so of course he loves his dump truck. One of his very favorite things to do is playing outside in rocks, sand and water, so I have buckets and shovels for him. Since he loves rocks, I've already started working on concepts like sorting, numbers, opposites, and big to little.  He loves his Fisher Price basketball hoop and golf clubs.

   

Rio really enjoys music and playing his Instruments.  He is starting to show interest in drawing and coloring, so we have a roll of paper and crayons. Bubbles are a great thing to have for playing outside and they are a good way to develop hand eye coordination by having your baby try "catch" them. I also have different types of balls on hand (tennis balls, small basketball, volleyball) to work on gross motor skills like catching and kicking.  It's good to have a variety of activities available at this age because they are so active! I try to set out different things everyday and I keep puzzles, art supplies, and certain books out of his sight and reach so that when I get them out he is more interested. What are some of your baby's favorite activities?

Eat Your Pits!

Super weird title for this post, right?! I'm talking about eating AVOCADO pits. Apparently the lush, green meat inside an avocado isn't the only part of this superfood with health benefits. If you follow me on Instagram, you know how much I love avos. If you know me personally, you know that I absolutely hate wasting food. Since we eat at least two avocados per day in our household, I was so happy to find out that there is a reason save (and consume!) the seeds inside avocados.  

                                         

Avocados are such a perfect food. They are so healthy and versatile. They taste good in smoothies, salads, soups, and dips...and the list goes on as on. You can use them on your skin and hair too!  I've posted about avocado many times on my Instagram page because they are so good for pregnant mamas due to their high amounts of folate, which is said to reduce the risk of birth defects. Folate also promotes brain health (pregger or mommy brain anyone?! It's a thing.) One cup of avocado contains a quarter of your daily recommended intake of folate. Folate is important for the health of your cells, as it prevents cell changes that could lead to cancer. So  everyone should be getting lots of it! Most people already know about the health benefits of avocados, but I just recently discovered the seeds are extremely healthy as well! There are many sites that support this, and according to OneGreen Planet, avocado seeds: 

*have more antioxidants than most fruit and vegetables
*have magnesium and calcium, both which are super important for preggers and breastfeeding mamas
*have polyphenols like green tea
*have more soluble fiber than just about any other food
*may lower cholesterol and helps fight off disease
*may help with inflammation
*helps boost immunity and may prevent bacterial and viral diseases
*contain collagen, which is great for skin, hair and nails

Enough good reasons to give it a try?!! For me, definitely! FYI: Half a seed per day is enough to get the nutrients you need. Since I make smoothies daily (sometimes twice a day!) I figured the easiest way to eat it is to just add it to my smoothies. I saved my avocado seed from breakfast and cut it (easier than you would think), put it into my Blendtec and pulsed until it was chopped finely. 






I took out about half of what was there and saved it for tomorrow's smoothie. Then I added some almond milk, kale, frozen coconut, blueberries, banana, Ground Based Nutrition chocolate protein powder and ice. Blended it all together and it was a tasty and healthy and afternoon pick me up. Rio loved it too! 

                                                

Here are some resources if you want more info about the benefits of avocado seeds. 

http://www.stethnews.com/2543/dont-throw-away-avocados-healthiest-part-its-seed/

http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-food/why-you-should-eat-that-avocado-seed-and-how-to-make-it-tasty/

http://dailysuperfoodlove.com/4448/the-surprising-benefits-of-avocado-seeds/

Grocery List!

I've had lots of people ask me for my grocery list lately. I thought about doing a post like this Instagram but it seemed too long and I didn't think people would really be interested.  I tried to break this up into a couple different lists so it wouldn't be too overwhelming. Obviously I don't buy all the things listed here every week. Generally, the items I buy weekly are greens, veggies, fruit and eggs. I wanted to list all the fresh food, pantry items, and spices that I almost always have in my kitchen.  One of my favorite past times is hitting up farmers market's and grocery stores, so you can find me here (my favorite Farmer's Market) and here pretty much every Sunday. Sometimes here on a random weekday if I need more veggies or fruit. My husband handles Rio on Sundays while I have a wild day of yoga and hitting up my markets. Am I a total weirdo that I would rather go to Whole Foods than the mall?!  Anyway, I keep a list of these item in the notes section of my phone so I always have it with me. I created the list with check marks next to each item.  When I run out of something, I erase the checkmark so when I'm at the store I can quickly glance to see which items I need. This is just my method to stay organized. 
                                                

Here are things I always prefer to buy locally at my Farmer's Market: Try to always buy the best eggs you can find (free range is most important in my opinion!)
*Eggs
*Greens  (Spinach, Chard, Kale, Collard greens) (Depending on what/how much have in my garden)
*Herbs (Parsley, Basil, again depending on my garden)
*Bone Broth (organic chicken)
*Avocados
*In season veggies (squash, carrots, broccoli, mushrooms, onions, are staples)
*Ghee
*Happy Pantry kombucha and fermented veggies (making my own these days but that's a whole other post!)
*Grass-fed cheese (only every so often)

Pantry-Here is what I always have in my pantry. I usually buy beans, oats, and lentils in bulk at Whole Foods Market and get my oils at Costco. Coconut, avocado, and grapeseed oils are my favorites to cook with. I also use olive oil in a lot in things I'm not heating. Pasta (lentil and brown rice), marinara sauce, black beans, northern white beans, garbanzo beans, lentils, Wild Planet canned salmon and tuna, organic canned pumpkin, organic rice, apple cider vinegar, raw honey, tea, steel cut oats, nutritional yeast, spices, coconut flour, coconut sugar, chocolate chips, Qia oatmeal. 

Refrigerator-I always have apples, pears, greens, eggs, cucumber, carrots, broccoli, mushrooms, fermented veggies, dates, ground flaxseed, chia seeds, hemp hearts, mustard, grass-fed butter, and homemade nut milk and nut butter (I love making my own walnut and almond butter!)
                                    

Freezer-cooked garbanzo beans (easy to thaw and make a quick meal or hummus), lentil soup, bread, broccoli, peas, asparagus, Lima beans, quinoa, frozen strawberries, blueberries, pitaya or acai packets, Dr. Praegers super greens burgers, nuts (store in freezer so they don't go rancid!-almonds, walnuts, cashews, Brazil nuts.

Fruit basket-tons of avocados, bananas, lemons, oranges, and sometimes tomatoes

Veggie basket-Spaghetti Squash, sweet potatoes, garlic, ginger, turmeric
                                    
Herbs- parsley, basil, cilantro

Snacks- organic dark chocolate, popcorn, goat cheese, crackers (these and these), hummus (homemade! recipe on Instagram)

I hope this gives you some ideas! Follow my Instagram @thepreggerspantry and Snapchat @preggerspantry for recipe ideas. Would love to hear your feedback and some of your kitchen essentials!