The Nutritionist Reviews

July 31, 2017

10 Fun Things to Do Before Summer is Over

This summer is the best summer ever! Troy and I are both home from work (story for a later date) and we are enjoying every single day doing fun things as a family. It feels like we are living a dream! Each year, I make a summer "bucket list" which is a great way to make sure you do fun summer things and don't let the summer get away from you too quickly. Here are some of the super fun things that we have done or are going to do before the summer is over: 1. Visit all the lakes Lookup lakes in your area to learn about the best ones to visit. Michigan is full of amazing lakes and we have probably been to about 7-10 lakes this summer already and can't wait to visit more. We love swimming, walking on the beach, playing on the playground, packing a picnic and more. 2. Go fruit picking  One of the things that makes me the happiest is going to pick fruit. We have picked blueberries and strawberries so far this year. Just search for u-pick in your a

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July 29, 2017

The Best Products of 2017 Part 20 + Giveaway

1. Bolthouse Farms Organic Dressings You all know that I love my Bolthouse Farms dressings so much so when I saw that they were coming out with new ones: a brand new organic line, I was super excited to try them. My favorite is the Caesar vinaigrette which is so flavorful and great on a light arugula salad. These are much lighter than typical dressings and this brand is one of the only store-bought dressings I like. The avocado ranch is awesome as well. My daughter is completely obsessed with the blue cheese dressing and asks for it all the time. These dressings taste fresh and delicious. I can't wait to find this new line in stores! **Keep reading for a One Potato Two Potato Chip giveaway!

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July 28, 2017

The Best Products of 2017 Part 19

1. Martha and Marley Spoon Martha and Marley Spoon is a meal service that sends you all of the ingredients that you need to make a delicious dinner. I had a slight customer service issue with the quality of food I received because of the heat and the company fixed it right away- just want to note the good customer service. I chose a couple of the meals noted as favorites on the Martha and Marley Spoon site and am so, so happy with my choices. We had the caramel chicken listed above which was delicious. The homemade sauce tasted like really good takeout! My husband was a huge fan.

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July 27, 2017

Fresh Food at Moe's Southwest Grill

We recently got to try Moe's Southwest Grill and I wanted to share some of Moe's healthy options and what to order for a Moe's healthy order. Troy and I love to go out to eat at what we call "in-between restaurants". Not quite fast food but not quite sit-down meals either. The kind where you order at the counter and can choose options for your meal. They seem to be a little nicer quality than completely fast-food but are still affordable and you get your food pretty quickly (which is important with young kids).

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July 26, 2017

5 Easy and Stylish Work Outfits

If I were to decide what I was going to wear to work each morning, I would waste so much time standing there staring blankly in my closet. What I do each week that helps me so much is set out my clothes for the upcoming week on the weekend. It is so much quicker to do it when my brain is fresh than first thing in the morning before work when I have a bunch of other things on my mind such as getting the kids out the door, not forgetting my lunch, taking care of the dogs, etc. When it comes to work, I dress business casual. Some days I dress up more such as wearing a dress and some days, like Friday, I get to wear jeans. I can also wear scrubs which is fun and makes getting dressed in the morning simple.

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July 25, 2017

Pineapple Salsa Chicken Salad

Pineapple Salsa Chicken Salad is loaded with homemade fresh pineapple salsa, grilled corn, peppers and onions, chicken and topped with a garlic lime vinaigrette! Making crazy salads is one of my very favorite things to make. I love switching things up with a big variety of toppings and different flavors. My mom is the queen of huge salads for meals and that is where I think I get my love of big salads from. Luckily, my husband shares the same love of big salads that I have so making dinner at my house is easy. Adalyn also loves salads so much. We are a salad loving household!

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July 24, 2017

Strawberry Cheesecake Overnight Oats

Strawberry Cheesecake Overnight Oats taste like your favorite dessert but are healthy with oats, Greek yogurt and strawberries! Loaded with swirls of cream cheese and graham crackers that true cheesecake flavor. It took me a long time to get on the overnight oatmeal train. I loved my oats hot so I saw no need to try them cold. When I finally tried them for the first time. I couldn't believe that I waited so long to make overnight oats because they were so delicious! I have made a few different versions of overnight oats and they are all so good. You can't go wrong with trying all different flavors.

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July 21, 2017

The Best Products of 2017 Part 18

1. Cruzee Balance Bike I have been excited to get Adalyn riding a bike for awhile now. She is almost three and we just got her one with training wheels and she is not quite there yet- I thought she may be able to use it but pedaling is too much for her at this point. When Cruzee offered to send me a bike, I wasn't sure because we had just gotten her bike with training wheels. They convinced me to have her give it a try with their confidence about their product.

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July 20, 2017

The Best Products of 2017 Part 17 + Giveaway

1. Melissa's Produce I love working with Melissa's Produce because they have such unique kinds of produce. I was sent some lychees, finger limes and dragonfruit to sample. Adalyn and I are the biggest fruit fans and had so much fun trying these. I love the finger limes because they taste like little limes and have little balls- kind of like caviar. How fun! **Keep reading for a giveaway for the Melissa's 50 Best Plants on the Planet Cookbook + Dave's Gourmet Overnight Oats!

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July 19, 2017

Breakfast Salad with Warm Maple Vinaigrette

Breakfast Salad with Warm Maple Vinaigrette is a unique salad with baby spinach, roasted sweet potatoes, chopped sweet apples, crumbled bacon, creamy avocado and runny eggs! Salad for breakfast? You must think I'm crazy! If you are one of those people who cannot stand the idea of vegetables for breakfast, don't worry! You can easily eat this salad for lunch or dinner as well. It would be fun to serve at a weekend brunch as an alternative to traditional breakfast dishes.

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July 18, 2017

Chicken Fajita Meal Prep Bowls

Chicken Fajita Meal Prep Bowls make the perfect quick lunch or dinner with flavorful grilled chicken and peppers, brown rice, black beans, salsa and limes! I am a big fan of meal prepping when life is busy. Especially when it is with food that I truly love and am excited about eating. For this recipe, I purchased all of my ingredients at Walmart. I love Mexican-style food so much and recently got the idea to make chicken fajita meal prep bowls for easy meals through the week for when I went back to work after my maternity leave. When I am short on time especially, I do not want to spend a lot of time cooking. I want to spend time with what matters the most to me: my family! That is why this meal is perfect. It is ready in just 20 minutes and is perfect for leftovers and meal prep.

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July 17, 2017

Peanut Butter and Jelly Banana Ice Cream

Peanut Butter and Jelly Banana Ice Cream is rich and creamy tasting with only 4 healthy ingredients and only takes 5 minutes to make!  Uh oh! Here I go again with the peanut butter and jelly flavors! I'm a little obsessed with anything PB + J ( Peanut Butter and Jelly Baked Oatmeal , Peanut Butter and Jelly Protein Fudge , Peanut Butter and Jelly Overnight Oats ). I haven't make PB + J ice cream until now and it was time that I made some. I love making banana based ice creams because they are so creamy and delicious but actually very healthy. If you have not at least tried banana ice cream or "nice cream" as people call it, you are missing out. I was first introduced to banana ice cream in about 2008 when I was in school to become a dietitian. We made it in one of my cooking classes and I fell in love even asking my mom to make it for my birthday dessert that year. I remember that it had just two ingredients: frozen bananas and maple syrup. It is one of my favor

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July 14, 2017

The Best Products of 2017 Part 16 + Giveaway

1. CanvasPop I love canvases and when I got Oliver's newborn pictures in, I knew that I wanted to get some canvases printed with the amazing images. I got some canvases printed from CanvasPop and am very happy with the results. The images are very clear and I chose to get them in black and white which looks awesome. In the picture above, Adalyn is on the left/middle and Oliver is on the right. **Keep reading for a CanvasPop giveaway!

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July 13, 2017

What to Do, Where to Stay, What to Eat in the Grand Rapids Area

Tips for the best places in the Grand Rapids area to eat, stay and play! I recently had the chance to visit the Grand Rapids area like we did in the fall. We were invited to check out the renovations that the Residence Inn Grand Rapids West completed since our last stay there and decided to make a family trip around it. Troy's dad and step-mom joined us and it was Oliver's first vacation staying in a hotel. We had the most wonderful trip and I cannot wait to return again. We visited Grand Rapids, Comstock Park, Grandville, Fennville and Saugatuck during our trip which are all within ~45 minutes of Grand Rapids. We stayed in Grandville and went out for most of the day and had some rests during the day for Adalyn.

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July 12, 2017

Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream

Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream  has only 6 ingredients and is a lighter choice that the whole family will love and is made with a secret ingredient- chickpeas! Say what?!? Healthy chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream? Yep! After lots of people telling me that they love my Healthy Cookie Dough Dip , I knew that I had to do more with this flavor combination. This time, I am throwing it into a healthy Greek yogurt based ice cream. I personally love chocolate chip cookies dough ice cream and love making my own homemade healthier ice creams and this one is perfect!

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July 11, 2017

Oliver Richard: 3 Month Update

This month, our biggest change is lots of smiles which is the best! Also, I quit my job and am going to be blogging full-time and staying home with the kids. I am thrilled. Such a fun summer for us with Troy home and me home for the first time as well.

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July 10, 2017

Cajun Shrimp Boil Foil Packets

Cajun Shrimp Boil Foil Packets take just 20 minutes to make and are full of cajun flavor with shrimp, smoked sausage, corn and potatoes! They are made on the grill in an aluminum foil packet for a quick meal. Foil packets have been one of my favorite things to make on the grill for years. They are so easy and when you throw dinner in an aluminum foil packet, dinner can be ready in 15-20 minutes. One of our favorite things to make in a foil packet are vegetables. We chop up whatever vegetables we have on hand, through some spices on them and make a homemade sauce. It is comparable to roasting vegetables but this way, you don't have to heat up your house on a hot day!

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July 07, 2017

Cinnamon Roll Waffles

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #LeggoMyEggo #HearTheNews #CollectiveBias Cinnamon Roll Waffles take 5 minutes to make and are loaded with sweet cinnamon Greek yogurt and topped with fresh fruit for an easy breakfast!   Now that I am home with the kids and Troy is home for the summer, we get to eat breakfast together every day. It is amazing! When I was working, I was fine eating oatmeal 4 days per week but now that I am home and it is the summer, that just doesn't appeal to me. I have been wanting to switch things up and often ask Adalyn what she wants for breakfast and make whatever she asks for. She is a spoiled girl! We do have similar tastes in food though so it works out pretty well.

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July 06, 2017

How to Get Your Baby to Sleep Better

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. # HappierFirstMoments #ForBetterBeginnings  #CollectiveBias Sleep is probably the number one topic that parents with babies talk about. When you are not getting enough sleep, all you want to do is figure out a way to sleep better. I am by no means an expert on infant sleep but I am a mom of two kids and have learned some helpful things along the way.

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July 05, 2017

5 Breakfast Ideas for Type 2 Diabetics

You’ve heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, right? Well, that is also true for diabetics. Eating a balanced amount of carbohydrates through the day is important for maintaining a healthy blood sugar. It is important to focus on a mix of carbohydrates, protein and fats for a balanced meal that will help you to feel your best. Diabetics can eat all foods- they just have to pay attention to how much of a food that they are eating and when they are eating it. For example, it would not be a great choice for a diabetic to only have fruit for breakfast because they need a mix of nutrients, not just carbohydrates.  Here are 5 breakfast ideas for diabetics .

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July 05, 2017

Marinated Grilled Chicken and Vegetable Wraps

Marinated Grilled Chicken and Vegetable Wraps feature marinated balsamic chicken and vegetables, hummus and pepper jack cheese in a wrap using leftover chicken and vegetables for lunch in 5 minutes! This post was sponsored by Sargento as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own. We have been using the grill so much this summer! At least twice a week, the grill is fired up and cooking us up something super delicious. I can't get enough of it. My favorite thing to make is anything with grilled veggies. Any type of vegetable that you can grill, we have been grilling it. Peppers, onions, carrots, potatoes, zucchini, eggplant, green beans, asparagus, etc. etc. I love it!

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July 03, 2017

Summer Memories at the Farm

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SnackSnapShare #SnackStories #CollectiveBias In 7+ years of blogging, my favorite thing to write about is personal things that I have been through, memories, experiences, feelings and more. It helps me to reach deep and think about things that are important to me. Today, I want to share some of my summer memories at the farm. My parent's purchased a farm when I was in third grade that has been such a huge part of my life. Growing up, we went there every single weekend and took about 5 week long trips there through the year.  Though there are other farms of course, it is always known as "the farm" to me. Most of my life, I have loved the farm. When I was in middle school and high school, it was hard at times missing events with friends due to going to the farm but now, I am thankful for the those times spent with family and making memories that would last a

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