Wellness Mama®
Simple Answers for Healthier Families
When you’re trying to eat a healthier diet, variety is key. One of my favorite ways to serve a wide range of colorful fruits and veggies (and healthy proteins) is in a salad! Now that the garden is back in action, we’re back to a favorite and easy way to do this: a homemade mason jar …
One of my favorite things about spring is the fresh lettuce at the farmers markets and the return of the amazing flavors of fresh vegetables and herbs. When spring finally arrives we are all excited for radishes, peas, fresh strawberries, and greens. These spring salad recipes are the perfect way to really showcase spring produce and …
I have a bit of a love affair with salad dressings, and Italian dressing is no exception. In fact before my switch to healthier foods, ranch was about all that got me to eat raw broccoli. Thankfully my journey to real food brought me to love all kinds of salads even without a lot of dressing. …
Salad dressings are also the only way some parents ever succeed in getting kids to eat vegetables. They certainly have their place, but the store bought ones are loaded with omega-6 oils and preservatives. Healthy salad dressings, on the other hand, can be a great way to get a good serving of healthy fats in. …
During the hot days of summer a cool, fresh salad hits the spot. It’s the perfect time for it too since the gardens and farmer’s markets are bursting with produce. We don’t do a lot of bread around here, so I wanted to recreate the classic BLT flavors in veggie-packed salad form. Salad greens topped with …
I love the time of year when gardens are starting to produce and farmer’s markets have fresh greens for salads. Big salads are my go-to lunch and often my go-to dinner with a glass of kombucha or iced herbal tea on the side. And guess what… adding berries is a sure way to get my kids excited …
One flavor that many people miss when they drop unhealthy vegetable oils is creamy, tangy ranch dressing. I know I did. I still love the taste of ranch but cringe to remember how I would put ranch dressing on almost every school lunch in high school… adding vegetable oils and processed soy to more vegetable oils and …
I love salads, and my apple and walnut tuna salad is one of my favorites! Tuna Salad Tip I like making this ahead of time and storing it in the bottom of a quart size mason jar. Then, I fill the jar with lettuce or spinach and cap tightly. When stored in the fridge, this will last …
You guys know I love my salad, and one of my favorite salad dressing recipes is a copycat of the ginger dressing at a local Japanese restaurant we love. They make a version of this Asian color burst salad, which tastes as beautiful as it looks! I had to try making the recipe on my own. …
Caesar dressing and I have a history. Back in my days of not liking salads (I know, I know), I thought I didn’t like strongly flavored dressings like Caesar when really, I had just never given them a chance. Fast forward a few years. I was served a Caesar salad at a meeting at a nice …
Variety is the spice of life they say, and I’m the first to admit salads can get boring! When I start to feel this way I know it’s time to make this chicken fiesta salad. Crunchy colorful peppers, creamy guacamole, and zesty homemade salsa (if it’s the season!) make this one of my favorite meals. …
I recently posted a simple recipe for making roasted garlic. It is amazing! I just can’t get enough. I probably give off a garlicky enough aura to protect my whole household from vampires. Anyway, I promised in that post to share my recipe for roasted garlic salad dressing… and here it is! Garlic: The New Kitchen …
Today I have the honor of interviewing one of my original mentors on my own journey to wellness. Mark Sisson is the founder of MarksDailyApple.com, a mainstay of the paleo community, and the author of The Primal Blueprint and now The Keto Reset Diet. Mark’s ideas shaped my decision to learn to eat mindfully, ditch the …
If you enjoy steak (who doesn’t?) and peppers (hopefully you do!), then this light seasonal steak and sweet pepper salad is for you. It takes only seconds to make with leftover steak and can be easily packed for an on-the-go lunch. If your kids aren’t big on salad, just serve them the ingredients individually and …
We don’t go out to eat often, but when we do, I love Japanese food. It’s relatively easy to find wheat-free dishes, and the salads and stir fry dishes are wonderful! There is even a local restaurant that cooks in coconut oil! One of my favorite things at our local Japanese restaurant is their ginger salad dressing …
A light and fruity chicken salad that can be made on the go, this salad is a reminder of summer, even when there is snow on the ground. I often make a salad like this for lunch at least a few times a week. A bed of leafy greens topped with citrus chicken, cucumber, apple, …
When summer is finally in full swing and cucumbers are growing, this cucumber salad is a great simple “salad.” Also, if you already grow dill with your cucumbers to help control garden pests, you’ll have two of the ingredients right in your backyard! All you need is cucumber, red onion, and a few kitchen staples you’re sure to …
Once upon a time in Belgium, my boyfriend (now husband) and I went on a date to an amazing Greek restaurant. It was shortly after we met while walking across the country and it was our second official date. He first asked me out on the bridge going into Washington D.C. after we had walked 3,200 …
I present to you my favorite salad ever! While our garden is (somehow) still producing strawberries, I’ve been eating this salad as much as I can! I’ve even eaten this for breakfast with eggs on the side. Sometimes, I add grilled chicken and it is an entire meal. Strawberry Feta Salad Recipe This strawberry and …
Entree salads are one of my favorite things to serve for dinner. I can usually serve all the components of the meal in one dish with only a small amount of cooking. (The leftovers are fantastic for lunch the next day… always a bonus!) A classic French Nicoise salad has a lot of elements that require …
I love oregano for its medicinal qualities as well as its amazing flavor. So whenever I can use it in a recipe, I’m happy to. This Greek salad is a simple way to use oregano and other Greek flavors in a tasty dish that satisfies the whole family. We love making this when the tomatoes and cucumbers …
Everyone knows that kale is nutritious, but it can be a little hard to swallow sometimes. Prepare it right though, and kale is a nutritious and delicious dish! This shaved apple and kale salad recipe has crisp yet tender kale and a sweet and tangy taste that appeals even to young taste buds. My kids are …
I love spinach artichoke dip at restaurants. However, like many other restaurant favorites, I’m not too crazy about some of the ingredients used (like corn chips made with vegetable oils). Luckily, one of my favorite hobbies is to figure out how to make these recipes at home using ingredients that are more wholesome. I love my …
I am here today with a dear friend and one of my mentors, Mark Sisson, who is the New York Times bestselling author of the Keto Reset Diet. He is now also the bestselling author of the Keto Reset Instant Pot Cookbook which is full of delicious recipes that are 100% tailored to a ketogenic …
