Healthy Tips

5 Breakfast Ideas for Under $5 that Won’t Derail Your Morning

October 23, 2019October 23, 2019 by Garrick Brown

Getting out the door on time can be challenging for families. One blip in the typical, hectic routine can derail an entire morning, leaving everyone frustrated and late. Skipping breakfast is not the solution, in terms of health, when time is tight. The benefits of eating a nourishing breakfast are worth the effort. Notably, people who regularly eat a healthy breakfast tend to perform better at work and school. And if the meal is made at home, it can have a positive effect not only on your overall health, but also your budget. These breakfast ideas won’t break the bank and will keep your family full, satisfied, and ready to tackle the demands of the day.

One-Pot Meals

October 2, 2019September 25, 2019 by Garrick Brown

If you’ve read one of my blogs before you’re most likely aware of my affinity for one-pot meals. For me, it all comes down to convenience. These recipes usually have more streamlined prep and fewer dishes to wash at the end. On busy weeknights, that’s a win-win. Cooking this way doesn’t have to be at the expense of flavor and nutrition either. Follow these tips to make sure that your one-pot meals are not only tasty, but also nourishing.

Five Meals for a Family of Four for $10

September 25, 2019September 25, 2019 by Garrick Brown

Meal planning and cooking at home are a few effective strategies for eating better on a budget. I encourage people to look at what they have in their pantry already and what is on sale at their supermarket to guide their meal planning. By following these tips, you can purchase less food at the store and save money. You will waste less food and the ingredients you do buy will be at a good price. I like the challenge of piecing together a meal this way with what I have on hand plus a few common grocery list items. It’s like Top Chef on a budget.

Timesaving Swaps for Weeknight Dinners

September 18, 2019September 23, 2019 by Garrick Brown

Skillet Gnocchi with Chard and White Beans

Health experts tout the health and social benefits of eating a meal together as a family, but parents cite too little time as a barrier to making this happen. On weeknights, families may have even less time to cook a meal due to busy schedules. Here are a few of my favorite timesaving swaps to help families spend less time cooking and more time around the dinner table.

Packed Lunches for All Ages

August 15, 2019 by Garrick Brown

As summer fades and we enter back to school season I want to share some tips for packing lunch for the entire family.

Top 5 Nutritional Pitfalls for New Vegans

July 31, 2019August 28, 2019 by Garrick Brown

For the typical omnivore, switching to a vegan diet which excludes meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and dairy is a drastic lifestyle change. Without a foundational understanding of nutrition and key considerations for vegan eating, it’s easy to feel like your whole life just turned upside down. I’ve pulled together five common nutritional pitfalls for new vegans along with strategies to address them here.

Squash the Beef: Plant-Based Diets and the Environment

July 30, 2019July 29, 2019 by Garrick Brown

At Guiding Stars, we often talk about how the foods we eat impact our health. But what about our diet’s impact on the environment? The science is clear that plant-based diets are more environmentally sustainable than diets laden with animal products, but is that connection understood and valued by consumers enough to eat less meat?

Navigating the Transition to a Plant-Based Diet

July 23, 2019July 29, 2019 by Elizabeth Caton

Several of the members of our team here at Guiding Stars, Joyce, Anissa, Karen, and Hilary, have either been vegan for years or are in the process of transitioning to a vegan diet. We’ve talked together about some of the challenges of the process, as well as tips and tricks for working through them and some of our favorite resources for learning vegan cooking.