One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well -Virginia Woolf

As children head back to school at the end of this month, parents across the country will again be packing lunches Monday through Friday, intentionally including foods that create well-balanced meals. As I remember my days of packing sack lunches, I can’t help but think– do we take the same care to eat balanced and nutritious meals as adults? Or do we only make the effort with our children?

iGnite leader and nutrition guru Molly McCauley gives us three simple rules for putting together balanced, nutritious and satisfying meals in adulthood.

1. At every meal and snack, always combine a carbohydrate with a protein
A few ideas:

• Apple (carbohydrate) + natural peanut butter or almond butter (protein)
• Carrots or any vegetable (carbohydrate) + hummus (protein)
• Crackers (carbohydrate) + low fat cheese (protein)
• Corn tortilla (carbohydrate) + eggs (protein)

2. Eat something every 3 to 3.5 hours — even if it is small
On-the-go all the time? Choose something light and easy such as a mix of dried fruit and nuts.

3. Aim high on your servings of fruits and vegetables
A great way to meet the recommended 9-13 servings per day is to make a smoothie with lots of fruits and vegetables
Not sure what entails a serving?

• 1 fruit serving = 1 small apple, 3/4 cup blueberries or 1 & 1/4 cup whole strawberries.
• 1 vegetable serving = 1/2 cup cooked vegetables or 1 cup raw vegetables.

My favorite smoothie? Frozen blueberries, frozen strawberries, a scoop of peanut butter and almond milk. Add anything else that you want- get creative! Click here for some of our other favorite smoothie recipes! 

Come meet Molly at a cross training or cardio class throughout the week: click here to find a class that works for you! 

JOIN THE DISCUSSION AND TELL US YOUR FAVORITE SMOOTHIE INGREDIENTS!

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• A Tasty & Cool Green Smoothie
• The Perfect Springtime Smoothie