Pesto Chicken & yummy fresh leftovers

Don't you love when you can have leftovers and not have to worry about making another meal for the next day? It's the BEST!

Here is a yummy Pesto Chicken recipe. I didn't have sliced tomatoes to add to mine, but did add yummy cherry tomatoes to my side salad!

http://www.skinnytaste.com/skinny-chicken-pesto-bake/

Here is some leftover of the chicken I put in a container and placed in the fridge for the next day. 

I diced it up and through it on my salad for a quick lunch!!

It was delicious!

ENJOY

and

Thanks for checking in,

Melissa

Healthy Chicken Parmesan

I did a fun video of me preparing this yummy and easy meal.

You should try it! It's good stuff and the kids loved it too!

Here are the measurements for the ingredients.

1. 1 pound chicken breasts
2. 2 eggs
3. 1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
4. 10 T Parmesan cheese, shredded and divided
5. 1/4 tsp garlic powder or McCormicks garlic & herb salt free seasoning
6. 1/8 tsp black pepper
7. 24 oz jar marinara sauce

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until juices run clear. Top with 2 T. shredded parmesan. 

Thanks for checking in,

Melissa

How to Save Money on healthy food

One of the biggest excuses I hear is,

Eating Healthy is expensive!

Well I have a couple of tips for you today over at 

Shambray's Blog

Click on this picture to get you to my post!

I hope you enjoy my tips!

Thanks for checking in,

Melissa

Getting started on a workout program

It is hard to get going on your health & fitness when it has been awhile,

heck- even a couple of days missed makes it harder to get motivated.

When you are at the bottom of a HUGE mountain, and you don't know how you are going to climb it by yourself, how do you get yourself to get started? Well- just start walking - RIGHT?

What to do? Where to start? How to begin? These might be questions you are asking yourself.

I wanted to share with you 3 tips on how to get started on a workout program

so you are active most days of the week:

Tip #1

Decide Why it is important for you to get in exercise and then Set your Schedule.

Know what time and what exercise you will be doing. And don't let any excuse stop you.
Remember YOU are important.

Tip #2

Get everything ready the night before. Set out your workout clothes, have your water bottle ready and tell yourself positive thoughts

Tip #3

Be patient with yourself
Know that you aren't going to be perfect, know that you might fail one day, or you might not have the energy- but tell yourself that you are going to get in your workout and Nothing is going to stop you!

I hope these tips helped you!

Thanks for checking in,

Melissa

Healthy Ranch Dip

I love simple recipes. And I especially love simple recipes that taste good! 

This recipe I am going to share with you today

is a healthy way to dip your VEGGIES!

Yeah!

Alright! I am sharing this recipe and an awesome different way to 

use it! Head on over to my good friend

Shambray's blog

click here

So excited for you to try it!

Thanks for checking in,

Melissa

Healthy Meal Plans for Busy Moms

I have been creating easy, simple Healthy Meal plans for Busy Families

for 9 months now! This is where my journey began.  It has been a way for me to stay accountable for my own weekly meal planning. It is a great way for any Busy Mom's to use the shopping list, get to the store and come home and prep the meal so you are ready for a busy week.

It has also been a way for me to help my Challengers to get started on their own journey and use my weekly meal plan or recipe/snack ideas from it.

My meal plan is based off of the 21 day fix meal program from Beachbody.
I believe this meal program is such a good tool to getting in the right nutrients that your body needs.

I focus my daily meals on getting in your veggies, protein, healthy grains, fruit, and healthy fats.

I am all about simple recipes, that taste good that the kids will like.

As Busy Moms- we need to have something ready to go during the week so that we can feed our kids fast when they get hungry. And also healthy meals & snacks that are going to keep them from not munching all day long. And ourselves for that matter!

I give my challengers my meal plan for free.

But if you would like to try my meal plan for free you can sign up at my website to get one free healthy meal plan, see how you like it. And if you want to continue, contact me whether you want to continue to get it free or pay monthly for it.

Here is my website to get a week emailed to you first to see how you like it.
http://www.onthegohealthymoms.com

I provide a shopping list, an area of what needs to be prepped before the week starts, and during the middle of the week too!  I also provide healthy meal ideas with the recipe. And easy snack ideas!
I pick ingredients that are on sale so you aren't spending a fortune each week.

click HERE for more details about my meal plans

Let me know how you like it!

Thanks for checking in,

Melissa

Setting a Goal & Keeping with it

My post 2 weeks ago about 

How to stay motivated with your Health & Fitness

gives you ideas on keeping with a goal. 

It's not just going through the motions that will get you there. Hiccups happen, families need attending to. But if you have a dream of what you want, then you need to know how you are going to get there!

I am guest posting over today at Shambray Blog

on how to Set a Goal and how to Keep with it!



click on the image to get the 4 tips!

I give you 4 tips that will help you to set a BIG goal- something you have been thinking about for some time, and How to stick with it!

Head on over to learn what you can do to get to where you want to be!

Thanks for checking in!

Melissa

21 Day Fix Approved Chicken Kebabs

I love easy, quick meals that the whole family will eat. 

Especially my picky eater of a daughter.

Isn't it nice to grill out? Less mess in the kitchen. You can eat outside where it is so beautiful.

And another perk is my husband does the grilling. 

The 21 day fix meal program helps you to keep track of your portions sizes

with their containers! It's simple to follow and so many say how they don't feel deprived.

I love this program! My healthy meal plans are tailored to this program. 

And it is still on sale for 2 more days!

Alright now for the recipe!

For the kebabs:

2 large boneless chicken breasts, diced

1/2 cup of green, yellow bell peppers (my favorite!)

1/2 cup onion- chopped in large pieces

3/4 cup pineapple, chopped in large chunks

For the Marinade:

1/4 cup pineapple chunks (or if using canned pineapple you can use juice)

2 T. Coconut oil

2 tsp. honey

1 tsp. sesame oil

juice of 1 big lemon

1 clove of garlic

2 tsp. apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup water, more as needed

1. Blend all the marinade ingredients in a blender.

2. Thread the kebab ingredients, alternating between chicken, pineapple, veggies- leaving some room for chicken to cook on the ends.

3. Brush marinate over the kebabs and sit for 10-15 minutes, or longer.

4. Grill over medium heat until chicken is cooked through.

Serve with rice, quinoa or veggies.

21 day fix CONTAINERS- 1 RED, 1/2 GREEN, 1/2 PURPLE, 1 ORANGE

ENJOY!

Thanks for checking in,

Melissa

{Health & Fitness} Inspiration Board

I put together this Inspiration Board to give others out there an idea of someplace they can go to

to feel inspired and to be reminded of their dreams and their reasons WHY they chose to begin their Health & Fitness journey.

I am a very visual person, so sometimes I need to be reminded by something visual. 

I picked up this cardboard at Walmart for $2,

For the title you can put anything, you can put one inspirational word, a phrase, Your name.

 and started cutting through some old fitness magazine and other magazines I had laying around the house. I cut out anything that inspired me.  I also wrote down on a scratch piece of paper my vision of where I wanted to be in the future according to my goals and dreams.

You could have the focus of your Inspiration Board be on

• Weigh loss journey- posting "before" picture and having a spot for your "after"
•  Make sure to take a side and back shot- flex your arm muscle too!
  

  

  Type up a quote, My Goals/Dreams, My Journey

  
• make a spot where you can put in your Goal weight and each week/month your progress
  
  
•  Add your cut out inspiration pictures that will inspire you! Lastly, make sure you write your Goals and steps on how you will reach them. Be specific.

 

Your board can even be for a Fitness competition- if you are going to compete. It can also be for Family dreams & where you want to see you & your family health wise & being active.

So to get started, start with a long-term goal and where you see yourself 1-5 or more years down the road. What does your life look like. What do you want to have accomplished.

Then break it down and ask yourself, what do I need to do to get there.

Look through magazines, print off pictures/words, start compiling lots of papers, quotes that inspire you, put pictures of the things the motivate you- like your family, hobbies you like to do, places you want to go, a past picture of you at a healthy weight, and then start creating your inspiration board.

Here is my finished product:

I would love to see yours!

Thanks for checking in,

Melissa

Eating Healthy on a Budget

I am Guest posting today over at Shambray's BLOG about how

Eating Healthy doesn't have to be expensive.

I feed a family of 5 for $100/week, sometimes less- and yes this includes everything- even non-food items- EVEN diapers!

Click on the picture to learn some tips on how I do this:

You will be surprised at what you can save money on. I am excited for you to try some of these tips!

Thanks for checking in,

Melissa

{Recipe} Chicken & Rice

This is a common meal we have at our house.

My husband makes it the majority of the time.

It's simple, only 4 steps, and best of all you can use it a couple of different ways.

And best BEST of all, our kids LOVE it!

And we never get sick of it.

Ingredients:

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut up in cubes

Olive oil

Favorite seasonings- we use Cajun and Montreal chicken (store bought)

but you can totally make your own

Coconut oil

2-3 cups cooked Brown rice

Favorite veggies

Step 1

Season the diced up chicken with a little bit of olive oil and your seasoning and stir together in a bowl.

Step 2

Cook the chicken in a pan with a little bit of coconut oil on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until cooked through.

Step 3

Serve chicken with a side of brown rice and favorite cooked veggie.

Or you can add the chicken and rice to a Romaine lettuce leaf with a bunch of other favorite cooked veggies on top.

One more idea is in a Whole wheat tortilla wrap. Wrapped with shredded cheese and lettuce.

Step 4

ENJOY!

Thanks for checking in,

Melissa

Must have foods in my Fridge

There are certain foods that if not in my Fridge, well then my family and I starve!

Just kidding! I've got my freezer, pantry and food storage to eat from.

But my Fridge is my go-to, otherwise I eat to many carbs/starches

if I don't have my Fridge stocked.

Here are my Must Have foods in my Fridge.

Milk/Almond Milk

Fruit (lasts longer if in the fridge or freezer)

Veggies/Romaine/Spinach

Whole Wheat Bread or Sandwich Thins

Natural Jelly 

Plain Yogurt- use to cook with in place of sour cream

Greek Yogurt

Yogurt based dressing

Eggs

Turkey Bacon

Cheese- block or *shredded

Feta Cheese

String Cheese

Cottage Cheese

*Whole Wheat Tortillas

Deli Meat (low sodium)

*Cooked diced and shredded chicken- ready to be added to any meal

*Cooked ground turkey

Cooked brown rice

What are your Must Have's in your fridge?
*Some food can be stored in your freezer, just pull them out to thaw

Thanks for checking in,

Melissa

Mexican Rice Variety Dish

I love a dish that can be used for a variety of meals! How about you?!

I make this dish and sometimes even double it for my family and we have it a variety of different ways. Here is how to make the Mexican Rice Dish:

Mexican Rice Bowl

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked Ground beef or Turkey (or even diced cooked chicken)

1 cup cooked red or black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup cooked long-grain brown rice

1/2 cup frozen whole kernel corn, thawed

1 medium tomato, diced (or red bell pepper)

1 small zucchini, diced

2 tbsp onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

Splash of Siracha Sauce (optional)

1/8 tsp ground chile powder

1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves, chopped

1 tsp olive oil

1/8 tsp sea salt

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

Olive oil cooking spray

Directions:
 In a large bowl, mix cooked ground turkey, cooked beans & cooked rice, corn, and tomatoes. Cook the zucchini, onion and garlic (and red bell pepper if doing instead of tomato) and cook in olive oil for a little bit to make tender. Add a splash of siracha sauce, chile powder, cilantro, oil, salt and black pepper. (Stuffing mixture can be prepared one day in advance and stored in a container in refrigerator, tightly covered with plastic wrap.)

Now for another way to use the dish:

Mexican Stuffed Peppers

• Mexican Rice Bowl recipe mixture
• 4 large poblano peppers (or 4 large sweet green or other colored bell peppers), seeded and cut in half
• 8 tbsp shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend 4 tbsp low-fat sour cream 

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Spray a large roasting pan with cooking spray. Mound 1/2 cup stuffing mixture into each poblano pepper half and place in roasting pan. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with Mexican cheese and bake for another 10 minutes.
3. To serve, top each stuffed pepper half with 1/2 tbsp plain yogurt. Serve immediately. 

You can cut and seed the peppers and then boil them for a few minutes until tender.  Just so the cook time wouldn't be so long.  Also, make sure that you leave time to cook the long grain brown rice.  It takes an hour to cook!!  You can make it the night before!  Also, you can add some tomato sauce instead of Siracha to give it some juice as well! 

Our family loves this meal and have even added it on top of Nachos using whole grain tortilla chips & shredded cheese. Melt and add the Mexican Rice mixture warmed up on top!

Hope you enjoy this recipe!

Thanks for checking in,

Melissa

Parmesan Chicken made Healthy

I love easy Chicken recipes that my whole family will eat.

It's simple to throw together and my kids love it!

I like to combine this meal with some brown rice and a veggie.

Here is the recipe!!

Parmesan Chicken

2 cups Whole Wheat Ritz crackers

3 T. grated parmesan cheese

2 tsp. garlic salt

8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 cup. plain yogurt (or plain greek yogurt)

1 egg, whisked in a dish

Combine cracker crumbs, parmesan cheese and garlic salt.  Dip each piece of chicken in egg dish. Then dip in yogurt, then in crumb mixture. Arrange in greased 9 by 13 inch pan. Bake covered at 350 for about 30-45 minutes (depending on thickness of your chicken). Uncover for 5 minutes to slightly brown the top. Serves 8

Hope you enjoy this recipe.

Thanks for checking in,

Melissa

STRONG & Slim for Summer

I am going to be holding another 30-day Challenge group next month.

This one starts May 4th, and goes for 30 days.

STRONG & Slim for Summer

This challenge is going to get you ready to feeling confident for Summer.

Both my May Challenges are for support and motivation, and keep you accountable to your health & fitness goals.

But today is the last day to order for each of the Challenges. Whichever one you choose.

If you have been wanting to make a change for a long time, but just need the support.

Or if you have been wanting to step up your routine and eating healthy up a notch.

Then a good 30-Day Challenge is for you!

Many of my clients say they just needed this push that the 30 day Challenge gives you!

If you feel like you are competitive do the Burn2Earn.

It is a great contest where you can earn cash by loosing 6% or more of your body weight.

These are groups on facebook that you check into once a day to get motivation and support of other challengers in the group. They are very fun and make your journey ALOT more exciting then if you were to do it on your own.

Both challenges will be focusing on getting you more in control and STRONG! Pushing yourself more, and the Challenge group is going to help you with this- along with me as your Coach!

So message, text, call me if you want more information and I can get it to YOU!
Click here for more info- http://onthegohealthymoms.blogspot.com/p/challenges.html
 

Thanks for checking in,

Melissa

What you can expect in the Future!

Before I started this BLOG I told myself

this would be something I would never give up on.

I had found my niche and this is it!

I haven't given up and don't have any plans to.

Blogging has been a huge passion of mine for a long time.

So has Health & Fitness.

So why not combine to two- RIGHT!?!

I hope you have been enjoying what I have created so far.

But get excited, cuz I have got more things planned!

Here is what you can expect in the future:

Recipes- quick, simple, easy

Motivational posts

Nutrition

Fitness

Video's from me!

Meal Planning

Future Challenges (free & paid)

And many MORE healthy tips and ideas,

especially for Busy Moms and Women!

There are 3 ways you can follow me!

Which social media outlet do you like the most?

Facebook (like my page!)- https://www.facebook.com/OnTheGoHealthyMoms

Instagram- https://instagram.com/melissahealthyonthego/

Pinterest- https://www.pinterest.com/healthyonthego/

So what do you want to see on my BLOG? Comment below!

I want to know what YOU want to know!

Thanks for your support and for checking in,

Melissa

Healthy Meal ideas for Kids

Who get's in the rut of what to put on the table for your kids and wanting them to actually eat it?

Well you are doing a great job if you expect them to try a different food, but understanding that kids don't always like a new food.
I have found it best to tell them they have to at least try it.

I also get stuck in the rut of just making what I know they will eat, and sometimes that isn't the healthiest choice- Mac N' Cheese here we come.

But I have some tips and healthy meal ideas for you to take some stress away.

Head on over to my friend Shambray's blog where I post once a month with Healthy tips.

On the post today I give 3 healthy meal ideas for kids, that even Mom's will love to eat!

Thanks for checking in,

Melissa

Being a Busy Healthy Mom

I think a BIG factor in our health is what we fuel our body with. Nutrition is 80% of our results.

When I first started my thinking of how I wanted to provide healthy meal plans, 

I approached my brother Garrett.

I have always liked searching for new recipes and figuring out how to make them healthier.  

I would do my own meal plan, but wasn't consistent.  

So I thought this was a great way for me to share my healthy meal plans and recipes and be accountable in doing so.

BEING A BUSY HEALTHY MOM 

Being busy is just what automatically happens when you are a Mom.

But being healthy takes work, practice, dedication and consistency.

You don't have to be perfect, you just have to be consistent and get right back to doing those things that are going to make you healthy & happy. Don't wait for Monday to come around. Start right back at the next meal, or the next day. We are worth it! Our kids will see our efforts.

My brother said he would help me set up a website so I could give out the first healthy meal plan for FREE.

So I needed to decide a name for my new endeavor and my BLOG.

I wanted it to be focused toward MOM's, and especially Mothers that were busy, and wanted it to be healthy and very easy, simple recipes.

So I thought, and I thought, and then it came to me . . .

On-The-Go Healthy Moms

On-The Go Healthy Meal Plans

So thanks to Garrett- he put my website together for me

www.Onthegohealthymoms.com

and I started creating my weekly healthy meal plans

Here you can get your first meal plan for free and decide if you want to continue to receive them and pay each month, only $3.95- more details here.

What a journey it has been to share with busy MOM's, women, and anyone interested in learning more on this blog as I share ideas on how to be healthier and happier.

Thanks to all of you for joining along and for sharing with others.

Thanks for checking in,

Melissa

Small changes make a BIG difference

Small Changes make a BIG difference.

Which way will you go?

Make good changes toward your health, instead of the changes that will lead you away from the direction you want to take.  

Good results will come from those steps in the right direction from your daily actions.

What small changes have you made?

What small changes do you want to make that will lead you to those BIG results?

Those small changes in the right direction will add up over time.

Here are some ideas:

click to enlarge

Your health is so important and what you fuel your body with will give you the energy you need to do the many things you need to do in your day.

Make healthy choices that will lead you to where you want to be. Even if they are simple and small at first, they will add up and compound over time and you will realize how far you have come.

Thanks for checking in,

Melissa

How to Involve the Family in being active & Healthy

Involving everyone in your family to be active and healthy is so important.

Let those that you live with you know that you are all going to be supporting each other to be active more and eat healthier.  And even letting other extended family members see that this is how you will be eating sets a good example and they will know not to offer you a treat or drink.

Do not do this alone!  Our bodies were made to be cared for, they need exercise and they need nutrients. So everyone in the family needs this support. Whether a member needs to lose weight, gain, maintain their weight or needs to eat healthier and be active for other medical reasons. This is a part of life and helping each other in the process is crucial.

As a family, plan and prepare healthy meals together.  Make a list of family favorite foods right now.  Try new foods, try new meals.  Plan out the families meals and snacks together. Drink only water at each meal. Once your list is ready, take turns or go grocery shopping together.  Read the labels on food packages and educate each other.  

When you are home from shopping involve everyone to put the packages away, prepare the fruits and vegetables for the week, and cook up what can be stored in the fridge.

Teach little one's in the family what they can help with. Cook the meal together or give each family member a day where they are in charge.  And sit down as a family and eat your healthy, nutritious meal you just planned and prepared together.

Along with eating healthy together as a family, the other just as important step to do is to 

BE ACTIVE together!  Find what the family likes to all do, or figure out a new activity to try. Do this at least once a week and plan it into your busy schedule. 

Hope these tips will help you. I am excited to see how you will involve your family! Comment below!

Thanks for checking in,

Melissa