Hope you had a fun Independence Day!  We definitely had tons of fun and I’m currently nursing a well deserved sun burn earned by refusing to move from that epic raft you see in the background.  Also, I’m trying to get the motivation to get a great workout in but I’m thinking my body needs one more day of recovery from the sun and the tequila.  #worthit

This bean dip was EPIC I used the BEST ever homemade refried beans on the bottom, followed by homemade guacamole (lazy style = mashed avocados, garlic salt, and taco sauce), sour cream, homemade salsa, topped with cheese, blue corn chips, provolone cheese for stars and tomatoes.  We still have a ton left!

Oh yes, and these happened, it was epic.

We also did a ton of grilling of all kinds of sausages, tri tip, carnitas, and these turkey roll ups which will be up on HH later this week!  

Week 27: Snack On Veggies

This month for our healthy habit focus we are taking it back to the basics.  If you remember back in Week 3 the goal was to increase veggie intake.  For that post I include a BUNCH of ways that help me to amp up my veggie intake.  However, getting in enough veggies throughout the day doesn’t usually just happen as a one shot deal. It usually takes time to really amp up the amount of veggies you eat in a day.

I find with my Hungry Hobby RD clients (and myself) it can be hard to remember veggies as a great snack.  We are kind of in the habit of thinking of things like cheese, nuts, bars, crackers, etc as snacks.  It is easy to forget that veggies make a great option as well!  Here are a few tips to help inspire you (and me) to focus on snacking on veggies this week:

1. Prep and wash veggies before putting them away.
2. Keep veggies at eye level on the refrigerator shelf (put meat and cheese in the crisper drawer.)
3. Don’t be afraid to amp up the flavor with dips or pairings!
4. Out of time?  Grab a pre prepped veggie tray and snack on that all week!

10 Veggie Snack Ideas

1. Stuff bell pepper halves with turkey, tuna, cottage cheese, or dips.
2. Make a mini caprice salad with tomatoes and mozzarella.
3. Make a “quick” 1 or 2 ingredient salad.  My favorite is a bowl full of cucumber slices or shredded carrots (or both) with apple cider vinaigrette or other dressing on top.
4. Pair veggies like snap peas, tomatoes, cucumber slices, zucchini slices, mini bell pepper etc with dips like hummus, yogurt and guac.
   • mexican spicy hummus dip
   • yogurt hummus dip
   • sirracha hummus 
   • Green onion and garlic hummus
   • easy lightened up guacamole
5. Craving peanut/nut/seed butter?  Try using celery or carrots for the crunch.
6. Craving salty?  Try pickled food like pickles or sauerkraut.
7. Make Zucchini Fries like these.
8. Turn the veggies into the dip with Paleo Hummus —> Buffalo Butternut Squash Hummus  or Cauliflower Hummus
9. Need something more substantial?  Try half a sweet potato with coconut oil and cinnamon.
10. For those of you that don’t mind braving the oven: make artichokes, broccoli tots or veggie fritters to snack on.

[Tweet “10 healthy and delicious ways to get more veggies in at snack time via @hungryhobby! #health #fitfluential #nutrition”]

52 HEALTHY HABITS IN 52 WEEKS SERIES:

The 52 Healthy Habits Series is about ditching the diet mindset and making small changes to improve health overall naturally leading to a healthy body composition, increased energy and improved health. Please follow along and check out the past weeks!

• Week 52: Healthy Habits Wrap Up
• Week 51: Nightly Reflection
• Week 50: Limit Harmful Chemicals
• Week 49: Find Your Tribe
• Week 48: Cultivating Positivity
• Week 47: Healthy Thanksgiving Tips
• Week 46: Check In
• Week 45: Mobility – Foam Rolling
• Week 44: HIIT Training
• Week 43: LISS or Steady State Cardio
• Week 42: Limit Alcohol
• Week 41: Eat White, Wait What?
• Week 40: Eat Blue & Purple
• Week 39: Eat Green
• Week 38: Eat Yellow/Orange
• Week 37: Eat Red
• Week 36: Learn Which Foods to Purchase Organic
• Week 35: Read the Ingredient List!
• Week 34: Focus.
• Week 33: Chew Your Food!
• Week 32: Meditation
• Week 31: Gratitude Journaling
• Week 30: Plan & Revamp Dessert- 20 Healthy Ideas
• Week 29: Two fistfuls of veggies per meal
• Week 28: Get In Veggies At Breakfast
• Week 27: Healthy Veggie Snacks
• Week 26: Nourishing Fats for the Gut (Healthy Digestion Part 4)
• Week 25: Keeping Regular – The Other Fiber (Healthy Digestion Part 3)
• Week 24: Feed The Probiotics With Prebiotic Fiber (Healthy Digestion Part 2)
• Week 23: Amazing Health Benefits of Probiotics (Healthy Digestion Part 1)
• Week 22: Check In
• Week 21: What You Will Learn From Recording Your Meals (Intuitive Eating Series Part 4)
• Week 20: Eat Until 80% Full (Hara Hachi Bu) (Intuitive Eating Series Part 3)
• Week 19: Limit Distractions While Eating (Intuitive Eating Series Part 2)
• Week 18: Gaging Your Hunger Cues (Intuitive Eating Series Part 1)
• Week 17: 10,000 Steps Per Day
• Week 16: Assess Your Caffeine Intake
• Week 15: Decrease Sugar Intake
• Week 14: Healthy Coffee Creamers (upgrade yours)
• Week 13: 3 Month Check In
• Week 12: Sleep Enough & Sleep Better
• Week 11: Schedule Your Workouts
• Week 10: Pack A Healthy Lunch (5 Ways to Create Endless Combinations)
• Week 9: Prioritizing Protein
• Week 8: How and What to Meal Prep
• Week 7: Create & Stick To Your Healthy Meal Plan
• Week 6: Get Enough Omega-3’s (Fight Inflammation)
• Week 5: What Is A Healthy Fat & How To Get Enough (Include Healthy Fats)
• Week 4: How to Spot A Healthy Carbohydrate (Upgrade Your Carbs)
• Week 3: Tips to Increase Veggie Intake (Eat Veggies)
• Week 2: 15 Healthy On the Go Breakfast Ideas (Eat BF Challenge)
• Week 1: Tips to Drink More Water