Healthy, energy boosting meal to fuel your physical fitness:

Pineapple Meatballs

Ingredients:

2 lbs lean ground beef or bison
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
sea salt and pepper to taste
olive oil

Pineapple Sauce:

1 tsp cornstarch or arrowroot powder
1 can unsweetened pineapple chunks ( 14 fl oz can) (398 ml)
½ cup unsweetened pineapple juice ( use the juice from the can of pineapple)
⅓ cup wheat free soy sauce- tamari

Directions:

In a bowl mix lean ground beef, salt, pepper, onions and garlic. Shape into balls and brown each in olive oil in a skillet. Simply sear them on each side. Remove them and put them into a casserole dish. Mix sauce ingredients together and pour over meatballs. Bake slowly at 325F for 40 minutes.
Serve over rice or gluten free pasta.

Recipe by Shirley Plant- Nutrition Coach and Author of Finally Food I Can Eat.
Check out her website via www.deliciousalternatives.com. Follow her on Twitter via @sherrecipes

Pineapple Meatballs by Shirley Plant

Two Foundational Steps for Making Meals Happen

Do you dream of having the family come together at the table every day? Are you at a loss about how to make it happen? If so, then you’re not alone.

Here are my two foundational steps for making meals happen:

1. Think Beyond Dinner. Don’t get fixated on dinner being the meal that your family eats together. In many families, it’s breakfast where people come together to eat and connect. It’s a fantastic way to start the day. Another great strategy is a bedtime snack/second dinner concept. This works well in families where one parent works later or gets home from their commute too late to eat dinner with (especially younger) kids. In this scenario, the parent who is home earlier makes dinner and eats it with the kids. When the later-arriving parent gets home, the kids join him/her at the table. The later-arriving parent eats warmed-up dinner and the kids eat their bedtime snack. This way everyone is eating together at the table and connecting.

2. Plan Your Schedule with Eating Together in Mind. As the saying goes, “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail”. There’s another saying that’s true too: “you can’t have it all”. This next piece of advice may sound harsh, however I’m sharing it in the attempt to be of service – to give some tough love. Many parents have told me that they can’t eat dinner together because the kids’ activities extend over dinnertime. Having this schedule means that you are choosing ballet and soccer as priorities over eating dinner together. Determining your family’s priorities is your choice. If you choose ballet and soccer that’s OK, own your choices! Determine your values, set priorities and then make your schedule to align with it. The problem comes if your schedule isn’t a match with your priorities. If it’s out of alignment, then make changes. If it is in alignment, then let go of the guilt of not being able to have it all.

Kristen Yarker is known as The Dietitian Who Transforms Picky Eaters into Food Confident Kids. From introducing solids through the picky eating years, she helps Moms and Dads be confident that they’re giving their kids good nutrition today… and instilling a life-long LOVE of healthy eating. Get scientific evidence-based answers to real questions from real parents (recipes too!) by signing up for her 101 Healthy Snack Ideas at: vitaminkconsulting.com

Making Meals Happen by Kristen Yarker

High Fiber Black Bean Chili

SERVES: 4
Dark and tasty, black beans are 22% protein and are high in fiber.  Black beans make an excellent low fat protein source addition to any meal.  This recipe tastes summer like with the fresh cilantro and sweet corn.

Ingredients:
½ large Spanish onion chopped fine
2 chopped cloves of garlic
1 diced green pepper
1 15 oz can of drained black beans
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
1 cup of chicken or vegetable broth
2 tablespoons of cumin
2 tablespoons of chilli powder
1 tablespoons of Italian seasoning
1 can of V8 juice
1 tablespoon of olive oil
½ tsp sea salt
½ tsp black pepper
¼ cup of chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:
Sauté onion, garlic, and green pepper in olive oil in medium soup pot over medium heat for 5 minutes stirring frequently.  Add beans, corn, broth, V8 juice, and spices and simmer for 15 minutes. Add cilantro and garnish and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve heated with whole-wheat bun or tortilla. Enjoy!

Health Statistics:
Dairy Free
Vegetarian/ Vegan
Easy to Make
High Fiber
Gluten and Wheat free
No added refined sugars

This recipe is contributed by Kathy Smart. Kathy’s NEW Cookbook is now available via www.livethesmartway.com (30 new recipes and 20 more pages of info!)

Kathy Smart is a TV Host, Chef and Nutritionist of “Live The Smart Way” TV show~ North America’s first Gluten Free TV Cooking Show, Best Selling Author, North America’s Gluten Free Expert, Media Personality, Nutritionist, Chef and Personal Trainer, Recipient of “Eat Right Award” in the Health Leadership Award. For more information, go to www.LiveTheSmartWay.com. Or follow Kathy via Twitter: Smart_Kitchen and Facebook: Live The Smart Way

High Fiber Black Bean Chili by Kathy Smart