Does eating healthy feel hard these days, Reader?

"Gah, it's so hard to get food right these days," Laurie said.

"It feels like being healthy and eating right has to be a full-time job."

"I try to add more fiber, get enough protein, eat more foods with omega-3s…all the things! But then I just get overwhelmed, and don't do any of it."

"Why is nutrition so hard?"​
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That comment stopped me.

Nutrition being hard is THE LAST thing I want for any of us. Perimenopause and menopause symptoms are hard enough.

Taking care of our bodies shouldn't feel like a full-time fixer-upper job. No matter what social media says!

Food should be easy. Remember…

"Show up. Think about it (but not too hard). And give a shit." - The Bike Guy​
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Here are a couple of menu cheat sheets I created to help make eating easier. They include all the ingredients we talked about this month.

Use them to make easy weeknight meals, satisfying lunches, and balanced breakfasts.

​MenuChartBreakfastLunch.jpg​

​MenuChartDinner_Resources.jpg​

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​Are these charts helpful?

Hit reply and let me know!

RECIPE SHARE

Pumpkin Nut Cookies with Chocolate Chips

These cookies taste like Halloween! They're great for breakfast with your favorite warm beverage. The recipe is loosely based on the Health Starts Here program from my days at Whole Foods Market as a product educator.

2 cups pecans or walnuts, toasted

½ cup rolled oats

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp fine sea salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground ginger

¾ cup canned pumpkin (not pie filling!)

1 tsp vanilla extract

¾ cup unsweetened applesauce

1 cup dark chocolate chips or one 4oz dark chocolate bar, chopped

½ cup dried cranberries (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F

In a large 8-10 cup food processor, combine toasted nuts and oats. Pulse a few times to make a coarse meal. Add flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Process on low for a minute. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

Add pumpkin puree, vanilla, and applesauce. Stir well to combine. Add dark chocolate and dried cranberries (optional). Mix well.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Drop 2 TBSP-sized scoops of batter onto the baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 15-17 minutes, until light brown. Remove from the oven. Use a metal spatula to flatten the cookies.

Store in an airtight container at room temp for a week, or in the freezer in a zip lock for 1 month.

Speaking of Halloween...

Our small mountain town does trick-or-treating at the shops down Main Street. It's fun to see kids of all ages dressed up.

What's your favorite Halloween candy?

I love anything dark chocolate - bonus if it comes with nuts. Candy corn is a hard no for me; always has been. But I won't judge if it's your favorite 😋

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I hope you have a delicious holiday weekend savoring food and your body!

Amanda

PS: Nutrition being hard is THE LAST thing I want for any of us. Perimenopause and menopause symptoms are hard enough. Food should be easy. Remember…"Show up. Think about it (but not too hard). And give a shit." - The Bike Guy

Scroll up for 2 cheat sheets I created to help make eating easier. They include all the ingredients we talked about this month. Use them to make easy weeknight meals, satisfying lunches, and balanced breakfasts.