I’m jumping into the heart of the subject right out of the gate: kids eat a lot of refined carbohydrates. Goldfish, cereal, bread, frozen waffles, boxed mac n’ cheese, breaded chicken fingers…sound familiar? These foods are both convenient and hyper-palatable (meaning they excite your little one’s taste buds). They’re also reinforced by our government. The USDA champions the “healthy whole grains” ideology to children and adults alike. It’s understandable that parents keep buying these foods thinking they are healthy kid snacks.

Elderberry syrup is an effective botanical for preventing - and shortening the duration of—the common cold and flu. This antioxidant-packed berry contains vitamin C, A and minerals.

To support the immune system, take elderberry syrup regularly throughout the fall and winter months. It is safe for the whole family - including kiddos and pregnant or nursing mamas. If you do get a cold or the flu, you can ramp up the dose (see below) to shorten the duration of your illness.

I made this grain-free apple crisp two days in a row because my husband and kid ate the first batch while I was at yoga. Savages. Second time around I wrote down the recipe so I could share with you. Luuuuckkkkyyy. If you've recently visited an apple orchard with your family to post fall images all over social media, cheers. Now you're swimming in apples. Here's what to do with them.

Nothing makes you feel like you’re on a surf trip or yoga retreat more than eating an acai bowl (well, except for maybe surfing and yoga). A cross between eating ice cream and drinking a smoothie, frozen acai is like a tropical vacation in a bowl. And pretty much just as expensive, especially if you’re feeding a lot of little hands. But you can still get all the fun and yum without the hefty price tag! Here’s how to make DIY acai bowls at home.

A couple weekends ago we threw our annual summer kickoff BBQ. My mom brought a killer chopped salad that everyone requested make it to the blog. So, here it is.

This stuff is the best. I made it on a whim last week and have made it 3 more times since. It's perfectly creamy - equally great as a salad dressing, sandwich spread, and dip for veggies. It has a base of tahini, fresh cilantro and parsley (feel free to use only one of these herbs if that's all you've got on hand). The addition of mayonnaise really drives it home. Try it out!

Typically when I make granola, I use maple syrup or honey as the sweetener. You don't necessarily NEED a sweetener for taste, but it does help to keep the granola stuck together (and who doesn't love those big granola chunks and clusters?). In an effort to eat less sugar, I wanted to craft a granola that didn't use any sweetener.

If you follow me on Instagram, you know I eat a lot of canned fish. In fact, I just got an email last week from a girl who was interested in my nutrition program, but was afraid that she would have to eat sardines! (First of all, that's hilarious. Secondly, you 100% do not have to eat sardines while doing Fueled+Fit.) If you're wondering what all the fuss is about, you can read more about my love affair with canned salmon here. Today, I'm bringing you a whole new way to eat it.

An Eat to Achieve member shared a yummy smoothie recipe in our Facebook group last week. It sounded tasty, but my concern was the lack of calories. It would be great for a little snack, but surely didn't provide enough substance for a meal. I couldn't get the cinnamon goodness out of my brain, so I decided to make my own enhanced version.

If you're into batch cooking, these are a great thing to make up in the beginning of the week. You can make in bulk and even freeze some. Serve with roasted veggies for a savory egg-free breakfast, or top a large lunch salad with a few.

Mint and chocolate is probably my favorite flavor combo. Junior Mints, Thin Mints, Andes, Peppermint Patties...always my top choice back in the day. I was trying to come up with something festive and different to make for Christmas this year, and THIS is what popped into the ol' brain. I've gifted some out, ate a lot, and will be bringing them as a treat to our (one of 5) Christmas gatherings.

This recipe was originally posted on the Wild Vibes site in 2015, but unfortunately the link doesn't work, so I'm reposting here for those of you who have asked for this recipe—it's a good one!

A few months ago I was in a store and a fancy food product caught my eye: Vanilla Cake Batter Coconut Butter. I mean...WHAT. I've eaten coconut butter for years (and have even made it at home)...but this was some next level stuff. So despite the $13 price tag, I bought it (I'm kind of a sucker for novelty foods).

These muffins are great for adults and kiddos alike.

I can't even with this recipe. I'm posting this on the week of Thanksgiving because I think these would make an impressive addition to any holiday table. And if you're heading to someone else's home, this would be a great recipe to bring! Not messy, travels well, and easy to reheat. Oh, and they're SO GOOD.

Toddlers. Eye roll. They go through some weird food phases, huh?

A while back the Hattster decided she wasn't really into veggies anymore. Such a flip flopper, that one. Luckily for me, she'll eat just about anything if it's covered in cinnamon (kid loves the stuff—she walks around smelling like a graham cracker despite never eating one in her life). So I pulled this gem of a recipe out of my back pocket and started making it on the reg.

I have written this recipe out for people more times than I can count, so I figured I should finally add it to the blog. We are told over and over again to consume more Omega 3 fatty acids. We all know the best way to do this is by eating more fatty fish (wait...we do all know that, right?).

But there's a difference between hearing what we SHOULD do, and actually putting that into practice.

I’ve been trying to get out of my food comfort zone as of late. If you get my newsletters (get them here!), you recently saw that I’ve been tinkering around with some recipes. I hate following recipes, but…I’m culinarily bored, man. And the thought of having to cook dinner each night makes me want to claw my eyes out.

I posted this recipe on Instagram yesterday, and have gotten some good feedback. It was a big hit for the whole family here. My husband has decided to make more of an effort to bring work to lunch ("we" go through cycles), so this will be a new batch cooking staple!

These photos are kind of the worst, but this recipe is phenom and pattypan squash are coming up hot right now...so I'm posting today. You can make them with or without goat cheese, depending on your dietary preferences...both ways are equally delicious. This is an awesome recipe to feast on the flavors of the season!