Ready, Set, Nutrition!

Hello fit family friends! I am so excited to be supporting an awesome community of wellness seekers during this year’s Fit Family Challenge 2015. I can’t wait to share nutrition tips, recipes, advice and inspiration on this year’s blog.

Last Monday, I met with the McMaster’s Family. The McMaster’s are a very busy family who work hard and play hard. If you’ve read their introduction, you’ll know that they juggle a little bit of everything! They already value the importance of good food and good nutrition, but like many families, time and energy run short. Jessica and Tim value family time with their two young boys, Sullivan 3, and Micah, 6, and desire to improve their nutrition and fitness as a family.  This family understands that their journey towards a healthier lifestyle is more than being on a diet, or keeping up with unsustainable fitness regimens. A few healthy eating goals they would like to work on in the next 8 weeks include: Cooking healthy meals at home more often as a family, not skipping meals, avoiding very late dinners and choosing healthier fats. I know the McMasters are up for this challenge and I’m thankful to be a part of their adventure to better health.

The Bacon family is new to the Queen city and they have wasted no time embracing their new life in Charlotte. This family is always on the go. Tracy and Rob Bacon enjoy keeping up with their children Dannika, 9, and Nikolas, 8, who both have very active schedules from Lacrosse to swim practices and generally spend a lot of time playing outside. This family wants to make positive lifestyle changes such as making time to prepare healthy dinners with the family. They also want to replace their love for sodas with water and other healthier choices, increase their overall nutrients by eating more fruits and vegetables, and find healthier snack options for their hungry growing children. The Bacon’s are very excited to start this family adventure in pursuit of better health.

Week #1: Hello Healthy!

First things first; what’s in your pantry and refrigerator? Take a good look, you probably already know which items need to be tossed to the trash in a blaze of glory. Now think about which healthy foods will make their debut in their place. Think about the flavors you like, and look for healthy alternatives that satisfy those taste buds. For example, if you like salty, you might try to replace potato chips with smart popcorn. If you have a sweet tooth, you might try some Greek yogurt topped with berries and a drizzle of honey. If you like sour, think citrus fruits. Now, plan your list, check it twice, make sure it’s not naughty, but nice. Send us a picture of your healthy grocery finds. Next week we’ll talk about stepping up your morning nutrition with simple, fast and tasty breakfast ideas.

My grocery finds-all this for $36. Gotta love ALDI’s!

With 19 years of experience in the health field as a registered and licensed dietician, Tricia Azra’s passion for “helping people live a little healthier” has not waned. She loves her job as the registered dietitian at the Carolinas HealthCare System’s LiveWell Health Center at the McCrory YMCA. Tricia looks forward to inspiring change and serving as a resource to the Bacons and McMasters during the 2015 Fit Family Challenge.

Want your family to get healthy, too?
Join the challenge to get moving with your family toward a healthier lifestyle and to win fun family prizes. Find out more and sign up here.