As a busy mother and wife who also happens to suffer from chronic illness, my time and energy are extremely valuable to me. With the current state of my health and having run out of options for treatment with my insurance, I had to get even more proactive about my health than I already was. As I’ve mentioned in my last few posts, this year I’ve basically done ‘almost’ everything in my power to improve my pain & symptoms using completely all-natural pathways. I tried a huge variety of herbal supplements, cryotherapy, acupuncture, meditation, and at least a handful of other things. The one thing I hadn’t consciously changed was my nutrition and the time was NOW!I was already an extremely healthy eater, LOVE my vegetables, and eat very balanced meals but also knew I could take my nutrition one step further. As my research began on protocols that may help with both my spinal condition and my mystery autoimmune disease, I decided to dive in head first to HUGE dietary changes. I began making every single meal from scratch, eliminated many foods that could possibly trigger an inflammatory response, and slowly transitioned into a new way of eating and lifestyle.Sounds great huh? Simple and easy… nope, not so fast!
I’ve also mentioned I’m mother and a wife to a real-life hero with a forever changing work schedule. My daughter has volleyball practice three nights per week in addition to school every day, weekly play dates, and music lessons. My son has football five times a week, and is only in the process of getting a license, which means mommy and daddy are still chauffeurs! So, as much as I LOVE to prepare all of my own food at home, some days it’s just not in my cards. I don’t like necessarily relying on quick & easy purchased (frozen) meals, but I recently found a line of products that provide that same healthful nutrition and cooking style that mimics what I normally do at home for myself and my family.
Introducing SMARTMADE ™ by SmartOnes (R)
My grocery store only carried a few of these new meals, but after finding these products I looked on the
SMARTMADE ™ website and found myself drooling over the selections! And I know what you must be thinking: “Corina, frozen meals are NOT good! They are packed full of preservatives, chemicals, and crap ingredients!” Oh no no, my friends. I haven’t steered you wrong and I certainly haven’t started now!
SMARTMADE ™ meals are made with all REAL ingredients and include more nutrient dense food swaps you may find in other prepared meals (i.e. quinoa for white rice, white bean puree sauce for Alfredo sauce, whole-wheat pasta for regular pasta, etc.), and everything is prepared using the SAME methods I would use at home such as grilling & roasting! Not only that, what I love most about these meals is they can be tweaked to accommodate ANY way of eating/lifestyle someone may have. This is huge for me especially because of the dietary changes I’ve been implementing these past 6-7 weeks! I can satisfy my own new restrictions AND still provide my family with quick, easy, stress free, and very delicious options for meals (especially while on the go).
Life is all about balance and when you live with the medical conditions I’ve learned the art of picking and choosing my “battles” in day-to-day life. Some days I can easily (and happily) get up to cook every meal from scratch, prep food to take to my daughter’s practice, and get my husband’s lunch for work ready for his 10+ hour work shift. Other days though? I’m either in a flare up where I can barely stand up and/or our schedule for the day is far too hectic and stressful… stress for me hits MUCH different than other people. It’s one of the biggest triggers for a flare up. So on these days I know I need to loosen the reigns on the expectations I set for myself and now knowing there is an option for just these moments… so thankful!
And look: if I put a heated SmartMade™ meal on a plate in front of you to eat, I guarantee you would NEVER think these were once FROZEN! The ingredients are so pure and simple & everything looks colorful! Take a look at my current favorite SMARTMADE ™ meal:
Rosemary Grilled Beef & Vegetables
Look at those grill marks, the roasted perfection on the Brussels sprouts & sweet potatoes, and the bright colors. Folks, this is NOT your typical frozen meal! This is eating WITHOUT the stress and pressure of feeling like everything you eat must absolutely be made in your own kitchen. Instead you can now take advantage of someone else making you a homemade meal! And not just for yourself mind you. Oh no. This is balanced nutrition for the WHOLE family! My daughter has fallen in LOVE with SMARTMADE ™ Mexican Style Chicken Bowl… absolutely drool worthy. Again, same amazing grill marks on the protein, colorful roasted vegetables, and as with all of the SMARTMADE ™ meals… absolutely NO artificial flavors or preservatives. You can absolutely give these to your family and feel GOOD about it! Busy evening schedule at your house? No problem. Hectic weekend schedule where you are close to just grabbing fast food for dinner? Nope. Just stock up on the SMARTMADE ™ meals and your family can be fed a tasty meal within a couple of minutes (and on the go if need be)!
SOLD my friends. SOLD SOLD SOLD!
** This post is sponsored by SheKnows Media and SMARTMADE ™, balanced and delicious frozen meals inspired by your smart cooking methods. **
1 Comment
Gabrielle Cobb
December 20, 2016 at 8:00 pmI sincerely enjoy these new meals because I usually am in a rush on a Monday morning to get to work. I can pop one of these in my lunch bag and grab a low cal drink. Boom. My lunch is packed.
I worried a lot about what I was putting in my body when I would get the other frozen meals because there are hardly any low cal frozen meals with low sodium. I feel a lot better about all of it and agree they are tasty!