i'm so so jazzed to introduce a new series idea i had yesterday driving in my car...alone. with out kids. it's amazing how loud ideas can be when you don't have a three year old yapping your ear off and a one year old pulling your hair.

it all came about right after i finished amy poehler's book, yes please. i was thinking in my head how many times i nodded or thought, oh my gosh. i did that too. and then i thought, i could totally make a list of reasons amy poehler and i could be friends. i think creepy things like this all the time.

and then i thought, why do i make lists all the time?

and then i thought,  i could totally write blog posts based purely on lists for a very long time.

i love this idea for many reasons. not only because it's a series but because -

1 |  i'm an obnoxious list maker. lists everywhere. written lists. phone lists. macbook lists. e-mail lists that i end up mailing to myself. it's ridiculous.

2 | 10 lists are easy to write...hopefully.

3 | there are endless options of types of 10 lists to write.

and lastly...

4 | i have a few ideas of where i want to take this little 10 series idea...but more on that down the road.

onto the inaugural 10 - list
so...we all want to be healthier...right? or at least healthy? like...it's on the forefront of your mind at least some of the time? well, it definitely is mine.

i want to eat healthy. i want my two best gals to eat healthy. as for my farmer - he can eat candy all day and still have a six pack so i wrote him off years ago. i curse him each night when he falls asleep. but that's another story for another day. 

my best gals and i...we need wholesome foods that will keep us energized and feeling tip top since we're on the go...a lot. i feel like i'm constantly packing those girls in and out of the car or strapping them to a bike or building pillow nests and seeing what kinds of things i can get them to jump off of. 

my point is...if we eat garbage it's just going to hold us back. so i make sure to eat these goodies most every day and sneak them into my gal's diets as well.  
i've read ACV balances blood sugar levels and reduces hunger. i take a shot every single morning. it does amazing things for me...i won't go into detail, but i encourage you to try it.
blueberries or strawberries - i have the most severe sweet tooth. i curse it regularly. luckily i hate candy...but i love chocolate and i looooove baked goods. if i feel one of these cravings sneak up on me i reach for blueberries or strawberries. i've also been known to slice up half an apple and sprinkle cinnamon on it. 
i love eggs. i love eggs hardboiled. scrambled. poached on a piece of toast with avocado. they are a fantastic source of protein and i'll eat them for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. they always sound good to me. another favorite way to eat eggs is in a scramble. i'll pull out all the veggies in the fridge (peppers, spinach, mushrooms, zucchini), slice them up and throw them in with the scrambled eggs until they get soft. delicious and super filling. 
i eat organic almond butter every single morning. i put about a tablespoon on some vehicle of whole grain (usually a flatout) and eat that with my coffee. it's just the right amount to fuel me for a workout. 
give me all the hummus. i love it and thank god both my gals love it too. the only problem with hummus is that it's so easy to snack and snack and snack some more. a way i combat this is i scoop out the amount i want into a small bowl and then put the rest back in the fridge...otherwise i would overeat it every single time. 
chicken or turkey burger or salmon - my poor farmer. all he ever wanted was some red meat. but until he takes over the cooking...it's lean, heart healthy proteins for this family. 

i'd like to say we only eat some form of meat a few times a week...but we don't. we eat it at least 5 times a week. i definitely need to break into pinterest and start researching vegetarian dinners more thoroughly. it just seems like all the vegetarian meals i've found have a lot of cheese which is another product i keep out of my diet. dairy and me...we've broken up for good.
honestly...i do get sick of eating spinach and kale. but they are so damn good for your belly. so i just do it. i put it in smoothies. i eat salads. i throw it in the food processor and finely chop it and then mix it in with turkey burger...which is also an amazing way to sneak it to your children. however i can get it down...i get it down. oh! and i'll put a normal amount in a sandwich...and then i pile on more...because more is always better, right?
i can't get enough avocado. it's an amazing source of fat that converts to energy really easily as well as makes your hair shiny and skin looking radiant! (i like to think that, anyway.)

give me all the quinoa. honestly...i like quinoa and all you can do with it so much i feel like it's a treat as opposed to a superfood. i use quinoa as a base for chicken. i sprinkle it over my salads. i put it in soups. i use it in place of pasta or rice. it's just so versatile and good for you...add it to your shopping list.
i look forward to my coffee and almond milk every single morning. i set up the coffee the night before and when my alarm goes of at 5:30 am i have coffee waiting for me. it's a wonderful little routine.

sidenote - i don't actually eat quinoa every day. but definitely most days.

i'm not a nutritionist. i'm not a registered dietician. i'm just passionate about putting good foods in my body that help me feel my best. i could never give up the occasional pizza (hello dairy)...but it's worth it. i definitely partake in a milkshake (more dairy) here and there. i regret it 100% of the time because of the stomachache it gives me. but it's all about balance...and these are the foods that keep me balanced.