I tend to be on the go often and having snacks on hand is super helpful, especially to avoid getting hangry. However, a lot of the grab and go snacks in the grocery store have loads of sugar and artificial preservatives that sometimes leave me more low energy after a few hours than before. (Luckily, there are brands like Perfect Bar, changing the healthy snack game!)

These homemade protein balls are AMAZING and have the perfect balance of sweet and savory with tons of protein. I like to make a large batch or even double batch and store them in the freezer so I have a supply to last me a couple weeks. I take about two either for breakfast or an afternoon snack and sometimes I'll have one solo for post dinner dessert. 

You can totally customize this recipe with your favorite nut butter, honey or agave. These are the ones I use:

Recipe:
1 cup of rolled oats
1/2 cup of cacao nibs
1/2 cup crushed walnuts or almonds
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1/2 cup ground flaxseed meal
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
​
Hope you find them just as yummy and filling as I do and if you find any spins on the recipe that you tried and loved, please share! 

Jessica

In our house the phrase "clean eating" has two meanings, how/where we eat and what we eat. 

Do you ever notice that when your life starts getting a little busier or more stressful your eating habits start to decline and then consequently the piles of mail and uncleaned crumbs start to increase on the kitchen counter? Whenever this starts to happen for me, I have a quick trick to get back in the swing of things...clean the kitchen. 

It may sound like just one more thing you don't have time for, but with just thirty to ninety minutes of organizing and prep, it can turn your unhealthy habits around. 

One of the reasons I love home decor and design is because how you feel in your home and in your space can impact your mental state. If things start to get out of order in your home, you will surely start to feel that same stress and disorder in the rest of your life. The same is true for the opposite, stress from work, kids and relationships can cause us to break some of our better habits. So just like New Year's resolutions, I have found that a quick power hour of cleaning or organizing can get my mind in the right place for positive and productive focus. 

The best way I have found to fuel my healthy routine in times of stress is:

What is the 1 & 1? You know the "junk drawer" in your kitchen, thats one. The other is the pantry. No matter how many times I clean these two places, they always find a way to get a little bit "higgly piggly" as my mom always says. Each one should only take 15-30 minutes each to clean depending on how big they are, but be RUTHLESS in your cleaning. It may be hard at first, but trust me it's worth it in the long run of feeling good in your space. 

For the pantry:

• Check expiration dates and see what you can donate. (If you haven't eaten it in five years...are you going to?) 
• Place items back in the pantry by "type" I like to put pastas near pasta sauces and cereal near granola boxes. If you have enough space, try using bins and labels to keep things together and organized. (Major inspo here from Brighton Keller). 

For the junk drawer: 

• Ask the question, "should this go somewhere else?" I find that sometimes things that have another home end up in the junk drawer for who knows what reason. So first up is put things in their rightful homes. 
• Second, keep it to one layer. The reason these drawers become junk drawers is because we don't know what the heck is in them. So as you purge this drawer, try get it to a point where you can see everything in it the moment you open it. This way you a) .know what's in it and b) only keep the super important things that make the cut there. 

The best way to eat healthy, is to have the essential items easily at hand. I've found keeping my olive oil and stir spoons right on the counter in a decorative way does two things. 

• Makes it easy to grab them when you are sautéing (one of my favorite ways to cook up healthy meals with tons of veggies and ground turkey or cubed chicken).
• Adds unique dimension to your kitchen. I had some old candle holders that never got used and they now hold my oil and vinegar bottles. Looks great, is functional, and keeps them in a quick and easy spot. (win, win, win!). 

Once you've got a little organizing done, grab you keys and head to the grocery store. (If you have time, give your fridge a nice cleaning first). It's much easier to eat healthy, when you are excited about what is in your fridge. Here is my go-to list for re-inspiring the clean eating train. 

• Spinach (I love eating it raw in a salad or steamed. Takes almost no time to cook and has tons of nutrients). 
• Yogurt (My favorite is plain, whole milk yogurt. I love it for protein rich breakfast with cereal or granola and then also use it as a substitute for cream in more saucy dishes). 
• Fruit and Veggie snacks (carrots cucumber, apple slices, oranges or celery, they are great to have on hand as an easy grab and go when you are busy and also pair well with peanut or almond butter for some added protein.)
• Pick a healthy treat (Life is all about balance right. I like to have one little sweet treat after dinner but to keep it healthy, I stick to either low quantity a.k.a. a tiny piece of something decadent or low impact like Halo Top ice cream or fresh strawberries with a light drizzle of chocolate sauce. 
• Flowers (They may not be edible, but they definitely help make your space brighter and draw you in to spend time enjoying where you are. While what you eat fuels your body, where you are fuels your mind.)

The craziness of life isn't always in our control, but for me a little organization can help bring my mind and motivation to the right place for other healthy habits. Clean space = clean eating :-) and if you need a little motivation while getting your clean on, check out my Spring Cleaning playlist. I hope the tips help and if you have questions or ideas I may be missing, I'd love to see them in the comments.