About this time of year, I find myself becoming a little less enthusiastic about lunch packing. (I think it’s because the excitement of the back-to-school season has slowly been replaced by the tiring pace of a busy fall schedule.)

Of course, I know packing a healthy lunch for my kids is super important, but sometimes I get into the same-old-same-old rut and need a little inspiration! Maybe you do too?

That’s why I’m excited to share one of my favorite new resources for “lunch-spiration” with you. It’s my dear friend Laura Fuentes’ cookbook “The Best Homemade Kids’ Lunches on the Planet.”

If you’ve read any of my lunch packing posts, then you know Laura’s awesome site MOMables is my number one favorite site for healthy and delicious lunch ideas and recipes. So when Laura told me she was writing a cookbook, I knew it would be far more than just a collection of healthy kid-friendly lunch recipes. And oh my, I was right – her new book is the quintessential guidebook to everything lunches.

Photo courtesy of Laura Fuentes, “The Best Homemade Kids’ Lunches on the Planet” cookbook.

From helpful strategies for easy lunch packing and meal planning, to tips for dealing with picky eaters and eating on the go – Laura shares all of her secrets for putting together healthy lunches your kids will love! 

Speaking of which, when it comes to recipes, The Best Homemade Kids’ Lunches on the Planet contains more than 200 kid-tested & approved real food lunch recipes, including many options for those living gluten-free. So I encourage you to watch Laura’s quick video tour of her new book or take a “Look Inside” The Best Homemade Kids’ Lunches on the Planet and see for yourself what a helpful and delicious resource this beautiful cookbook truly is!

And if Laura’s new cookbook isn’t enough to get us all fired-up about healthy lunch packing, then perhaps a little Healthy Lunches Giveaway is just the FUN we need to break free from the lunch-packing doldrums.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Ultimate Healthy Lunches Giveaway ends Sunday, November 9, 2014!

Be sure to enter for a chance to win the Ultimate “Lunch-spiration” Package, which includes three of my favorite healthy lunch-packing essentials:

• 1 copy of Laura Fuentes’ new cookbook The Best Homemade Kids’ Lunches on the Planet. With more than 200 kid-approved real food recipes, plus tips and strategies for making lunch packing a snap, this book truly is a must-have for busy families who want to eat healthier.

• 1 EasyLunchboxes Container Set and 1 Easy Lunchboxes Insulated Lunch Bag. It’s no surprise why my friend Kelly Lester’s Easy Lunchboxes are the #1 best-selling lunchboxes on Amazon – they make packing a healthy, environmentally-friendly, waste-free lunch FUN!

That’s because these cute bento-style boxes are free of harmful chemicals, are machine washable, and are dishwasher/freezer safe. They’re also stackable for easy storage in the fridge and are much more durable than the typical reusable containers sold in grocery stores. These are just a few reasons why Easy Lunchboxes are one of the most popular lunch containers on the market!

• 2 individual packs of Lunchbox Love Notes for Kids. These little love notes are absolutely precious, and are such a heartfelt way to let your kids know how much you love them.

Whether you have preschoolers, elementary age kids or teens, SayPlease.com has an amazing line of “love notes” for kids of all ages, even adults. The notes include an inspiring message along with cool trivia and funny jokes. I love putting these thoughtful little notes into my boys’ lunchboxes, because I know it makes them feel loved and special.

So please take a minute to enter for your chance to win this helpful and fun Healthy Lunches Giveaway before it ends on Sunday, November 9, 2014. And even though I know you really want to win, may I ask you to share this giveaway with a friend or two? Thanks so much!

Also, be sure to check back on Monday to see who the lucky winner is – maybe it will be YOU?

Until then, happy lunch packing!

A few weeks ago, I received an amazing gift – Danielle Walker’s Meals Made Simple. It has been such a special blessing to me, especially since this summer was so difficult and I wasn’t eating as well as I should. That’s why I recently started the Whole30 program – in an effort to hit the “reset” button and get back on track with my health.

So when Danielle’s beautiful new cookbook arrived, it truly was God’s perfect timing! I’ve been so excited to share this helpful new resource with you and so I’ve put together a little photo tour of why this book is so special to me!

Yet, before I launch into my absolute adoration of Danielle and begin gushing over her amazing new cookbook, I wanted to first share just a little with you about why she has been such a huge inspiration to me personally, and to so many others who struggle with chronic health issues.

As many of you know, in the spring of 2012, I made the commitment to go gluten-free in an effort to better manage my chronic autoimmune and inflammatory illnesses. And although I did see a huge improvement in my health, I still continued to struggle with recurrent episodes of painful digestive issues and fatigue. It wasn’t until the Lord graciously let me on a path of discovering the grain-free lifestyle that my health truly made a dramatic turn for the better.

As a result of the knowledge shared by many talented grain-free bloggers like Danielle at Against All Grain, I learned how the grain-free lifestyle was radically transforming lives by helping so many who were suffering (just like me, and many of you) to find relief and hope!

Personally, I find that to be the most endearing quality about Danielle – her passion for sharing hope. She has a real gift for encouraging and inspiring others by sharing her personal health struggles and her talent for making grain-free living so incredibly delicious and simple that you truly do not feel like you’re missing out on anything.

So that’s why I have been an avid fan of Danielle’s and was so excited to purchase her first book Against All Grain, you can read my review of her first book here. Then just one year later, she far surpassed the bar she raised with Against All Grain in bringing us another soon to be NY Times Best Seller – Meals Made Simple.

What I love about Meals Made Simple is that it completely lives up to its name. Each of Danielle’s recipes are simple, yet delicious and best of all – they’re family-friendly too! What better way can I express how much I love this book, then to give you a little photo tour that highlights just a few of my favorite recipes and helpful features of this amazing grain-free cookbook.

As a busy mom and wife herself, Danielle knows firsthand that we could all use more simple healthy recipes for easy weeknight cooking. So she pulled out all of the stops and has delivered more than 100 delicious and nutritious recipes that include everything from simple comfort foods to easy-to-make gourmet delights.

But the wonderful thing is … she doesn’t just stop there! Instead, (as shown above) Danielle also includes an 8-week dinner meal plan with shopping lists, quick meals, and make-ahead meals to help us save time, money and stress. (You know how much I love meal planning!) She also includes her personal tips for managing a food budget, stocking the pantry, and lots of other helpful tips & tidbits that make cooking and planning meals a snap!

Shown above are a few of my favorite recipes from Meals Made Simple. With more than 100 delicious recipes, it isn’t an easy task to pair down my favorites list to just a handful, but for the sake of time, below are just a few of our very favorites!

Breakfasts – Danielle shares a bunch of delicious breakfast ideas, but my favorite by far is her section on quick & healthy egg scrambles. She provides so many great ideas for whipping up tasty, healthy egg dishes – I promise you’ll never get bored with eggs again!

Salads – I must admit, I’m not a huge salad fan, unless they are truly hearty. So I was pleasantly surprised to find Danielle’s salad recipes to be a meal in themselves. Especially her amazing Buffalo Chicken Salad. Oh my, it’s truly remarkable! Even the strapping young lads in my home loved it.

Dinners – My family can attest, there really hasn’t been a single dinner of Danielle’s that we haven’t enjoyed. But our hands-down favorite so far is her spicy, flavorful Chicken Verde. I love that I can pop it in the slow cooker and come home to a delicious dinner ready for my whole family to enjoy.

Sides – As I’ve made my way along the grain-free path, I’ve often found myself craving rice. It’s really the only grain that I miss and one that I’ve been reluctant to replace. So when I saw Danielle’s section on how to make a variety of cauliflower “rice” dishes, I was a bit skeptical. But thank goodness my curiosity was greater than my doubt, because I truly enjoyed this newfound alternative – especially her flavorful Saffron Cauli-Rice.

Zoodles (a.k.a. veggie pasta) – Yes! You know my passion for spiralizing, as evidenced by my How to Spiralize Series this past spring. Well, I’d never have thought to create Pepperoni Pizza Pasta, but thank goodness Danielle did. This crazy-good recipe captures all the flavor of a meat-lovers pizza.

Desserts – Anything lemon immediately catches my eye, since I adore its tangy citrusy flavor. I’ve been wanting to create a grain-free lemon pudding cake recipe for months, but there’s simply no need to now. Danielle’s light and luscious Lemon Curd Cake is a delicious dream come true!

A Treat for the Eyes – Of course, I would be completely remiss if I didn’t mention Danielle’s amazing talent for food photography. As you flip through Meals Made Simple, it’s like being transported into real foodie heaven where each recipe looks absolutely divine. So perhaps the only drawback to this book is that it may leave you (like it did me) feeling a bit overwhelmed in not knowing which recipe you should to make first! So, I decided that I will just enjoying making them ALL! Problem solved.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this glimpse of a few of my favorites from Meals Made Simple and that it’s helped you to see what a wonderful resource this book truly is! Of course, you can always take a more extensive peek at Danielle’s Meals Made Easy cookbook on Amazon using the “Look Inside” feature.

If you are living gluten-free, grain-free or simply want to reduce your carbohydrate intake and eat healthier, Danielle’s Meals Made Simple cookbook is a helpful, practical resource full of delicious, easy-to-make recipes. I simply cannot recommend this beautiful, helpful book more!

Thanks, Danielle, for sharing your God-given talents with us. You truly are a blessing and are making a tremendous difference in so many lives!

And thank you, dear readers, for allowing me to share yet another wonderful healthy lifestyle resource to help you in living a more nourished life!

P.S. If you’d like to join me on a 30-day whole food grain-free journey, be sure to check out my post “Ready to Jumpstart Your Health: Join Me for Whole30.” This post outlines how you can take charge of your health and discover the many benefits of the grain-free lifestyle. So please join me!

Disclosure: Although I received a free copy of Meals Made Simple from the publisher, as always the review above is based on my honest, personal opinion of this book. By choosing to purchase this book through one of the Amazon affiliate links in this post, The Nourishing Home will receive a small portion of the sale at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support of this ministry!

Seven years ago, my body turned against me. At least that’s what it felt like. It was as if a war was slowing beginning to rage inside me.

My body was angry. It was sick. It was tired.

If fact, I felt like it wasn’t even my body at all anymore, it was like a complete stranger. I didn’t understand it. It scared me. I wanted my old body back.

Why is this happening? What did I do? Why is my body turning against me?

Maybe you’ve felt this way – trapped inside an illness-ridden body you just don’t understand anymore.
Maybe you’ve felt hopeless, afraid, frustrated about your health?
Maybe you have a child, or a spouse, or another loved one, who is experiencing a battle with their health – allergies, illness, pain?
Maybe your health is good, yet you worry – will it always be? What can I do to safeguard my health? And what about my family’s health – can I really do something to make a difference?

With so many toxins in our environment, a broken food system that falsely elevates processed and refined foods as wholesome, and “popping a pill” as the cultural norm for treating illness, it can be completely overwhelming to figure out just HOW to take control of your health (and your family’s).

How do I find the path that leads to better health? What steps do I take first on my healthy living journey? Who can really help me?

These questions and MORE played over and over again in my mind as I prayed to the Lord – “help me know what I should do?” There has to be a better way!

Thankfully, the Lord brought precious PEOPLE into my life who taught me about true health – centered on eating the foods God created to nourish us and using the natural remedies He created for healing.

The picture above is me and my family (on left) with our dear friends Rich and Annie from One Body for Christ. They graciously took me under their wing and helped to set me on the path to healthy living.

Of course, the people God has placed in my life have come in all forms – some have been tangible friends that I can meet with over a cup of tea and tap into their wisdom in person. While many, many others have come in the form of online friends who speak to me through their books and blogs.

We all need GOOD FRIENDS! We all need HELP! We all need each other!

That’s the lesson I learned that helped me to begin making great strides in my own personal healthy living journey. It was the realization that there are so many on this same journey who are farther along than I – who have so many resources to help! This knowledge gave me the courage and hope to wrap my trembling arms around my weak, sick body and say … “it’s okay, we’re going to figure this out together with a little help from our friends, and our gracious Lord!”

So, dear reader-friends, when I get just a wee-bit overly enthusiastic about amazing resources like The Ultimate Healthy Living Bundle, it’s because I’ve personally experienced the power of knowledge – of gaining insight from the wisdom of others … of realizing we’re not alone in our health struggles, or in our desire to see our families live healthier!

Tapping into the minds of those who have walked the path of healthy living and who are willing to teach us from their experience and wisdom is an amazing BLESSING!

I can’t think of where we could possibly get a better collection of healthy living resources to educate, inspire, motivate and encourage us at such an affordable price. That’ why I promote The Ultimate Healthy Living Bundle each year.

Please note, THIS SALE HAS ENDED. But please do read more about my story in the ABOUT THE NOURISHING HOME section of this site. Thank you!

This library of healthy living resources is one I personally use and recommend because it covers so many important topics that answer so many of those questions churning round-n-round in our minds and in our hearts.

From 70+ eBooks to 7 eCourses to $200 in free products, there is no stone left unturned in this bundle. To help you see what I mean, I’ve included an overview below of the resources provided in The Ultimate Healthy Living Bundle.

Again, it’s like having a ton of wise FRIENDS sitting right there with you, talking you through what it really means to live a healthy, nourishing life.

As someone who has personally walked the often rocky, twisty-turny, uphill path from chronic pain and illness to a healthier more joyful life, I can tell you that we all need a little (sometimes A LOT) of HELP to get there.

Will The Ultimate Healthy Living Bundle lead you to “the ultimate perfect life?” – No, only Jesus Christ truly provides us with the hope and means to experience the perfect life yet to come.

But I can promise you that resources like these can empower you to take positive steps forward in your healthy living journey and each step forward will ultimately make a real difference in your health today and in the years to come!

How can The Ultimate Healthy Living Bundle help YOU and YOUR FAMILY?

The Ultimate Library
With more than 70 eBooks on a variety of healthy living topics, you’ll have a complete library of healthy living resources right at your fingertips, including …
• Real Food Cookbooks
• Special Diet Cookbooks (Gluten-Free, Grain-Free & Allergy-Friendly)
• Meal Planning & Budgeting
• Healthy Children
• Alternative Health & Home Remedies
• Fitness
• Gardening & Homesteading
• Green Cleaning
• Natural Beauty & Skincare

The Ultimate Online Classes
With more than a half-dozen online classes, there is so much helpful information we can all learn about important healthy living topics such as saving money on real food, how to use essential oils and herbs, and how to cleanse the body using real foods.

The Ultimate Bonus Products
And of course, there are some pretty AWESOME bonus offers – $200 in free healthy living products – that come with this year’s bundle!

Again, there are more than $1,000 of healthy living resources provided in this year’s bundle for just $29.

So if you’re looking for some much-needed help to spur you on and empower you in your own healthy living journey, this bundle may very well be the most life-changing purchase you’ll make this year.

Thank you!

Thank you for allowing me to share just a little about my own health journey. I hope to share more details soon, Lord willing, with the hope that it will inspire others to trust in Christ more as they struggle with taking charge of their health. Because ultimately, true health and healing comes from the Lord and although He gives us wisdom and discernment to make wise choices about our health, let’s never forget to rest in Him and His perfect grace!

Joyfully serving HIM (and you), Kelly