Office Tips and Urban Jams

Hey there Nibblers!  This week co-founder Jennifer Love interviews Jennifer Fugo of Gluten Free School on eating healthy while at work and Jenny S. gives us another awesome playlist.  Have a great week!  And if you haven't entered this months contest, do it!  We've received some great submission.  Enter today for your chance to win NibMor products and gear!  

Love Letter's For NibMor 

JLove’s Healthy Eating: Office Tip #1
  Do you want to pack a home-made meal for lunch but you just can’t seem to find enough time to do it every day? No worries! The key is in getting organized. I asked Jennifer Fugo, founder of the Gluten Free School, and a favorite gal-pal of mine to share 5 tips on “How to make it Easy to Pack Your Lunch on the Go”. Here are her suggestions…

As a person with food sensitivities, I always need to be prepared.  That's been my mantra for the last four years and I can tell you that when I get lazy and 'wing it', things never go well for me.  That's why an ounce of planning adds up to less stress, taking care of myself and having my day go smoothly.  Plus, I feel best when I have food with me that I prepared at home because I know FOR SURE that it's not contaminated with something I personally shouldn't be eating (like gluten, dairy and eggs).
To help you get in the habit, here are my tips to 'being prepared' to bring your lunch with you!

1) Cook in bulk.
I personally cook twice a week since I don't have time to cook for every meal, nor every day.  Therefore, the meals I cook are often picked for how well they'll last (3 to 4 days in the fridge is ideal).  Even though I'm cooking for two people, I cook extra so that I can make 3 lunches out of my meals as well as have some left over for dinners.  And if I'm lucky, I'll even have some to freeze for those moments when I'm in a pinch and just need to have something ready to eat.  Start using your oven and even a slow-cooker for even more help!

2) Before serving yourself, make your lunch!
I do not sit down to eat before setting out my lunch bowls and filling them with my meals which go into the fridge once they've cooled.  I've found that if I eat before taking this important step, I'm less likely to make my lunch bowls after I'm done.  So give yourself an extra 5 minutes and put yours together.

3) Add veggies.
Frozen vegetables are excellent to have on hand and can be added to something like pasta or chili if and when you need to expand a meal in a matter of seconds.  I keep my freezer stocked with my favorites and add them directly to the lunch bowls frozen.  The veggies will defrost and cook once you heat up your meal.

4) Grains can be a big help!
Whole grains like quinoa or brown rice are excellent options to 'add some nutritious bulk' to your meals.  A 1/2-cup serving of these grains adds lots of minerals and fiber.  Plus, you can easily cook them in a rice cooker and then keep them refrigerated for 4 days.  I even freeze extra brown rice in freezer bags for the 'in a pinch' moments.

5) Beans, beans...good for your heart...
And they're great for increasing bulk to a meal as well as fiber.  Keep cans of beans on hand, but make sure that they aren't loaded with lots of ingredients.  Beans, water, and sea salt are the best ingredients to look for.  Just make sure to rinse them well before adding them to your hot meal or salad.

If you follow my five tips, you'll never get stuck without a home-cooked meal for lunch!  And the best part is that those bulk meals I make end up going a long way because I can mix and match them up with the veggies, grains and beans.  I wish you happy and healthy eating!

You can join Jennifer for some great classes and info about living a gluten free life at http://www.glutenfreeschool.com.
  
Jenny's Jam List: Theme of the Week- URbaN-liCouS

When I was little, one of my dreams was to become a singer/ rapper. I thought I would be the next “Female version of Eminem”. I just love what these few artists on this playlist have done for Music. I find that I listen to this playlist when I am dragging and pooped out from what life has thrown at me. So Nibblers “Dust your shoulders off” and “Bust a move”!

Jam Playlist
1.       No Money, No Problems by The Notorious B.I.G.

2.       Gossip Folks by Missy Elliott

3.       Changes by 2Pac (Tupac)

4.       So Fresh, So Clean by Outkast

5.       Young Forever by Jay-Z

  http://www.NibMor.com

 

A few extras for your weekend.

A few things for your weekend.  Co-founder Heather K. Terry's super fast dessert and some more fun facts from Lauren.  Have a great weekend Nibblers!  And if you haven't submitted your 'Love Letter' for our contest, get to it!  

Love Letter's For NibMor Contest! 

 HKT's Simple Go- To Dessert: This is one of my favorite things to do, cause baking or blending can be such a hassle sometimes.  Take a half cup of greek yogurt(or a non-dairy yogurt option), top with1/4 cup of Purely Elizabeth's Original Granola and grate one piece of NibMor's Daily Dose of Dark.  Instant Bliss!


Reduce Stress with Lauren:   I think it’s safe to say a lot of people are feeling stressed whether it is in your personal life or work life.  SELF.com has some ways to help reduce the stress levels.  When you wake up in the morning stretch out your body. Something as simple as flexing and pointing your feet or stretching your hamstrings will help you go throughout your day less stressed.  When you feel stressed it can lead to feeling anxious so it is important to calm yourself as you wake up so you are prepared for the day ahead of you.  You can also do Yoga to help relieve stress.  I have heard from a lot of people that Yoga is a great way to calm your body and reduce stress & anxiety.
 
Aside from the de-stressing tools I listed above it is also importance to do something you enjoy every day that brings you happiness.  Go out for a walk, a run, or whatever you’d like!  Stay healthy and active and enjoy what you do. 
  

  http://www.NibMor.com

 

Healthy Travel Tips with Jared Koch of Clean Plates and another Rockin' Playlist

What's up Nibblers?  What a week!  It's like spring here on the east coast, we almost forgot Valentine's day is around the corner.  Valentine's Day!  Have you entered our contest yet?  Win cool NibMor products and gear by writing to us about your favorites.  For more deets, click the link below:

Love Letter's For NibMor

 

Today's blog is awesome (when isn't it?!).  Co-founder Jennifer Love interviews Jared Koch of Clean Plates.  Clean Plates is the Zagat Guide to healthy and tasty eating around your favorite cities.  Jenny S. has provided us with another stellar playlist.  Have a great week!

 

JLove’s Healthy Eating Travel Tip #2

Do you struggle in finding delicious and healthy restaurants while traveling? You are not alone.

To add to my ‘eating healthy while traveling’ woes….I’m mostly vegan. But, it’s not as hard as you might think. One way I combat the nutritious and delicious traveling paradox is using sites like www.CleanPlates.com <http://www.CleanPlates.com>  to quickly and easily locate vegetarian friendly restaurants. I went straight to the source to discuss this topic with my dear friend Jared Koch, founder of Clean Plates.

JLove: As an owner of Clean Plates, you are a person that travels a lot, especially with Clean Plates’ huge presence here in NY and the company’s expansion into LA and other cities. BUT, what do you personally do to find healthy and delicious food while on the go?

Jared: When I know that I will be traveling to another city, I will usually contact any friends that live in that city and ask them for recommendations, or I will do a quick search online to find restaurants that use sustainable, local and organic ingredients. The key is that I’m prepared before I travel.

JLove: That’s a great point Jared. Being organized and knowing in advance where to go certainly will keep you on track. Do you find that most cities have healthy restaurants?

Jared: Eating healthy is a growing trend and more and more restaurants are either solely focused on serving sustainable, local and/or organic foods or offering healthy options. I’ve never had an issue where I couldn’t find a restaurant in a city I’m traveling in that had at least some healthy options. I allow myself the 80-20 Rule. 80% of the time I make sure I’m eating healthy and 20% of the time I allow myself to indulge. BUT, I always order vegetables and I keep a stash of NibMor in my pocket too.

JLove: I like the sound of that! This is a really balanced approach. What are the two things you do to eat healthy while travelling?

Jared: I bring a meal or snacks, like nuts and dried fruits, with me. I also bring packets of oatmeal for my breakfasts, because breakfast is the hardest meal to get in/find healthy while travelling.

JLove: Excellent! I’m sure that a lot of people that struggle to find healthy and delicious food while travelling will find these tips helpful. Thank you so much for taking the time to share your personal tips. Keep up the amazing work you are doing over at Clean Plates.

You can download Clean Plates new free iPhone app at http://app.cleanplates.com/ which allows you to quickly and easily find healthy, sustainable and delicious restaurants by browsing a database of dining options for organic meats, vegan and vegetarian top picks, gluten-free options, and naturally sweetened desserts.      

 Jenny's Playlist: Electro-FUNK (theme of the Week)

This week I have been in somewhat of a Funk… In order for me to get out of that I have just recently joined a gym and started making healthier choices in not only food but men! I think the greatest tunes to listen to when you need a “Shock” back into your life is “Electro-Funk” jams. Funk it out Nibblers!

Jam List
1.       Cry for you by September

2.       Derezzed by Draft Punk

3.       Midnight City by M83

4.       Young Folks by Peter Bjorn and John

5.       Lights (Bassnectar Remix) by Ellie Goulding (My ultimate favorite song right now)
http://www.NibMor.com

 

 

 

More from the NibMor Gals

We are sticking to our New Year Resolution to get you more info for your health and wellness, are you?!  Co-founder Heather K. Terry shares one of her favorite alt junk food recipes and Lauren found out something that shocked the whole office!

If you haven't entered our 'Love Letters For NibMor' Contest yet- get to it!  We are giving away some amazing prize packages.  For more info go to: 

Love Letter's For NibMor Contest

Have a great weekend Nibblers!

HKT's Pizza Throw-down
I love pizza.  Plain and simple!  I grew up on the south side of Chicago where Gino's East and Giordano's were standard fare.  Cheese was a big down fall for me, as was all that bread.  You KNOW what I am talking about! 

As my diet and lifestyle have changed over the years, I found it difficult to keep my coveted pizza in my life, until I discovered a few key ingredients.  It's no Gino's East Nibblers, but it's pretty darn good.  Without all the fat and calories, you will be satisfied and still on track.  Enjoy!

ALT PIZZA
1 Ezekiel tortilla flat or brown rice wrap
2 tbsp pizza sauce
Toppings:  this equals VEGETABLES!  ANY KIND!  My favorite is 3 shitake mushrooms, sliced and a handful of spinach.
2 tbsp daiya cheese(this is dairy free) or shredded mozzerella

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.  Assemble the pizza- tortilla, sauce, veg and then cheese to top.  Place pizza on a pizza stone or baking sheet.  Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the crust is slightly browned and cheese is melted. 


Lauren discovered the most awesome thing this week! 
Hey Nibblers!   I am really excited about this new fact I learned this week from the nutrition contributor at NBC.  I am a big fan of artichokes and I just learned that they are at the top of the list for the vegetable that has the most antioxidants and the most fiber as well.  1 cup of artichokes has about 14 grams of fiber.  So load up on artichokes because they are great for you and they will help improve your overall health.  For the Super Bowl, instead of an unhealthy dip try a dip that has lot of artichokes in it!  Your body will thank you for it!

http://www.NibMor.com

 

Traveling Tips from the J's

Hi there Nibblers!  We're so happy that you are here.  And we hope you are taking this month to lay down some new habits as you rock your resolutions!


Today's blog is all about travel.  Jennifer Love, one of our co-founders, interviews a Nibbler who travels often and lost a ton of weight after being inspired by the NibMor lifestyle.  Jenny S. is a commuter and her Jam list is centered around travel time (it's super fun and funny- we wish what Jenny proposes in this blog would actually happen).  Enjoy and have a great week!

JLove’s Healthy Eating Travel Tip #1

Those of you that travel, likely experience challenges staying on track and eating healthy during business meals. One of our Nibblers, an Executive at Hewlett Packard, is constantly on the road traveling to and from customers, suppliers and business partners. He has been living the NibMor Lifestyle, focusing on healthy eating, for over a year now and has seen some great results. I heard about a tool he uses while traveling that helps keep him on track and I asked him if he’d be willing to share it. Here’s my interview with him:

JLove: When you go to a restaurant with customers,  suppliers or colleagues for a business meal, while traveling, you use a tool to help yourself stay on track. Tell me about it.

RW: I know that I should be eating healthy. What I do is make sure that everyone else at the table knows that I’m going to be eating healthy. I use the opening of the menu as a trigger to remind me of what I want to do next. At that point, I verbally declare to the table that I’m working on my health and trying to eat healthy even when I travel. I let everyone know that I’ll be focusing on vegetables and fish. I let the table know, that I use to use business meals as an excuse to over indulge and make bad food choices, but not anymore.

JLove: That’s a great tool. How does this help you?

RW: It literally puts me in a public position where I cannot eat badly because I just declared that I’m going to be eating healthy. If I did make bad food choices it would make me an outright liar. As a result of this public accountability, I make great food choices while at these business meals and I walk away from the table feeling very good about myself.

JLove: How do your customers, suppliers and/or colleagues respond to this?

RW: Their responses are usually very positive and quite often they join me in those good food choices. On occasion, I’ve had times that the entire table joins in on a meal of fish and vegetables.

JLove: Do you find that the conversation around the table turns to nutrition and health?

RW: Absolutely yes, especially when they learn that the result of my doing things like this, over the period of 16 months, has resulted in my weight loss of 130 pounds.

JLove: Wow, that’s great! Keep up the good work. I’m sure that a lot of people that travel and have business meals will find this tip to be very useful. Thank you so much for sharing your experience.

If you have a healthy eating travel tip, reach out to me by sending an email to info@NibMor.com. I’d be interested in hearing all about it.


Jam List from Jenny S:

Theme: “Dance Car”

Let’s face it commuting sucks! My friend Katelyn Gallamore and I used to storm up ideas on our daily commute of what would make them better, well… We thought a “Designated Dance Car” on each subway and railroad would be AMAZING! If that existed these songs would be a must. But feel free to dance to these tunes in your car, shower, kitchen, on your morning walk, or even at the DMV while waiting, I bet the time would go by faster. Keep Jammin’ Nibblers!

Jammin Playlist
1.       Release by Timbaland featuring Justin Timberlake

2.       Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO

3.       Day ‘N’ Nite by Kid Cudi

4.       Push It by Salt N Pepa

5.       Another Night by Real McCoy

  

http://www.NibMor.com

 

More New Year Resolution Support!

We're all about supporting you with your health and wellness goals this year.  Here are some more recipes, tips and tricks from the NibMor Gals and Team! 

HKT's Recipe of the week:

Make your own Museli

I took this recipe out of Whole Living Magazine and jazzed it up a bit.  Why am I so focused on breakfast these last two weeks?  It's the most important meal of the day!  Truly, it is- breakfast eaters tend to eat less throughout the day and are more binge resistant.  Get your breakfast on!  

2 tbsp whole rolled oats (or gluten free oats)

2 tbsp cooked brown rice

1/2 a green apple cut into slices

1 tbsp shredded raw coconut

1/2 cup almond milk (or whatever milk you like)

A sprinkle of coconut palm sugar (optional)

Add oats, rice and milk into a sauce pan.  Heat on medium high heat for several minutes- do not boil.  Mixture will thicken a bit.  Add apples and coconut and stir.  Keep on heat for one more minute.  Pour into a bowl and sprinkle a little coconut sugar on top.  Delicious! 

Juice with JLove:

Today is day 16 on the cleanse. YES, I decided to extend my cleanse another week. I want to REALLY push my reset button on this detox cleanse! One of the things that really helps me stay on track during my cleanse is being organized. Here’s how I organize each week:

1.      PLAN: On Sundays I sit down and plan what juice I will have for each meal that week (I list names/pages/books for each juice). I then put all of the recipes/books in a pile in my kitchen for easy access. (15min)

2.      CREATE SHOPPING LIST: Because I know what juices I will have each day of the upcoming week, I go through the juice recipes and make a list all of the ingredients. (15min)

3.      POST: I post my juice meal plan on the refrigerator for easy access.

4.      STOCK UP: I then take my shopping list to the grocery store and purchase all of the ingredients I need for that week. (30min)

5.      AM ROUTINE: Each morning I get up and make all of the juices for that day. (30 – 60min)


**Total Prep Time Spent = 1 hour planning and shopping. Total Daily Juicing Time Spent = 30 – 60 min. Easy breezy!!**

Being organized saves tons of time, removes frustration and makes it easier to stay on track.

Here’s a new favorite juice of mine:

Refreshing Fennel-Pear
2 Pears
5 – 8 Mint Leaves
2 Medium Fennel Bulbs

* inspired by Joe Cross’s Reboot Juice

Few health facts from Lauren:

Hey Nibblers did you know that drinking Green Tea can help boost your immune system and help boost your metabolism as well.  Research has also shown that Green Tea can have a positive effect when fighting cancer and heart disease.  Basically something as simple as drinking a cup of Green Tea each day can give your body lots of antioxidants to help fight off toxins!  So go out and get some green tea!

And finally, the fun part, your Jam list from Jenny S.: This week it's all about art and inspiration. 

Theme: Creative Calm

This week I have been in a very creative state of mind from the kitchen to creating home beauty remedies. I enjoy listening to my music loud, but when I am concentrating or focusing it's hard to have tunes that overwhelm your thoughts. So I like to listen to Jams that can create a soundtrack to me; cooking, dancing, sketching, sewing, creating art, knitting, or painting my nails hot pink, you name it!

Tunes:
1. Bittersweet Symphony by The Verve
2. Help I'm Alive by Metric
3. Save Me by Jem
4. What the Water Gave me by Florence and The Machine
5. Set fire to the Rain by Adele  

Till next week! 

HAPPY NEW YEAR with NibMor!

What's up Nibblers?!  Happy New Year!  We hope you partied safe and had fun!  But guess what?  It's the new year and we KNOW you are all committed to those resolutions.  Well, we have a few of our own too!  Wanna know what they are?  Well you are looking at it!  One of our resolutions at NibMor is to get more info out to you about how to live a healthier lifestyle.  Specifically, what all of us at NibMor are doing to maintain our own health and wellness goals.  We all help each other out over here and we want to be there for you too.  Each week you'll get Whole Food recipes and Dessert tricks from Heather, Juicing and Eating While Traveling tips from Jennifer Love,  Health & Wellness Revelations from Lauren, and a Jammin' Playlist to take the gym (or on your walk, etc..) with Jenny S.   Are you ready?  We are!  Here ya go Nibblers- rock out those resolutions with your awesome self!

Whole Food Recipe from Heather:

I'm a gym rat- I need the gym in the morning or I can get a bit grouchy!  When I get back I need to fuel up for our long days here at NibMor.  Right now, this is my favorite breakfast combo- it's fast, easy and fuels me through the mornings.  Try it out!

HKT's Breakfast Green Smoothie (2 servings)

1 banana

1 cup almond milk or coconut water

3-4 kale leaves

juice of 1/2 a lemon

one green apple- cut out the core

1 tsp agave nectar

2 tbsp cacao powder

Blend and enjoy!  YUM!

HKT's Waflles

2 whole grain or gluten-free waffles(if going GF try Van's- they are V-good)

6 almonds, chopped

1/4 cup berries

1 tbsp yogurt (soy, greek, coconut- whatever you are into!)

maple syrup- just a drizzle

Toast the waffles in a toaster or toaster over.  Plate and top with almonds, berries, 'yogurt' and maple syrup.  Let happiness wash over you. 

Juice with JLove:

I am on a cleanse!  A new year cleanse is a great way to restart your system. I do them several times a year and find that they really help keep me on track.  Though I am doing a cleanse right now it doesn't mean that I don't take juice on other days outside of the cleanse.  Juicing can be incredibly helpful in reaching your health and wellness goals and I hope to share loads of information with all of you as the year goes on.  But for now, juice!  Today is day 9 of 15- wish me luck!

 ABC’s Juice
2 Asian Pears
2 Apples
2 Beets
1 cup Broccoli
2 Carrots
1 cup Cabbage (my fav is red)
6 handfuls (3 cups) of Chard
* inspired by Joe Cross’s Reboot Juice 

Lauren picked up a few facts this week:

At NibMor I am always learning new things!  Here is a new fact I learned this week from Heather: Did you know that Berries have the least amount of sugar out of all fruits?  Well, now I know!  Add your favorite berries to your oatmeal, smoothies, or even your salads for a healthy natural sweetener!  It will help with to satisfy your sweet tooth.  Have a great week Nibblers!

And finally, your jam list from Jenny S. :

Song Choices for the week:

1.       Beyonce- Run the World (Girls)
2.       Chaka Khan- I’m Every Woman
3.       Kelly Clarkson- Miss Independent
4.       Katy Perry- Firework
5.       Gloria Gaynor- I will Survive

Female Empowerment (theme for the week)
This is what I listen to when I am looking for inspiration and empowerment. This soundtrack makes me proud to be a young independent female in what is considered a “Man’s World.” I also surround myself with positive role models and individuals I would like to be one day. Enjoy these tunes while you walk to the beat of your own drum. Alright- go out there and get em!

http://www.NibMor.com