The Wellness Care Blog: Best of the Bean

Hi friends!

I can hardly believe that today marks the start of my 8th year of blogging! That's 7 full years in the books, folks. And boy has a lot changed since I hit publish on that first post back in 2010.

The blogging world is a unique space that is constantly evolving and changing. I continue to be eternally grateful that I've been able to turn my passion into a career. It took hard work, dedication and sacrifice, but I'm so proud to see all that hard work paying off. I get to wake up every day and divide my time between raising my kids and sharing my love of food and nutrition with all of you – my two favorite things in the whole world!

Every time I sit down to work on this blog, I strive to stay true to my tagline – Balanced. Simple. Real.

I'm just a girl attempting to navigate the world of motherhood, on a mission to show you that healthy eating doesn't have to be restrictive, complicated or expensive.

But when it comes right down to it, the thing I value most about my blog and my social media accounts is that they give me a platform to keep it real.

I share my life with you guys in hopes that it'll help just one person every day. Because despite what a lot of social media today wants you to believe:

Real life isn't perfect. It's reheated coffee, dirty clothes, screaming kids, sleepless nights, mile long to-do lists, messy play rooms and forgotten appointments. It's feeling immense amounts of love and pride for some of the tiniest people in your life, while simultaneously feeling overwhelmed, frustrated and hopelessly inadequate.

If me sharing everything from healthy family dinners to epic toddler meltdowns helps even one person feel like they're not alone…then it's worth it! And on the flip side…when I share my life with you, it gives you the opportunity to teach and help me as well…And for that, I'm eternally grateful.

So thank you so much to all of you who read this blog and choose to follow along on our crazy journey. I certainly couldn't do it without you!

Every year I like to take a look back at all of the posts I published and share a recap with you. If you're a new reader, here are some resources and recipes to check out. If you're a longtime reader, perhaps it'll remind you of a recipe or two you've been meaning to try!

So, here are some of my favorite posts from the past year:

Best of The Lean Green Bean Snack

MAIN DISHES

Healthy options for breakfast, lunch and dinner!

5 Minute Breakfast Hash
Turmeric Yogurt Chicken
Skillet Mediterranean Chicken Pasta
Wild Rice Power Bowl
Instant Pot Beef Stew
BBQ Pulled Pork Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Instant Pot Asian Chicken
Greek Shrimp and Farro
Pesto Chicken Caprese Pasta
Instant Pot Pasta With Meat Sauce
Instant Pot Shredded Hummus Chicken
One Pot Orzo Pasta Salad With Chicken Sausage
Asian Flank Steak
Spicy Chicken Pitas
Instant Pot Thai Peanut Chicken Soup
Lentil Sloppy Joes
Quick & Easy Vegetable Recipes

Best of The Lean Green Bean Snacks

SNACKS

Snacks that kids and adults alike can enjoy!

Easy Smoked Salmon Dip
Sweet Potato Waffle Nachos
Easy Banana Oat Bars
Green Smoothie Snack Bars
Peanut Butter Chickpea Bars
Nut Free Toddler Trailmix
Dessert French Toast Waffle Bites
Peanut Butter Banana Chia Pudding
Blueberry Cauliflower Smoothie

best of the lean green bean kid food

KID FOOD

Healthy food inspiration for your little ones!

Easy Toddler Meals
40 Healthy Toddler Meals
50 Healthy Toddler Meal Ideas
What My Toddler Chose To Eat
Kid-Friendly Food Prep Recipes
Kid-Friendly Vegetable Recipes
Table Talk – An ebook full of tips & tricks for feeding young kids

Life:
On my blogiversary last year, I was about 6 months pregnant so the past year has been a big one for our family. Squish turned 2 at the end of October. Little Miss was born the first week of November. I wrote a day in the life post every 3 months and monthly updates for Little Miss (click here to read those).

kid activities