Banana Bread!

Have some bananas that are past their prime?  Here is an example of why we deliberately over-purchase bananas in our house. 

Check out this delicious looking recipe from Ambitious Kitchen. 
http://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/2013/01/honey-whole-wheat-chocolate-chip-banana-bread/

If you already have a favorite banana bread recipe, improve it by substituting in whole wheat flour, adding a few nuts, chopped apples, or dried fruit.  If the recipe is too dry, add an equal part applesauce to the oil (preferably canola or olive oil) called for by the recipe.

Perfect for busy families who need breakfast on the go...
Enjoy!

Salad in a Jar - on the go solution

Have you tried a salad in a jar yet?  This is an excellent solution for on-the-go meals if you don't like soggy ingredients.  You can make a delicious salad with anything that you like, but here is a basic formula. 

Any layer is optional, depending on what you are looking for.  Just remember that protein, whole grains and veggies together will keep you going longer that leaving out any one of them!  The following makes a single-serve salad, and the stuff in parentheses are examples to get you started. J

Layer from the bottom up:

2 tbsp fat (nuts, seeds, dressing/oils – be careful not to add too much!)

+

1/2 cup protein (tempeh, beans, fish, chicken, shrimp)

+

1/2 cup grains (quinoa, millet, teff, whole grain rice, barley)

+

1 cup hard or firm veggies (broccoli, asparagus, peppers, cucumber, tomato, avocado) and fruits (apples, pears, raisins, craisins, oranges, grapes)

+

2 cups greens (like baby spinach, kale, mesclun mix, romaine

Check out these great tips and variations (there are lots more, these are just the first few I came across):

·       http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-pack-the-perfect-salad-in-a-jar-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-192174

·       http://dailyburn.com/life/recipes/mason-jar-salads-recipes-healthy-lunch-ideas/

·       http://www.yogajournal.com/article/food-diet/diy-lunch-salads-go/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=diy-lunch-salads-go

Sweet Potato Fries - if you haven't tried them, you should

Week 1 recipe:

Sweet Potato “Fries"

2 Large sweet potatoes

1 to 2 T Canola or Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper

Preheat oven to 375F.  Wash and peel the sweet potatoes.  Cut the sweet potatoes into long chunks, like thick fries.  Place in a large bowl.  Mix in oil; salt and pepper to taste, stirring well to coat.  Dump onto a large cookie sheet, using a spatula to scrape any extra oil out of the bowl and onto the potatoes.  Arrange in a single layer on the sheet.  Place in the oven for 15 minutes, checking often to ensure they don’t burn.  Use a turner to flip the fries at least once, so they get brown on a couple of sides.  If you have a convection oven, use the convection cook setting as it will speed up the process and make them more “crispy.”

Remove, cool a little, and enjoy right away.  This recipe is easily doubled for “planned-overs” that are great chopped in a variety of dishes.

Parsley sprinkled on the top is optional. :)

Serves: 4-6

 

From the Stay Active Challenge e-mail, week 1. 

Live Life Well Comes to Facebook!

Hey everyone, big news!  Your State of Montana Wellness Programs, Live Life Well, are now on Facebook!  We are looking forward to getting to know all of you better, and having a fun, easy way to stay in touch about Wellness events, tips, resources, pictures, stories, and much, much more.  Like "Live Life Well" on Facebook today!
https://www.facebook.com/livelifewellMT?ref=hl

Never, EVER, Give Up

This one is well worth the watch.  Amazing!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qX9FSZJu448

Stay Active Registration NOW OPEN!

Dear State of Montana employees,

Registration is NOW OPEN!  Are you looking for a fun, FREE way to get active this spring with a chance to win GREAT prizes?  Join the Governor and hundreds of your fellow State of Montana Employees in this 8-week physical activity challenge for people of ALL fitness levels.

Here are three reasons to sign up today!

It’s FREE—There is no cost to participate! Everyone who joins gets a participant gift and a pedometer (if you need one) for free!

It’s EASY— The step entry system will be online and accessible from anywhere, anytime.

It’s FUN—We’ve got more prizes, activities, and assistance than ever!

ü    A kickoff with the Governor

ü    A chance to win an iPad Air, Fitbits, tablets, gift certificates, and more

ü    Weekly challenges and recipes

ü    No minimum OR maximum team size!

ü    One on one coaching

ü    Opportunities to get to know your fellow participants

2015 Challenge Schedule:

When	What	Where
Now	Let us know your team name – if you haven’t already *You can still tell us a new team name, but it will take a day to get it loaded into the system.	https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/teamname15
Now	Registration Open Online	Register for the Challenge!
Helena April 23 10am-1:30pm   Missoula April 21 10am-1:30pm	Challenge Kickoff- •                 A message and walk with the Governor at 12 p.m. (Helena only) •                 Booths •                 Activities •                 Prizes •                 Giveaways •                 Much more!	Helena: Capitol Rotunda       Missoula: 2677 Palmer Street - 1st floor
April 27-June 21	Challenge Takes Place	Wherever you are!

Questions:

benefitsquestions@mt.gov

(406) 444-7462

(800) 287-8266

(406) 444-1421 (TTY)

Stay Active Challenge Team Names Needed!

Dear State of Montana employees,

Are you looking for a fun, FREE way to get active this spring?  Join the Governor and hundreds of your fellow State of Montana Employees in this 8-week physical activity challenge for people of ALL fitness levels.

Here are three reasons to sign up your team name today!

It’s FREE—There is no cost to participate! Everyone who joins gets a participant gift and a pedometer (if you need one) for free!

It’s EASY— The step entry system will be online and accessible from anywhere, anytime.

It’s FUN—We’ve got more prizes, activities, and assistance than ever!

ü    A kickoff with the Governor

ü    A chance to win an iPad Air, tablets, Fitbit Charge, gift certificates, and more

ü    Weekly challenges and recipes

ü    One on one coaching

ü    Opportunities to get to know your fellow participants

2015 Challenge Schedule:

When	What	Where
Now-March 27	Let us know your team name by March 27 *Registration will be coming soon, but if you want a specific team name, you have to let us know FIRST so we can put it in the system.	https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/teamname15
March 30	Registration Open Online	www.benefits.mt.gov
Helena April 23 10am-1:30pm   Missoula April 21 10am-1:30pm	Challenge Kickoff- •                 A message and walk with the Governor at 12 p.m. (Helena only) •                 Booths •                 Activities •                 Prizes •                 Giveaways •                 Much more!	Helena: Capitol Rotunda       Missoula: 2677 Palmer Street - 1st floor
April 27-June 21	Challenge Takes Place	Wherever you are!

Questions:

benefitsquestions@mt.gov

(406) 444-7462

(800) 287-8266

(406) 444-1421 (TTY)