Meal Prep: Zucchini Egg Muffins

I'm not a big meal prepper because I love variety. However, hubby stays home with baby boy so it's sometimes hard for him to get a homemade meal on the table during the day, so I'll prep these zucchini egg muffins.

They're so easy and full of nutrition. Baby boy loves them. He won't eat eggs by themselves but he gobbles these right up. It's also nice that these are a whole meal all in one little muffin. We usually give baby boy 1 1/2 to 2 of these at a time.

They're not just for kids though - hubby and I love them too. They're great for a quick  and healthy on-the-go breakfast or lunch.

These can be made in batches and kept in the freezer for weeks. Just take them out and reheat in the microwave or re-bake in the toaster oven. You can get creative with the seasonings, veggies and protein you put in these as well.

Before heading into the oven to bake

Healthy Shepherd's Pie

The only time I have ever heard or seen shepherd’s pie was during college in the campus cafeteria. The shepherd’s pie on campus looked decent but not very appetizing, so I never tried it.

I decided a month or so ago to make a healthy version of the dish at home. I am a fan of casseroles, so I figured I might like it since it is similar and I thought I could try and make it look more appetizing than the cafeteria version. I’m glad I did. Hubby liked it so much he even asked me to make it again. The pictures below are from the second pie.

This will definitely be made many more times in the future I'm sure. 

Before heading into the oven

Fresh out of the oven

Ready to be dug into

What Your Resting Heart Rate Means

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to meet with a nurse for a health screening. She took my heart rate and it turned out to be 56 beats per minute (bpm), which means my heart is pumping less than once per second. But what did it really mean? I asked her if that was good. She stated that the average person’s heart rate is between 60 to 100 bpm, but it’s normal for someone who gets a lot of physical activity to have a resting heart rate of less than 60 bpm because the heart doesn’t need to pump as hard, and yes it was a good thing in this case.

I was happy to hear this and found it to be an excellent example of a non-scale victory. Like many of you might know, I didn’t start this journey to look good, which of course doesn’t hurt and is a great benefit, but I truly wanted to get to a place where I was consciously thinking about and taking care of my health for the sake of my family. These little things that I learn along the way help me remember why I started this process in the first place.

If you want to learn more, here’s an article from the Mayo Clinic.  They state that “generally a lower heart rate at rest implies more efficient heart function and better cardiovascular fitness.”

What’s your resting heart rate?