Phil Parham (14 page)

• Breakfast burrito made with low-carb wheat wrap, egg whites, red and green peppers, onions, and mushrooms and sprinkled with low-sodium mozzarella

• Ground-turkey scramble made with ground turkey, egg whites, spinach, red peppers, garlic powder, and salt substitute, served with a slice of light wheat toast

• Breakfast smoothie (water, ice, almond milk, one scoop protein powder, and two tablespoons powdered peanut butter)

• Crunchy oatmeal (old-fashioned oatmeal sweetened with truvia or xylitol, and topped with almonds, walnuts, and dried cranberries)

• Amy McMuffin (whole-wheat English muffin with egg whites, slice of Swiss cheese, and slice of turkey bacon)

• The Quickie (cup of yogurt mixed with protein powder and sprinkled with berries and granola)

• Whole-wheat pancakes with fruit jam and served with turkey bacon

Lunch Ideas

• Peanut butter sandwich made with natural peanut butter and all-fruit jam on light wheat bread

• Grilled chicken, brown rice, and broccoli

• Black beans and brown rice served with steamed veggies

• Chicken salad with spinach, tomatoes, chicken, carrots, and cranberry mixed with three-pepper mustard

• Grilled chicken, brown rice, yellow squash, and zucchini

• Summer salad made with spring mix, grilled chicken breast, strawberries, bleu-cheese crumbles, almonds, and balsamic vinaigrette

• Turkey wrap made with sun-dried tomato, low-carb wrap, spinach, turkey deli meat, mushrooms, tomatoes, and cranberry mustard

Dinner Ideas

• Ground-turkey meat loaf made with ground turkey, old-fashioned oatmeal, onions, green peppers, salt-free seasoning, and sugar-free ketchup with a side of steamed yellow squash, onions, and carrots

• Ground-turkey chili made with ground turkey, chili powder, chopped canned tomatoes, kidney beans, onion, and salt substitute

• Turkey burgers on flatbread wheat buns with onions, mustard, tomato, and lettuce with hummus and carrots

• Mexican turkey burgers (ground-turkey patties seasoned with low-sodium taco seasoning and served over lettuce and tomatoes with salsa and blue corn tortilla chips)

• Turkey meatballs (turkey mixed with onion flakes and salt-free seasoning) with steamed broccoli and mashed potatoes (made with low-sodium chicken broth, salt substitute, minced garlic, and Fage yogurt)

• Whole-wheat spaghetti with homemade spaghetti sauce (chopped canned tomatoes, tomato paste, mushrooms, olive oil, oregano, black pepper, and salt substitute); top with leftover turkey meatballs

• Turkey-meatball soup (canned tomatoes, low-sodium chicken broth, corn, black beans, carrots, jalapenos, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and salt substitute)

Snack Ideas

• Almonds and an apple

• Laughing Cow cheese with Wasa crackers

• Orange with a rice cake

• One-half peanut butter sandwich on light wheat bread

• Banana with one teaspoon of almond butter

• Greek yogurt with berries and xylitol

• Boiled egg with grapefruit

• Air-popped popcorn with almonds (we like to add Tabasco sauce)

• Yogurt with granola

• Carrots and hummus

• Cottage cheese and peaches

• String cheese and grapes

• Celery and peanut butter

• Mixed nuts and berries

• Blue corn tortilla chips with Laughing Cow cheese mixed with salsa and Tabasco sauce

The final step in getting started on your healthy lifestyle is to schedule time for more activity. Have a family meeting and ask your kids what kinds of things they like to do. If they are unsure, offer suggestions such as hiking, basketball, cycling, swimming, and running. Then let them determine when and what you will plan to do together. Getting your children involved in the decision-making process will make it easier to incorporate activity into your lifestyle because they will be excited about it.

If you have a family calendar, take it out and plan one active family time per week. Then carve out time in your schedule to do smaller-scale activities with your children—such as playing outside together, walking around the block, or going to the park—and do those a few times a week.

Now that you know so much more about what it takes to create and maintain a healthy lifestyle for your family, it's time to start the “Challenge.” We believe in you and know that your desire to lead your family toward a healthier and fitter future will benefit you in more ways than you can imagine.

Part 2

T
he Amazing Fitness Adventure for Your Kids
is about dreaming, believing, and achieving. It's time that you and your family grab hold of life as God intended. It's time to get inspired and soar into the future. Know that anything is possible!

A Word from Amy

You know that feeling you get on the first day of school? It's exciting, but also a little scary. You're starting a new class, getting new teachers, and having new adventures. I remember my first day of kindergarten. I hid behind my mom because I was so shy. As I looked around from behind her skirt, I noticed a cool kitchen area in the corner. And it was just my size.

Although I was still a little afraid, I wanted to play with that kitchen set. The desire became greater than my fear. I got up my courage and ran over to the adorable kitchen. Guess what? The fear went away.

Today might seem like that kind of day for you. It's the beginning of “Your Daily Fitness Challenge,” and you are making the choice to be healthier. It may be a little scary for you. That's completely normal. We are all afraid of new things. But like me wanting to play with the kitchen set, I hope the desire to not let anything hold you back from your dreams will motivate you to keep going.

God designed us to have big dreams for our lives. He doesn't want anything (not even extra weight) to hold us back. Just as our parents want to make sure that we have everything we need to succeed, so does God. Come with me and let's
dream
!

1. What are some things you want to do with your life? Maybe you want to travel, get a particular job, or have a family. Make a list of those things.

2. Now look at your list and identify things you might not be able to do if you aren't strong, fit, and healthy.

3. Think about something you did that, at first, made you feel very afraid. How did you overcome your fear?

Whenever you start to reach for that bottle of soda, remember that the sugar in it will give you energy for a minute, but it will quickly cause you to crash and feel very tired. Drink water instead.

A Word from Amy