LiveWell Vermont

Attention State of Vermont Employees!  Win a Fitbit for your participation in the Live Well "Blog Challenge"....act by Friday, February 17th to qualify! Follow the Live Well Vermont Blog and you will automatically be entered. Click on "Follow" on the right-hand side of the blog page as pictured below: You will earn and additional entry when you sign up for email alerts (you'll receive an email any time there's a new post). Simply enter you email address to your right and click "Submit"! ***Must be a state of Vermont employee to be eligible***  

Make a batch of these muffins to have around for a healthy snack or breakfast on the go! Double the recipe if you want to freeze some for later! Healthier Banana Muffins Ingredients: 2 cups whole wheat flour 1/2 cup rolled oats 1/4 cup coconut oil 1/4 cup applesauce 1/4 cup butter, softened to room temperature 1/4 cup honey 1/4 cup brown sugar 3-4 ripened bananas, mashed 2 eggs, beaten 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt Optional: Walnuts Directions: Preheat oven to 350 In a large bowl, mix coconut oil, applesauce, butter, honey, brown sugar, eggs, and bananas. In a different bowl mix whole wheat flour, oats, baking soda, and salt. Mix the dry ingredients slowly into the wet ingredients. Stir or use an electric mixer until smooth. Stir in walnuts if desired. Scoop mixture into lined muffin tins. Bake 20-30 minutes (depending on the size of muffin tins you use) and until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool slightly and enjoy.

Be proactive this cold and flu season to make your whole life healthier! While getting a flu shot is the most effective way to prevent the flu, there are other strategies you can employ to keep yourself well.   Wash your Hands: Most cold and flu viruses are spread by direct contact. Germs can live on surfaces for hours so if someone with the flu coughs and then touches a doorknob, keyboard, or phone, these germs can be picked up by the next person that touches these objects. Washing your hands helps prevent the spread of these germs. If you can't get to a sink. Try an alcohol based hand sanitizer. Keep up an Aerobic Exercise Routine: Exercise helps increase your body's natural virus-killing cells. By keeping up a regular fitness routine, you're boosting your immune system! Eat Healthy Foods: Eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains will provide you plenty of vitamins and nutrients. This will help boost your immune system and your abil...

 Quinoa lasagna makes for a warm hearty winter meal with a healthy twist! Quinoa Lasagna Serves 8 Ingredients: 2 cups water 1 cup quinoa 2 tablespoons canola or olive oil 1 cup chopped onions 1 cup sliced mushrooms 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 cups tomato sauce or prepared pasta sauce 2 cups no salt added low-fat cottage cheese 1 large egg beaten 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 2 tablespoons fresh basil, minced or 1/2 teaspoon dried 1 tablespoon dried oregano 2 cups sliced zucchini  2 cups fresh spinach 1 1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese Directions: Coat a 9x13 dish with cooking spray. Combine water and quinoa in a saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce to simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and spread evenly in the dish. Preheat oven to 350 Wipe out the saucepan, add oil, and heat over medium heat . Add onion, cook stirring frequently until they start to brown. Add mushrooms - cook, stirring until softened and very li...

Looking to clean up your kitchen and create healthy eating habits? The Reshape Your Plate Challenge can help you jump start your nutrition goals! Registration for the challenge is now open and will remain open through the first week of the challenge. Registration closes on Sunday, February 5th!  Check out our challenge video for more information! Please remember to earn incentive points for the Reach Your Peak tier of the incentive program, you must complete one of two options:

Do you find your work weeks rushed and have limited time to put together healthy meals? Try some of these meal prep tips over the weekend to help you start your week off on the right foot! 1.) Have a game plan Have an idea of 3-4 dinner recipes you'd like to make. Brainstorm lunches (can be made from leftovers), snacks, and even breakfasts to make your mornings stress free. 2.) Make a grocery list and stick to it Make a list based off of the recipes you want to make. When you go to the grocery store, make sure you stick to the list! 3.) Find your go-to recipe s Start gathering your go-to recipes - ones that taste great and are easy to throw together. Keep them in an online document or print them out and create a recipe book! 4.) Double or triple the recipe While you're prepping your food, you can easily double or even triple the recipe to use for leftovers and also freeze. This will make for quick meals on those days you're busy! 5.) Prep your recipes ...

Looking for a new healthy recipe? Try these sweet potato and black bean veggie burgers! Ingredients: 1 1/2 lb sweet potatoes 1/3 cup quinoa 1 cup old fashioned oats 1 can (15oz) black beans (drained and rinsed) 1/2 small red onion, diced 1/2 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro, chopped 2 tsp cumin powder 1 tsp chili powder 1 tsp chipotle powder or smoked paprika 1/2 tsp cayenne powder (optional) 1/2 tsp salt oil, for cooking whole wheat hamburger buns (optional) burger fixings (avocado, guacamole, lettuce, cheese, pickles, etc) Directions: Preheat over to 400 degrees F. Slice sweet potatoes lengthwise and place side down on baking sheet. Bake 30-40 minutes and remove from oven. Once cool, remove the skin and chop up the potato. Set aside.  While the sweet potato is cooking, cook the quinoa.  Grind oats with food processor or blender. They should still be flakes and not powder.  Mix the sweet potatoes, quinoa, black beans, onion, cilantro, cumin, ...

Our 2017 incentive program " Live Balanced" is now up on the portal! Earn points as you complete each tier. For more information check our our incentive program page on the blog or the wellness website !