Balance by bistroMD: Healthy Meals Delivered To Your Door (Because Pet Parents Should Eat Well Too!)

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Ever feel like you take better care of your fur kids than you do of yourself? You’re not alone! Whether you are too busy, or just tired of adulting, home food delivery has become a popular alternative to cooking. Woof Woof Papa and I love to cook but often get tired of meal planning, shopping and the prep-work that goes into making healthy meals. And our schedules mean that we don’t always have time to cook and eat at the same time. Sometimes it just seems easier to grab takeout or order delivery, and that isn’t the healthiest or most economical way to eat.

We were recently invited to try the meals from Balance by bistroMD. It’s the first meal delivery service to offer chef-prepared meals a-la-carte, without the constraint of minimums, memberships, or recurring orders. The top-rated diet delivery and weight loss program, bistroMD, created this subscription-free service to provide healthy meals with convenience and flexibility.

Balance by bistroMD fits health-conscious lifestyles, whether you’re trying to lose weight, adhere to a specialty diet such as gluten free, or just want to eat healthy without the struggle. When we went to their website to place our first order, we were impressed with the wide variety of over 100 meals and snacks available, and prices start at just $5.95.

The ordering process is super easy…the only hard part was deciding which meals to get, because they all looked so good! To narrow down the choices, you can filter meals by diet type, including Low Sodium, Heart Healthy, Gluten Free, Diabetic Meals and other options. We ordered a few breakfast items, because we are trying to do better at not skipping breakfast. And we also ordered a variety of lunches and dinners, too. Everything arrived within a few days, shipped in an insulated cooler packed with dry ice. Even though the box sat out on our porch in the South Florida heat for most of the morning, all the meals were still frozen when I unpacked everything.

In addition to doing the cooking and delivering your meals straight to your door, the folks at Balance by bistroMD also send the instructions and info you need to make the most of your food delivery. For example, although you can microwave the meals straight from the freezer, they recommend you move your upcoming day of meals to the fridge the night before to thaw for more even reheating. They also suggest that you place your entree on a plate because visualization is an important part of dining.

This was my attempt to plate the Ham and Cheese Frittata. It came with a side of peaches with a tasty whole grain granola crumble. I added avocado slices because I cannot go a day without eating avocado! Although I can see the logic in their suggestion to plate the meals to make the dining experience more enjoyable, most times we opted for convenience over aesthetics, and just ate our meals straight out of the BPA-free microwavable trays they came in. Less dishes to wash!

Overall, we were impressed with our order and happy to have a week of no meal planning or prep. The nice thing about the service is that there is no commitment or subscription required. You can order when you feel like you need a break from cooking, or need a little extra help with eating healthy. It’s also a thoughtful gift for a friend or family member, and would be great as a Housewarming present or Mother’s Day gift, too!

Balance by bistroMD Coupon Code

Right now is a great time to try it because you can get 20% OFF with Balance by bistroMD coupon code: SAVE20 at checkout. You also get Free Shipping on orders of $99+. Head on over to balance.bistromd.com to learn more about how it works and try it for yourself. Less time spent cooking means more time (and energy) to play with the fur kids!

Get Moving and Stay on the Right Track: Fitbit Alta Fitness Tracker Giveaway

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fitbit-alta

Believe it or not, it’s already mid-November and we are headed for what I like to call the “Holiday Eating Season.” For me, it’s the time period from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Eve, but for many it begins with Halloween. We all get busy and distracted with parties, dinners, shopping, baking, family activities, and end up staying up too late, eating more and exercising less. Sound familiar?

Rather than wait to make a New Year’s health, sleep or weight loss resolution, you can use a fitness tracker to help stay on the right track starting right now. The Fitbit Alta Fitness Tracker is a stylish accessory that reminds you to move, tracks your sleep, lets you log your food and more.

Stay motivated by tracking all-day activity like steps, distance, calories burned and active minutes, and get credit for your workouts with Smart Track automatic exercise recognition. At night, track your sleep and set a silent alarm to wake better and get your best rest.

No matter where you’re headed, the easy-to-read OLED screen keeps your goals in focus with stats, time, and call or text notifications on display. It’s sweat, rain, splash proof and you can even wear it in the shower, so it’s always with you. A wide range of accessory wristbands in metal, leather and sport help you find the right style for every occasion.

The Alta also makes a GREAT gift for just about everyone on your holiday gift list. Check out the Fitbit Alta to browse all the band colors, accessories, features and learn more.

fitbit-alta-giveaway-1

As a thank you to all our readers and online followers, we want to help you stay on track with your wellness goals this holiday season by hosting a giveaway. One lucky person will WIN a Fitbit Alta Fitness Tracker! We’ve partnered with a small group of bloggers who’ve all kicked in to help make this giveaway possible.
[Read more…]

$30 OFF Arf Pets Automatic Pet Feeder Food Dispenser for Dogs & Cats

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auto pet food dispenser

Today’s Deal of the Day over at Amazon is the Arf Automatic Pet Food Dispenser Feeder, on sale for $89 ($119 reg). Free Shipping is included and the deal is on til midnight!

Having an automatic pet feeder is handy if you have a dog or cat who needs measured portions at certain times of day, and is great for helping to prevent over-feeding. No more wondering if someone else in the family has already fed the fur kid.

pet food dispenser

Just fill it, set the clock, pick up to four meal times, customize the helping size, and worry no more! Plug the feeder into an ordinary wall outlet, or go cord-free with three D batteries.

You can even record a personalized meal call in your own voice! Dispenses and dry dog food or cat food. 66% gave it a 5-Star Rating. See it in action and read the customer reviews.

New Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diets Wet Cups Pet Food

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LID Wet Cups for Dogs

We’ve got news from one of our favorite sponsors about a new pet food offering especially for fur kids who need a limited ingredient diet. It’s Natural Balance L.I.D. wet cups for dogs and cats featuring simple formulas with premium ingredients.

Grain-free and delicious, these wet cups are limited in ingredients, featuring a single quality protein source along with a wholesome carbohydrates source that come together in one hearty cup!

Some dogs and cats do better with only certain ingredients, and these wet cups from Natural Balance minimize the chance of food sensitivities while still providing essential nutrition and the deliciousness your pets crave.

Shreds and Flaked Wet Cups

In addition to limited ingredients, we also love the texture…which is like a real homemade stew. You can see the flaked fish and shreds of chicken. These wet cups are a great way to add some variety by giving your dog a change in flavor and texture. Daisy finds wet food to be a real treat, and we sometimes use it as a topper on her regular Natural Balance Wild Pursuit dry dog food.

Next time you are out at your favorite pet supply store, or shopping online for pet food, be sure to grab a few packs of wet cups for your dog or cat.

 

Does Your Pet Need a Limited Ingredient Diet for Tummy or Allergy Issues?

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Limited Ingredient Diets for Pets

Just like people, pets can have allergies, food sensitivities and tummy troubles. Once you’ve seen your veterinarian to rule out other medical conditions or health problems, he or she may suggest you try a special diet. For Daisy, this took some trial and error but we eventually figured out that a grain-free pet food was best for her and saw a huge improvement in her skin rashes and digestion.

Every dog and cat is different, and if going grain-free isn’t enough to see results, you might consider one of single source protein, single source carbohydrate formulas, L.I.D. Limited Ingredient Diets available from our blog sponsor and Daisy’s food provider, Natural Balance Pet Foods.

Limited ingredient diets minimize the number of ingredients that pets are exposed to, which can be helpful for pet parents looking for simple formulas with simple ingredients.

Natural Balance LID Limited Ingredient Diets foods provide unique alternatives for pets, including:

  • True limited ingredient formulas, with single-sources of animal protein and limited carbohydrate sources
  • The most extensive selection of unique proteins including venison, bison, and wagyu beef
  • Puppy and Large Breed Bites formulas are also available just for our tiniest and biggest best friends too!
  • Complete lines of limited ingredient offerings for both cats and dogs, including dry and canned formulas and treats

How should you go about trying a limited ingredient diet for you pet?

Do a food trial on a limited ingredient diet for at least 10-12 weeks, using a novel protein and carbohydrate source that your dog or cat has not had before. No other treats or food items should be fed during this time period. [Learn more about Limited Ingredient Diets for Pets]

Pet Food Safety Program

In addition to paving the way for limited ingredient diets, Natural Balance has also been a long-time leader in pet food safety. Every production run of Natural Balance pet food is tested before distribution so that you can “Buy With Confidence”.

Not only do they test all products in their state-of-the art in-house laboratory for nine known contaminants before they reach store, but pet parents can also find the Best By Date on your Natural Balance product and read your product’s actual test results on their website.