LiVewell Healthy Lunches GIVEAWAY!

Last night I was invited to a free school lunch as part of Intermountain Health Care’s LiVewell #HealthyLunches campaign. They invited some local Utah bloggers to a lunch-for-dinner event discussing sending kids to school with good food. Even for those out of state, this Healthy Lunches campaign is something worth checking out – the resources are great and there’s a GIVEAWAY!

The event was great, with a presentation by Dietitian Mindy Probst on the government’s ChooseMyPlate guidelines and how to incorporate that into lunches for kids. It was news to me that The Food Guide Pyramid no longer exists, and I was glad to see an emphasis on including a variety of foods in each meal.

For years I worked at Center For Change, an eating disorder clinic that emphasized intuitive eating practices. Through working closely with patients, dietitians and therapists there, I developed strong opinions that all food can be part of a healthy lifestyle. The traditional concept of dieting – excessive limiting of foods in an effort to lose weight – is not only offensive and ineffective it is damaging to a person’s body image. I was glad to see that the Intermountain Healthcare LiVewell #HealthyLunches campaign fits with the tenants of intuitive eating and encourages kids to be part of their food decisions.

The best part of the evening was putting together our own lunches-for-dinner. As part of the campaign we bloggers were each given Rubbermaid Lunchblox food containers, the same ones that you could win as part of the giveaway. Eight of the Bento Box style Lunch kits will be given away in the month of September – two each week – click here for more info.

I got to try out these well designed containers, fitting my sandwich, fruit, veggies and dip in the convenient sized containers. The design is impressive. Everything clicks together nicely including the ice block, keeping your food organized and cool at the same time. Thank you Intermountain Healthcare!

Check out this website for free printables on tips for Healthy Lunches, a weekly food planner and sample menues for kids.

 

 

Horseshoe Lake Hike, Denali National Park, Alaska

The Horseshoe Lake/Nenana River hike was my favorite in Denali National Park, even though part of the trail was under renovation. The dirt and rock path wound through spruce and willow trees down to the banks of a pristine Alaskan lake, then further to the Nenana River.

The beginning of the trail crosses the railroad tracks so be aware especially if kids are in tow. But that also means that if you time your hike right, you could catch a glimpse of the train chugging above the horseshoe lake on its way to Fairbanks.

The long descent to the lake was scenic and beautiful and once we arrived, Mountain Dad and I spied a beaver dam, with signs of recent habitation. The occupants were not out and about but it was fun to see their construction projects at their best.

Further along the Horseshoe Lake trail we found the mighty Nenana River. This river, like all of them in that area, is fed by snow runoff and glacial melt which means they are cold and silty. I didn’t dare put my feet in the 35 degree water. We learned that because of the glacial silt, there are not fish in the rivers here.

What I liked about this trail was the variety of things to see – trains, valleys, lakes, forest, beaver dam, river, sandy beach. What I didn’t like was hiking back up to the trailhead, the elevation gain was not fun.

INFORMATION
Getting there: Take the Denali Park Road to Mile 5ish. Park in the small area just past where the railroad tracks cross the road.
Length: 1.5 miles
Elevation Gain: Approximately 500 feet all at the beginning (and end)
Time: 2 hours round trip
Tips: Watch for trains!

Denali National Park, Riley Creek Campground, Alaska

After seeing glaciers on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula, our second must see Alaskan destination was Denali National Park.

Our stay in Denali national park involved reserving a campsite at Riley Creek Campground and a shuttlebus trip out to Eilson Visitors Center. Many Denali visitors choose to stay in the commercial area outside the park entrance known as Nenana Valley or Glitter Gulch. That’s also the place for restaurants and gas (We really enjoyed Prospector’s Pizza and Alehouse).

We liked the Riley Creek Campground, the largest and closest to the park entrance, because even with other campers nearby we still got to experience true Alaskan wildlife. This porcupine wandered right past our tent!

The bus system in Denali National Park was confusing with options to ride the entire park road, or part of it (90+ miles and 13 hours) either with or without a naturalist guide and different price levels, leaving every half hour all day long. And that doesn’t take into account the free park entrance area shuttle buses which are all green. Luckily our guide book AK On the Go written by fellow outdoor family blogger Erin Kirkland gave us some good tips.

Private vehicles are allowed on the first 15 miles of the park trail, which allows access to the Visitors Center, Murie Science Center, Dog Sled Demonstrations, Riley Creek Campground and several maintained trails, including the Savage River Trail. However, it was on the bus that we got to see the most wildlife including this guy who walked right in front of our window!

Throughout the trip I thought how much my kids would enjoy Denali National Park, but the Dog Sled Demonstrations were what I think they would’ve enjoyed the most. Although it was great to have an outdoor adventure with just me and Mountain Dad, my favorite times in the outdoors is spending time with the whole family.

Waterfall Week Bonus: RZR to Cascade Springs, Utah

Fall is officially here. As a farewell to summer I wanted to post one more time about the things we most loved this summer. A few months ago I did a series of posts on local Utah County waterfalls (Stewart Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, Battlecreek Falls) and wanted to include this last waterfall visit as an end of summer goodbye. Read more about Cascade Springs here.
Cascade Springs, Wasatch – Cache National Forest, Utah
Big E, Little g, and cousin watching for wildlife in the springs.
Little g on the trail.

 

Off roading trails begin near Cascade Springs and we had a blast driving the RZR on them.

 

Mountain Dad, Big E and Uncle exploring a secret swimming hole.

 

Brrr! That water’s cold!

 

Big E and cousin loving to play outdoors.

 

Me and little g resting in the shade.

 

I love the mountains!