What do you know about fiber? If you’re anything like me, you might know you need it to be healthy, but maybe you don’t really know why. Since fiber is such an important part of digestive health, here’s what you need to know about fiber, fiber supplements, and healthy poops to keep you and your family healthy!

*This post is sponsored by Regular Girl. All opinions are mine.*

Regular Girl is Not Your Grandma’s Fiber Supplement

Who takes fiber supplements? Only old people, right? Gloppy, gritty, nasty – that’s what comes to my mind when I think about fiber supplements. Last fall I had the great pleasure to meet Dr. William Sears, the doctor my kids never knew they had. I have a total fan girl crush on Dr. Sears and I really enjoyed a talk he gave on a topic I never thought I’d enjoy – poop! I know what you’re thinking, but it’s totally true. His talk was so great.

If you’re anything like me, you might not consider fiber supplements at all. However, if you aren’t getting enough fiber in your daily diet, and many people don’t, it might be time to make some healthy changes. While I’m sharing tips today that are working for my family, please understand that I am not a doctor. If you have severe gut health issues, please consult your trusted medical professional.

Together with his wife, Martha, Dr. Sears published an informative book called Dr. Poo – The Scoop on Comfortable Poop in 2018. I even have a signed copy, but I digress. After his talk about keeping guts healthy, I started paying attention to my body (and my poops), and I realized that I need more fiber in my diet too. Although I try to eat as healthy as I can, I have not been getting enough fiber either. Luckily, Regular Girl Prebiotic Fiber & Probiotic Blend busted every preconceived idea I had about fiber supplements and I’m excited to share what I’ve learned!

Why Do You Need Fiber and How Much Do You Need?

Dietary fiber is an important part of your health. You need it to keep regular and keep your gut happy and healthy. Adults need up to 38 grams of fiber a day, toddlers need 19 grams, and school-age kids need 25 grams of fiber a day. I really recommend that you get your fiber from a healthy diet, but we live in the real world and that’s not always possible, is it?

Fiber Rich Foods to Add to Your Diet

Fiber is found naturally in a lot of foods like the ones listed below.

• whole grains: oats, brown rice, popcorn
• nuts: almonds, walnuts, peanuts, cashews
• seeds: pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds
• berries: blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries
• fruit: bananas, apples, pears, oranges, figs
• veggies: broccoli, spinach, peas, sweet potatoes, potatoes
• beans: black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, garbanzo beans, lentils
• and water is very important too when consuming fiber!

Sadly, most of us only get about half the needed fiber from our diet. That means many people are constipated or strain to poop and their guts aren’t happy. Have you ever examined your poop before you flush it down? You might be surprised to learn what a healthy poop even looks like. It was a shocker to me. 😉 You can download Dr. Sear’s family friendly poop chart here.

Looking for the Best Fiber Supplement?

If your poop is not happy, and you can’t get enough fiber in your day-to-day diet, I really recommend Regular Girl! Made with clinically proven Sunfiber (a highly soluble guar fiber), Regular Girl provides 5 extra grams of fiber per serving, and it also contains 8 billion active probiotics too. It’s available in a scoopable powder and a pre-measured on-the-go packet to provide relief from occasional constipation, diarrhea, gas or bloating. You can trust me when I say it’s taste-free, odor-free, and totally dissolves in water.

I’m super picky about my water and I will admit that I was a little scared to try Regular Girl in it. Several years ago we found out our well water was full of nitrates and other nasty chemicals. The nitrate level was so high that even a reverse osmosis system was not enough to make it safe. We work hard with a water purifying company to this day to filter everything out of it.

The last thing I want is a gross additive messing it up, so trust me when I say I was worried. I reluctantly filled up a water bottle with water and ice, added a Regular Girl packet and shook to combine. Then I drank it, and I really couldn’t tell it was in there – maybe a teeny tiny bit, but nothing to turn me off. My kids can’t tell when I sneak some in their water bottles either.

Regular Girl is also low FODMAP, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, Non-GMO Project verified, and vegan. It’s absolutely nothing like the gritty, gloppy mess that may come to your mind when you think of a fiber supplement! Beyond all of that though, it’s recommended by Dr. Sears and that just means a lot to me.

How to Add Regular Girl to your Diet

If you’re traveling or just need that extra added boost, it’s so easy to add Regular Girl to your diet. I’ve already mentioned that you can add it to water without telling it’s there – and it’s really true! I’ve also added a scoop to smoothies, and I’ve put a scoop full on the yogurt, fruit, granola mix I love to eat for breakfast too. Super easy! Because of the added probiotics, it’s better to eat the Regular Girl cold than to heat it. And the portable packets are perfect for taking along when you’re traveling and might not be able to eat as well as you eat at home.

Where to Find Regular Girl

You can find Regular Girl in a lot of the standard places – Amazon, on line, and they just recently launched at HyVee too! If you’re in Iowa, you can find now find Regular Girl  in the Vitamin Aisle of Hy-Vee’s Health Market too! Not only can you find Regular Girl at Hy-Vee, but they also have registered dietitians available for a whole host of food and nutrition needs as well! Learn more about Hy-Vee dietitians here.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on fiber and yes, even pooping. Do and your family members get enough fiber? What healthy changes can you make for your family’s gut health?

Welcome March! What a wild ride this winter has been! I’m so ready for spring in under 20 days now! Since it’s March 1st, it’s time for my February Grocery Report. I also thought I’d share our top six budget family meals that help me keep our grocery budget in check! Without further ado, here’s report!

February Grocery Report and our Top 6 Budget Friendly Family Meals

Have you been reading my monthly grocery reports? I started writing them last year and have found the process very eye-opening. In the first post, I explained the average cost of groceries per family according to the USDA and analyzed how we compare. Since my kids are older now, I need to revisit their suggestions to see where we stand now! I’ll try to remember to do that next month. For now, make sure you head over to my very first grocery audit to see the average grocery cost per month for families according to the USDA.

Do you remember my audit last month? I found out that ALDI charged me for 8 cantaloupes instead of 8 grapefruit. Well, it turned out that it wasn’t grapefruit – I bought 8 mangoes and was charged for 8 cantaloupes. I took my receipt back to ALDI and was able to get an $8.80 refund! So not only is it interesting to examine receipts, it also earned me a Chipotle burrito too. 😉

Ok…here’s what I bought in February to feed my family of 6:

2/2/19 – Costco $96.68

• Organic almond milk – 8.99 (3 – 1/2 gallons)
• Pretzel rolls – 4.99
• Ruffles (super bowl party) – 5.59
• Frozen berries – 8.99
• Mixed peppers – 7.99 (6 pack)
• Organic butter – 19.98 (2 lbs)
• Uncured bacon – 11.99 (3 packages)
• Organic 1/2 & 1/2 – 5.99 (1/2 gallon)
• Bananas x 2 – 2.98
• Organic diced tomatoes – 5.99
• Grape tomatoes – 4.99
• Organic eggs – 5.99 (2 dozen)

2/2/19 ALDI – $43.73

• Cream cheese – .79
• Hash brown patties – 3.29
• Winking Owl Merlot – 5.88 (2 bottles)
• Pineapple – 1.29 x 2 = 2.58
• Shredded mozerella – 2.49
• Never Any lunchmeat – 3.29 x 2 = 6.58
• Cauliflower – 2.29
• French onion dip – .99
• Organic whole milk yogurt – 2.89 x 2 = 5.78
• Ricotta cheese – 1.69
• Salami – 2.59
• Mandarins – 3.89 x 2 = 7.78
• Crushed tomatoes – .65

2/4/19 HyVee – $38.20

• Applegate pork pepperoni – 4.49 x 2 = 8.98
• Bobs Red Mill unbleached white flour – 4.99
• Kalona Super Natural chocolate milk – 2.59
• Kalona Super Natural sour cream – 3.50
• Organic Valley Whole Milk – 6.99 (1 gallon)
• Fresh ground pork – 3.50
• Bean sprouts – 1.89
• Mandarins – 4.99 (FREE w/ coupon)
• Snow peas – 2.64
• King Arthur flour 4.99 x 2 = 9.98
• Savings for Monday Healthy Market Bag Sale – (-8.61)

2/8/19 ALDI $8.66

• Cabbage – 1.89
• Extra sharp cheddar cheese – 1.69 x 2 = 3.38
• Avocados – .25 x 4 = 1.00
• Bananans – 2.39

2/10/19 Trader Joe’s – $40.94

• Organic russet potatoes – 3.69
• Nacho cheese tortilla chips – 1.99 x 2 = 3.98
• Applegate sliced turkey – 3.99
• Sliced mushrooms – 1.99
• Ground pork – 4.49
• Organic ground beef – 5.99
• Uncured Black Forest Ham – 3.69
• Organic tortilla chips – 2.69
• Organic frozen blueberries – 3.49
• Organic frozen mixed berries – 2.99
• Organic whole sweetened cranberries – 2.99

2/11/19 ALDI – 52.01

• Organic frozen berries – 2.89 x 2 = 5.78
• Mandarins – 2.49 x 2 = 4.98
• Pineapple – 1.29 x 2 = 2.58
• Winking Owl Merlot – 5.88 (2 bottles)
• Mangoes – .69 x 4 – 2.76
• Organic grape tomatoes – 2.49 x 2 = 4.98
• Red grapes – 2.04
• Organic pears – 3.29
• Organic granola – 3.49
• Organic granola – 2.79 x 2 = 5.58
• Crackers – 1.49
• Limes – 1.69
• Navel oranges – 1.99 x 2 = 3.98

2/13/19 Walmart  – $11.98

• King Arthur bread flour – 3.68
• King Arthur unbleached flour – 3.16
• Bananas – 2.36
• 1/2 & 1/2 – 2.50
• Mandarins – 3.98 (FREE w/ coupon)

2/16/19 ALDI – $20.03

• Organic gala apples – 4.89
• Paleo muesli – 4.99 (really good!)
• Kiwi – 3.79
• Organic baby spinach – 2.49

2/16/19 Costco – $155.74

• Organic romaine lettuce – 4.99 (6 heads)
• Granola bars – 16.79
• Organic triscuits – 9.59 (4 boxes, I think)
• Organic 1/2 & 1/2 – 5.99 (1/2 gallon)
• Bananas – 1.49
• Frozen 3 berry blend – 8.99
• Organic frozen blueberries – 8.49
• Salami – 7.49
• Organic sugar – 7.99
• Organic butter – 9.99
• Grape tomatoes – 5.99
• Pine nut hummus – 5.99
• Mini peppers – 5.99
• Tillamook extra sharp cheddar cheese – 10.79
• Tillamook mild cheddar cheese – 8.59
• Organic unbleached flour – 6.49
• Organic carrots – 5.99
• Avocados – 4.99 (6 count)
• Green grapes – 9.99
• Bananas – 1.49

2/20/19 Jeff’s Market – $26.91

• Bag of ripe bananas – .99
• Tortillas – 2.99
• Bottle of wine – 7.99
• Canned kidney beans – .67
• Canned black beans – 1.35
• Ground beef – 4.9
• Tomatoes – 3.26
• OJ – 4.15

2/23/29 ALDI – $45.39

• Organic frozen pizza – 3.99 x 2 = 7.98 (not a big hit at our house)
• Organic granola – 2.79
• Organic whole milk – 5.39 (1 gallon)
• Organic strawberries – 3.99
• Organic whole milk plain yogurt – 2.89 x 3 = 8.67
• OJ – 1.99 x 2 = 3.98
• Apple sauce squeezers – 1.49
• Organic bell peppers – 3.49 (2 red peppers)
• Organic grape tomatoes – 2.49 x 2 = 4.98
• Single pack of sunflower seeds – .59

2/28/19 ALDI – $70.94

• Paleo granola – 3.99 x 2 = 7.98
• Crushed tomatoes – .65 x 5 = 3.25
• Navel organes – 1.99 x 2 = 3.98
• Cilantro – .65
• Winking Owl Merlot – 5.88 (2 bottles)
• Organic red potatoes – 3.89
• Mangoes – .69 x 4 = 2.76
• Never Any ham lunch meat – 3.29 x 2 = 6.58
• Mozzarella cheese – 1.69 x 2 = 3.38
• Kettle BBQ chips – 1.09 x 2 = 2.18
• Wide egg noodles – 1.09
• Fresh mozzarella ball – 2.39
• 1/2 & 1/2 – 1.55
• Tortillas – 1.99 x 2 = 3.98
• Organic whole milk plain yogurt – 2.89 x 4 = 11.56
• Bananas – 2.16

Total Spent in February – $611.21. 

In January, I spent $673.56, so this is surprisingly less than that! However, I know March will be more as I have 1/2 a pasture raised hog on order that I think will be ready in February. Also, I really need to order beef from my farmer so I quit buying it at the store! I much prefer buying meat in bulk by the animal from local farmers who raise them more humanely and sustainably.

Takeaways from February’s Grocery Audit – 

• I made way too many grocery store stops in February. I need to get better about making a list and a plan and sticking to it!
• I started making sourdough bread and flour is flipping expensive! I am used to grinding my own flour from wheat berries I buy in bulk. I need to figure out how to make the sourdough with freshly missed flour and see how it tastes!
• Need to call my beef farmer!
• We save money by paying attention to what’s in season. In the winter, avocados, oranges, grapefruit, pineapple, mango, mandarins, are cheaper than apples etc. You can save money by paying attention to what’s in season too!
• Coffee! I just realized I rarely have coffee on here, but we drink lots of coffee. Dan has a subscription to a coffee roaster and I never see the bills.
• Need to find a good paleo granola recipe. I’m not paleo, but I love the granola with all the twigs and berries as my husband says. Do you have a good granola recipe? Send me a link!

Top 6 Budget Family Meals

Okay – so I also promised a list of our Top 6 budget friendly family meals that help us eat cheaper, so here are some of our favorite meals a long with a few tips I use to make them stretch.

1. Tacos – our family loves tacos. I made a huge pot of taco meat that includes lots of beans. Not only are beans a good source of fiber, but they’re also filling, cheap, and help stretch the meat.
2. Taco soup is another one of my kids’ favorite meals. It also uses beans and my time saving big batch homemade taco seasoning.
3. Beans and rice. I made a lot of beans in the instant pot. It’s quick and easy, you don’t even have to soak them!
4. Chicken Noodle Soup – if you’re following on social media, you know that the flu made its way through 3 of my kids this month. Luckily, the other 3 of us remained unscathed. One thing I always do when someone is sick is make a healing pot of homemade chicken soup from chickens I raise myself. It’s easy in the Instant Pot!
5. Recipes using shredded chicken that I get by cooking whole frozen chickens in the Instant Pot! It’s so easy and after the chicken has been shredded I use the bones to make healing chicken stock too.
6. Beef Stroganoff – added mushrooms are another great way to stretch ground beef and my family loves this easy and satisfying beef stroganoff recipe. It’s also easy to double or quadruple this recipe and put away meals in the freezer too.

How’d you do on your budget in February? What are your biggest struggles to create healthy meals on a budget?

We’re excited to go see the Harlem Globetrotters in April! If you’d like to go, make sure to grab this coupon code so you can save 25% on your Harlem Globetrotters Tickets!

*This post is sponsored by the Harlem Globetrotters. All opinions are mine.*

SAVE 25% on All Harlem Globetrotters Tickets!

Have you been to see the Harlem Globetrotters before? We have not, but with three out of four kids who love to play basketball, we are really excited to go. Known for their amazing feats of basketball, humor, and acts of goodwill on and off the court, the Harlem Globetrotters is an experience we don’t want to miss!

In 2019 the Globetrotters are excited to debut the new Fan Powered World Tour! Their performance will include over 20 opportunities for the fans to directly interact with the Globetrotters stars – before, during, and after the game! Don’t miss out – get your tickets today and save 25% off with promo code FUNFAM

Grab your 25% off Harlem Globetrotter Tickets coupon right here and get ready for the show!

Harlem Globetrotter Schedule

The Harlem Globetrotters are currently performing all over North America and Canada. Click here to view their full schedule. They’ll be in my area at the Taxslayer Center in Moline, Illinois at 2:00 pm on April 13th, and at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines at 2:00 pm on April 14.

It’s time for the January grocery budget report and a look at our monthly grocery haul. Happy February! Here’s how my family of six did with groceries this month. How’d you do?

January Grocery Budget Report

We survived a brutal winter month in Iowa. We’re just coming off some of the coldest weather in history and my kids were home more days in January than they were in school. When I compiled my receipts the other day, I was shocked at how little I actually spent. Less than I thought we would have!

I can attribute that to three things. First, I bought a TON of groceries at the end of December in anticipation for holiday guests. My sister and her family were here for almost a week. Turns out, my mother also bought a ton of groceries which she contributed to the group and I had a lot left over. Then, my parents left for the winter and gave me more food as well!

So that’s one reason for the decrease in our January grocery budget. Another decrease happened because I finally started baking bread again. When I first began writing these grocery budget reports last year, I thing I said almost every single month was that I would be able to decrease my budget if I actually started baking bread again.

How we decreased our budget this month

Well, guess what. I finally did it! In January not only did we bake a lot of bread, but we also got back to making homemade granola as well. Since I already have all of the ingredients on hand for both bread and granola in my huge pantry, it saved a lot of money. It’s also a lot healthier. And it really doesn’t take that much time. I bake five loaves of bread in under 2 hours. That includes time to grind the flour from wheat berries, bake the bread, and clean up the mess too.

The last reason for the lower grocery budget is that I am trying to eat up meat from our freezer. I buy most of our meat in bulk from local farmers, but I’m at that point where it’s time to order more. That means the less desirable meat cuts are left. I’ve been making stock out of beef soup bones and using up whole chickens and making a lot of stock from their leftover bones as well. From scratch cooking really can help reduce the grocery budget!

Okay – without further ado – here’s what I bought to feed our family of six in January.

The Monthly Grocery Haul, January 2019

1/3/09 HyVee – $29.22

• Cayenne pepper – 1.00
• Tarragon – 1.00
• Organic Whole Chocolate Milk – 2.59 (workout recovery for me)
• Organic whipping cream – 4.49
• Boneless pork loin – 14.00

1/5/09 BUTCHER BOX – $129

An assortment of grass fed and grass finished and humanely raised beef and pork, plus 2 lbs of absolutely delicious Alaska Sock Eye Salmon. I bought this to see if I want to recommend Butcher Box to all of you! The verdict is still out because I still need to do my comparison shopping, but I do know that Costco Salmon actually costs more than Butcher Box, and the meat we have eaten so far is very delicious. So my initial thoughts are very positive.

In February, get 2 free Filet Mignons free Bacon + $10 Off your first order! This is my affiliate link if you’d like to check it out. Get 2 FREE Filet Mignons,
Bacon & $10 off your first box at ButcherBox

1/7/19 ALDI – $36.45

• • • Green onions – .79
    • ABF ham – 3.29
    • ABF ham – 3.29
    • Avocados x 4 = 1.96 (.49 c each)
    • Yellow onions – 1.79
    • Pineapple x 2 – 1.98 (.99 c each)
    • Red onions –  1.89
    • Organic baby spinach – 2.49
    • Red onions – 1.89
    • Sliced mushrooms – 1.69
    • Blood oranges – 4.99
    • Organic broccoli – 2.39
    • Limes – 1.89
    • Grapefruit x 8 – 5.52 (69 c each)
    • Cara Cara oranges – 2.49

1/17/19 ALDI $75.58

• • • Banans 1.54
    • Corn tortillas – 1.99
    • Kiwis – 3.89
    • Italian bread – 3.69
    • Everything bagels – 1.49
    • Cinnamon bagels – 1.49
    • Breakfast sausage – 1.89
    • Hash brown patties – 1.89
    • Pretzel sticks – .59
    • Winking Owl wine – 2.94
    • Winking Owl wine – 2.94
    • Mandarins – 1.99
    • Half & Half – 1. 55
    • Organic baby spinach – 2.49
    • Cara Cara oranges – 3.99
    • Pure maple syrup – 5.99
    • Sausage links x 3 – 2.97 (.99 c each)
    • Sliced mushrooms – 1.69
    • Organic baby carrots – 1.49
    • Pineapple – 1.89
    • Mangoes x 4 = 2.76 (.69 c each)
    • Lemons – 2.89
    • Avocados – 2.89 (.89 c each)
    • ABF ham  – 3.29
    • AFB ham – 3.29
    • Pineapple – 1.89

1/22/19 Jeff’s Market (local grocery store) $16.56

• • • Mandarins – 3.99
    • Yellow onions – 3.99
    • Bananas – 1.53
    • Broccoli – 2.50
    • Half & Half – 1.49
    • Eggs (2 dozen) – 3.06 (1.53 each)

**Jeff’s is my local option when we’re out of something and it’s too late to go to town. I don’t shop there very often.

1/23/19 COSTCO $109.38

• • • Organic whole milk – $9.99 (3 – 1/2 gallons)
    • Organic maple syrup – 10.79
    • Organic frozen mangoes – 8.89
    • Tortillas – 3.99
    • Organic half / half – 1.97 (not sure why that’s so cheap?)
    • Clementines – 5.99
    • Bananas – 1.24
    • Grape tomatoes – 5.99
    • Organic tortilla chips – 4.59
    • Avocados – 4.59
    • Uncured bacon – 11.99
    • Mini babybels – 10.89
    • White sharp cheddar cheese – 10.79
    • Organic frozen berry blend – 11.69
    • Bagels – 5.99

1/26/19 Jeff’s Market $10.86

• • • Canned black beans x 2 –  1.35 each
    • Light red kidney beans x 2  – .67 each
    • Ground beef – 4.96
    • Bananas – 1.86

**Usually I cook dried beans in my Instant Pot (it’s super easy – here’s how!)! This is how poor planning affects my budget. I have plenty of dried beans in my pantry.

1/27/19 COSTCO $190.67

• • • Kind Granola bars – 17.99
    • Organic triscuits – 9.59
    • Organic broccoli – 6.49
    • Organic tortellini – 9.99
    • Wild Caught Alaska Sock Eye Salmon – 32.99
    • Organic tortilla chips – 4.59
    • Bagels – 5.99
    • Organic eggs (2 dozen ) – 5.99
    • Garlic Kielbasa – 13.52
    • Hummus – 5.99
    • Sharp cheddar cheese – 10.79
    • Organic Greek yogurt – 5.59
    • Organic half & half – 5.99
    • Organic ground beef – 19.99
    • Baguette – 4.99
    • Organic carrots – 5.99
    • Organic romaine lettuce – 4.99
    • Grape tomatoes – 6.49
    • Mayan Sweet? I have no idea what this is. LOL – 4.49
    • Giant potatoes (15 lbs) – 7.99

1/29/19 ALDI $63.84

• • • Sweet Potatoes – 4.09
    • English muffins – .99
    • Sliced mushrooms – 1.69
    • Hot dogs x 2 – .79 each (for giving our dogs pills – I think we spent more money in vet bills this month than we did on groceries.)
    • Kombucha – 2.89
    • Yellow mustard – .55
    • Pantene conditioner – 3.94
    • Organic baby spinach – 2.49
    • Cilantro – .65
    • Speciality shredded cheese – 2.99
    • Powdered sugar – 1.29
    • Winking Owl Wine x 2  – 2.94 each
    • Cara cara oranges x 2 – 1.49 each
    • Navel oranges – 1.99
    • Cream cheese – .69
    • Flour tortillas – 1.99
    • Bananas – 2.15
    • Green grapes – 2.72
    • Bananas – .73
    • Avocados x 9 – 4.41 (.49 c each)
    • Cantaloupe x 8 – 15.12 (1.89 each) which I DID NOT BUY. I bought 8 grapefruit though which are not on the receipt. So I will take this receipt to ALDI and see what they say! The grapefruit cost a lot less.

Fresh Eggs, $12

I also bought local eggs from a friend since I don’t currently have any chickens. She charges $2 a dozen, and I probably bought 6 dozen from her. I can’t really remember.

My grand total from January was $673.56 which is under my goal of around $800 a month! Not too shabby!! Plus, ALDI owes me about $8, I think, if I can get the cantaloupe charge reversed! I’ll try to remember to let you know in March how that goes for me! Remind me if I forget. How’d you do on groceries in January?

Want more Grocery Budget Reports:

Here’s how we did in January last year.

Here’s February’s report 

Here’s March’s grocery haul

Top 10 Tips for Saving Money at the Grocery Store

15 Ways to Save on Organic Food

Here’s how to save on Organic Meat