RD FIT LIFE

How to Plan a Week’s Worth of Dinners in Just Five Minutes!

If you work full-time just like me, you know that the work week is crazy.  There is no time to make a pit-stop at the grocery store and grab food to cook.  And by some chance, say you do make that stop… is what you’re getting healthy?

With all of the New Year’s resolutions still going strong, we want something ready and waiting, but also healthy.  Just a little bit of planning can give you that!

So I’m going to show you how I plan a week’s worth of dinners in just five minutes.

Here is my upcoming work week menu.

I always start with the meat (or vegetarian protein source).  This is usually the part of the meal you don’t want to have three nights in a row.  So I lay out Monday through Friday and rotate my meat through the week.  I shoot for about 6-8 oz for a portion size for us.

Next are vegetable choices.  I believe that at least half of your plate should consist of non-starchy vegetables so I recommend having at least 2 choices per meal.  This is what keeps your meal low calorie and high fiber.  So you still feel full for barely any calories.

Last is your starch group.  This should always be the smallest portion on the plate unless you are doing high intensity exercise and need the fuel.  But for most, it’s listed at the bottom as a reminder that it is not the priority.  Keep your starches whole grain/100% whole wheat to make the best of that starchy situation.

Now look at that!  You’ve got your dinners planned and have made a grocery list!

This can be done for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Menu planning not only helps you stay on track with your diet, but it also provides convenience while budgeting!

I hope this helps your work week become a little less stressful and a little more healthy.  If you have any questions, please comment below!  And feel free to share this post by using the icons below!

 

Fast and Healthy Taco Salad!

taco salad

 

Just because a meal is low calorie does not mean you can’t have flavor!  In this post, I’ll show you how to get a whole lot of bang for your buck!  Did I mention how fast you can whip up this meal?

Here is what you’ll need:

  • Lean Ground Turkey
  • Taco Seasoning
  • Lettuce, shredded
  • Tomatoes, diced
  • Fiesta Cheese Blend, shredded
  • Fat Free Organic Plain Greek Yogurt
  • Salsa

Here is how you make it!

First, we want to cook our turkey meat.  Once it is brown, you can add pre-packaged taco seasoning or make your own!  All you would need to mix together would be cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and a bit of cayenne pepper.  Make sure you include about 3/4 cup of water with your seasonings and let your turkey simmer with your spices.

Next, we put our lettuce, tomato, cheese, and meat in a bowl.  Feel free to add more vegetables to your salad like peppers, onions, and olives!  Sometimes I will even add a bit of GUACAMOLE (feel free to check out my homemade recipe).  I always use plain Greek yogurt as sour cream in all of my recipes.  Even my CHILI recipe!

This meal can be thrown together in 30 minutes or less!  So try out my taco salad on Taco Tuesday!

Enjoy!

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Guilt Free Snacks For a Crunch!

When people are dieting, one thing I always hear is how much they miss the crunch during meals or snacks.  Sometimes there are desires for a snack with a crunchy texture, but the only way people really fulfill that is through potato chips, rice cakes, and crackers…

Firstly, make sure you are going for that snack because you are truly and physically hungry.

Secondly, ask yourself, “Is this going to nourish my body?”

So here are some of my favorite snacks that I keep around for a crunchy texture when I just can’t make it to the next meal.

APPLE AND PEANUT BUTTER

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Now, I know what most of you are thinking… “Peanut butter is loaded in calories!!”

Yes.  It is considered high in fat and containing some protein.  Fat is not always a bad thing as you’ll read later on.  This is actually what is going to keep this apple digesting more slowly in your gastrointestinal tract which means you’ll feel satisfied until that next meal.

And of course you ALWAYS want to monitor your portions size of any food healthy or not.  Even peanut butter.  There are great individually packaged serving sized cups of peanut butter on the shelf ready to purchase.  If you feel you can’t control your portions directly from the jar, go for the cups.

SWEET PEPPERS AND HUMMUS

For some reason most people associate hummus with pita bread/chips.  Yes, this combination is common in the restaurant industry because carbs are cheap!  But at home, why not use the veggies?

The small sweet peppers are my favorite with hummus, but you can also use cucumbers, regular bell peppers, and carrot sticks!

ALMONDS AND WALNUTS

These nuts are the most beneficial nuts you could choose when aiming for the most heart healthy option.

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As you can see above, the main reasons nuts keep us satisfied is because of their fat content.  When eating something high in fat, you want to make sure that fat is going to benefit you (mono-, poly-) and not work against you (sat-).

Saturated Fat:

  • Increases your risk of cardiovascular disease
  • Increases your bad cholesterol (LDL) levels
  • Mostly come from animal sources (beef, dairy)

Monounsaturated Fat:

Polyunsaturated Fat:

One way I way I use almonds and walnuts in my regular snacks is by making a trail mix.

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Check out my TRAIL MIX RECIPE HERE to also learn more about the health benefits of nuts!

CELERY

Celery is an amazing food that is so low calorie.  A lot of people believe celery is an empty food without a lot of nutrition, but that is not entirely true!

Celery is only about 10 calories for 1 large stalk.  It provides roughage for your colon as well as Vitamin C, A, and Folate!

Paired with peanut butter, cheese, or hummus, celery can make a great snack to keep blood sugars stable as well as ward off hunger until meal time.

I hope this has helped you find a way to add crunch back to those snacks!  These are some of my favorites that I keep on hand and hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

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Fast and Easy Mexican Scrambled Eggs!

mexican eggs

 

Eggs are a great source of lean protein to start your morning, but how do you change up the flavor?

Here are some clean and flavorful ingredients you can add to your eggs if you love that spicy Mexican flare.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 organic eggs
  • 1-2 Tbsp red onion, chopped
  • 1-2 Tbsp tomato, chopped
  • 1 Tbsp jalapeno, chopped
  • dash of cumin
  • dash of turmeric
  • dash of pepper
  • 1 tsp organic coconut oil

DIRECTIONS:

First add your coconut oil to your skillet to prevent eggs from sticking to the pan.

Then whip together your eggs, onion, tomato, jalapeno, cumin, turmeric, and pepper.

Pour your egg mixture into your skillet on medium heat and begin scrambling.

Continue scrambling for 5 minutes or until done.

And voila!  Now you can start your morning with a great high protein breakfast!

mexican eggs

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Benefits of Coconut Water

Coconut-Water

Coconut water is one of nature’s most hydrating fluids.  This water comes from the inside of a pre-mature coconut before it matures and turns this water into milk.

I always prefer this hydrating water over any sports drink.  It is lower in calories, higher in potassium, and of course lower in sugar.  Not to mention it is all-natural and does not contain chemicals.

Here is a great side by side of the sport drink VS water:

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From an all-natural standpoint, Coconut water provides everything above without the addition of supplements or synthetic ingredients.

There is actually a STUDY that shows that coconut water can be used intravenously for short-term hydration!  How much more natural can you get?

Do you think that anyone would be brave enough to attempt that with a sports drink?

Now looking at Gatorade, there is an ingredient list full of man made products.  Here is what I pulled from Gatorade’s website.  This is the list from their Orange Thirst Quencher.

Ingredients:

WATER, SUGAR, DEXTROSE, CITRIC ACID, NATURAL FLAVOR, SALT, SODIUM CITRATE, MONOPOTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, GUM ARABIC, SUCROSE ACETATE ISOBUTYRATE, GLYCEROL ESTER OF ROSIN, YELLOW 6

Then we look at coconut water…

Ingredients:

COCONUT WATER

A lot of people say one of the sole purposes of Gatorade is the addition of the sugar and carbs… which is a great point.  You really need the extra carbs during continuous and strenuous activity (i.e. soccer tournament in the heat).  Even then, I would recommend high carb snacks with plenty of water and coconut water.

As a person who is nutrition conscious and plays soccer, I see coconut water as a great way to hydrate and prevent cramps.

 

The Benefits of Quinoa

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Quinoa comes from South America around Bolivia, Peru, and Ecuador.  Humans began cultivating it around 3,000-4,000 years ago.  These seeds are high in protein (for a grain) and contain essential amino acids that are beneficial to our health.

Quinoa can be found in many colors, but there are three common colors you’ll see in most grocery stores.  An earthy white color, a rich clay red color, and black.  I’ve been asked, “what are the differences in red/white/black quinoa?”  So here is what I have noticed.

White quinoa is very susceptible to heat.  It tends to swell quickly when cooked and can become mushy fast.  I would prefer to let it soak in water to soften and use in cold dishes.

quinoa 1

Red quinoa is my favorite.  It tends to hold its texture and form when cooked.  It also adds a nice color to the dish.

quinoa

Black quinoa can be a bit sweeter when cooked and will still maintain its texture and form.

Personally, I prefer the red quinoa due to the color contrast it adds to my dish and how well it holds form when cooking.  Plus in my local grocery stores and health food stores, I can only find red, white, or tricolored mixtures.  So I tend to stick with red.

The nutrition content is very similar among all quinoa no matter the color.  So lets take a look at what it contains.

QUINOA

SERVING: 1/2 CUP

CALORIES: 111

PROTEIN: 4 g

CARBOHYDRATES: 19.7 g

FIBER: 2.6 g

FAT (mostly poly/mono): 1.8 g

*Contains: Potassium, Calcium, Iron, Zinc

If you would like to add more quinoa to your diet, try out my new quinoa soup recipe HERE!

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Lemon Chicken Quinoa Soup

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Since it is getting cooler outside, people are starting to cozy up and make soups in their crock-pots.  Most soups can be high calorie and make you feel like hibernating after eating them… so here is how we avoid that feeling by boosting the nutrients in our soups!

Most people assume you need noodles, rice, or potatoes to have a soup… but you can actually use quinoa instead!  Find out why quinoa is one of my favorite grains HERE!

So here is my recipe for one of our favorite fall soups made in a crock-pot.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 4 organic chicken breasts, whole
  • 2 containers of organic chicken broth
  • 3 stalks of organic celery, chopped
  • 1 organic leek, chopped
  • 5 organic carrots, sliced
  • 1 cup organic red quinoa
  • 1 organic lemon, sliced
  • 1/2 tbsp. organic dill weed
  • salt/pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Place all chicken and broth into your crock-pot.  Add celery, leek, carrots, lemon, and dill to your crock-pot and let cook on high for 5-6 hours or until chicken is done.

After adding all of your ingredients to your crock-pot, place your quinoa in a bowl of water off to the side to soak as shown below.  I will also add extra water to the crock-pot depending on how much broth I have.  Here I used both containers of broth and about 1 cup of water.

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After your chicken has finished cooking, take out all chicken and shred chicken with a fork.  The chicken should just fall apart as you scrape it.  Once shredded, put it back into your crock-pot.

Strain water from your quinoa and add quinoa to your crock-pot 30 minutes before you plan to eat.

**Note:  I always use red quinoa because it does not get mushy.

Please feel free to salt/pepper to taste.  And 30 minutes later, voila!  You have a healthy and flavorful soup!

soup 1

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Five Things To Do To Avoid Food Temptation

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With the holidays approaching, I feel that this blog post is extremely important to start practicing with now!

One culprit that causes weight gain is temptation.  Sometimes foods are so enticing, we don’t have enough will power to say no!

So what can we do to help build that will power and keep us from those situations arising in the first place?

Here are 5 tips you can follow to avoid food temptation!

1.  Make your home your sanctuary.

If you have junk foods or trigger foods at home, it will be nearly impossible to stay on track with those treats dancing around in the back of your brain.  Make today the day you grab an empty box, open that pantry, and carry a load to your local food bank!  This way, if you have a strong craving for something unhealthy, your only choice is to throw on shoes, jump in the car, and go purchase it.  And no one wants to do that in the middle of the night.  This will also help with mindless snacking on junk.

And before you say, “But the kids really like ____, I can’t just get rid of that…” think about their health.  Is that a regular food you want them to grow up eating?  Or should that food really be a treat for them?

2.  Remove yourself from the situation or find a distraction.

When choosing a healthier lifestyle, you must allow yourself time to go through sugar/salt/fat withdrawal.  Yes, we can be addicted to these substances and sometimes it is just as bad as drugs/alcohol.  When looking at brain scans, our brain can light up like a Christmas tree when eating these foods in a stressful state and shortly after, we feel calm and relaxed.  This was something we discussed during a food addiction seminar I attended.  What is happening is actually a serotonin (our feel good hormone) release.  And if habits like that have been practiced too long, we can now be addicted and must allow time for withdrawal.

So if its evening time, the tv is on, and you reach for something to munch on while you relax, ask yourself, “before I take this bite, am I truly physically hungry?  Or am I looking for something to do?”  If you are not physically hungry, this is a great time to remove yourself from the situation you are currently in, or find a good distraction.

By distracting the mind from temptation, you are currently in the process of breaking a habit.  It takes almost a month to break a habit, so stay strong.  Find something that can relax you at the same time whether its a craft, hobby, or going for a walk.

3.  Eat slowly.

This is an extremely helpful tip.  The slower you eat, the faster you fill up.  Once you are no longer hungry, you will be less inclined to have dessert or a late night snack.

Asking for a to-go box immediately when ordering your food is also a step in the right direction.  When you remove half of your meal from your plate, you are eliminating that temptation of eating the full serving.  Always give yourself 10-15 minutes after completing a meal to determine if you are satisfied or not.

The last suggestion when it comes to social gatherings, restaurant celebrations, or holidays, is that you can always eat before you go if you don’t think you will have full control.  Now this doesn’t mean I believe you should never have “cheat meals” or something unhealthy occasionally…  But if this is a gathering you are attending recently after a cheat meal or it happens to be a place serving trigger foods for you, it is a great idea to eat ahead of time and just enjoy the social aspect of the event.

4.  Don’t buy it!

If you do not purchase this food, you cannot eat it!  Practicing the word NO is really important.

5.  Avoid tempting aisles at the grocery store.

You always want to shop the outskirts of the grocery store.  This will keep you around fresh produce, protein, and dairy products.  Anything within the aisles will always revolve around processed foods.  If you have a specific trigger food, AVOID THAT AISLE!

One grocery store in particular has really helped some of my patients by doing an online ordering system!  You can order all of your groceries online, pay online, and schedule a pick-up time!  How awesome is that?  This way you don’t have to look at the junk on sale at each end cap or smell the aromas from the bakery.

SUMMARY

These are just some of the things I practice with my patients to make sure temptation is not going to be an issue while living healthy.  I do believe in moderation, but for some people, if they fall off track or even have a cheat meal, they may throw in the towel because they already feel that they have failed.  So these are some easy tips to work on to make sure you avoid temptation and stay successful with your healthy lifestyle.

 

High Protein Parmesan Basil Dip

veggie dip

Some times we just want a veggie dip or cracker spread that isn’t loaded in fat!  So I came up with a new concoction today that had a yummy Italian flare!

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (2.75 g protein)
  • 1/4 cup 2% cottage cheese (6.5 g protein)
  • 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 sprig of fresh basil (about 4-6 leaves)
  • 2 pinches of Parmesan cheese flakes

DIRECTIONS:

Add all ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth.  This should provide about 3/4 cup of dip and ~9.25 g protein!

Enjoy!

 

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Have Pasta in a Healthy Way!

pasta 4

Pasta is usually a cheap meal that everyone loves!  It’s fast and easy, but oh so loaded in calories…  So how do you have a pasta dish and keep it healthy??

Here is how the dietitian does it!

All you need is spaghetti squash, lean meat, sauce and lots of yummy veggies!

INGREDIENTS:

  • 3 peppers (yellow, orange, red), chopped
  • 1 pound of lean hot/spicy sausage (turkey/beef/chicken)
  • Vodka sauce
  • 1 spaghetti squash

DIRECTIONS:

First you want to slice your spaghetti squash in half, clean out the middle and microwave it for 10-12 minutes.  Check out how I do it HERE!

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Once you get your squash in the microwave, begin browning your meat.  As your meat is browning, add all of your chopped vegetables to your skillet.

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Once you’ve sautéed your veggies with your meat a bit, you’ll want to add your vodka sauce and let it simmer until your spaghetti squash is done.

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When removing your spaghetti squash from the gourd, be very careful!  It should be very hot.  Grab a fork and begin scraping out the inside.

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Once all squash is removed, scoop out your meat/veggie sauce and voila!

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You’ve got yourself a fast, easy, and of course yummy meal!

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The meat sauce is always the best part because you can add all types of chopped veggies to it!  This time I just grabbed some peppers on sale… But you can chop zucchini, any peppers, onions, or even add broccoli!

To find out more about how great spaghetti squash is for you, click HERE!

Enjoy!

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