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Posts from the ‘Meal Planning’ category

Tips on Eating Out and About

Read these tips to get savvy on eating out, and set yourself up for success!

1. Don’t go out to a meal completely famished – have a healthy snack ahead of time: i.e. carrots and hummus, ham and cheese, scoop or two of almond butter, handful of nuts.

2. Ask for a glass of room temperature water with lemon – cold water impedes digestion.

3. Don’t eat the bread unless it’s really worth it.

4. Order tapas style – take your time and enjoy each dish.

5. Share appetizers and entrees or ask for a to go box at the same time your food is delivered.

6. Order dishes with a protein: i.e. shrimp cocktail, oysters, sushi, duck tacos, etc.

7. Wait to order the booze – alcohol spikes the blood sugar and can cause you to eat more! Order the alcohol with the meal, as protein with the alcohol will help you eat less.

8. Eat in a calm, happy atmosphere for better digestion – stress causes you to eat more and the blood goes to the limbs.

9. 80/20 rule – 80% makes up your health, 20% fun.
Sugar: alcohol, bread, pasta, rice, desert – choose one or two. Pick and choose what is worth it for you!

10. Ask for gluten free menu or gluten free options – this will cut down on the amount of sugar you are consuming automatically.

11. Ask to have your food cooked in butter – most restaurants use canola and soybean oil which are not beneficial to your health.

Rooted in making good choices out and about.

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TIPS for Traveling

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Stay on track no matter where you are headed!  Use these simple tips to improve your travel experience – staying ahead of the game and not behind.  Set yourself up for success. xo

1. Pack your sneakers – to squeeze in a walk, run or exercise class. Aside from reaping the benefits of the exercise, this will also help you make better choices when eating out. If you know your schedule is jam packed, choose to walk early in the morning or later in the day.

2.   Bring healthy snacks
– hard boiled eggs
– sliced precooked organic sausage
– string cheese / organic cheese cubes
– mixed raw nuts
– pistachios
– indiv. packets of peanut butter/almond butter and apple
– homemade granola bars
– trail mix bites
– fruit
– cut up raw veggies (string beans, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, celery, cucumber) and hummus
– protein bars
– Kombucha

3. Find a market – upon arriving at your destination so you don’t rely on full service restaurants or end up famished.

4. Stay hydrated – with room temperature water.

5. Scope out the scene – so you know where to purchase healthy foods on the go, perhaps a local gym, café, etc.

6. Plan ahead – so you know when meals will be served and when you are on your own. Don’t have the starve and splurge mentality.

7. Pick and choose – when you go to a restaurant choose what you really want and eat slowly. Don’t eat everything just because it’s in sight: the bread, the pasta, the wine, the passed appetizers, the dessert, etc.

8. Be aware of alcohol intake – how often you are getting a pre or post dinner drink with co-workers, family or friends.

9. Try new food – enjoy your experience as much as you can and don’t be too hard on yourself.

10. Enjoy yourself!

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Rooted in traveling healthily and comfortably.

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Gettin’ Saucey

I absolutely love, love, love sauces! Sauces are a great way to spice up any meal or snack. If you like eating  simply, organically and nutritiously, sauces can add great flavor and variety to your meal. These recipes are just meant to be a guide, I encourage you to add or subtract whatever tickles your fancy.

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Pesto:
½ cup pine nuts or almonds
2 cloves garlic
3 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
½ cup Parmesan, freshly grated
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon sea salt & pepper – to taste
-Blend and serve / store.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus:
2 roasted or raw red bell pepper or 1 jar roasted red bell peppers (drained)
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained or 2 cups soaked
½ jalapeno pepper
2 lemons, juiced
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon tahini
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon sea salt and pepper – to taste
-Blend and serve / store.

Hummus:
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained or 2 cups soaked chickpeas
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons water
10 basil leaves
1 lemon, juiced
2 teaspoons tahini
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon sea salt – to taste
-Blend and serve / store.

Texas de Brazil Chimichurri:
1 cup of olive oil
1/4 cup of lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons of fresh chopped garlic
1 tablespoon of dry oregano
1 tablespoon of red crushed pepper
½ teaspoon sea salt & pepper – to taste
-Mix, marinate and serve / store.

Creamy Sweet Potato Dip:
3 small sweet potatoes, boiled and soft
1/2 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained or 1 cup soaked chickpeas
½ cup almond milk, unsweetened
1 tablespoon dried mixed herbs – to taste
1 tablespoon tahini
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 sage leaves
1 lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons tamari (gluten free soy sauce)
½ teaspoon chili flakes & sea salt – to taste
-Blend and serve / store.

Verde Sauce:
1 Avocado
2 cloves garlic
1 jalapeno
1 lime, juiced
½ cup parsley
½ cup cilantro
½ cup olive oil
½ cup pistachios
½ cup water
½ cup sea salt & pepper – to taste
-Blend and serve / store.

Herbed Mayo:
2 tablespoons mayo
1 1/2 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon chopped basil
1 teaspoon chives
½ teaspoon fresh thyme
½ teaspoon black pepper – to taste
-Blend and serve / store.

Curry Mayo:
2 tablespoons mayo
¼ teaspoon Madras curry powder\
¼ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoon sea salt – to taste
-Blend and serve / store.

Avocado Dip:
2 avocados, peeled
½ lime, juiced
1 small tomato, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro
¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon sea salt & pepper – to taste
-Blend and serve / store.

Spinach and Artichoke Dip:
2 – 3 cans artichoke hearts, quartered
1 10-ounce bag + spinach, fresh or frozen/thawed
½ cup Parmesan, freshly grated
½ cup mayo
1 teaspoon sea salt & pepper – to taste
1 tablespoon dried mixed herbs – to taste
-Mix in large bowl and bake in oven at 350 degrees for 15-20 min. Serve / store.

Tzatziki Yogurt Sauce:
1 medium cucumber, diced
1 tablespoon fresh dill
¼ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon lemon, freshly squeezed
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
½ teaspoon sea salt & pepper – to taste
-Mix and marinate in refrigerator 1-2 hours, blend and serve / store.

Boom-Boom Sauce:
¼ cup mayo
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon sweet chili sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
¾ teaspoon Strachan
-Mix and serve / store.
*Delicious for shrimp/fish tacos.

Vanilla & Cashew Butter:
1 baking tray/3 ½ cups of cashew nuts
2 teaspoons vanilla
-Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or golden brown, cool and blend until runny, serve / store.

What are some of your favorite sauces and dips?

 

Rooted in gettin’ saucy.

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Grocery Shopping Tips

Does going to the grocery store give you anxiety?  This experience does not have to be horrid, scary, intimidating, and super costly!  In fact, it should be just the opposite.  Gain insight into the grocery shopping experience with these tips to help guide you..

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1. Shop the Perimeter of the Grocery Store – The most nutritious foods are on outside!  P.S. it doesn’t matter if you are shopping at Whole Foods, the “whole” foods are still found on the perimeter of the store!  Although we all love Whole Foods, just because you shop there doesn’t mean everything is nutritious.

2. Shop According to What Is In-Season – Nutrient-rich and less expensive.  If its available to you, utilize your local fruit stand or farmers market.  This is a fantastic way to go all around!  If needed, supplement with frozen items for those foods not in season.

3. Subscribe to the Market Bulletins – This makes it much easier to purchase high quality items at a low cost.  This is your opportunity to purchase items that you may not normally buy!

4. Plan Ahead – Planning a few meals ahead keeps you in line with your wallet and your waist.  If you go to the store with a grocery list, you are more likely to stick to nutritious foods and less likely to come home with lots of unnecessary, less nutritious goods.

5. Buy Full-Fat Products – Fat does not make you fat!  Fat, is actually good for you!  Low-fat options have more sugar added.  Pay attention to labels as many foods you wouldn’t expect are often loaded with sugar and other fillers, such as; yogurt, salad dressings, packaged foods, cereal, etc.

6. Buy WHOLE foods as Much as Possible – Veggies, fruits, fish, meats, nuts etc.  Stick to foods that come from a plant and stay away from those made in a plant.  Buy packaged/pre-prepared foods in moderation.*

7. Pay Attention to Labels – Remember ingredients are listed in order by weight, so the predominant ingredients will be listed first.  As a general rule of thumb, if there are more than 10 ingredients listed or you can’t pronounce the ingredients, ditch the food, because your body probably won’t be able to recognize and appropriately digest the food either.  Remember to look at how many servings are offered, as the labels are based on serving size.  For example, if you ate 1 bag of goldfish with 20 grams of carbohydrate per serving, and the bag contained 3 servings total, you must multiply 20 x 3 = 60 grams of carbohydrate consumed.  Also, don’t forget about the sugar.  Although there is no adequate amount of sugar, try and stay under double digits per serving.

8. Watch Out for Buying “Liquid Calories” – Juices, smoothies, energy drinks, alcohol, etc. are filled with sugar and calories, so be aware with what choices you are making.  There are zillions of drinks on the market, and even if they are sold at a high end grocery store it does not mean they are healthy.  Remember, water is your best bet!

*Thrivemarket.com is an excellent place to purchase dried goods online, at a discount.  One advantage to this is you are less likely to buy unnecessary items!

Set yourself up for success, not failure.  If you would like extra support, set up an appointment today and we can transform your grocery shopping experience together!

Comfortably rooted in going to the market!

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Vegetarian Sources of Protein

Here are some of my favorite sources of protein, vegetarian or not!

Lentils (brown/green/red) – 18 grams / 1 cup
Chickpeas – 14 grams / 1 cup
Black Beans – 16 grams / 1 cup
Quinoa – 8 grams / 1 cup
Amaranth – 7 grams / 1 cup cooked
Hemp Seeds – 13 gramps / 3 tbsp.
Chia Seeds – 4 grams / 2 tbsp.
Spirulina – 4 grams / 1 tbsp.
Pumpkin Seeds – 8 grams / ¼ cup
Sesame, Sunflower and Poppy Seeds – 7 grams / ¼ cup
Green Peas – 8 grams / 1 cup
Broccoli – 8 grams / 1 cup
Artichokes – 8 grams / 1 cup
Tempeh – 12 grams / 1 cup (fermented soy)
Eggs – 7 grams / 1 egg
Nuts & Nut Butter – 5-8 grams / 2 tbsp.
Cottage Cheese – 25 grams / 1 cup
Avocado – 3 grams / 1 cup
Greek Yogurt – 20 grams / 1 serving
 

*Quantities are approximate and nutritional’s pertain to cooked foods.

*2 tbsp. = 1 ounce

 

Rooted in protein.

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MEAL PLANNING – 2 METHODS

Think SIMPLE, TASTY, NOURISHING & FUN

TIPS:

  • You just need a few ingredients.
  • BE Creative -> Use whats at your fingertips to create a meal.
  • THINK Ahead -> List ingredients needed, plan, purchase, and prepare.
  • Shop Seasonally.
  • Shop Bargains.

METHOD 1:

1. Look at what main ingredients you already have or want to use.

-For example: piece of fish, black beans or quinoa.

2. What can you make with this?

–Think texture, color, flavor, nutrition, and quantity.

3. Add component(s): vegetable, fruit, dairy, meat, starch, etc. using ingredients you already have or are readily available.

-For example: piece of fish over wild rice and a bed of spinach.

4. Top with “pantry item extras” or purchase some!

–Including: Dried Fruit: cranberries, blueberries; Nuts: almond slivers, walnuts, cashews, peanuts; Seeds: sunflower, pumpkin, flax; Cheese: freshly grated parmesan, goat cheese, fontina, blue cheese; Olives; Coconut; Honey; Spices/Salts; Oils.

-For example: fish, over wild rice and a bed of spinach, topped with dried cranberries, sunflower seeds and drizzled with a raspberry balsamic.

METHOD 2:

1. Look through your favorite recipe book, Pinterest, etc.

2. Pick a couple of recipes to make this week.

–Perhaps, you want to focus on a particular meal: B/L/D?

3. Make a list of ingredients and tools needed for each meal, in addition to staple items you need to replenish.

4. Check off the ingredients you already have, and now you have your grocery list.

5. When will you purchase and prepare (date and time)?

6. Purchase what’s available where: farmers market, meat market, fish market, Whole Foods, Trader Joes, etc.

7. Prepare!

MEAL PLANNING..

–>Think hot / cold / method of cooking and preparation.

HOT: Soup, Veggies, Grains, Lentils, Protein / sautéed, baked, broiled, slow cooker, blender.

COLD: Salad, Dip, Sauce, Veggies, Fish / chop, blend, mix.

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Rooted in foodie. xo

 

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