It was a long 2014. I didn't feel like I reached many of the goals I had originally set out to accomplish(professionally or personally), so my only New Years resolution this year is to do better. Better than yesterday, better than last year. And I'm going to start by taking my own advice.
I am working with a wonderful personal training studio called Arlington Personal Fitness to present a New Years Challenge to some of their clientele. Four weeks, four different nutrition & fitness challenges. How bad could that be? We will soon find out, as I am going to go through the challenge as well.
To make this work, I need to follow the plan. The first week is about water & breakfast. The water I know I can do, breakfast is always a challenge for me. I have a history of gastrointestinal challenges, and eating first thing in the morning is always tricky. But for one week, I am going to TRY. Try to do better. What can it hurt?
Its the exercise component that is going to kick my butt. That's the point though, right?; The reason it is called a "challenge" - if it were easy, well then we would all be perfectly healthy and fit and I'd be out of a job:)
Wish me luck! Here's to a better tomorrow...
Monday, January 5, 2015
Sunday, May 18, 2014
Feeling good about pasta
For many people who are looking to eat healthier, lose weight, or are simply following the latest diet fad, one of the first things they think they need to do is cut out pasta. Yummy, yummy pasta. The glutenous deliciousness that is part of so many of our favorite dishes - lasagna; macaroni and cheese; spaghetti and meatballs...the choices are endless. What a shame to think you can't eat these if you are trying to make a change to your dietary habits. Yes, pasta is calorically dense - the amount of calories ONE cup of cooked pasta (which is 2 servings) is the equivalent to the amount of calories in roughly SEVEN cups of steamed broccoli (7 servings). That's a lot of broccoli. And honestly, not that much pasta. At your typical restaurant, they will serve you at least 2-3 times the appropriate serving. So what's a health conscious eater to do? Take matters into your own hands.
REMEMBER: THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS A BAD FOOD! Its all about how much and how often you are eating foods that really counts. And for me personally, if you tell me I can't have something, I can't stop thinking about it until I've eaten the whole thing. Yuck. So the trick, when it comes to pasta, is to bulk the dish up with something that doesn't have very many calories. Something that has TONS of vitamins and minerals. Something delicious. What could it be? VEGETABLES! For instance, when I make macaroni and cheese, its not JUST mac & cheese...it's BROCCOLI mac & cheese...and the broccoli definitely out-weighs the noodles.
Tonight, it was all about the orzo. We were having grilled salmon and asparagus, and my husband wanted a starchy side to go along with the grilled food. He requested orzo, so I decided to take it to the next level. First, I cut up a whole vidalia onion (my favorite - sweet and savory all at the same time), sauteed it, and then added a whole box (10-12 oz?) of frozen chopped spinach, which I had defrosted. Some heirloom cherry tomatoes, lemon juice, and a sprinkling of feta cheese turned our orzo into a delicious Greek veggie dish (with some pasta). A little went a long way, and left us feeling satisfied.
In case anyone that knows me is wondering, NO, I did not use regular orzo. Whole Foods carries a Gluten-Free Orzo made of corn and rice, which is pretty delicious. The recipe I made will last us a few nights, which goes along with my "cook once, eat twice" philosophy. Who has time to cook every day? When you are going to cook pasta, however, always look for ways to bulk up your dish with different vegetables - you will end up taking in less calories per serving size, feel more full (veggies have fiber after all!) and get more vitamins and minerals - win win. Plus I think its just more fun. What veggies do you like to add into pasta dishes?
Greek Spinach Orzo
Makes 4-6 main dishes, 6-8 side dishes
Ingredients:
1 box orzo (I used DeLallo Gluten Free Orzo)
1 box chopped frozen spinach, defrosted
1 container cherry tomatoes, halved
1 sweet Vidalia onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 ounces crumbled feta cheese
juice of 1 lemon
salt to season
Directions:
1. Cook orzo according to directions on box.
2. Meanwhile, saute chopped onion in olive oil for 3-5 minutes, until cooked through.
3. Add defrosted frozen chopped spinach, mix together, saute for another 3 minutes.
4. Add halved cherry tomatoes, mix together, saute for another 3 minutes.
5. Add cooked orzo to your cooked veggies.
6. Add crumbled feta cheese, juice of 1 lemon, and salt to taste. Mix until thoroughly combined.
ENJOY!
REMEMBER: THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS A BAD FOOD! Its all about how much and how often you are eating foods that really counts. And for me personally, if you tell me I can't have something, I can't stop thinking about it until I've eaten the whole thing. Yuck. So the trick, when it comes to pasta, is to bulk the dish up with something that doesn't have very many calories. Something that has TONS of vitamins and minerals. Something delicious. What could it be? VEGETABLES! For instance, when I make macaroni and cheese, its not JUST mac & cheese...it's BROCCOLI mac & cheese...and the broccoli definitely out-weighs the noodles.
Tonight, it was all about the orzo. We were having grilled salmon and asparagus, and my husband wanted a starchy side to go along with the grilled food. He requested orzo, so I decided to take it to the next level. First, I cut up a whole vidalia onion (my favorite - sweet and savory all at the same time), sauteed it, and then added a whole box (10-12 oz?) of frozen chopped spinach, which I had defrosted. Some heirloom cherry tomatoes, lemon juice, and a sprinkling of feta cheese turned our orzo into a delicious Greek veggie dish (with some pasta). A little went a long way, and left us feeling satisfied.
In case anyone that knows me is wondering, NO, I did not use regular orzo. Whole Foods carries a Gluten-Free Orzo made of corn and rice, which is pretty delicious. The recipe I made will last us a few nights, which goes along with my "cook once, eat twice" philosophy. Who has time to cook every day? When you are going to cook pasta, however, always look for ways to bulk up your dish with different vegetables - you will end up taking in less calories per serving size, feel more full (veggies have fiber after all!) and get more vitamins and minerals - win win. Plus I think its just more fun. What veggies do you like to add into pasta dishes?
Greek Spinach Orzo
Makes 4-6 main dishes, 6-8 side dishes
Ingredients:
1 box orzo (I used DeLallo Gluten Free Orzo)
1 box chopped frozen spinach, defrosted
1 container cherry tomatoes, halved
1 sweet Vidalia onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 ounces crumbled feta cheese
juice of 1 lemon
salt to season
Directions:
1. Cook orzo according to directions on box.
2. Meanwhile, saute chopped onion in olive oil for 3-5 minutes, until cooked through.
3. Add defrosted frozen chopped spinach, mix together, saute for another 3 minutes.
4. Add halved cherry tomatoes, mix together, saute for another 3 minutes.
5. Add cooked orzo to your cooked veggies.
6. Add crumbled feta cheese, juice of 1 lemon, and salt to taste. Mix until thoroughly combined.
ENJOY!
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings 8.0 | |
| Amount Per Serving | |
| Calories 222 | |
| Total Fat 4.8 g | |
| Saturated Fat 1.3 g | |
| Monounsaturated Fat 1,6 g | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat 0.2 g | |
| Trans Fat 0 g | |
| Cholesterol 6.3 g | |
| Sodium 141 mg | |
| Potassium 290 mg | |
| Total Carbohydrate 39 g | |
| Dietary Fiber 3.5 g | |
| Sugars g | |
| Protein 5.9 g | |
| Vitamin A | 155 % |
| Vitamin C | 13.5 % |
| Calcium | 15.4 % |
| Iron | 9.6 % |
Sunday, May 4, 2014
Spinach Chicken Burger
I love food! From pizza to lasagna to mashed potatoes to ice cream, I love it all. Oh by the way, I'm a Registered Dietitian. My job is to help people eat healthier. So how can I love eating food that isn't considered "healthy"? One of the first things I tell my clients is that THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A BAD FOOD, its all about how much and how often you eat it. There is a place in every one's diet for any food that they love. When you make a food off limits, you are creating a negative relationship with that food, and you will end up craving it even more. The other thing that I teach my clients is that you can take any food you like and create a healthier version by making a few simple substitutions. While it might not taste EXACTLY like the original, my goal is that it tastes just as delicious. Because why eat something if it doesn't taste good?
Tonight for dinner, it was Burger Night. I wanted to create a burger that had flavor, was juicy, and was healthy for my family. What I came up with was a Spinach Chicken Burger. We substituted ground beef for chicken breast (saving 6 grams of fat and 40 calories), added chopped spinach and goat cheese to keep the burger juicy and flavorful, and skipped the bun (I'm gluten free, and honestly with all of the flavors we had going on, no one missed the bun, but a whole wheat bun is a good option) and added some sauteed asparagus on the side. It was ready in less than 20 minutes, and got rave reviews. Below is the recipe and some notes. What is your favorite ingredient to add to burgers?
Spinach Chicken Burgers
Makes 4 burgers
Ingredients:
1 pound ground chicken breast
2 ounces goat cheese
1 cup frozen chopped spinach, defrosted
1 avocado
8 ounces mushrooms
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt to season
Directions:
1. Mix ground chicken, goat cheese, and defrosted spinach together in a bowl. Make sure the spinach is NOT hot when you mix it with the ground chicken (YUCK). Season with salt.
2. Form 4 patties and place them on a hot grill pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Let the burgers cook. Do not move them around too much. Let them cook on each side for approximately 5-7 minutes, or until the burger is cooked ALL THE WAY THROUGH.
3. While the burgers are cooking, saute the mushrooms in a separate pan with olive and salt. Cook approximately 5-7 minutes, until water is cooked out of mushrooms.
4. Serve each burger topped with mushrooms and avocado slices, with accompanying sauces (I go traditional for organic ketchup and yellow mustard). Enjoy with sauteed asparagus or your favorite vegetable.
Tonight for dinner, it was Burger Night. I wanted to create a burger that had flavor, was juicy, and was healthy for my family. What I came up with was a Spinach Chicken Burger. We substituted ground beef for chicken breast (saving 6 grams of fat and 40 calories), added chopped spinach and goat cheese to keep the burger juicy and flavorful, and skipped the bun (I'm gluten free, and honestly with all of the flavors we had going on, no one missed the bun, but a whole wheat bun is a good option) and added some sauteed asparagus on the side. It was ready in less than 20 minutes, and got rave reviews. Below is the recipe and some notes. What is your favorite ingredient to add to burgers?
Spinach Chicken Burgers
Makes 4 burgers
Ingredients:
1 pound ground chicken breast
2 ounces goat cheese
1 cup frozen chopped spinach, defrosted
1 avocado
8 ounces mushrooms
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt to season
Directions:
1. Mix ground chicken, goat cheese, and defrosted spinach together in a bowl. Make sure the spinach is NOT hot when you mix it with the ground chicken (YUCK). Season with salt.
2. Form 4 patties and place them on a hot grill pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Let the burgers cook. Do not move them around too much. Let them cook on each side for approximately 5-7 minutes, or until the burger is cooked ALL THE WAY THROUGH.
3. While the burgers are cooking, saute the mushrooms in a separate pan with olive and salt. Cook approximately 5-7 minutes, until water is cooked out of mushrooms.
4. Serve each burger topped with mushrooms and avocado slices, with accompanying sauces (I go traditional for organic ketchup and yellow mustard). Enjoy with sauteed asparagus or your favorite vegetable.
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings 4.0 | |
| Amount Per Serving | |
| Calories 292 | |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Total Fat 15 g | 23 % |
| Saturated Fat 4 g | 19 % |
| Monounsaturated Fat 6 g | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g | |
| Trans Fat 0 g | |
| Cholesterol 77 g | 26 % |
| Sodium 278 mg | 12 % |
| Potassium 451 mg | 13 % |
| Total Carbohydrate 8 g | 3 % |
| Dietary Fiber 4 g | 15 % |
| Sugars 2 g | |
| Protein 30 g | 60 % |
| Vitamin A | 1 % |
| Vitamin C | 11 % |
| Calcium | 1 % |
| Iron | 52 % |
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