On my way to RD!

I have started hospital work this semester. We go as a group of dietetic interns and as pairs work with one patient a week. So far, it has been a great experience. I absolutely love all my fellow interns, they are wonderful and fun to be with. The group happy hours do not hurt either ;)

I feel really silly in a lab coat. I walk around hoping people do not think I am posing as a doctor!

Here I am on my first day at the hospital. I was SO nervous before going the first time. Just think- I will be done and a registered dietitian this time next year! WOOHOO!

-Laurie

Cheap coconut milk

Lately, I noticed I was eating A LOT of almonds and almond products. Everything in moderation, kids. I was consuming Kindbars, Blue Diamond Unsweetened Almond Milk, roasted almonds, Maranatha Almond Butter, using almond meal to bake with. You get the drift….sometimes, it can be too much of a good thing. I felt like I was turning into an almond.

Since I don’t drink dairy milk (but I eat yogurt, cheese) I was in need of an alternative milk source. I do not like soy products, rice milk, hemp milk, or other alternative milks, I turned to coconut milk. I have used SoDelicious coconut milk before and wasn’t too crazy about it and it can get expensive.

Long story short, I bought a can of coconut milk and diluted it with water (4:1). Voila mock SoDelicious for $1.89 and it does not contain any extra ingredients  like guar gum which gives many people digestive discomfort.

This really isn’t a recipe of sorts, more of simple instructions :)

1 can coconut milk

3-4 can amounts of water

sweetener if desired

Mix!

-Laurie

Dangers of recent food trends

Among my peers, I have noticed an  increase in the consumption of meat, meat, meat. It has certainly become trendy to use the ‘farm to table’ idea to sell certain dishes and meat has definitely been on the plates. It is cool and hipster to order ANYTHING with bacon, pork belly, fois gras, sausage, charcuterie, you name it. These foods instantly upgrade your plate from boring to wow. Baconry has almost become a sport in my town.

 

People feel a tad bit healthier and secure in eating these things if they are ‘local’ or ‘organic’. These meats get rationalized heavily on the notion that grandma ate them and yes, there are probably not a long list of ingredients in them. However, there are is a long chain of saturated fat in them that doesn’t get any healthier by making them in house or only 5 green miles away. These people feel isolated from the health consequences because the food is organic or has a culinary focus.

 

My very health minded peers (and even myself) I find falling into this rationale that, hey, at LEAST it’s local. That’s got to count for something, right?

Why should you avoid meat high in saturated fat and processed meat? Very simply and broadly, they hurt your heart and can lead to cancer. Boom. Reason enough. I won’t bore you with the biochemistry but the facts are there and they are very real.

Random: Another common saying I hear is that ‘at least it’s a REAL cheeseburger, and not fast food’. I agree, but this completely depends on what that real cheeseburger is made out of and how big it is. It also depends on how big or small that fast food burger would have been. When you are comparing a 3/4 lb. 80% lean cheeseburger made with Roquefort or brie and ‘local’ thick cut bacon to a Wendy’s Jr. Cheeseburger, you are speaking in two different languages.

Is it better to eat all organic, but in high saturated fat and 700+ kcals local cheeseburger? Or a Wendy’s sensibly sized cheeseburger that clocks in at 350 kcals? I can’t give you the answer. It all depends on the rest of your diet or what you did that day. Personally, I believe in moderation either way.

My ultimate point is that just because  a trend is happening and seems natural or groovy, you may not want to jump on the bacon bandwagon. The same can be said for not eating gluten or grains. Particularly in light of the recent red meat study just published, people should pay more attention to what they are putting in their mouths.  I do feel red meat can have a place in your diet however, limit it to lean cuts and try not to exceed 18 oz. per week. I believe this is highly achievable.

How to gain weight the healthy way

Having been in both positions of either needing to lose weight or recently needing to gain weight post operation I know that both are difficult. Having a few pointers helps out a ton.

When I looked for research on this topic, all I got really was ‘Eat more’ or ‘eat peanut butter’. It’s pretty hard to put on weight fast when you are trying to without a lot of discomfort so be patient. The same reason you don’t want to drop weight fast is the same for not gaining too quickly.

It’s easy to gravitate towards ‘whoa’ foods (fast food, candy, chips, ice cream) because they are high in calories and fat. However, they don’t give you the most nutrition bang for your buck. On top of feeling quite FULL from extra calories, you don’t want to feel the sluggish effects of too much sugar and over-processed calories.

It helps to be prepared and to have some snacks in your bag or car to munch on. For example: trail mix or granola bars make for great ‘in-car’ snacks to keep up the kcals.

Aim for around 200-300 extra kcals/day. Be patient!

Some super easy tips:

• Use extra olive oil (think drizzled over veggies, salad, quinoa, etc).

• Add 1-2 T plain creamer to your coffee (or over oats!) If you’re saturated fat intake is relatively low, this shouldn’t be a problem.

• Eat 2 squares 70-100% dark chocolate each night. 85% Trader Joe’s is the best in the world.

 

• Carry trail mix or nuts (watch the sugar).

• Put guacamole on a variety of your dishes

• Don’t buy fat free items (unless medically necessary).
• Make protein shakes your friend- think of them as smoothies, milkshakes, parfaits, etc. The web has SO SO many different recipes. My favorite is pumpkin pie with some granola on top. 

• Take extra protein/main dish servings at meals. (Duh)
• Use PESTO on everything!

• Make your grains count. Aim to eat brown rice, oats, millet, bulgur wheat, etc.
• Get a low sugar/high fat granola to nosh on.
• Most common suggestion: peanut butter sandwich! (on REAL bread)

• Do enjoy the occasional dessert! I am a fan of full-fat ice cream that is lower in sugar. Breyer’s Vanilla is a great one.
• Drink real beer! (or wine) Just watch the sugary drinks….I know, I have a theme here…..(moderate your sugar!)

I tried to think of the foods that I ate lots of to get my weight back up to normal after surgery. It took me over a month. Keep eating the healthful foods that you normally do; remember, this is not a good time to go crazy and eat nutritionally empty calories.

Thanksgiving is coming, I just might have a healthy pumpkin recipe to share!

Laurie :)

Brown Bag vs School Lunch

I love the Nutrition Diva. She has GREAT free podcasts for downloads and writes wonderful, spot-on articles. She really does her research and it shows.

Check out her latest article on school lunches versus the ‘brown bag’.

Nutrition Diva's Website

McDonald’s Trip

So I am recovering from a surgery that I had about a week ago. My appetite is really off and all I want to eat is simple carbohydrates. I am trying to keep my calories up so I am excited if anything sounds remotely good. This meant grabbing a McDonald’s vanilla ice cream cone the other day around 3:30 PM. I know, I know! McDonald’s?! This is not a norm for me at all.

Anyways, I was completely struck by what surrounded me at McDonalds’s. Again, I repeat that is was 3:30 PM. The dining hall was filled with people eating full meals. Also, at almost each table were families. Almost every table were overweight people. This is not a revelation or discovery to see overweight and obese people at McDonald’s. It just struck me that this was perhaps these families’ after school ritual. I wanted to ask all of them if this was a normal day for their families or a special treat or last-resort option? If so, what did they have for dinner later? Or was this their late lunch or early dinner? I just found it odd that they were eating full-on meals at this unconventional hour.

This brings me to my next question. How can you break these poor kiddos out of this ‘norm’? They were thrilled to be there. Honestly, if you asked me to go to McD’s at their age, I would have been elated as well. It just breaks my heart to see children that are overweight. It really does. Is it better to educate the person in power (parent) or go straight to the child? Or both?

Eating habits make an enormous impact on your life. They determine your everyday well-being, physical ability, looks (yes, I am being vain!), longevity, job, spouse, activities, emotions, etc. When you stop to think about these ripple effects, it’s very eye-opening and THAT’s why I feel deeply for these overweight children.  

I hope to touch someone’s life as my role as a Registered Dietitian. I will be on their team, coaching and not preaching.

CIN-NUTTY Granola

 

Prep time: 15 min Cook time: 45 min Servings: 20

See below for more pics! 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups organic rolled oats
• 1/3 cup wheat germ
• 1/4 cup each -sunflower seeds, chopped almonds, chopped walnuts, chopped peanuts
• 1 t ground cinnamon
• 2 T flax seeds
• 2 T vegetable oil
• 2 T unsweetened applesauce
• 1 T molasses
• 1 T sugar of choice
• 1 egg white
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• After baking:
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 1 cup puffed kamut**

STEPS

1. Preheat oven to 225 F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. Combine oats, nuts+seeds, cinnamon, and flax seeds in a large mixing bowl.
3. In a small bowl, combine oil, applesauce, molasses, sugar, egg white, and salt.
4. Microwave wet ingredients 30-60 sec, stir.
5. Drizzle the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and thoroughly combine.
6. Spread the mixture evenly the cookie sheet.
7. Bake for 20 min, stir. Repeat for a total of 40-45 min of baking time.
8. Remove and let cool. When completely cool, add raisins and kamut puffs. Store in an air tight container for up to 2-3 weeks.

Enjoy in Greek yogurt, almond milk, with fruit or just for munching.

** Kamut Puffs may be found at Whole Foods, Sprouts, Central Market, or your local health food store.

Remove wheat germ and replace kamut puffs with different cereal puff for a gluten-free recipe. Make sure you are okay consuming oats and that they come from a gluten-free facility.

Nutritional information (1/2 c svg): 6g protein, 10g fat, 20g carbohydrates, 194 calories

*Nutritional information calculated and approximated using myfitnesspal.com

Feed the chickens while your granola crisps! Then you are done :)

Top  blueberry pancakes with your cin-nutty granola and layer mashed cinnamon vanilla banana in between and you have one HAPPY boyfriend!

Have a great day y’all!

The Lunchbox

I am trying to become more involved in the community through nutrition.

Whole Kids Foundation

I am very interested in working with Whole Kids Foundation. This program is through Whole Foods and has 3 programs expanded under it: School Garden Grants, Salad Bars in Schools, and Nutrition Education for Teachers.

With these programs, kids are taught the connection between growing their own food and eating healthfully.

Upon browsing the website, I stumbled upon The Lunchbox.  

-The Lunchbox. 

From The Lunchbox site:

“Founded by Chef Ann Cooper, the Food, Family, Farming Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization created to change the food system in the U.S. to an ecologically sound, sustainable model. By empowering schools, families, farms and producers to operate sustainably, F3 enables schools to serve nutritious whole food to all students. F3 educates through training programs, direct services, a web portal and collateral resources.”

I LOVE ANN COOPER! :)  Watch here here on Ted TV.

I was most intrigued (duh) by the recipes. This is a great tool for anyone.  It is very helpful because you can alter the number of people you need to serve. All you have to do is enter how many people and the recipe is immediately scaled to size. Of course, these are considered children portions. So, if you are serving 20 large teenage boys, please overestimate! You can search by category or course. Just because it’s school lunch, doesn’t mean it’s bad!

This would be a fantastic tool for hosting parties if you enjoy cooking. All you have to do is a quick register.

The sheer number of programs and ways to help and educate people on nutrition is fantastic. Take advantage of the available resources!

I also would like to be involved with the Salad bar program. I know many of my friends are teachers and I plan to ask around to see if they implement this at their school.

Big flavor, little work

This is a great snack to beat the heat. The crunchy bread with the melty chevre and cold pepper really taste wonderful.

Sometimes, it’s nice to be reminded of the simple combinations that work well and easily.  It’s too easy to get caught up in making a complicated gourmet recipe and forget the ol’ standbys.

Red Pepper Goat Cheese Toasties

• 2 slices crusty bread (preferably whole wheat)
• 1 oz goat cheese
• 2 large slices roasted red peppers, chilled

1. Toast your bread.
2. Spread each slice with half oz of goat cheese.
3. Top with cold roasted red peppers.

Enjoy! Très simple.

I want my bike!

It’s really hot down in Austin, Texas. Like REALLY, REALLY hot.

I think the heat is getting to my brain because all I can do right now is research online about what cruiser to buy. I know, I know. Why would you want to be working up a sweat in 104 degree weather? Eh. You get used to it, I guess.

My boyfriend, Adam, rides his bike everyday and uses it for transportation. I , on the other hand will be using it as a stress reliever and a way to relax. Enter the cruiser!

Also, how stinkin’ cute are these bike accessories? Click here to check them out.  I can just imagine myself with my Raybans, tunes, and a bikini on my way to the neighborhood pool or market.

Mark my words, this will happen!

I want something like the bike below. SO CUTE!

Or maybe PINK?!

Then, me and Katy Perry can be besties and ride together.

Whatever color and whatever bike I get, Adam and I will both be stoked to go on cruises around the neighborhood together. It’s a great way to spend time together and de-stress.

Laurie

So fresh and so clean, clean!

I used to not be a fan of juices. Juice=fast source of sugars straight to the bloodstream. However, I figured out that you don’t really need a lot of sugary fruit to enjoy a great juice. Just use great tasting GREENS and VEGGIES.

This compelled me enough to purchase my own juicer because there’s no way in hell that I will pay Whole Foods or Daily Juice $6.50+ for a small cup of green juice.  I can buy all my ingredients organic and still make one for myself at home for around $1.00-1.50. This is my juicer.

This is my favorite basic recipe juice recipe

Laurie’s Power Juice

• 1 peeled carrot
• 1/2 large cucumber
• 2-3 cups kale
• 1/2 apple
• large hunk of ginger
• 1/2  lemon

Wash and cut up all the above and place into your juicer as the manual instructs. Makes approximately 14 oz juice depending on your machine.

As you can see, there is some sugar from the carrot and apple but not a whole lot. It seriously rocks my socks off too. It tastes incredible and I don’t know if it’s a placebo effect from all the juicing hype but I feel so energized! Even it’s its just an associated ‘high’, I’ll take it. I figure there are worse things I could be doing.

I look forward to experimenting with different greens and spices. Also, I love grossing Adam out with weird colored liquids and then making him try them. He usually is a convert  :)

I don’t drink this as a meal but use it as a snack or part of my lunch usually.

Cheers y’all!

What’s growing and moving

Caribbean

Adam and I just returned from an incredible trip to St. John and Virgin Gorda.

Here are some pics of our trip….we both wish we were still there! Also, there were chickens EVERYWHERE. I missed collecting our own eggs everyday.