Be Healthy!

What does a dietitian eat?  Healthy foods all the time?  NO!  Organic foods daily?  NO!  Super small portions?  Nope!  Dietitians are just like you!  We have food days that are super healthy (fruits and veggies at every meal, lean proteins, alcohol free and no sweets!) and we have days that are not as healthy (think chocolate, beer and nachos).  Check out my weekly weekend roundup posts so you can see what my weekend eats are all about!

Friday

Breakfast: Friday was a quick breakfast of Vans toaster waffles and a tablespoon of sunflower seed butter. I also had the rest of my mom’s fruit salad a little later in the morning. I had clients scheduled all morning and it was super easy for me to chow down on these waffles on the way to the train and then eat my fruit later on.

Lunch:  Lunch was my favorite Just Salad salad, the Roasted Turkey Health Cobb. I really love their bread, but I feel like the portion size is super small. This Friday, I got TWO! I was pretty amped about it.

Snack:  I didn’t have a snack at my usual time, because the salad was super filling. Instead, when I got to Bernie’s job I had a few gold fish.

Dinner:  It was a long week and we had a busy Saturday coming up, so we did Friday Funday in Jersey City. We went to a sushi place and I got two rolls. I always like to get a specialty roll when we get sushi and I’m a sucker for shrimp tempura. I got a shrimp tempura roll with avocado and a spicy tuna roll.

Saturday

Breakfast:  Before my long run, I had a bowl of chex mix with almond milk. When I run my long runs, I like to have a small carbohydrate breakfast prior to the run. I also brought my clif bar shot blocks with me to give me a bit of fuel during my run.  I was in a rush after my run to eat and get out the door because Bernie and I were helping take pictures of our friends’ engagement and we had to leave right after my run (SO EXCITING!)! I had another two waffles with a tablespoon of sunflower seed butter.

Lunch: Once we got home, we got sandwiches from Prato, a cute Italian place nearby. I got a mozzarella and tomato sandwich. It’s my favorite sandwich from there. 

Dinner:  We went out after lunch to celebrate the engagement at Zepplin Hall, a beer garden in Jersey City. I had one beer and then our friends ordered some food and I had a few fries and a chicken finger from that.

Sunday

Breakfast:  Sunday I met my Godmother in the city for brunch and a walk in Central Park. I got the heuvos rancheros at The Smith at Lincoln Center. It was delicious! I also had a bellini with my food.

Lunch and Dinner:  We visited our best friends Jon and Julie and their baby Ben on Sunday and hung out for a bit. My lunch/dinner was a delicious steak quesadilla. It was so good!  You know I love my quesadillas!! There you have it!  A weekend full of dietitian’s eats!

What does a dietitian eat?  Healthy foods all the time?  NO!  Organic foods daily?  NO!  Super small portions?  Nope!  Dietitians are just like you!  We have food days that are super healthy (fruits and veggies at every meal, lean proteins, alcohol free and no sweets!) and we have days that are not as healthy (think chocolate, beer and nachos).  Check out my weekly weekend roundup posts so you can see what my weekend eats are all about!

Friday

Breakfast: Friday was my typical Siggi’s vanilla yogurt with Purely Elizabeth’s granola, chopped chocolate chips and sliced strawberries.Lunch:  Lunch was my Mexican Quinoa Bowl.  So delicious and filling!

Snack:  For snack I had a banana that I had taken from the Flywheel Sports chelsea location the night before after my workout and 1 tbsp of sunflower seed butter.  This is such an easy snack and tastes AMAZE.

Dinner:  NYP had a free cycling promotion, so after work I headed over to Flywheel Sports for the second day in a row and got in an awesome workout!  When I got home, I was ravenous.  We were supposed to go to a Midnight Market event again, but Bernie wasn’t feeling well, so an egg scramble was my dinner instead!  I sautéed kale and onions and added 1 egg and 1 egg white with cheddar cheese.  This was a good example of how I am as a cook, because I dropped a whole egg on the floor in my haste.  I definitely need to remember to SLOW DOWN when I am cooking sometimes.  I ate this with two slices of whole wheat toast.  YUM!

Saturday

Breakfast:  We were on Long Island for the weekend and I had to do a 9 mile run.  My breakfast was a bowl of honey nut cheerios with strawberries and almond milk and a cup of coffee.  After eating, I waited about 1 hour until I decided to go for my run.  I also drank plenty of water beforehand.  During my run I ate one clif bar c-blok to give me a bit of fuel.  I forgot my water on the run, though, and totally regretted that!  I was super thirsty and it definitely affected how I was running.  I came home and drank water for the rest of the day.  The run went pretty well and we are coming up to the final month before the half marathon, so I am getting pretty pumped!

Lunch:  After my run, lunch was two slices of whole wheat bread, turkey breast and 2 slices of Colby jack cheese with some brown mustard.  YUMMO!

Snack 1: Bernie and I left to do a bunch of errands and I brought a health warrior chocolate peanut butter chia bar along for the ride. I also got an iced coffee at Flux Coffee.

Snack 2: After the errands we still had some time before dinner, so I had a few sea salt multigrain tortilla chips with hummus and then went to get pedicures with Gina.  WOO!  A pedi felt so good after my long run!  New tip I learned – don’t wear skinny jeans to get your nails done – the nail lady was sweating so hard after trying to pull my pants back down over my monster calves!  Whoops!

 Dinner:  For dinner, my mom made paninis with whole wheat rolls, mozzarella cheese, grilled chicken and roasted red peppers.  I had one of those with a balsamic, apricot glaze and some salad on the side.

Dessert:  We spent some of the night stuffing easter eggs for the easter egg hunt, so I did sneak a few bite sized candies and peanut M&M’s during that 🙂

Sunday

Breakfast:  Sunday morning, I went for a 45 minute bike ride and did some ab work before mass.  After Easter mass, we went to the diner for some breakfast before having to set up the house to have people over.  I got an omelette with broccoli and cheddar cheese and a side of potatoes.  I had about half the omelet and a quarter of the potatoes and a slice of wheat toast with some coffee.

Lunch and Dinner:  I had a few bites of different appetizers before dinner – ham and cheese Stromboli and bean dip with tortillas chips.  For dinner, I had chicken, garlic bread and asparagus.  I also tried lamb.  I have to say I was not a fan of the lamb, but everything else was awesome!

Dessert:  Aunt Di’s famous desserts were back again and you know I had some!  TWO WEEKENDS IN A ROW!!!  I had some apple strudel and a brownie.  Then I got to take some apple strudel home too!  DELICIOUS!  Here’s a pic of her amazing cake (I didn’t eat it because I’m not a huge cake fan).  But how cute is that?!  Also here are a few of the “bunny butt” cookies she made!  I may have had a few bites of one of these too 🙂

There you have it!  A weekend full of dietitian’s eats!

I LOVE Black Bean Tacos and they are a staple in our apartment for quick dinners.  So, I decided to take break down my tacos and make a Mexican themed lunch for the final installation of my meatless meals during Lent.  Instead of using the tortillas for my carb, I used quinoa, which adds to the protein content in this yummy meal!

This meal is super easy to make and throw together to re-heat the next day for lunch.  Plus it’s full of protein AND fiber, to help keep you satisfied until that afternoon snack.  WAHOO!

Mexican Quinoa Bowl

Servings: 1

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup quinoa, cooked
• Olive oil spray
• 1/4 cup red onion, sliced
• 1/2 green peppers, large, sliced
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cups black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 tablespoons cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/4 avocado, sliced

Directions

• Cook quinoa according to package.
• While quinoa is cooking, heat olive oil spray on medium pan.  Add red onion, green peppers, garlic and onion powder and sauté for 5 minutes or until onions are translucent.
• Add cooked quinoa, black beans, peppers and onions to bowl.
• Top with cheese and avocado.
• Enjoy!

Calories: 420; Fat: 12,68 g; Saturated fat: 3.891 g; Cholesterol: 12.5 mg; Sodium: 536 mg; Carb: 58.93 g; Fiber: 13.2 g; Sugars: 6.29 g; Protein: 18.7g

Don’t forget to keep reading for some DELICIOUS, meatless, recipes from my amazing dietitian colleagues!

Katie, of One Hungry Bunny, shared her 3-Step Mediterranean Style Buddha Bowl.  She explains how to make your own delicious Buddha Bowl and even gives you tips on how to use the ingredients in her recipe for other meals during the week!

Lindsey, of Tasty Balance Nutrition, shared her Curried Chickpea, Sweet Potato, Tofu and Veggie Bowl with Tahini Sauce.  She eats plant powered bowls all the time and shares her formula on how to create your own, easily, and with yummy ingredients!  This Curried Chickpea, Sweet Potato, Tofu and Veggie Bowl with Tahini Sauce is a staple she brings to work and quickly heats up in the microwave!

Kelli, of Hungry Hobby, shared her Spicy Tuna Salad, Salmon Hummus Wrap and Chop Chop Salad.  Her tuna salad is an easy, protein packed lunch can be made in 5 minutes and is delicious with toast, whole grain crackers or veggies!  For her salmon wrap recipe, Kelli tells you how to cook salmon so it’s nice and juicy and gives you step by step instructions on how to assemble this delicious wrap!  Her Chop Chop Salad is yummy, takes minimal time to prep, lasts for multiple meals and it’s as crunchy on day three as it was on day one!

Julie, of RDelicious Kitchen, shard her Chickpea Walnut Sandwich.  Her protein packed mixture can be eaten on your favorite whole wheat bread, added to your fave salad or eaten with some delicious whole grain crackers.

Chelsey, of C It Nutritionally, shared her Mung Bean Lentil Salad.  It’s full of veggies and protein and if you haven’t tried lentils or mung beans, this is the salad for you!  YUM!

What does a dietitian eat?  Healthy foods all the time?  NO!  Organic foods daily?  NO!  Super small portions?  Nope!  Dietitians are just like you!  We have food days that are super healthy (fruits and veggies at every meal, lean proteins, alcohol free and no sweets!) and we have days that are not as healthy (think chocolate, beer and nachos).  Check out my weekly weekend roundup posts so you can see what my weekend eats are all about!

Friday

Breakfast: Friday was my typical Siggi’s yogurt with Simply Elizabeth’s granola, chopped chocolate chips and sliced strawberries.  I had a bunch of clients to see early on Friday, so I was eating my breakfast in a bit of a rush and forgot to take a pic!

Lunch:  Thursday night was super busy for me and I forgot to pack a lunch, so I ended up walking and getting a Market Plate for lunch.  My plate consisted of baked salmon on a bed of kale and sides of roasted broccoli and sweet potatoes.  It was DELICIOUS!

Dinner:  For dinner, Bernie and I went to a Hot Pot place in Jersey City.  It was my first time experiencing Hot Pot and it was cool and interesting and definitely yummy.  We got shrimp, scallops, dumplings and a side of shrimp fried rice.  I had a pretty difficult time with the chopsticks, but I finally figured it out!  I definitely like forks and knives better. LOL.  I was also pretty surprised when the shrimp arrived and they had eyes!  At first, I was slightly grossed out, but they ended up being so fresh and delicious after we cooked them.  YUM.  After dinner, we went to Target so I could get a FitBit upgrade!  I am amped about this FitBit.  I got the first one that ever came out years ago and I have finally upgraded!  Woo!  On Saturday, I did 36,000 steps!

Saturday

Breakfast/Brunch: My best friend Kelli visited this weekend, so we had a fun Saturday planned.  After running 8 miles for my half marathon training, we went to Latham House for breakfast.  I got the heuvos rancheros and split one of their homemade biscuits with Bernie.  I have heard awesome things about this place and they were all true.  The food was DELICIOUS!

Lunch:  Since we had brunch/breakfast kind of late, we opted to not get lunch.  Instead, we went into the city, walked along the High Line, and then went to New Territories and split the Unicorn Parade milk shake.  OMG, it was AMAZING!  I highly recommend it.  I cannot wait to go back and try their other items!Dinner:  For dinner, Kelli and I went to Amelia’s.  I had a roll with some hummus (that you get to mix yourself at the table!) and got their Turkey Rueben with the dressing on the side and no swiss cheese.  I ended up taking the bread off and eating the turkey and sauerkraut and dipping my fork in the dressing so I could get a taste of the dressing without all the calories.  I also had about half of the fries on my plate.

Sunday

Breakfast:  Sunday we had a quick brunch before Bernie and I headed to Long Island for a family party.  I chowed down on a yummy slice of toast topped with avocado, feta cheese and egg.

Lunch and Dinner:  Since we were at the party for a while, I ate enough for both lunch and dinner.  I had some penne ala vodka, a few pieces of chicken breast, some salad and a slice of ham and cheese roll.

Dessert:  Aunt Di’s famous desserts were back and you know I had some!  I had some of here delicious apple puffs and I also had a few mini donuts with canoli cream inside.  So good AND the perfect serving size.

There you have it!  A weekend full of dietitian’s eats!

I’ve been eating strawberries like it’s my job lately, so I decided to make a salad and add those babies to it!  I love filling my salads with delicious toppings.  This keeps my tastebuds happy and helps me feel satisfied until my next meal.

For this salad, I used spring mix as the base, because that tends to be my favorite salad base.  Feel free to use your fave leafy green as the base if you’re not a spring mix fan.  I love adding quinoa to salads to make them a big heartier.  Anytime I see a quinoa salad at a restaurant, I HAVE to get it.  When you’re chowing down on this salad, you’ll notice that the sweetness of the strawberries mixes so well with the creaminess of the feta cheese and avocado and the chopped walnuts add a nice crunch.

I enjoy this salad with Ken’s Balsamic with Honey Dressing, because balsamic just goes sooo well with strawberries, but you can feel free to dress it up however you like!

Strawberry Quinoa Salad

Servings: 1

Ingredients

• 2 cups spring mix
• 1/2 cup strawberries, chopped
• 1/4 cup low fat feta cheese
• 2 tablespoons red onion
• 2 tablespoon walnuts, chopped
• 1/4 cup quinoa, cooked
• 1/4 avocado, chopped

Directions

• Add all ingredients to plate
• Top with dressing of choice
• Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts:

Calories: 343; Fat: 21.26 g; Saturated fat: 3.7 g; Cholesterol: 10 mg; Sodium: 374 mg; Carb: 31 g; Fiber: 10.6 g; Sugars: 7.5 g; Protein: 12.7 g

Don’t forget to check out these other delicious meatless recipes from some amazing dietitians below!

Meri, of Real Living Nutrition Services, shared her Winter Quinoa Kale and Pear Salad.  With sweet pears, creamy goat cheese, delicious kale, quinoa and crunchy walnuts, this salad is sure to please!Danielle, of The Every Kitchen, shared her Green Papaya Salad with Shrimp.  If you haven’t tried papaya yet, this is the salad for you!  Delicious papaya paired with shrimp and roasted peanuts as your proteins and some traditional Thai flavors.  Yum!Amanda, of Nutritionist Reviews, shared her Greek Chopped Salad with Roasted Chickpeas.  This lunch is super easy to make and adds a boost of vitamins, minerals, protein and fiber to your lunch!Stacie and Jessica, of The Real Food Dietitians, shared their Greek Quinoa Salad.  This gluten-free salad is made with creamy feta, veggies and healthy fats.  Plus they use delicious avocado oil and lemon juice as the dressing!

Natalie, of Nutrition A La Natalie, shared her Chickpea Salad Sandwich with Sweet Apple Slaw.  A vegetarian twist on a tuna salad, this sandwich is chock full of fiber, vitamins, protein, antioxidants, minerals and healthy fats.Lauren, of Nutri Savvy Health, shared her Eggplant and Squash Tacos with Miso Kale Slaw.  This delicious twist on tacos features grated hard boiled eggs as the protein and baked eggplant as the shell.  Yum!

Who doesn’t love a good old peanut butter and jelly sandwich?!  If I’m being honest, growing up, I actually hated them.  I would always ask for peanut butter only and didn’t want to touch the jelly.  But one summer, in 10th grade, I was offered one on a school trip.  With nothing else in site to eat, I had to eat it!  To my surprise, I loved it!  Flash forward a few years and I still love them, but sometimes I need to mix it up a bit.

Recently, I’ve become a sunflower seed butter lover, so my sandwiches have changed from PB&J to SB&J.  Then, this past weekend I had a sandwich with fig jam and I thought, “what better way to spice up my SB&J sandie?!”  So I went out and got some delish fig preserves from a market by my apartment (which were on sale…woo!) an created this sandie.

Of course, I had to add some nannies to the mix because I wanted something a little extra to keep me full.

P.S. If you have the luxury of working from home (woohoo!) I suggest throwing this in a panini maker or heating it up in a pan to make it that much more delicious! Yum!

Sunflower Seed Butter, Banana & Fig Sandwich

Servings: 1

Ingredients

• 2 slices whole wheat bread
• 1 tablespoon sunflower seed butter
• 1 tablespoon fig preserves
• 1 medium (about 7 inches) banana, sliced

Directions

• Top one slice of bread with sunflower seed butter and one slice with fig preserves.
• Add sliced banana and put two slices together.
• Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts:

Calories: 455; Fat: 19.4 g; Saturated fat: 2.1 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 441 mg; Carb: 83 g; Fiber: 15.1 g; Sugars: 36.4 g; Protein: 18.3 g

Whitney, of To Live and Diet in L.A. shared her Sweet Corn Pasta Salad.  This protein packed salad takes only 20 minutes to whip up and helps you add more corn (a yummy whole grain) to your diet!

Kelly, of Hungry Hobby shared her Taco Tuna Quinoa Sliders.  These 5 ingredient, protein packed, sliders are a delicious lunch idea and they are freezable so you can make enough of them them to reheat whenever you want!

Gauri, of Ayur Nutrition, shared her Spinach Lentil Quinoa Khichari.  This protein packed meal is a great way to add more lentils to your diet and includes some yummy spices!

EA Stewart, of The Spicy RD, shared her Super Duper Raw Power Salad.  This salad is loaded with veggies and fruits and has a variety of textures to make your tastebuds go “Wow!”.

Sarah, of The Bucket List Tummy, shared her Lemon Tahini Lentil Dip.  This delicious dish is packed with fiber and a blend of Indian and Mediterranean flavors.

Jessica, of Nutrioulicious, shared her Asian Style Farro Buddha Bowl with Crispy Baked Tofu.  This is the perfect recipe if you’re trying to eat healthy on a budget!  With whole grain farro and some delicious toppings (including crispy tofu!), you just can’t go wrong with this buddha bowl.

What does a dietitian eat?  Healthy foods all the time?  NO!  Organic foods daily?  NO!  Super small portions?  Nope!  Dietitians are just like you!  We have food days that are super healthy (fruits and veggies at every meal, lean proteins, alcohol free and no sweets!) and we have days that are not as healthy (think chocolate, beer and nachos).  Check out my weekly weekend roundup posts so you can see what my weekend eats are all about!

Friday

Breakfast: I didn’t go to the gym this Friday because it had been a loooongggg week.  Monday night we went to WWE in Brooklyn (actually way more fun than I thought it would be LOL) and Wednesday we went to the Opera in NYC (La Traviota).  Both nights we got home super late and I definitely did not sleep enough, so I was trying to get a full 8 hours on Friday.  For breakfast I had dark chocolate peanut butter overnight oats.  I made a huge batch of these and was eating them for breakfast every day.  Super simple to make and so delish!

Lunch:  For lunch, I made my Crunch Chickpea Veggie Bowl and added half an avocado.  MMMMMmmmm.

Snack 1:  I was feeling super full from lunch (must have been all that avoooo), so I didn’t have a snack at work, but I ate about 3 cups of White Cheddar Skinny Pop on the way to Long Island.

Dinner:  Since I was on Long Island, it was pizza Friday again!  I had 2 slices of Sicilian pizza and got some laundry done.

Dessert:  My best friend Jenn came by and we all went to Charlottes in my hometown for some froyo!  I forgot to take a pic, but I got cake batter fro yo and topped it with fresh strawberries and brownie bits (my all time fave flavor and toppings).

Saturday

On Saturday, I woke up with a stomach virus at 4 AM.  Unfortunately, I don’t have any meals to show you because my day consisted of eating some crackers, pretzels and chicken noodle soup.  To make up for this missing day and lack of food on Sunday, I extended the weekend to include Monday’s eats as well!

Sunday

Breakfast:  My stomach was still feeling off, so for breakfast I nibbled on about a quarter of a toasted everything bagel and sipped on some iced coffee.  Sunday was girls’ day with my Dad’s side of the family and we went to go see Madagascar at a small theater on Long Island.  It was super cute!

Lunch:  We went out to lunch and I was feeling a little better at lunch and ordered their panini with chicken, fig jam and brie cheese.  I ate a little more than half of the panini and had a few fries.

Dinner:  For dinner, my mom heated up some left over ziti and I had a little of that.  My stomach still wasn’t feeling 100%, so everything I ate, I ate very slowly.  I also was feeling more comfort food and carbs, so I stayed away from salads because I wasn’t sure how they would sit in my stomach. Monday

Breakfast: For breakfast I had Siggi’s vanilla yogurt topped with 10 dark chocolate chips chopped up and ¼ cup Purely Elizabeth’s granola + a cold brew coffee from Starbucks (cold brew is my new favorite type of coffee) 

Lunch:  Lunch was the Roasted Turkey Health Cobb Salad from Just Salad with cucumbers and pita chips added in.  I love this salad because I get a good amount of veggies, carbs, proteins and fats and it’s very filling 🙂

Snack: 100 calorie Dark Chocolate Mint Zing Bar.  I was feeling full from lunch, so I had a small snack because I went to a cycle class before dinner and I wanted to make sure I fueled up so I could do well in class.

Dinner: Acai Bowl from Shaka Bowl.  I got an acai base with strawberries, granola and peanut butter on top.  I love how these are like smoothies in a bowl.  They are so yummy! There you have it!  A weekend full of dietitian’s eats!

I’ve been on a veggie bowl kick lately.  We’ve had an overload of brussels sprouts and broccoli in the fridge, so I’ve been roasting brussels sprouts and broccoli and throwing them in a bowl with a starch and protein and sometimes some avocado.  It has been amazing, and the best part is that it’s super easy to create your own!  So, I decided to share my newest bowl creation with all of you for this installment of meatless recipes.  I roasted my favorite veggies (brussies and broccoli), got my starch in with a small sweet potato and my protein in with delicious, crunchy roasted chick peas.  Chick peas are a great source of protein and provide you with fiber, folate, iron and B vitamins too!  Plus, roasting them gives this bowl a nice crunch, something I’m always looking for in a meal.  You can purchase roasted chick peas, or make them on your own!  I added 1 tablespoon of Franks Red Hot sauce for an extra kick, but you can eat this bowl without the sauce if you don’t like spicy flavors.

Crunchy Chickpea Veggie Bowl

Servings: 1

Ingredients

• 1 small sweet potato
• Olive oil spray
• 1 cup broccoli
• 1 cup brussels sprouts
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• 1/3 cup roasted chickpeas
• 1 tablespoon of Franks Red Hot Buffalo Sauce

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375⁰F
• Chop sweet potato into ½ inch pieces.  Add to baking sheet, spray with olive oil and add garlic and onion powder.  Place baking sheet in oven and roast for 30-40 minutes or until they are cooked the way you like them.
• Chop broccoli and brussels sprouts.  Add to baking sheet, spray with olive oil and add garlic and onion powder.  Place baking sheet in oven and roast for 20-30 minutes or until they are cooked the way you like them.
• Add sweet potato, broccoli, brussels sprouts and chickpeas to a bowl.  Drizzle hot sauce on top.  Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts:

Calories: 321; Fat: 3 g; Saturated fat: .113 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 584 mg; Carb: 63.4 g; Fiber: 17.2 g; Sugars: 12.42 g; Protein: 14.58 g

Check out the recipes below from my amazing colleagues for some additional meatless lunch ideas!

Christy, of Christy Wilson Nutrition shared her Black Bean and Quinoa with Cilantro, Lime and Feta recipe.  She combines black beans and quinoa, which she calls a “superfood power couple,” in this delicious recipe that takes on 25 minutes to make!

Amy, of Amy Gorin Nutrition, shared her Vegan Hummus Pita Pizza recipe.  She tops these yummy pizzas with one of her favorite foods, mushrooms, and uses fresh oregano as a finishing touch.  Delish!

Judy, of Live Best, shared her Layered Spelt Salad recipe.  If you’re looking to shake up your salads a bit, then this is the recipe for you!  Judy uses spelt, a whole grain with lots of fiber and a chewy texture, in this delicious salad.

Tawnie, of Krolls Korner, shared her Zucchini and Avocado Mac & Cheese recipe.  This amazing mac and cheese uses nutritional yeast, which Tawnie tells us contains fiber, protein and B vitamins.  Why have mac and cheese from the box when you can make your own with veggies and avocado?!

Kelli, of Hungry Hobby, shared how to make an adult lunchable.  You get to pick your favorite high quality protein, healthy fat, veggies and goodies to make your own!  The examples she has look pretty sweet!  **The lunchable pictured does include meat, however, you can make your own to be meatless!

Katie shared her Tuna Salad with Apples and Herbs.  She changed up a regular old tuna salad by adding some crunchy diced apples.  YUM!

What does a dietitian eat?  Healthy foods all the time?  NO!  Organic foods daily?  NO!  Super small portions?  Nope!  Dietitians are just like you!  We have food days that are super healthy (fruits and veggies at every meal, lean proteins, alcohol free and no sweets!) and we have days that are not as healthy (think chocolate, beer and nachos).  Check out my weekly weekend roundup posts so you can see what my weekend eats are all about!

Friday

Breakfast: I woke up Friday and went to the gym to run and lift.  It was super cold last week and it snowed, so I had to run on the treadmill a few days because of the ice.  I used to be a treadmill only runner, and then I tried outdoor running and I’ve never looked back.  Running on the treadmill, even if it was only for 2 or 3 days, was the worst.  I’m so happy that this week will have milder temperatures so I can run outside again.  After my workout, I came home and whipped up a Chai Pumpkin Protein Smoothie and chopped up a bunch of veggies and threw them in the oven to roast for lunch.  I got home pretty late on Thursday night.  I had a dietitian happy hour and met Bernie at his job for their happy hour after, so when I got home, I went straight to bed.  It was so much easier for me to wake up early, go to the gym and make lunch.  I don’t think I could be more of a morning person if I tried.

Lunch:  Lunch was pretty random on Friday.  We had a broccoli, sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts at home, so I decided to toss them in olive oil, season them and roast them for a veggie packed lunch.  Then I added a hardboiled egg and 2 tablespoons of everything hummus for my protein.  Friday was a super busy day for me at work, so I ate the egg around 11 AM and then had the veggies dipped in hummus around 1 PM.  The veggies and hummus were AMAZING.  I cannot wait to make this lunch again.  SO DELICIOUS.

Snack 1:  I needed a quick snack on the go, so Kashi’s Dark Chocolate and Cinnamon Pecan bar was my go to!  This was my first time trying this flavor and, like all of Kashi’s flavors, it was delish!

Snack 2:  I drove to Long Island Friday night after work and knew I would get hungry on the way, so I packed myself a few cups of skinny pop cheddar popcorn.

Dinner:  Since I was on Long Island, it was pizza Friday!  I had 2 slices of Sicilian pizza and caught up on some work and laundry before hopping in to bed.

Saturday

Breakfast: I had a bunch of emails and laundry to get through on Saturday, so I woke up a little early and had Honey Nut Cheerios Medley Crunch with almond milk and strawberries before my long run.  Since half marathon training has started, my long runs are always on Saturdays.  This Saturday was the first time I’ve run 6 miles in a LONG TIME.  It felt great!  As the runs get longer, I will need to eat a little something during them to stay fueled up.  I will be trying some new things this time around and I can’t wait to tell you all about them!  Breakfast is not pictured since I woke up super hungry and scarfed it down before I remembered!

Snack 1:  After lunch, I had a quick snack of triscuits and hummus and hopped in the shower.

Lunch:  Bernie came in on the train around 12 PM, so I picked him up at the train and had some lunch after we got home.  My mom had some Pad Thai leftover, so I had a plate of that.  The place we usually get Pad Thai from in Jersey City hasn’t tasted as good lately, so it has been a while since I’ve had my fave Thai dish.  It hit the spot!

Snack 2: Iced coffee with skim milk and 1 packet of sugar before we got pedicures.  A new place opened in my hometown and it is amazing!  I can’t wait for them to get iced coffee and cold brew on tap.  I have a feeling I’ll be going here before I get my pedicures every time I’m home.  It’s so cute inside and the coffee was awesome! Dinner:  We went to a Saint Patrick’s Day dance at my church on Saturday night.  It was a great time with my best friends, Gina and Jenn, and my fam.  We spent the night dancing and laughing and we had some pretty yummy food.  Since the celebration was a mix of Saint Patrick’s Day and the feast of Saint Joseph, there was Irish AND Italian food (YUMMMOOO).  I had corned beef (my fave Irish dish) with mustard on rye bread (my fave bread), eggplant rolatini, sausage and peppers, penne ala vodka and salad.  The food was delicious.  Then I spent the rest of the night getting some good cardio in with all that dancing.  For dessert, I had a small chocolate covered cannoli – the best!

Sunday

Breakfast:  Sunday we had a family get together to celebrate the lives of those who have passed on, on my mom’s side of the family.  We stayed up super late on Saturday, so it was a little hard to get up on Sunday morning.  I tried to do an at home workout from Fitnessblender.com, but I got halfway through and my body was just telling me it was tired.  So I went on a power walk around my parent’s neighborhood instead.  After that, I had half an everything bagel with peanut butter and some strawberries.

Lunch:  Lunch was two slices of American hero and some potato salad.  Prior to the food being served, I did munch on a few chips.  After the food, I also had 2 desserts, a chocolate covered oreo and this amazing granola bar my aunt made.  My aunt Di is the most amazing baker, so I ALWAYS have to have her desserts at family events.  SO DELICIOUS EVERY TIME.

Dinner:  I was still super full from lunch, so dinner was half of a Sicilian slice left over from Friday night.

There you have it!  A weekend full of dietitian’s eats!

Meatless lunch recipe round up 2 is here, along with an easy recipe from yours truly 🙂

I had egg salad for the first time last year at my old job.  I had forgotten to bring lunch and the only thing that looked appetizing to me was an egg salad sandwich.  I must point out that this is shocking, because I’ve always steered clear of egg salad.  Story time!  When I was in elementary school, a girl I was friends with used to have and egg salad sandwich EVERY. DAY. and, honestly, it just always looked (and smelled) so gross.  Cue me, swearing off egg salad forever.  Until…that one day at work.

I ended up liking it so much, that it became one of my go to sandwiches at my job when I would forget lunch.  Since I’ve moved on, job wise, I no longer have access to those yummy sandies, but I do have the option to make my own!  And so this Smoked Avocado and Egg Salad was created.  I used avocado to give this salad a creamy texture instead of mayonnaise, because, let’s be honest, avo is soooo much tastier than mayo (and healthier too!).  Plus, I added some smoked paprika to give it a nice smokey flavor.  With healthy fats AND protein, this tasty lunch is sure to keep you satisfied until afternoon snack time!  Have it with a side of your favorite crackers or between two slices of your fave whole wheat bread!

Smoked Avocado and Egg Salad

Servings: 1

Ingredients

• 1 large hard boiled egg
• 1/2 avocado
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

Directions

• Slice hard boiled egg
• Slice the avocado into 1/2 inch pieces
• Add avocado and egg to a bowl and add smoked paprika
• Gently mix together until combined
• Serve on 2 slices of whole wheat bread or with your favorite crackers.

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 195; Fat: 16.5 g; Saturated fat: 3 g; Cholesterol: 185 mg; Sodium: 75 mg; Carb: 6.5 g; Fiber: 5 g; Sugars: 0 g; Protein: 7.5 g

In addition to this, I have six more meatless recipes from some amazing dietitians to share!

Lindsey, from Nutrition To Fit, shared her Polenta Panzanella Salad with homemade vinaigrette.  If you’re looking to shake up your daily salads, this is the recipe for you!  Lindsey suggests adding some fresh mozzarella or cannellini beans for an extra protein punch!

Kelli, from Hungry Hobby, shared her Tzatziki Tuna Pita.  Getting tired of the same old tuna sandwich?  Whip these up yummy pitas instead!

Pushpa Soundararajan shared her Low Potassium Savory Pasta Primavera.  This is a delicious meatless meal that Pushpa says you can add additional veggies to (like asparagus or spinach) and tastes good without being warmed up!

Erica Julson shared her Quinoa Collard Green Wraps.  Replace your tortilla wraps with blanched collard greens in this awesome protein AND veggie packed meal!

Jessica, from Nutritioulicious, shared her Grilled Avocados Stuffed with Corn and Black Bean Salsa.  Try something new and GRILL an avocado!  She added yummy black beans for protein and suggests that you eat something else with this or pile a bit more of the salsa on to help keep you full and satisfied.

Danielle, from The Every Kitchen shared her Golden Beet Couscous Salad.  Her salad has a simple dressing to help the flavors of the delicious toppings shine through!  Plus, it’s super pretty which makes lunch that much more awesome.

Stay tuned for next week’s recipes!