Wellness

@ Moraine Valley

Archives for April 2020

Breakfast Recipes!

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Here are a few healthy breakfast options… hope you enjoy!

Chocolate Coffee Protein Shake

1 cup milk (I use Fairlife but you can also use soy, or alternative milks)
1 tsp instant coffee powder
1 tsp cocoa powder
Ice
1/4 cup whey protein powder (I use Red Mill)

Blend and drink! (I add a Stevia packet to sweeten it up a bit).Need to boost the calories a bit? Add some strawberries and half 

Check out the two recipes below from Registered Dietitian, Dawn Jackson Blatner’s book, Super Food Swap. You can find it here!

SuperFood Scramble

2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp olive oil
2 cups baby spinach
1/2 c cooked quinoa
1/3 c avocado, chopped
1 green onion, chopped
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Sea salt and black pepper

  1. Scramble the eggs in oil over medium heat.
  2. Assemble your bowl. Place the spinach in a medium bowl and top with warm egg and quinoa. Top with avocado and veggies. Add juice and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

410 kcals, 23 g fat, 31 g carbs, 9 g fiber and 21 g protein.
(You can reduce total kcals and fat by reducing the avocado portion and/or by substituting 1 egg yolk for 2 egg whites.)
Time saver: Use frozen precooked quinoa in grocery store or make a big batch and save in smaller portions to reheat.

Cinnamon Oatmeal Muffins

Topping
3 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 c finely diced pecans
1/4 c coconut water
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp sea salt

Muffins
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup unsweetened milk
2 eggs, beaten
2 tbsp flax seed (ground)
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp sea salt

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 10 cups of a muffin tin with apper liners.
  2. Make the topping. In a medium bowl, combine ingredients for the topping. Mix together and set aside.
  3. In another bowl, stor together the oats, milk, eggs, flaxseed, cinnamon, baking owder, vailla and salt. Divide mixture between the 10 muffin cups. Top each muffin with 1 tbsp of topping mix, Bake for about 30 minutes until set. Refrigerate uneaten muffins in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Nutrition:
2 muffins 370 kcals, 21 g fat, 36 g carb, 6 g fiber and 10 g protein

~Kelly

www.devinenutrition.com

Nutrition Tips for Earth Day!

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earth-day

Wondering what you can do to minimize your impact on Mother Earth? Look no further! These are (in my opinion) easy ways to can start to reduce, reuse and recycle more often!

  • Make a grocery list and go shopping. Weekly! Even now. (But bring your reusable bags (wash in hot water after each trip to the store) or opt for paper bags and recycle.)
  • Buy in bulk
    Yes, 100 calorie packs and mini containers of pre-cut veggies save us time, but also increases our waste.
    • Here are items to buy in bulk, to cut up and portion out at home, It’s cheaper and better for the environment
      Fruits
      Vegetables
      Nuts/seeds- fresh bags are found in the produce section
      Beans
      Grains
      Rice
      Oats vs oatmeal packets
      Yogurt- buy a larger container and portion out each day
  • Ditch the water bottles ONCE AND FOR GOOD!
    • Keep a BPA free, dishwasher safe water bottle on hand and refill it up! Some water bottles even have their own filtration system. Please stop buying water bottles.
  • Plant a garden
    • You can find seeds at your local grocery store. You can grow some veggies in your house just from your leftovers. Check out this blog post here to find out how.
  • Start a compost
    • I used a 5 gallon container I had in my garage to start mine. Check out how to start one here. This is a great way to decrease your food waste.
  • Check out this website that helps you find recipes to use your leftover foods. A great way to re-purpose leftovers and decrease money and waste in landfills! https://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/recipes

Even making 1 or 2 small changes can really add up over time.

We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children. ~Native American Proverb

~Kelly

Self Care During Stress

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During these unprecedented times, many people are feeling stressed without their normal routines. Below are some tips to help you decrease the stress and get your back into a routine.

  1. Try and get back to your normal schedule as best you can. This includes sleep, meal/snack times and workout routines. This will help you keep a routine and decrease mindless snacking all day. If you normally went to bed by 10:30, keep it up! Binging Netflix til 1 am will only lead to feeling sluggish the next day!
  2. This sounds silly… but get dressed! Lounging in pj’s all day is okay sometimes but nothing beats a shower and getting dressed to start your day. (I advise jeans or work pants.)
  3. Watch the caffeine and sugar. Both will lead to periods of adrenaline followed by periods of being exhausted (a sugar crash so to speak).
  4. Moderate the social media. Constantly being in front of screen and viewing articles of “gloom and doom” can lead to more stress and depression. Set limits on your social media during our time of social distancing!
  5. Get moving! Tune into the Live Fitrec classes, download many of the free apps out there (Peleton, 7 minute workout, Nike Training Club, there are SO MANY!). Set a time the day before and what workout you will do. (I am doing a fitness challenge with my running club and doing an ab challenge from Novacare. Moraine employees join our Facebook group here, I will post workouts and resources).
  6. Don’t forget to focus on some healthy meals and snacks! Download this list of snacks if you are hungry in between meals.

Stay tuned for some more recipes!

Stay well,

Kelly

Covid-19 Shopping List!

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Having trouble figuring out what to buy at the store that is both healthy and shelf stable? You are not alone! Below are some meal planning and shopping tips during the COVID-19 pandemic!

  1. My first tip will ALWAYS be to inventory what you currently have. What meals can you make or just need a few ingredients for? Add those items to your list first. (Example: You have pasta but need pasta sauce. To complete meal add in Italian sausage and no salt added green beans. That’s one meal, check!)
  2. When making your list, aim to shop for at least 1 week to 10 days to minimize your trips to the store. You will use your fresh items first, followed by pantry and freezer items last.
  3. Maximize your nutrition by increasing the whole grains and fiber and decreasing excess sodium and unhealthy fats.
    • Whole grains: Opt for 100% whole grain items such as whole grain waffles, bread (you can freeze a loaf too to last a second week!), oats, crackers, brown rice/quinoa/wild rice/ and whole grain pastas.
    • Produce: Buy low salt or no added salt canned items such as vegetables, soups and beans. Fresh produce that tends to last longer are apples, citrus fruits, potatoes, onions, carrots and squash.
    • The freezer section has some great choices for vegetables and fruits. (I recommend buying the frozen produce items with no sauces or cheeses).
    • Protein: Peanut butter, vacuum packed tuna packets, eggs are great to keep on hand. For other protein choices, I recommend buying fresh meats and freezing what you don’t use. (I.e. Buy fresh 95% lean sirloin, make it into patties to grill vs buying boxed frozen burgers that are MUCH higher in salt and fat.) I store some of my meat purchases in freezer right away if I am not going to make within a few days of purchase. Here is a sample week from my menu:

Monday: Whole grain pasta with broccoli, garlic and oil as sauce, baked chicken breasts.

Tuesday: Use leftover chicken breasts for chicken tacos. (Corn tortillas, salsa, cheese, onions, tomato, low fat sour cream too!). Add some black beans, can of corn or whole grain rice as a side if you wish.

Wednesday: Sloppy Joes. (My fav!). Lean meat, whole grain buns with baked beans and chips.

Thursday: Grill burgers, use leftover buns. Roast some broccoli and serve with applesauce.

Friday: Make your own pizzas using English Muffin or a homemade pizza crust kit. I use leftover veggies to add to pizza from the week.

Get creative! Now is a great time to try a new recipe and practice your menu planning. When the social distancing is a thing of the past, you will be an expert at shopping and planning!

~Stay Healthy,

Kelly

Cook once, Eat Twice!

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Kelly’s favorite Pantry and Freezer meal!

When in a rush, this is hands down my favorite meal. (I use the term recipe loosely as I make it differently every time).

Instead of resorting to a drive thru for dinner, this is my favorite go to. I always keep enough for a few quick dinners on hand in case I don’t have time to make the dinner I planned. My motto and favorite quote by Ben Franklin, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail”

Chicken Wraps
grilled chicken

Ingredients

Chopped up chicken*, about 2 oz per wrap. (Make as many or as little as you want)
Low carb or whole grain flour or corn tortillas. (Mission carb-balance, or Azteca ultra grain, no preservatives)

Optional Add ons:
Cilantro
Black Beans (canned in pantry)
Salsa
Cheese (I use 2% shredded)
Tomatoes/onions/lettuce/avocado or any veggie on hand
Green and red pepper strips, frozen
Sour cream, Light
Rice (I love the Uncle Bens individual brown rice cups or, although high in salt, I am digging the Uncle Ben’s Sante Fe or Brown Rice and Quinoa microwave packets). If you have more time, then slow cooking rice is the best option if you want that as a side.

Options to cook:

Fastest way, is to microwave your chicken. Microwave or warm your tortillas on the stove and put together your wraps with your various sides.
I love adding beans as a side to boost the fiber intake of your meal along with a lot of fresh veggies.

Other Chicken Cooking Options:
1) When I am in a super bind, I use the Tyson grilled chicken breast strips and saute them on stove with some peppers or microwave. I try and keep frozen chicken on hand for quick meals.
2) Throw a few chicken breasts (bone in) in a dish and cook at 350 degrees with lid on (~30-45 minutes). I typically do this the night before as I prep lunches for the next day. or
3) Toss a few chicken breasts in the crockpot with a jar of salsa and cook on low heat for 6-8 hours. Shred and add to your tortillas or on top of a salad. (Note, use Bolthouse Farms Cilantro Avocado dressing for the salad… SO YUMMY).
4) If I have chicken on the menu for dinner, I will try to cook extra chicken breasts, cut in strips and freeze for later or use in a few other dishes such as enchiladas, fluatas, on salads, chicken salad for sandwiches and chicken tortilla soup.

Weight Loss Tips:

  • Instead of tortilla and rice, pick 1 type of carbohydrate or add a side salad to substitute rice or beans
  • Always use grilled chicken and not chicken tenders
  • Limit the portion of avocado, cheese and sour cream as this will up your calories fast
  • Add more veggies to help fill you up

Stay tuned for more quick meal ideas!