Wellness

@ Moraine Valley

Recipes

Dinner at home.. tips and benefits!

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The age old question…. what’s for dinner?

In the last 14 years as a Registered Dietitian, I have noticed that the one meal a day people struggle with the most is dinner.
Here are some of the common reasons people give me for not eating dinner at home
– no time
– rushing around with work and kids
– don’t want to just cook for 1 or 2 people
– don’t know how to cook
– too many picky eaters at home… and many more.

But the fact is, it is MUCH LESS expensive and MORE healthy to eat at home than anywhere else. If you sit down once a week and plan your dinner meals you are more likely to stick to your menu, decreasing any chance of you ordering last-minute take out food.

Not only is it less expensive to eat at home but it also has some other great benefits as well!
– You consume less sodium, fat, sugar and overall calories when eating at home.
– Family dinners are more important than play, story time and other family events in the development of vocabulary of younger children.
– Frequent family meals are associated with a lower risk of smoking, drinking and using drugs in preteens and teens ages 11 to 18.
– Adolescent girls who have frequent family meals and a positive atmosphere during those meals are less likely to develop eating disorders.
– Children who eat most often with their parents are 40 percent more likely to say they get mainly As and Bs in school than children who have two or fewer family dinners a week.
– Dinner with family can be a stress reliever. Believe it or not, if you have a demanding job, finding time to eat with your family may actually leave you feeling less stressed.

Tips for dinner meal planning:

  1. Sit down once a week with your calendar to see what nights you will be at home to make dinner and what evenings you need to have something quick and easy to go (grilled chicken wraps with fruit)!
  2. Shop the sale ads on the weekends to plan which protein’s you will have that week with dinner.
  3. Start with your protein first, then figure out your sides (add a whole grain starch and some veggies to each dinner).

Pasta with Zucchini and Roasted Garlic


Ingredients
• 1 pound Rotini, Twists or Spirals, uncooked, whole grain
• 8 medium cloves garlic, peeled
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 3 medium zucchini, coarsely grated (about 5-6 cups)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven or toaster oven to 450.  Place your garlic on a 12-inch square piece of foil on the counter.  Sprinkle with thyme and rosemary.  Pour the oil over the garlic and herbs.  Draw up the edges of the foil and make a sealed packet. Bake 20 minutes.
2. While the garlic is baking, cook pasta according to package directions.  Two minutes before pasta is done, add the zucchini to the pasta cooking water. Cook two minutes. Drain zucchini and pasta.
3. Open the foil and mash the garlic lightly with a spoon. Toss with the pasta and zucchini, season with salt and pepper and serve.

Sides: Serve with a side salad and whole-wheat dinner roll.

Happy planning!

Kelly Devine Rickert MS RDN LDN
Registered Dietitian/Wellness Coordinator

Fall Snack Ideas

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Try some of my fall favorites this November! Great for snacks!

* Pumpkin peanut butter dip for apples
Ingredients:
1/2 can pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup packed brown sugar (I use Splenda)
1/4 cup smooth peanut or almond butter

Roasted pumpkin seeds: Coat a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray, and add a layer of pumpkin seeds. Sprinkle the seeds with a dash of sea salt, and then roast them at 325 F for about 25 minutes, or until toasted.

– Popcorn: Place kernels in paper lunch bag, spray with olive oil cooking spray, fold down top of bag two times and microwave on popcorn setting. Add some fall spices to spruce your popcorn up! (cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves and ginger or I love garlic powder with some Italian seasonings).

– Honey Crisp apple and slice of cheese

– Thomas’ Pumpkin Spice English Muffins with natural almond butter or peanut butter. Try to limit the topping to one tablespoon.

For nutrition/exercise questions or for more tip ideas, email Kelly at
Kelly Devine Rickert, MS, RDN, LDN,

Easy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

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Season pumpkin seeds with almost anything from your spice cabinet. Boiling the seeds in salted water for 5 minutes before roasting helps to clean and season them. Before baking, pat the boiled seeds very dry otherwise they will not brown or crisp. Makes 1 1/2 cups

Directions

Instructions Checklist

  • Step 1: Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
  • Step 2: Toss seeds in a bowl with the melted butter and salt. Spread the seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for about 45 minutes or until golden brown; stir occasionally.
  • Jazz it up a bit and play with some other spices such as garlic powder, curry, and more. Check this link out for more recipes: https://wholefully.com/roasted-pumpkin-seeds-six-ways/

Happy Halloween!

Kelly Devine Rickert

Healthy Tailgating!

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Football season is upon us once again, and that means tailgating, concession stands, and football game get-togethers. Most often these activities come with high calorie, high fat foods and beverages that can sabotage healthy diets. Here are some tips on how to navigate the football season.

(Obviously for health and calorie reasons, it is best to eat before you go to a game, but realistically speaking, here are some tips if you are going to eat at the game or party!)

• If eating at a game:
Healthier options: small popcorn, pretzel with cheese.
High Calorie foods to limit: brats, sausages, fries, large nachos, nuts and high calorie alcoholic drinks
• If tailgating: You have some control over the food choices so try and pack some leaner meats such as chicken breasts, turkey or lean burgers, chili, and chicken sausages with low calorie/whole wheat buns.  You can add some lower calorie side items such as baked chips or Sun chips. Healthier side items could also include fruit or side salads. Experiment with healthier dips like this avocado bean dip!  Pair with pita or whole grain chips or crackers.
• If going out to a bar or restaurant: Look out for high fat fried appetizers. The lowest calorie apps tend to be grilled shrimp or brushetta.  For your main meal try and order a grilled chicken wrap or turkey club sandwich (minus the mayo!) and limit your fry intake. If pizza is being served, try and order veggie or cheese and blot the top of the pizza with a napkin to save some of the fat calories.

And finally, try and limit your alcohol/soda pop intake as these beverages are high in calories and can really add up. The best advice is to drink a cup or bottle of water in between alcoholic drinks to stay hydrated.

Go Bears!

Kelly Devine Rickert MS RDN LDN

Two Easy Salad Recipes to Beat the Heat!

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Well summer is finally here and what better way to beat the heat in the kitchen than to prep some yummy salads? Below are two of my favorite go to summer salads. The bean salad pairs great with your favorite BBQ items and is a hit at family parties. The second salad makes for a quick lunch or as a side with dinner. Either way they are chock full of nutrients!

Quinoa, Brown Rice and Black Bean Salad!

2 c quinoa and brown rice, cooked and cooled
1 lemon juiced and zested
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp cumin
1 small can no salt corn, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinses
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 large green pepper, chopped

Mix together and enjoy!


Best salad EVER!
Ingredients:
1 English cucumber (seedless)
4 Roma tomatoes
3 ripe avocados (cut down to 1 if salad is for one)
½ red onion
¼ cup cilantro
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and black pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Directions:
1. Place sliced cucumber, tomatoes, avocados, onion, and cilantro in a large salad bowl.
2. Toss with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

Kelly Devine Rickert, Registered Dietitian, Devine Nutrition Inc

devinenutrition.com

Slim Down Your Super Bowl Menu

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Turkey Chili Recipe - NYT Cooking

Did you know the Super Bowl is America’s 2nd biggest food holiday??  (After Thanksgiving)! Below are some tips to slim down your apps and menu for the big game!

Watching the game at home?
– Use leaner meats such as lean ground beef or turkey versus higher fat ones like 80% ground beef, sausage and pepperoni
– Munch on pretzels, baked chips or Sunchips vs higher fat snacks and chips
– Use nonfat Greek yogurt or fat free sour cream in recipes for your favorite chip dip or use some garlic hummus instead of mayo, cream cheese or full fat cheese in dips.
– Choose veggie pizza instead of meat pizza to save on calories
– Bake your wings instead of buying breaded/fried ones
– Munch on some veggies with hummus or lower calorie dip to keep you from snacking on higher calorie foods the whole game

Turkey Chili
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pound ground turkey or lean sirloin)
1 onion, chopped
2 cups water
1 (28 ounce) can canned crushed tomatoes
1 (16 ounce) can canned kidney beans – drained, rinsed, and mashed (or black beans work great too)
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder (more to taste)
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (more to taste)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1.Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Place turkey in the pot, and cook until evenly brown. Stir in onion, and cook until tender.
2.Pour water into the pot. Mix in tomatoes, kidney beans, and garlic. Season chili powder, paprika, oregano, cayenne pepper, cumin, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 30 minutes.

Greek Yogurt Vegetable Dip

• 18-ounce container 2% Greek yogurt- Plain flavor
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried dill
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• Fresh ground black pepper

What To Do
1. Mix and store in fridge. Serve with chopped veggies.
2. Sprinkle some green onions on top to add some pop!

~Kelly Devine Rickert
Registered Dietitian