What I Ate Wednesday

A little while ago, my friend and colleague Sharon Palmer, who just came out with her second book, Plant-Powered for Life (stay tuned for a giveaway later this month!) tagged me to participate in “What I Ate Wednesday, RD edition." Through blog posts, registered dietitians are asked to share what they eat on a typical week day. My days are always different, but here’s a little peek into some of the foods I love.

Breakfast: Breakfast is without a doubt, my favorite meal. I change it up often; it could be eggs with sautéed spinach, oatmeal with chia seeds and dried fruit, peanut butter and banana toast, or leftovers from dinner! On this day, I had a whole grain waffle hidden by a heaping spoonful of nonfat plain Greek yogurt (I stir vanilla and cinnamon into mine) with frozen, thawed mixed berries and a sprinkling of slivered almonds. I pour the juice from the frozen and thawed berries over my waffle, too – it acts as my syrup. I enjoy every bite.

Snack: Lisa and I have an ongoing joke that I need to carry snacks with me at all times. To keep my brain buzzing and my energy up during the morning, I like to have a snack before lunch. On this day, I had a small bowl of blackberries and handful of walnuts (I ate a few before I remembered to take the photo!) – they really are nature’s perfect finger foods!

Lunch: On most days, I like to have a big salad for lunch to get in a healthy dose of veggies. Here’s one of my favorite go-to lunchtime salads: arugula, a little bit of farro (or whatever whole grain I have cooked and ready to go), a small cucumber, cherry tomatoes, ½ of a chopped red bell pepper, two hard boiled eggs, and a spoonful of Basil Pesto from Trader Joe’s.

Snack: Our contributing blogger, Jaime recently wrote about my love iced tea in the late afternoon. She knows me too well! Here’s a typical snack: veggies with a spoonful of hummus and of course, my iced tea! I also had a few Way Better Snacks (in Sweet Potato).

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Dinner: On this particular day, I went on an early evening hike with a friend and we stopped off at Eat Real Café before heading home. It’s one of my favorite spots in my community. I ordered the Cali Wrap, which is made with grilled chicken, quinoa, red onions, tomatoes, kale, arugula, and artichoke pesto. It comes with a side salad, too. Their house garlic chia dressing is the best!

Dessert: I would say that most of the time I have something sweet after dinner whether it’s a small serving of dark chocolate (I had two small squares on this day), a tiny serving of ice cream, or even just candied ginger. To me, it’s all about portions and eating in a way that helps to keep me feeling good, happy, and nourished.

The WIAW Dietitian Tag! #WIAWRD

This blog post is a part of a ‘dietitian tag’ to see what other registered dietitians from around the world really eat!

To carry on this tag all you need to do is:

1) Copy and paste this section (marked within the ******) to the bottom of your WIAW blog post.


2) Tweet/Facebook the link using the hashtag #WIAWRD (What I Ate Wednesday Registered Dietitian).

3) Add your blog post link into the section below.


4) ‘Tag’ 2-3 other dietitians to carry on the tag via email!

We tag:

Caroline Kaufman

Jaime Ruisi (RD To Be!)

Previous WIAW Blog Posts (add yours here along with where you’re from!):

Nic’s Nutrition – Weekend Edition (West Yorkshire, UK)
Gemma Critchley, Dietitian Without Borders (Liverpool, UK)
Nic’s Nutrition – Week Day Edition (West Yorkshire, UK)

Helen West, Food & Nonsense (Uluwatu, Bali)
Diana Chard, Bite My Words (Nova Scotia, Canada)

Mark McGill, Glipho (Ottawa, Canada)

Debra Riedesel, CycleDiet.com, Sensitive Dietitian’s Kitchen.com (Iowa,Florida, New Jersey, USA)
Aaron Flores, Balance Variety and Moderation RDN (Los Angeles, CA)

Michaela Ballmann, Wholify (Los Angeles, CA)

Sharon Palmer, The Plant-Powered Blog (Los Angeles, CA)
McKenzie Hall, Nourish RDs (Los Angeles, CA)

An InLinkz Link-up

Homemade Almond Milk + Triple Berry Smoothie

McKenzie loves an almond milk latte in the morning.  My usual is an Americano with a little half-and-half.  But I do keep almond milk on hand for smoothies.  In the summer, I make my husband a smoothie every morning for breakfast.  (In the winter, it’s oatmeal.)

This week, I experimented with making my own almond milk.  I have to say, I’m hooked.  It has a delicious, nutty flavor and a great mouth feel, similar to milk.  I might even switch to almond milk lattes now. 

And it’s ridiculously easy.  Just soak raw almonds in water overnight.  Strain, cover with water again, blend for a few minutes until the almonds are completely pulverized, and then strain the resulting liquid through cheesecloth to get out the almond meal.  There you have it!  Almond milk.

Homemade almond milk keeps in the refrigerator for about 3 days, so only make as much as you’ll use during that time.  With at least one smoothie a day, we’re going through a lot of it!  And don’t throw away that almond meal.  Add it to pancakes, muffins or cookies for added protein, fiber and heart-healthy fats.

Here’s the recipe for almond milk, and a bonus recipe for our current favorite smoothie:  the Triple Berry Smoothie.  Frozen berries make the smoothie thick and rich, and add a lot of satisfying fiber.  Ground flax adds even more fiber and heart-healthy essential fatty acids.  Whole dates add sweetness (and even more fiber!) without any added sugar.  The homemade almond milk adds nutty richness, but you could certainly use store-bought almond milk instead.  Just look for an unsweetened variety. 

I hope you enjoy, making the almond milk and smoothie for someone you love!

Homemade Almond Milk

1 cup raw almonds

Water, plus more for making the almond milk

Add the raw almonds to a bowl or jar and cover with water.  Place in the refrigerator and let soak overnight, or up to 2 days.

Strain the water from the almonds.

Place the almonds in a blender and cover with 2 – 3 cups of water, depending on how thick you like your almond milk (I used 3 cups).  Blend on high for 2 – 3 minutes, or until the almonds are completely blended and the water turns a milky color.

Strain the almond milk through a strainer lined with cheesecloth.  The almond milk will keep for about 3 days.  Store tightly covered in the refrigerator.  Save the almond meal and add to cookies, muffins or other baked goods.

Triple Berry Smoothie

Makes 1 smoothie

1 cup almond milk

1 tablespoon ground flax seed

2 dates, pitted

1 cup berries (I used a combination of raspberries, blackberries & blueberries)

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend on high until smooth.  Enjoy!

Although we do work with the National Raspberry Council, we were not compensated for this post.  All our opinions are our own.  We really do just love berries!

Single Serve Dark Chocolate Brownie with Raspberry Sauce

Sometimes you just need something sweet! We totally get it. With this recipe, you can certainly get your chocolate fix…in minutes! Make it a la mode with a scoop of ice cream or yogurt.  

This fruit-topped brownie is a wonderful sweet treat to make for a night in with the girls or with your special someone. Since this is a single-serve dessert, it’s a good way to satisfy a craving without going overboard. And with desserts, the very first bite is usually the best one anyways!

We hope you enjoy this dark chocolate treat featuring our personal favorite berry as much as we do! 

Ingredients:

Brownie-
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon walnuts, chopped
1 handful dark chocolate chips

Raspberry Sauce-
¼ cup raspberries
1 tablespoon coconut sugar (or any type of sugar)
¼ cup water

Directions:
1. Combine all brownie ingredients in a small bowl. Mix.
2. Microwave for 30 second intervals (approximately 3 minutes total) until cooked.
3. Meanwhile, blend raspberry sauce ingredients in a food processor until smooth.
4. Pour onto the brownie and serve!

Enjoy, preferably with those you love!


Recipe and photo by our wonderful contributing blogger, Jaime Ruisi.

One Mixed Berry Smoothie - Two Ways & a Hint Water Giveaway

We're kicking off the unofficial start to summer with this deliciously refreshing recipe! We’re hoping it will inspire you to stay hydrated all summer long. That's because staying properly hydrated ensures your body runs like a smooth operating machine even when temperatures peak. You can check out our blog, featured by the National Processed Raspberry Council for more hydration tips here (disclaimer: we consult for the National Processed Raspberry Council and happily share our love of red raspberries).

One Mixed Berry Smoothie Recipe - Two Ways

Aside from the beverages you drink, foods you eat contribute to your total water consumption too. Some foods, however – such as fruits, veggies, and yogurt – have a higher water content than most foods. That's where this recipe comes in. It's a really delicious and healthy way to help you meet your hydration needs. 

The Recipe:

Ingredients

¾ cup frozen mixed berries

6 ounces Greek yogurt

½ cup milk or milk alternative

Directions

Pour all ingredients into a blender. Blend until smooth. Add ice if desired.

#1 - The Good Ole’ Mixed Berry Smoothie

Once blended, simply pour the frozen beverage into a glass!

#2 - Mixed Berry Smoothie Popsicles

Once blended, pour into Popsicle stands. Place in the freezer overnight.

Speaking of hydration, we drink water – a lot – so sometimes it’s just so nice to change it up with something special like Hint Water. Hint Water is such a fun and delicious spin on plain ol’ H20. 

THE GIVEAWAY: Hint Water is generously giving away a variety pack of their best-selling flavors, Blackberry and Watermelon, as well as their new flavors Crisp Apple and Blood Orange to one reader. The idea behind Hint is simple: purified water + a splash of natural flavor. No sugar, no diet sweeteners, and no preservatives or additives. Its water made tasty. You can get Hint Water still or fizzy!  You can now buy direct from Hint (click here).

[Disclosure: Hint sent me their new flavors and Hint Fizz to review for this post.  I was not paid for this post. All opinions are my own, included this one: I love hint, and the Watermelon flavor and Crisp Apple is just.so.good]

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Whole Wheat Raspberry & Cream Crumble

Raspberries are such a happy food. They remind us of summer. And since we have an absolute love affair with sunshine, picnics, long days at the beach, and the occasional glass of wine on a patio or pier – the thought of summer and raspberries – make us very happy.

Raspberries are also one of my comfort foods. It’s an unspoken tradition in my family that when you visit Grandma, you’ll be eating her raspberry “buns” – warm, homemade bread topped with her perfectly sweet raspberry jam. There’s something magical in her jam. It automatically puts me at ease and washes my worries of the outside world away.

And while fiber, vitamin C, and antioxidants may not be the first thing that comes to your mind when you’re munching on raspberries, they certainly do pack in a bunch of it! It’s a long-standing joke with Lisa that I’m a bit of nutrition nerd when it comes to fiber. Americans just aren’t getting enough, and with Lisa, I’m hoping to help change that. The average individual in the U.S. is eating less than 15 grams per day – that’s less than half of the daily recommended intake of fiber. 1 cup of raspberries packs in 8 grams of fiber – nearly one-third of your day’s requirements.

Raspberries are also a source of anthocyanins—compounds responsible for producing the bright red, blue-purple, and even black hues found in plants. But, anthocyanins are much more than just a fancy name. These powerful health-promoting pigments, which also boast anti-inflammatory properties, are linked with a long list of health benefits such as cancer protection.

It’s easy to see why we love raspberries. They’re not only delicious, those little berries are packed with some serious nutrition. 

Whole Wheat Raspberry & Cream Crumble

Last weekend, we had some friends over for movie watching and dessert. I made this recipe because raspberries have the wonderful way of pleasing most everyone’s palate. I’m not even going to pretend this “healthier,” whole wheat version of shortcake isn’t decadent – but it’s a perfect dessert for sharing.

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons sugar

Pinch of salt

5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into bits

1 cup buttermilk, or 1 cup whole milk + 1 teaspoon lemon juice

For raspberry topping

12 oz bag of frozen raspberries

2 tablespoons sugar

Zest of ½ lemon

For whipped cream

1 cup well-chilled heavy cream

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Make biscuits:

1.      Preheat oven to 450°F.

2.      In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar in a large bowl.

3.      Add in butter slices.  Knead with your hands until mixture resembles a course meal.

4.      Add buttermilk and stir just until a soft, sticky dough forms.

5.      Drop dough in 6 mounds on dough on an ungreased large baking sheet and bake until golden, about 13 minutes.

6.      Transfer biscuits to a rack and cool for about 10 minutes before eating.

To To make filling:

1.      While biscuits are baking, put frozen raspberries, with sugar and lemon zest in a small saucepan on the stove over low heat.

2.      Stir occasionally. Use your spoon to mash a few raspberries to release their juices.

3.      Remove from the stove after about 10 minutes.

To make the whipped cream:

1.      Beat cream in large bowl with an electric mixer until it starts to slightly thicken.

2.      Add sugar and vanilla. Continue to beat mixture until it holds soft peaks.

To assemble:

1.      Cut biscuits in half horizontally. On the bottom half, layer with a spoonful of whipped cream  and a spoonful (or two!) of berries. Cover with the top of the biscuit.

2.      Top again with a spoonful of whipped cream and a spoonful (or two!) of berries. 

Enjoy, preferably with those you love!

{Book Club}: Younger Next Week Review AND Giveaway!

We’re big fans of fellow registered dietitian, Elisa Zied. We admire Elisa’s relatability, her encouraging #moveitorloseit social media posts, and her articles on the Parents.com blog, which provide helpful and insightful health advice for families. When we heard she was coming out with a new book, titled Younger Next Week, we couldn’t wait to grab a copy.

In Younger Next Week, Elisa points out that our society’s new revved-up lifestyle is unfortunately leaving many multi-tasking women exhausted, overwhelmed and stressed out. And we can relate; between the pings and dings on our iPads and email inboxes, and rings on our phones – it can be hard to find a free moment throughout the day to just unplug. Watch this episode on Elisa’s Stressipes web series and you may relate. We truly feel that every woman -- from college students and beyond can connect with Elisa's message.

In fact, according to a 2012 Stress in America survey by the American Psychological Association, 30 to 45 percent of women in U.S. reported being so stressed they feel fatigued, nervous, anxious and overwhelmed. 46 percent of the women reported making unhealthy food choices and overeating while 31 percent reported skipping meals -- neither which do much to improve our ability to manage stress, improve our self-esteem, or promote optimal health. 

The overarching message of Younger Next Week is to help women restore their vitality and slow down the clock by trading in their anti-wrinkle cream and plastic surgeon’s scalpel for a knife and fork, and stress management techniques. In the book’s chapters, Elisa debunks many common diet myths (we’re big fans of that!), answers those burning nutrition questions surrounding hot topics including coconut oil, eggs, and caffeine, and also offers her own Stressipes (rhymes with “recipes”) – food, fitness, and lifestyle remedies to help us better cope with stress, the greatest vitality buster of them all. Ultimately, the reader is given strategies for restoring vitality through Vital Foods and Vital Moves. The book wraps up with a 7-Day Vitality Plan. The reason we love the plan? It’s not about adopting a rigid diet; it’s based on sound information and maintainable habits that will help you feel happier, healthier, and nourished. The plan includes “daily goals and weekly goals to help you move it, lift it, laugh it off, connect, reflect and sleep it off.” We love that.

Below is one of the 30 delicious recipes in Younger Next Week (reprinted with permission). Since making this recipe the first time, we've made it two more times; we hope you love it as much as we do! Be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the blog for details on the giveaway!

Blueberries with Ricotta Cream

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh blueberries

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

½ cup part-skim ricotta cheese

¼ cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt

½ teaspoon lime zest

Instructions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine the berries, sugar and lime juice. Cover and refrigerate.
2. Mix together the ricotta cheese, yogurt and lime zest in a small bowl. Serve the blueberries with a dollop of the ricotta cream.

Younger Next Week GIVEAWAY

Do you want your own copy of Younger Next Week? Elisa is giving away a copy to one lucky reader!

To enter to win:

• Follow us on Facebook and tell us why you want to win Elisa’s new book
• Follow us on Twitter and tell us why you want to win Elisa’s new book

A winner will be randomly selected on Friday, January 24^th at 8:00am PST.

If we don’t hear from you in 48 hours, a new winner will be drawn. Giveaway open to US and Canadian residents.

Good luck!!