Dietitian Eats: WIAW (9/30/15)

I can't believe tomorrow marks October 1st! This year seemed to fly by for me so far. I am pretty excited for fall weather and Halloween decorations (they are probably my favorite).

So, today was a bit crazy with what I ate. I had a snack and lunch all planned out; however, my day didn't seem to go as planned. This morning I just had a quick bowl of KIND cinnamon oat clusters with unsweetened almond milk. Not typically something I would buy; however, I got them as a sample and was not in the mode for my regular smoothie.  Usually when I eat cereal (which isn't too often) I am starving within 2 hours. That is usually when I would have my snack. Today, my 1st counseling appointment got pushed back so I just ended up eating lunch later. I was starving before my appointment so I snacked on half of a Cliff-Z bar. Again, not something I would typically buy, but they were a sample I had. Not too bad on sugar, but usually I go for more fiber and protein in a snack bar. But things happen :)

Lunch today was a vegan chili I made over the weekend. I was super glad I made a ton because the past few nights I didn't feel like making extra food for my lunches. Basically, I just threw in low sodium vegetable broth, homemade gravy (tomato sauce) with tomatoes from my garden, broccoli, faro, brown rice, chickpeas, peas, and parsley into my crockpot. I let that all simmer for a couple of hours. Again, a lifesaver when it comes to lazy meal prep during the week. I also had apricot-applesauce (no-sugar-added). I am loving these Charles & Alice cups. They have a mango flavor which is also one of my favs! I like them especially because they are made with real fruit and don't have any junk added. Plus, when I don't feel like chopping up an apple or pear, I can just grab one of these.

Since I ate lunch kind of at a weird time, I didn't have my normal snack (I had packed hummus and gluten-free pretzel crisps). That being said, I was starving when I go home. I ended up grabbing some sliced carrots, ShopRite artichoke hummus, and pumpkin tortilla chips (new from Aldi's for the season). My plate looks a little skimpy because I forgot to take a picture until everything was half eaten. Whoops :) I run a walking group at work so I usually like to have something small before I go. If not, I come home starving yet again. I didn't really have much for grab and go so I had some new granola I just bought. I like Bakery on Main because it has 9g of fiber, 7g of protein, and 7g of sugar (I look for less than 10g). I also like the there is a short ingredient list with things I recognize.

With grad school, working 2 jobs, and balancing my private practice, I am not much in the mood for cooking an all-out meal tonight. Instead, I am going to make a smoothie with unsweetened almond milk, kale/lettuce (from my garden), frozen fruit (mangos and raspberries tonight), chia seeds, and my plant-based protein powder. I also plan on snacking on some fresh anise (fennel) I got today. I love smoothies for a quick (and balanced) meal replacer when I don't feel like making a whole lot.


Thinking back on today, I know I need to pack some more grab-and-go type snacks. Sometimes I will have multigrain cheerios mixed with almond slivers or a pack of nuts or some kind of bar (I also like the fig bars so something sweet!). This helps if I am busy at work and can't sit down for a snack.

How did your day go today? Did you pack your snacks/lunch?

Grad School, Vacation, and Dietitian Shore Eats

Well we are officially in September and I am finally on vacation! This week has been kind of weird for me. This is my first PAID vacation from my new job (started last year) and the first week of grad school! I am doing online school for my Masters in Dietetics Administration from Utah State University, which is also the University I did my dietetic internship through!

It definitely felt weird to turn my work phone off, and leave it at home! Normally, on my days off from work, I leave it on and check my emails and voicemails. I figured it would be good to disconnect for a while! I do keep having weird dreams where I come back to work with 533 emails or a huge pile of boxes at my desk (this happens when I am gone for just a day or two). It never felt weird being away from my part-time job for a while; however, I figure because I am full-time and more invested in my new position that it feels so odd. This time next year I will probably be thinking I was crazy for saying this! HA-HA.

So, Monday marked the first day of grad school! Yay! I was excited about getting back into school; that is until I started getting overwhelmed with all the assignments and deadlines! Balancing school and work has never been an issue for me. I always worked 1 (or 2) jobs and went to school full-time. I just need to be even more organized with working 2 jobs + getting my new business off of the ground! I'll feel better once I have all my assignments mapped out in my planner and highlighted in their different colors :) I am a highlighter junkie!

Everyone always asks me if I ever eat junk. Well of course I do! Just rarely and mostly saved for vacations HA-HA. Yesterday was a prime example of this. I had a morning smoothie with fruit, unsweetened almond milk, chia seeds, and plant-based protein powder. I like to try out different types of powders to see which I like best. This was the first time I had vanilla cinnamon and it was really good!

  

I followed that up with some So Delicious cookies and cream "ice cream," which was sooooo delicious. I made tofu, broccoli, stewed tomatoes (from my garden), and sautéed potatoes for lunch. I followed that up with some chips :) I finally cut and ate some of the watermelon we bought Sunday. Again, I followed this with 1/2 of a corn muffin. For dinner, I made refried bean burritos and more broccoli. I followed that with some more chips :) Do you see a pattern yet? :)

Here is my personal stance on vacation eating. Try to still eat healthy (maybe the main meals) and sprinkle some unhealthy in between. I know I don't normally eat these kinds of foods; however, if I want them on vacation, I am going to indulge and not feel bad about it. I also try to keep active on vacation (aka like our 32-mile bike ride on Tuesday or my 2 beach walks today). I figure that also evens out the not-so-healthy-foods :)

Gym Motivation

So the past few months I have been in such a gym rut! Anyone else ever feel that way?! Despite being a dietitian and usually the motivator of healthy food and regular exercise, I still get into gym and food ruts!

About 3 months ago, I had participated in a Goliathon obstacle course challenge. Really awesome and a ton of fun. Since then; however, my gym schedule has been totally out of whack! I used to go to the gym at least 3 days a week with no issues. When Goliathon came around, I took a few days off to make sure I was fresh for race day and took a few days off after to recover. After that, I ended up spending a lot of time prepping my garden and pulling out poison oak and ivy in my yard that I really didn't go to the gym steadily through June and mid-July. Come August, I was biking a few days, but not nearly at the activity level I was before.                

I became really bummed with the fact that I was actively procrastinating gym time. It was rough motivating myself when I was working 10-12 hour days with 2 jobs. Just an excuse on my end. While I was staying moderately active in some ways, I really was getting "lazy."

I looked into getting a membership outside of my workplace (I am a part-time dietitian at a community center with a gym) in hopes that it would motivate me to go to the gym more. While that turned out to be a bust, I really thought to myself that I needed to get back on track. All those times that clients no showed or cancelled at work, I could have been clocking out and hitting the gym, versus going home and not being as active. I could have packed gym clothes and have been more prepared. Or I could have packed some extra snacks so I wouldn't be going home hungry instead of working out. Could have, should have, would have.

I thought about all the times I gave advice to clients about exercise. "Just pack your clothes the night before." "Remember to plan your workouts." "Make a commitment to yourself." I finally took my own advice and planned my gym day and clothes and made the promise to myself that I would be going.

Yesterday, I knew I was working both of my jobs so I went into my full-time job a half hour early so I could stop home before my part-time job. I grabbed a quick shake and changed into different pants + my uniform shirt and sneakers. I packed my change of shirt and an extra snack in case my shake didn't hold me over. I worked my second job and without giving it a second thought I changed and got ready to workout. Although a little part of me said "It's 7:15pm, go home," I knew I would be upset with myself had I not gone.

Honestly, I feel so much better (sore after working out but emotionally better :)) after yesterday. I even have my next workout day planned and ready to go. Despite all the advice I give others, I need to remember to give myself that same advice. If you are ever in a gym rut try my strategy: plan your gym day (write it on your calendar), pack your clothes, ready your snacks, make the commitment to yourself, and remember to think about how great you might feel after going (versus not going at all).

Happy exercising :)

Dietitian Eats: WIAW (8/19/15)

It's that time again! Another "What I Ate Wednesday" post!

Breakfast
I started off my day with a fruit and protein shake. Basically, that consisted of 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk, 1/2 cup frozen mixed fruit, 1-2 tablespoons of hemp seed protein powder, 1 scoop Vega 1 protein powder. If you didn't already know from my other posts, I am lactose intolerant, so no milk for me!

My counseling appointment at work came earlier so I had lunch right after (instead of a snack then lunch).

Lunch
Quinoa veggie burgers (I was totally not a fan of these), whole grain couscous, stewed tomatoes (from my garden), and watermelon. Usually, I have more greens; however, last night I didn't get home until 8pm and didn't feel like cooking, so I just threw in the leftovers. Normally, I go with Dr. Praeger's or Boca Burgers; however, I tried this new brand in the store and let's just say I regret telling the company to send coupons for me to sample it out.

Snack
I bounced around to another supermarket for a Diabetes tabling event, so I grabbed a snack before going over. This was a Chocolate Chip Cliff Bar-Z. Again, a leftover from an in-store demo! I had hummus and wheat thins; however, I didn't really have time to sit and eat like I thought.

Dinner-ish
So, after job #1 I was going to job #2. Figured I would be good with eating my hummus but it got hot in the car. I ended up making a salad at the salad bar. Consisted of: baby spinach, radishes, carrots, mushrooms, broccoli, croutons, sunflower seeds, and light caesar dressing. Normally, I would add some chickpeas; however, they were not out today. Meh.

Dinner-ish
After about 2 hours, I was getting hungry so I made another shake. Being lazy today in terms of cooking! This time I made the smoothie with RAW protein powder, which I just got, plus my fruit and almond milk. I have to be honest, this is probably my favorite plant-based protein powder. It didn't any weird tastes or textures. Definitely a fan.

Snack
I was feeling something crunchy, so I had a few rice thin crackers. Love these for a "light" treat.

Some days, I like to use the MyFitnessPal app just to see where I measure up nutritionally. I averaged around 1800 calories, 95g protein, 210g carbohydrates, 50g fiber, 75g fat (17 PUFA, 11 MUFA, 14 SFA), 1450mg sodium, 3200mg potassium, 419% of my DV for vitamin A, 234% of my DV for vitamin C, 170% of my DV for calcium, and 133% of my DV for iron. Not too shabby I must say!

What did you eat today? Have you ever tried a plant-based protein powder?

Dietitian Eats: WIAW (8/12/15)

Hey there! It is time for another round of "Dietitian Eats"! Today was one of those days where I worked 2 jobs, so I am all over the place in what I ate. Nonetheless, here we go!

Breakfast
Had my usual Kashi Go Lean mixed with unsweetened almond milk, my coffee with almond milk creamer, and my Bubba water :)

I worked at 8:30am this morning, so I had lunch early and held the snacks until later.

Lunch
For lunch I had my leftovers from last night: sautéed tofu (extra firm Nasoya brand) with hemp seeds, asparagus sautéed with low sodium soy sauce, whole wheat couscous, and sautéed kale (olive oil and McCormick's garlic herb seasoning). I also had watermelon! Pretty excited about this because I had been waiting for watermelon to go on sale and last week they were! If the container looks like a lot, it is because it is my 2-day stash.

Snack
Forgot to snap a picture, since I ate walking to the bathroom; but, I had a Oatmeal Raisin Cliff bar Z, which was part of my demo at work.

Snack
So, between jobs I was starving! I decided to swing home and make a quick smoothie to hold me for the next 2 hours. My smoothie consists of a handful of mixed berries, unsweetened almond milk, and a scoop of vegan protein powder (can't do milk based proteins)! Sometimes, I will mix in vegetables or use a hemp seed protein. I was kind of in a rush so I just grabbed the one on the counter! I love smoothies for when I don't feel like cooking or just want some nutrition on-the-go.

Dinner
Dinner was another "I failed to take a picture" moment. Whoops :) Anyways, I had a salad made with dragon kale and lettuce from my garden, hemp seeds, pine nuts, dried plums and tahini dressing that I found at Aldi's. Usually, I make my own dressing with a salad dressing bottle I got from Amazon, but today I was not feeling it. I also had a mini wrap with my leftover tofu and hummus. I also munched on some carrots and peas from my garden while getting everything together!

I was feeling something tasty after dinner so I snacked on 2 gummy bears (I know, totally overdid it :):)) and had some mint tea. I usually find if I am bored and want something to snack on, I will make tea and that helps with mindless eating.

How was your day today? Make some healthy picks yourself?

Dietitian Eats: What I Ate Wednesday (WIAW)

Hey there! One of the top questions I get (on a daily basis) is "What do you eat all day?" That mixed with, "What's for lunch?" In inspiration of that, plus other RD blogs I follow, I decided to do my own "What I Ate Wednesday" blog!

I tend to eat the same types of things every day. Today, was a little different than my usual pattern, but hey that's life.

Normally, my breakfast starts with either a protein bar, high fiber cereal, or a tofu wrap. Today, I went with some Kashi Go Lean Crunch mixed with Get Balance Fiber cereal. I have unsweetened almond milk or unsweetened cashew milk with that (lactose-intolerant). I try to get a cereal with <10g of sugar per serving and at least 3g fiber. Sometimes, I will do 1/4c of a cereal that has over 10g of sugar and mix it was a low sugar cereal. Just to change things up. I of course have my coffee in my fancy RD cup and my Bubba water (32oz). My coffee I either drink black or with a splash of unsweetened almond milk creamer.

That usually holds me for 2 hours. I had my mid-morning snack about 2 hours after getting into work. I wasn't starving, but, I knew I was doing a demo and would not be eating for another 3 hours. I didn't want to be sampling food and having my stomach grumbling at the same time. I packed some veggie pop chips (leftover from an event) and spinach and artichoke hummus (my favorite).

Lunch today was leftovers from last night; tofu (about 1/2c) with marinara, wheat pasta (1/4c), and broccoli with a caesar dressing on it. I'm not a huge pasta fan, but I was in the mood for it last night!

I also have fruit or a salad with my lunch. Today, I opted for green grapes. Looks like a lot, but I typically put 2 days worth of grapes in my lunch box. One less thing to refill when I get home! My grapes are also looking a little sad, so I am glad I only have 1 more servings worth.

So, last night, my boyfriend and I did an 11-mile bike ride. We didn't go until late (8-ish), which means we weren't back until about 9pm. That being said, neither of us felt like cooking! Adam (aka my boyfriend) wanted Chinese. Usually, I find the "healthy" part of the menu. I opted for steamed veggies (sauce on the side), and Adam got vegetable mei fun. We ordered quarts to have leftovers. Tonight, I had my steamed veggies (broccoli, snow peas, bamboo shoots, etc) with brown rice (1/2c) and about 1 tablespoon of the sauce they sent (there was about 1 cup!). I also had a forkful of Adam's mei fun.

While heating everything up for the night, I was getting pretty hungry. I ended up snacking on a few sweet green peppers from my garden. I also packed my snack and lunch for tomorrow, so I snuck in a slice of cheese! After dinner, I was feeling something sweet so I tried out these new barkThins I got at the supermarket. I like that 1 serving is 22g of carbohydrates and 11g of sugar. Not bad for chocolate! Also, there are not too many ingredients. Anyway, an indulgence nonetheless.

I usually fill my Bubba water jug about 2x during the day. Normally, i get about 75-80 ounces of fluid on a non workout day. Sometimes I will add in seltzer or unsweetened iced tea (brewed from home) to change things up!

Overall, today was not too bad. I got enough fiber, carbohydrates, healthy fats, and vitamins and minerals (with all the veggies!). I wasn't too high on sodium, sugar, or calories (even with the chocolate!). Typically, I would like to get more protein in, whether it is some nuts, beans, or a bar, and another serving of fruit.

Hope you enjoyed the Dietitian's Eats. Tune in next week to see what is on the menu!

My New Garden and Being a First Time Preceptor

It has been quite a while since my last blog. I have been crazy busy between both my jobs, recently moving, planting a garden, and being a preceptor. Not to mention the impromptu summer mini vacations.  Nonetheless, I am back in action :)

About 2 months ago, I was asked to be a preceptor to a distance intern for their community rotation. I am sympathetic when it comes to distance interning (I was one myself). I remember just how hard it was to find all of my preceptors! I must say, it was definitely weird to be the one doing the teaching. The first couple of days with my intern were odd purely because I was not used to someone following me around all day! It was cool sharing my knowledge and experience with someone who has the same passion as me. It was definitely helpful to have a second pair of hands when I was working with a group of young children too! I would suggest to anyone to become a preceptor if your job allows. I felt it was a learning experience for me as much as them!

Post digging out 

3 weeks after planting

My biggest project since my boyfriend and I moved into our duplex was my garden (or should I say gardens). One, I am no garden expert. Two, I learned plenty of things I should and shouldn't do. Three, things taste wayyyyyy better when you grow them yourselves! Four, don't try and attack your overgrown, new yard with a tank top on or you will become a vesicle for bugs and itching.

I never had my own yard space until now. My dad always had a garden in our yard growing up; however, it was never something I really worked on. Our yard with quite overgrown when we moved in, so it took about a week or so to pull weeds and get the dirt ready for planting. The lady that lived in the house years back had put down some bricks around plots of land. It made for great sectioning of my garden:) I ended up with 3 plots for vegetables and a 4th for a butterfly bush. We also had an overgrowth of mint in the yard, which was super fun pulling out (not). A few things about mint: never ever plant in the ground unless you want it to take over your yard and be prepared to muscle out the roots if you try and pull it out!

Tomatoes, peppers, etc

Tomatoes, peppers, parsley

I ended up planting one plot with cucumbers, carrots, kale, spinach, and lettuce. I trim the kale, spinach, and lettuce every other day. I love fresh garden salads! The cucumbers I am still waiting to grow an actual cucumber and not a thousand more leaves and flowers. My other plot has tomatoes, peppers, and parsley. I got about 4 peppers so far and 50 tomatoes, all of which are still green. The 3rd plot has parsley I started from a seed, basil, peas, and another tomato plant I just moved out of a pot. I also have aloe, hot peppers, and a weird cactus looking plant in pots along the edge of my garden.


Having a garden is hard work between prepping the soil, planting, weeding (almost every day), and watering. Despite all that (plus the poison oak/sumac I got on my arms), I absolutely love it. Someone said to me that gardening was therapeutic and I totally believe that! I can spend hours outside and I wouldn't even care. You wouldn't believe how excited I was when my first leaves poked out of the ground, or my first green tomato sprouted. It is like my little baby!

First pepper

First tomatoes

It definitely makes you appreciate the food you eat when you grow it yourself. And if you were wondering. After I got poison oak/sumac, I went outside with pictures of all the poisons, found the tree/bush with both sumac and oak twisted around each other and hacked it apart. Take that!

Stay tuned for my new "What I ate Wednesday" posts, inspired by fellow dietitian, and "Fresh Fridays" post with my garden updates!