Dietitian Eats: WIAW (10/14/15)

It's that time again! Time for what you say? To see what I eat in a day! I know you are super excited (I am). Anyways, today, was all over the place! Between counseling appointments, my walking group, and running between 2 stores I think I am tapped out for the day. Not to mention, getting my private practice insurance essentials all squared away is a headache in itself! That being said, my day wasn't all that exciting nutrition-wise. So, let's have at it!


This morning, I started with my typical shake: frozen raspberries and mango, vegan protein powder, unsweetened almond milk, chia seeds, ginger, and cinnamon. I got a new plant-based protein powder that they started selling at my store. I like it because it is very fine powder, so it blends well. Plus, I don't find an aftertaste.

I packed a delicious baked apples snack today, but never got to eat it :( Lunch was leftovers from the night before: stir-fried tofu (super firm) + steamed broccoli + steamed potatoes. I started off sautéing the potatoes, but they were taking forever. I ended up throwing them in my steamer instead. I honestly didn't even eat my whole lunch today. Very unusual for me; however, I wiped out (literally) on my way back into work, so I was a wee bit flustered.

I lead a walking group on Wednesday nights, so I had a small bowl of gluten-free granola with chia and flax seeds in it before I went. Pre-shower, I made another shake, similar to the one at breakfast. Did I mention I love my Nutri-bullet for days like this?

Post-shower, I roasted some brussels sprouts. I love, love, love roasted brussels sprouts. I just sliced them in half, sprinkled some olive oil, juiced 1/2 a lemon, and added a no-salt seasoning blend (garlic, oregano, parsley, etc). I baked them for about 15 minutes on 375 degrees F. I barely waited until I sat at the table before eating them. A powerhouse of antioxidants and all that good stuff! I probably would have eaten more had I made more.

I snacked on a Fig Bar in between my meals. Love these for the no artificial crap kind of deal. I'm probably going to sneak in another snack at some point tonight. I really didn't get to eat much (especially veggies) with all the back and forth I did today. I think I am leaning more towards my pumpkin tortilla chips with pine nut hummus. Staying with the fall flavors :) Today is the kind of day I should have packed more on-the-go snacks instead of heat and serve type items. I'm thinking I need to restock my emergency car supply of food!

How was your day today? Have you ever tried roasted brussels sprouts?

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?

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!