by kelsey | Sep 12, 2018 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Fall is a wonderful time of year, the leaves begin to change, children are back to school, and the temperature starts to cool off. With all of these changes that are taking place you may find it hard to get away from all of the summer time BBQ and picnic eating habits. A way to help you get back to healthier eating habits is to start using some seasonal vegetables. Fall vegetables are great tasting and easy to cook with. Swapping out a regular potato for a seasonal sweet potato is a simple and easy way to get more bang for your buck. Sweet potatoes are much more nutrient dense which means that they contain more nutrients in a serving compared to a regular potato of the same size. A quick and easy recipe for sweet potatoes is to make sweet potato fries in the oven. Another fun way to incorporate seasonal vegetables is to make Kale chips in the oven. These make for delicious and healthy after school snacks for your children when paired with a low-fat cup of milk.
Baked Sweet Potato Fries: First, peel and wash the potatoes and cut them into strips around a ¼ in thick. Second, place in a bowl and toss with olive oil, paprika, salt, and pepper then place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Lastly, place the baking sheet in a preheated 450-degree oven for 10-15 minutes or golden brown and crispy.
Kale Chips: kale is classified as a super food and is packed with antioxidants along with vitamins and minerals. First, cut up the kale into bite size pieces then in a bowl drizzle olive oil over the pieces then toss so the olive oil coats the pieces evenly. Second, salt and pepper the kale to taste and then place on a baking sheet and place into a 350-degree oven for 10-15 minutes or until edges are slightly brown.
-Kelsey Raml, MS, RD, LN
by kelsey | Aug 23, 2018 | Diet, Exercise, Family, Food, Goals, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
School is starting this week and that means homework, studying, and activities! We often forget about the importance of our health due to the fact we get consumed by our studies. Making health a priority during school is important and can be much easier than most would think. Whether you’re in elementary, high school, or college, here are some healthy tips to keep a healthy balance between nutrition and school:
•Pack healthy snacks/lunches: One main reason students establish unhealthy eating habits is because of how busy their schedules are. Packing healthy snacks to bring to class or to your study spot makes it easy to skip the junk food and extra caffeine.
•Hit the gym/use recess: Elementary students should use their recess period to add some extra physical activity to their day. Many universities have wellness/rec centers that are free for students to use. Take advantage! Working out for as little as 30 minutes a day can make a big difference.
•Get a good night’s sleep: Sleep puts our bodies into an anabolic state, meaning that our muscles grow and recover from break down. Getting enough sleep each night is vital for our body to reach its peak potential and function properly.
•Eat breakfast: Skipping breakfast is very common for students of all ages. Eating breakfast helps keep you fuller throughout the day, making it easier to lay off the junk food. Eating in the morning also gives students more energy and makes them more attentive during class.
•Walk/bike to school: Walking or biking to school instead of driving is an easy way to burn a couple extra calories during the day.
There are multiple ways we can stay healthy during the school year. Make sure to stay health conscious and you will have no problem keeping a healthy lifestyle.
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Aug 22, 2018 | Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
If you’re a parent with school age children, you have probably witnessed this scenario many times: your child comes home from school or an activity and they are starving! They rummage through the cupboards and try to find something “good” to snack on until supper is ready. Snacks in between meals help provide the body with energy and aid in metabolism and blood sugar control, but the key is making a healthy snack as junk foods will only provide empty calories, leaving you hungry and looking for more later on.
Below are some healthy snacks for kids. With school starting tomorrow, I thought this topic was worthy of discussing again!!
Healthy Snacks for Kids
Inside-Out Sandwich: Spread mustard on a slice of deli turkey. Wrap around a sesame breadstick.
Rocky Road: Break a graham cracker into bite-size pieces. Add to low-fat chocolate pudding along with a few miniature marshmallows.
Mini Pizza: Toast a whole-wheat English muffin, drizzle with pizza sauce and sprinkle with low-fat mozzarella cheese.
Spread mustard on a flour tortilla. Top with a slice of turkey or ham, low-fat cheese and lettuce. Then roll it up.
Sandwich Cut-Outs: Make a sandwich on whole grain bread. Cut out your favorite shape using a big cookie cutter. Eat the fun shape and the edges, too!
Banana Split: Top a banana with low-fat vanilla and strawberry frozen yogurt. Sprinkle with your favorite whole-grain cereal.
Apple Pie Oatmeal: Make one packet of microwave oatmeal with low-fat milk. Mix in 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce. Sprinkle with apple pie spice or cinnamon.
Mix together peanut butter and cornflakes in a bowl. Shape into balls and roll in crushed graham crackers.
Microwave a cup of tomato or vegetable soup and enjoy with whole-grain crackers.
Fill a waffle cone with cut-up fruit and top with low-fat vanilla yogurt.
Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese on hot popcorn.
Peel a banana and dip it in yogurt. Roll in crushed cereal and freeze.
Spread celery sticks with peanut butter or low-fat cream cheese. Top with raisins.
Stuff a whole-grain pita pocket with ricotta cheese and Granny Smith apple slices. Add a dash of cinnamon.
Mix together ready-to-eat cereal, dried fruit and nuts in a sandwich bag for an on-the-go snack.
Smear a scoop of frozen yogurt on two graham crackers and add sliced banana to make a yummy sandwich.
Microwave a small baked potato. Top with reduced-fat cheddar cheese and salsa.
Make snack kabobs. Put cubes of low-fat cheese and grapes on pretzel sticks.
Toast a whole-grain waffle and top with low-fat yogurt and peaches.
Mix together low-fat cream cheese, mixed dried fruit bits and shelled sunflower seeds. Spread on a toasted English muffin.
Blend low-fat milk, frozen strawberries and a banana for thirty seconds for a delicious smoothie.
Make a mini-sandwich with tuna or egg salad on a whole-grain dinner roll.
Sprinkle grated Monterey Jack cheese over a corn tortilla; fold in half and microwave for twenty seconds. Top with salsa.
Spread peanut butter on apple slices.
Reference: Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Jul 31, 2018 | Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Many of us enjoy one or more cups of coffee each morning and although the caffeine and wake-up call it provides may be the motivating factor, perhaps some of the drink’s other benefits can play a role in your continued enjoyment of it!
Coffee has been shown to help with brain function, perhaps prevent some diseases, and increase calcium intake when milk is added. Coffee also contains antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties as well. Important vitamins and minerals such as potassium, niacin, vitamin E and magnesium are also present in coffee.
One thing to keep in mind about your morning pick-me-up may be to choose wisely. Some of the fancy coffee drinks found at popular coffee shops can also contain loads of sugar and fat, which may contribute empty calories to your daily intake. When choosing a coffee drink, choose low or non-fat drinks or plain coffee, or plain coffee with milk to ensure the most benefit from your coffee.
During the hot summer months, enjoy cold-brew coffee or iced coffee as a seasonal way to reap these benefits!
-Kelsey
Reference: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. http://www.eatright.org/resource/health/wellness/preventing-illness/benefits-of-java
by kelsey | Jul 26, 2018 | Diet, Exercise, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Exercise is an integral piece to the weight-loss puzzle, but it certainly doesn’t stand alone. Eating right is just as important for weight loss as exercise alone. The best weight-loss prescription, of course, is to do both—watch what you eat and exercise regularly. These tips can help you get maximum results from your hard work and diligence.
Level of exertion
Make sure that your exercise gets results by working at your ideal level of exertion. The best way to do this is to check your pulse against your maximum heart rate. You can calculate your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220. You should have the ability to speak without gasping for air, but should work hard enough that you don’t really want to have to talk much. You will need to take in 500–1000 calories/day less than what you expend in order to lose 1–2 pounds/week.
Extra food
Avoid the tendency to eat extra food on days that you’ve exercised. Remember that all of those extra bites and spoonfuls can really add up.
Exercise routine
Doing the same exercise routine every day can lead to less energy expenditure over time, because you burn more calories when you’re first learning a routine. Interval training, such as walking fast for 2 minutes and then jogging or running for 30 seconds, is recommended to increase the number of calories burnt.
Sports drinks and supplements
Many sports drinks and bars contain nearly a meal’s worth of calories. They are more appropriate for a person who is running a marathon than for a person who is taking an aerobics class or going for a brisk walk.
Time vs intensity of workout
Rather than increasing the length of time that you spend exercising, most experts agree that it can be more beneficial to increase the intensity of your workout to promote weight loss, while keeping the time spent the same or decreasing it.
If you are struggling with weight loss and need some extra help, please send me an email or call! I would love to work with you and help you improve your health and wellness!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Jul 19, 2018 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Have you ever wondered how you can enjoy a sweet treat without all of the added calories?! Here are a few ideas for you:
•Mix flavored yogurt or plain yogurt honey and your favorite fruit.
•Drizzle a bit of honey over mixed melon balls.
•Blend bananas and strawberries, freeze into cubes, and eat like ice cream.
•Sauté or bake 1/2 banana and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon chopped nuts.
•Take three of your favorite kinds of berries; cook half of them with just enough water to prevent burning. Cool and stir in remaining berries. Portion 1/2 cup of the berry compote with 1 tablespoon of your favorite vanilla ice cream.
•Try making your favorite flavor of sugar free pudding with low-fat milk.
•If it’s ice cream that you really want- skip the scoop-yourself containers and buy single-serving novelty treats such as fudgesicles, creamsicles, even chocolate-covered ice cream bars. You’re more likely to limit your portions if they already come in a single serving
Enjoy!
-Kelsey
