December 13, 2013

Great Smoothie Idea

I am always looking for different ideas to pass along and this week, my inspiration came when I was downtown this week in our Chicago office for a workshop. During a break I went into the lunchroom for a glass of water and when I looked around I saw there was a setup for a Nutri-bullet system. My first thought was, “This is such a GREAT idea!” Many employees are trying to make healthier choices and lunch is always a tough one. Do I pack a lunch or go out to eat? If I pack a lunch what do I make? How can I take something into the office that is quick, easy and healthy?

Having a Nutri-bullet available is an awesome perk to provide for our employees. I don’t know if all offices have something like this or not, but this is a great idea. I can say personally, I would not bring my own nutri-bullet system to the office on a daily basis. It is not something that I would want to lug around, but if I knew the device was in the office, I would totally prepare a container the night before. The containers should be compatible with the system and all you would have to do is gather the ingredients the night before and stick them into the refrigerator when you got to the office. At lunch time, you could add ice from the ice machine and “buzz up” your meal.

new year 2014 008Voila! Now you have a simple, healthy nutritious lunch. And if you were in a hurry you could take and drink your lunch at your next meeting.

If you are not already on the smoothie bandwagon, I highly encourage you to think about it. In my Nutrition Renewed class series, I have a whole class dedicated to “Adding in the Good Stuff” and spend a good portion talking about all of the health benefits of smoothies, how simple they really are to make, secret ingredients to increase your nutrient content along with some yummy recipes.

If you didn’t catch my last class, I will be offering another series of Nutrition Renewed in January. You can choose to attend just one class, or all four for a discounted price. Check out my events page for more details.  http://onepowerfulstep.com/events/

 

Berry Yummy Smoothie

1 cup almond milk 1 cup Frozen Pineapple 1 cup Strawberries (fresh or frozen) 2 Kiwis, 1 cup Ice Cubes (You can also add, nuts, seeds protein powders, spinach and/or superfoods (to your liking) to increase the nutrient value) ENJOY

November 1, 2013

Pumpkin Seeds – More Protein than a Hot Dog?

It’s fall so that means its pumpkin season. One sure fire way of becoming a good cook is to use all of the elements of produce. So if you are carving pumpkins with your family, don’t forget to use the seeds.

They are a crunchy tasty treat and are aslo packed with lots of nutrients. Pumpkin seeds are great for lunchtime or an afterschool snack. One ounce of roasted pumpkin or squash seed kernals (about 85 seeds) contains approx 8.46 grams of protein, 163 calories and 1.8 grams of dietary fiber. Not to mention a good source of phosphorus, magnesium, iron, and zinc. While not the best source of omega-3 it does contain 0.1 g of omega-3. And yes if you look at the chart below a serving of pumpkin seeds can provide more protein than a hotdog. Who knew? In addition to that, you don’t get all of the nitrates that they put in hotdogs. So the next time you are running to grab a quick snack before running out the door, think about the benefits of pumpkin seeds.

Compare this to some other quick snack foods and their approximate protein intake:

1 Hot Dog 5.0g
1 Egg 6.5g
1 Cup Whole Milk 7.6 g
1 oz pumpkin seeds 8.46g
1 Cup Plain Yogurt 8.5g
Beef Jerkey 9.0g
4 slices Bacon 11.85g

You can store raw, baked or roasted pumpkin seeds for up to two months in an air-tight container. To preserve the most nutritional content, including omega-3, store in a cool, dry place that is not exposed to direct sun light. Omega-3 fatty acids dissipate after a few weeks, so for the most nutritional benefit try to eat the seeds within a few weeks from the time of harvest.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds – Vegan, gluten-free

  • 1 cup pumpkin seeds
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp garlic salt/ seasoning salt
  • 1 tsp onion powder

Or for some added flare, try adding some of these seasonings of choice

  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • Dash of cayenne pepper
  • Dash of cinnamon

Directions

  1. Clean out your pumpkin.
  2. Wash the pulp from the seeds (soaking the seeds in warm water for an hour will help this process).
  3. Allow the seeds to dry for 24 hours. (for best results)
  4. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
  5. Combine all ingredients and place in 8×8 pan or cookie sheet coating the seeds with the seasoning mixture.
  6. Bake for 25 – 35 minutes (There are many different recipes that change the baking time and the temperature, so check periodically to ensure they are just right for your liking.)
  7. ENJOY!!!

August 2, 2013

Awesome Zucchini Recipe

For those of you that have planted your own garden’s I bet some of your fruits and veggies are starting to bloom. This was the first year I planted Zucchini. I had always heard of friends and relatives talking about how they had so may large zucchini’s that they were giving them away and making LOTS of zuchhini bread.

Well, I picked an enormous zuchinni the other day. It made for more than a few meals for me. So I thought I would share a quick and simple recipe.

Slide the zucchini lengthwise into long strips. Brush with some olive oil and then top with either parmesan or mozzerella cheese. Sprinkle some oregano, parsley and pepper on top and bake in the overn at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.

It’s a great quick and simple meal and when you leave the skin on its filling because its filled with LOTS of fiber.

Some key vitamins nutrients in a Zucchini: One cup of sliced summer squash or zucchini, boiled with no added salt contains 1.87 grams of protein, 41 calories and 2 grams of fiber.

They are also high in Potassium, Vitamin C and Vitamin K. Here is just a quick snapshot of some of the nutrients found in 1 cup of Zucchini:

Vitamin C 20 mg
Vitamin K 7.9mg
Potassium 319 mg
Phosphorus 52mg
Magnesium 29 mg
Calcium 40 mg
Maganese .283mg
Selenium .4mg
Zinc .4 mg
Copper .117 mg

Minerals are very important in our daily diets.

It is important to note that cooking does reduce the amount of nutrients that remain in the foods. So whenever you can, remember to try and eat as many of your veggies RAW.

 

When you look at the details, don’t discount the micronutrients and what might appear to be low amounts in this veggie or any other. Our bodies don’t need alot, but we do need these micronutrients in order for our bodies to function properly. Each vitamin and mineral has a specific purpose and function in the body. Our bodies will compensate and sometimes create health issues, if we are not getting what we need.

For some of these micronutrients, the only way to give your body what it needs is through consuming them, since the body doesn’t produce them by itself. The actual percentage of what you need is dependent upon your age and physical activity. In my health coaching programs, one thing I do is help educate you the various different nutrients found in many of your favorite fruits and veggies. As let’s face it, our fresh fruits and veggies don’t have labels indicating their nutrient values, like a box of cereal and many of us don’t realize where we might be lacking because its not something we pay particular attention to.

If you are are interested in learning more, stayed tuned for tips in future blogs, or reach out to see how a health consultation and/or health coaching services might be of benefit to you and your family.

 

September 30, 2012

Meals on the Go

People have asked me, where do u get your ideas for your blog?  They come from a variety of places, a response to a previous blog, an article I read, an event that occurred, something from my nutrition classes, but this week the idea came at my sons baseball game.  I happened to get there early and watch all of the kids rushing to get to practice before the game.  Many of them running with some type of fast food item being shoved down their throats french fries, burger, nuggets and some sort of sugary drink, so that they had something to eat before the game.

While I totally understand squeezing in a meal to ensure our kids eat, it is really not the best choice to feed them all that processed food before a game.  A friend of mine is a volleyball coach and she said that she has had to pull parents aside and encourage them to not have their child fill up on fast food, a slushie or a big gulp before a game. The kids do not have the energy they need to function during the game.  It is not only not good for them, but it impacts the team when a player is not at their best.

I will admit, I have been that mom before just trying to get by.  With four very active kids, I used to drive thru somewhere all the time.  Why not? I thought, it’s an easy way to get them food and they won’t complain about eating it.  Well I have learned my lesson the hard way and now try to limit the amount of drive thru runs by planning ahead.  For those of you whose children are smaller, it is much easier to start out developing healthy habits than it is to change bad ones.

In this situation it would be better to give your child an apple, a banana,  some type of protein bar or shake, or some nuts ( if they can have them)  to give them fuel before the game.    Remember, food is fuel, and if we don’t put in the right type of fuel, our bodies wont function properly and our kids won’t be at their best.   Most food portions are way out of control as it is and while these options are not a full meal, it will give them the energy needed to sustain them and be a healthier choice.

Last week my son had his first hockey game for his AA travel hockey team.  We said we were going to go out for lunch to celebrate my other sons 13 birthday.  Danny said, “I can’t go mommy.  I need to make sure I eat healthy before the game.  I can’t eat junk.” I told him that we would go to a sit down restaurant (not fast food) where I would help him make a healthier choice.  He and I shared a salad with grilled chicken. He ended up playing a great game and scored 4 goals that evening.  He was proud of himself and knew that making a healthier choice before the game made a difference in his performance.

I have to admit it is moments like this when the boys realize themselves how food actually makes them feel, that it makes it worth all of the pain and heartache of changing their diets around to focus on the healther choices, which in today’s society is NOT always easy to do.

The next time you are running late or are trying to squeeze in some fuel before an event; For Meals on the Run, think about keeping one these on hand and ready to go – a piece of fruit – a granola bar or zbar – a bag of nuts – better yet a home made Protein bar

– 1 cup of Peanut Butter OR Sun Butter
– 1 cup oatmeal
– 1 cup protein powder (We use Shaklee or Melaleuca Protein Powder)
– 1/2 cup raw natural honey
– depending on the type of butter you may need to add a tsp of water if its too dry

No baking necessary. You can roll them into balls, or shape into bars and put in the frig. They look like raw cookie dough balls, but much healthier.  For an added treat, you could dip them in chocolate, coconut or crushed nuts and ENJOY!