The Honest Dietitian's 2016 Commuter Food Favorites

Featuring My Favorite Commuter Foods

I drive a lot. I made the choice to go for my PhD and since I am a parent and had no intentions of moving my kids away from their friends and schools, this means I have a 3 hour round-trip commute to school between 1-4 days per week (depending on the semester). Couple that in with a full-time job as a clinical nutrition manager for three of those years...I have been busy. There is no doubt that a crazy schedule like this can sure make a person Hangry if they are not careful. And, since a lot of my commute is on the beautiful I-40, there have been many a times when I have been stuck in traffic for hours due to car accidents, fires, and so on. The worst was when I was leaving campus in time to make it home for my husband's delicious Fodmap friendly taco dip when I hit a standstill on I-40 with no possible way to exit to an alternative route. It was over 90 degrees outside and I had no water (I always carry a refillable bottle but it was empty), no food...and almost two hours later when we started to move, I had a raging migraine. That was the last time I have ever traveled without an emergency snack. Sometimes my schedule has been so packed that the only real "free" time I have had in a day has been the time I am in my car driving to the next scheduled event. I have found that I need to have 3 different types of foods to make my days and commutes the best they can be. I am also making this list with the very true assumption (for me) that there is not going to be appropriate access to a microwave to heat up any food. Here they are:

• Commuter Food Number One: Foods that will get me through my scheduled meal times when I do not have a lunchbox with an ice pack. This is the good 'ole "I'm running so behind that I am going to throw a bunch of food into a plastic bag" situation. Even as a mostly Type A personality, I can't plan for everything to go smoothly so this does happen more often than I like.

GoMacro Thrive Bars & Protein Bars.
I love these bars. My favorite flavors are the Caramel Coconut Thrive Bar & the Protein Pleasure Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bar. GoMacro makes really great products. I just noticed they have a sampler pack, so if you haven' tried these before- I highly recommend them. 


Barney Butters Almond Butter Snack Packs.
These butters are perfect to have on hand and with the large variety of choices, you are definitely going to find a flavor that you love. My favorite flavors are the Vanilla Espresso, Honey Flax, Cocoa Coconut, and the Bare Smooth Almond Butter. I literally have one of these snack packs in my purse at all time. Buy them here.

You will love these almond butters!

Artisans Organics Single Serving Squeeze Packs.
To be honest, I might be in love with the cashew nut butter. It is so incredibly creamy and delicious, I just love it so much. They also make squeeze packs for pecan butter, walnut butter, coconut butter, and so on. You will see me using their coconut butter & unbelievable cocoa spreads in some future recipes. Get your squeeze packs here.

Glutino Crackers.
You have to have something to put all of those delicious butters on! I like the original, cheddar, and sea salt crackers by Glutino. They are gluten-free but have a great consistency and are strong crackers to take on the road. The original crackers with the cashew nut butter and an orange, washed down with some chocolate coconut water is my pre-workout snack on my busy driving days. Give Glutino crackers a try!

Make Healthy Asian Food A Diet Staple With These Cooking Tips

Since the western world has been introduced to eastern cuisine, it seems we simply can't get enough of it. Curries, broths, noodles, you name it - we serve it. Of course, it barely compares to the authentic cuisine made by the professionals themselves. But, it is becoming a more and more common fixture in the everyday person's home due to the exciting, spicy flavours and interesting ingredients. The problem is that not many people know how to cook this kind of food in a healthy way. So many of us rely on canned sauces for our Indian curries or Chinese stir fries - many of which are full of chemicals and additives. We also skip many of the traditional vegetables that are used in these dishes, preferring to use ones that are familiar to us. There's nothing wrong with this, of course, but we could be missing out on not only amazing flavors but heaps of brilliant nutrients too. My entire relationship with food was changed once I started shopping at the local Asian grocery store. It has been amazing and exciting. If you think that Asian food is unhealthy and should only be had as a treat, then get ready to think again with these healthy cooking tips.

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Authentic Indian curries

Curry is one of the most popular dishes in the whole world is curry. Although not known by that term in its homeland of India, there are still hundreds of different varieties that we westerners would all class as 'curry'. They differ so greatly depending on the region they come from. For example, the creamy Kerala cuisine varies greatly from the spicier Punjabi cuisine. In order to cook traditional, authentic Indian food, you must have authentic ingredients. Where we use oil or butter, Indian cuisine typically uses ghee. This is a kind of clarified butter high in vitamins A and E. If you are still concerned about the health factor of some of your Indian dishes, why not try simply cutting down on rice and naan? Many authentic Indian recipes are actually vegetarian, so bulk out your curries with chickpeas and lentils to save on carbs. Tandoori grilling is also a healthier way to cook your Indian cuisine and it tastes good too.

Nutrition tips to keep your immune system tough through the flu & winter season

While we all have a good idea that what we eat affects how we feel. It can be easy to forget that before the pharmaceutical industry, our medicines came from natural sources.

At the time a lot of these things were consumed as food or drink, and we can still receive the benefits of imbibing them now. Read on to find out what they are.

Vitamin C

There are plenty of things that contain a good dose of Vitamins C like carrots and bell peppers. But did you know that Brussel Sprouts also have lots too?

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Well, if you are a sprout fan, then you should definitely start eating them on more than just your Christmas dinner. This is because getting enough Vitamin C can help boost your immunity to disease. It acts as a natural antibiotic killing off harmful bacteria in your system. I love grilling Brussel sprouts but in the winter, I often steam them.

Antioxidants

We hear a lot about antioxidant and free radicals these days but does anyone known what they actually are? Well, free radicals are the nasty things that our cells produce when they take in and use oxygen.

These can be harmful your systems so we don't want too many of them hanging around in our body. That is where antioxidants come in.

As we don't want too many oxidants or free radicals in our system eating foods like sweet potatoes and oysters are a good idea. They release molecules that attached to the free radicals making sure that they don't get reabsorbed by the body and cause harm. Oysters are also high in magnesium & zinc, which help boost immunity.

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The protein powder and coffee mystery has been solved!

A few weeks ago, I tweeted out to my universal fitfam asking the question on whether there had been any success on mixing protein powder and coffee together. There was a lot of interest in the question, but no one seemed to have answers. Until now. I had a very successful afternoon in my test kitchen and just could not wait to share the results with you all! This is exactly what I did:

PB Chocolate Coconut Protein Balls featuring Paleo Pro Powder

Who doesn't love to make homemade protein snack balls? I have had the wonderful opportunity to try the Paleo Pro products and I am SO impressed. In fact, I used their Aztec Vanilla protein powder in what has now become my favorite shake combination ever (1/2 frozen blueberries, 30g Aztec Vanilla protein powder & 10 ounces of coconut almond milk). I am an unbiased and honest reviewer for everything I write on this blog and can tell you, as someone who has a sensitive stomach, these products made me feel great: no bloating, etc. And OMG THEY HAVE A PUMPKIN SPICE FLAVORED POWDER! Yes, I am one of those people who loves on that pumpkin spice. Judge away. You know you want some- click here to get some. No soy, no whey, no added sugar, no gluten, grains, wheat. artificial ingredients, and so on. The cost for these products is very reasonable given their high quality. Way to go, Paleo Pro! You have a fan for life. I loved making the protein balls and was originally going to use almond meal in the recipe but am so glad I used the coconut flour because it added some great fiber content. The recipe is below- give them a try!

www.paleopro.com

Raisin French Toast Protein Breakfast Bakes

I had never heard of a french toast flavored protein powder until I had the opportunity to try some of the Primera French Toast Protein Powder and I am sure glad I did! First of all, this line of protein powder is different because it is a hydrolyzed protein powder which uses an egg white & whey blend (hydrolyzed: this means it is fast digesting). Secondly, I am around a lot of researchers who are doing work with egg protein and its amazing impact on satiation (feeling full) which could be a great strategy for weight management, but I have also learned that the whey & egg protein blend is also looking very promising in the research world- in respect to fat tissue breakdown and muscle protein synthesis. Lastly, but certainly not least, was the joyful smell of these baking in the oven. It was unbelievably delightful. My husband ate these this morning for breakfast and loved them.

Fodmap Sweet Potato & Parsnip Cakes

I have always loved sweet potatoes.  We often try to eat low-FODMAP foods because both my husband and I have happier GI tracts when we do. I had some parsnips that I needed to use and thought I would try out some Fodmap Friendly Sweet Potato & Parsnip cakes to accompany my balsamic herb-encrusted salmon and really enjoyed what came together. I know that olive oil has a high smoke point (around 405 degrees F) but on medium heat I was seeing a bit of smoke coming from the oil, so I just turned the heat down a number (from 6 to 5 on my stovetop) and didn't have as much burning the second time around. 

Sweet potato & parsnip cakes make a great side dish!

Ingredients: 

2 large sweet potatoes (baked at 350 degrees F in foil for 45 minutes & then peeled and mashed*) 

2 parsnips (peeled and chopped) 

1 egg

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

~5 TBSP olive oil

Budget-friendly Tips for Smart & Healthy Meal Planning

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I really think that one of the best ways to keep your menu in check with your health goals is to make a shopping list before you head to the grocery store. Usually on Sunday mornings, my husband and I will sit down together (and solicit input from the kids) to plan our meals for the week before we buy our groceries. We know that on a couple of the evenings, time is hectic due to soccer practice and other activities and these are the nights when we plan to utilize the crockpot, have a freezer meal thawed and ready to be cooked, or we plan to grab a meal out. This really saves us time figuring out what to make for dinner at the last minute and gives us the opportunity to budget our meals based on what is on sale in the ad at our preferred grocery store.  Planning ahead really does reduce a lot of stress associated with last-minute meal decisions (which can often end up in a drive-thru line that costs more and is less nutritious than what could have been planned in advance).

Here are some budget-friendly tips for smart & healthy meal planning:

Five Ingredient Gluten-Free Apple Crisp

I Love Apple Season! Maybe it is the Michigander in me, but once football season starts, I sure do get a hankering to make cobblers, stews, and casseroles. Granted, it is still in the 80's right now in North Carolina but I did see a few leaves in my pool so that counts, right? I have never used a boxed cake mix before with my cobblers but I had a box of Glutino Gluten-Free Old Fashioned Yellow Cake Mix in my pantry and a bunch of gala apples and decided to give it a try. It was a big hit in the house! I will definitely be making this recipe again:

Ingredients:

Ring the bell! School is in...and so are these items...

It is back to school time and travel soccer season for my household. There are some products out there that I have really been enjoying lately:

The Honest Dietitian's 2016 Favorites: Japanese Giant Red Mustard Greens

Chop up these Japanese Giant Red Mustard Greens to sauté as a side dish.

Not all greens are created equal. Growing up in Michigan, I did not have a lot of exposure to cooking greens as much as I have now that I live in the south.  I have always been a huge fan of Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, especially their seed collections which helped me a lot when I moved south because the growing season is so different & wonderful. This year I planted Japanese Giant Red Mustard Greens and they easily became my favorite greens ever. The description on the seed package said "Strong Almost Garlic Like Mustard Flavor". The seeds grew strong and beautiful plants and at first bite, they had me hooked. To me, the flavor of the greens hinted more towards horseradish. We have used the greens in so many ways:

Summer Veggies: Banana Peppers & Caprice Kabobs

It is summer veggie time and I am always on the lookout on ways to use the delicious fruits and vegetables I get from the Lowes Foods Carolina Crate and from my very own garden (which is doing quite nicely). This week I made some caprice kabobs with cherry tomatoes, cucumber, basil, and mozzarella. My kids seem to really enjoy anything with basil and tomatoes, so these were a good treat for them. And for me. I used bamboo skewers, but I might look into getting some skewers that I can use over & over again. If you have any that you would suggest, please let me know by leaving a comment. I did kick them up a notch by adding some tangerine infused balsamic vinaigrette that I had on hand from The Crushed Olive. Delicious! My next quest was finding something to do with all of my banana peppers...

Homemade Protein Bars

Do you ever get to the point to where you have let your pantry dwindle down and you think to yourself "what can I do with these ingredients?". That's how I have been feeling about these oats that have been hanging around in the pantry. Pinterest has inspired me to try the overnight oats and I am a huge fan of oatmeal and no-bake cookies, but I wanted something a little more mobile that I could take with me on the road during my long school and work commutes. I decided to try the homemade protein bars because 1) they are easy to take with me anywhere and 2) I need a dependable snack that would fill me up and tie me over until my next meal time. I was very happy with these! I used peanut butter and vanilla soy protein for mine and they turned out great. Everyone in the family tried these and liked them.

Easy Egg & Spinach Breakfast Bakes

When life starts getting really busy, I find that these egg & spinach bakes are a great way to kick off each morning with a delicious and nutritious boost to help me conquer the day. The GREATEST part about this recipe is that it cooks up in a batch so you can have them readily available to heat up for the rest of the week. And they're inexpensive to make!  Here are the INGREDIENTS:

Budget-Friendly Hamburger Lentil Vegetable Soup

This is a delicious & simple & very inexpensive recipe that you can make as your main dish chocked full of fiber and nutrients!  I'll be surprised if you pay over $10.00 for all of these ingredients. When I was interning at the health department before I became a Registered Dietitian, one of the coolest things I saw was a recipe sheet for people who received WIC benefits but didn't know what to do with the food they were getting.  With this recipe, Mom's were able to put together a nutritious meal using the dried lentils, carrots, and tomato juice they were receiving.  I put this together in a pot for some of the WIC clients to sample and it was a huge hit.  One of my favorite days of my internship.  I still make it often because it FREEZES so well (I always double the recipe because of this) and I vary between adding hamburger and eating it without any meat.

 I hope you enjoy! Makes 6 Servings

THD's Stuffed Eggplant Recipe

:NOM:NOM:NOM:  I really didn't think I liked eggplant, but then we got a farm share box from our local Lowes Foods and I thought I would give it a shot because the eggplants looked really good.  Then, I noticed an unopened package of Johnsonville New Orleans Spicy Smoked Sausage Links and thought...maybe this could work?  I was SOOOOOO right!

Tasty Crabmeat Dip Recipe

Here is a delicious crabmeat recipe that can be used on crackers, toasted bagel halves, or in wraps.  I created this when trying to use some of the ingredients hanging out in my fridge before the New Year and my-oh-my has it been a real hit in the home!  The Italian blend seasoning and banana peppers were just hanging out in the house, but really tied it all together nicely.

The Honest Dietitian's Tasty Crabmeat Dip

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of lump crabmeat (or imitation if you are looking for a good way to use it up!)
• 1 stalk of celery, chopped finely
• 5 banana pepper rings, chopped (this really gave my recipe the pop I was looking for)
• 1 teaspoon of Italian blend seasoning
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup of mayonnaise (I was using up the last of my Duke's mayo so the 1/3 cup worked great)
• 1 teaspoon of honey mustard (if I had dijon, I would have considered this)
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

• Mix the mayonnaise and honey mustard together.
• Toss the crabmeat, celery, and banana peppers in the mayo/honey mustard mixture.
• Sprinkle in the Italian blend seasoning and give the crabmeat mix a couple of stirs.
• Salt and Pepper can be used to your taste!  I gave a quick shake of both to my dip.

Most Importantly...Enjoy!

Black Bean Burgers featuring S&W Beans

S & W Beans are some of the best beans in the whole entire world!  You can find the recipe for these black bean burgers here.  There are so many amazing recipes on the S & W Beans site, such as the Baja Beans & Rice, Crockpot Cowbelle Butter Beans, and the Santa Fe Burrito Bake.  I could not believe how unbelievably easy it was to make these black bean burgers and we grilled them up on our outdoor gas grill.

I will be featuring a lot of S&W beans in my posts and will be doing a giveaway this month as well.  These beans rock!

Tzatziki Sauce Recipe featuring Chobani Greek Yogurt

Last night was a huge win in my family.  I successfully got my husband and both of my children to happily eat Falafel Pitas!  The secret to my success was in the Tzatziki Sauce made with Chobani Greek Yogurt.  Here is the recipe I made (and loved):

• 1 cup of Chobani's Plain Nonfat Greek Yogurt
• 1 TBSP finely chopped garlic
• 1 TBSP fresh dill, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup of chopped cucumber

Mix it up and chill it for at least a half of an hour before serving.  You can put this stuff on anything!  Veggies, sandwiches, Falafel Pitas, plain pitas, etc.  ENJOY!!!

Homemade Oven Sweet Potato Fries

I have been looking at 3 sweet potatoes in my kitchen for a few days.  Originally, I had planned to bake them whole, but then was inspired to try out some homemade sweet potato fries!  It was super easy to do and the entire family loved them.  Sweet Potatoes are high in Beta-Carotene, which can be converted to Vitamin A in your body & has shown to be protective against cancers, along with reducing the rate of heart disease.  Here is what I did:

• I took my 3 sweet potatoes and cut them into strips.  I found that the more traditional "french fry" shape baked the best in the oven.  The thicker cut strips were borderline soggy.
• I brushed the sweet potatoes with about 3 TBSP of an olive oil/canola oil blend.
• I then added 1 TBSP of garlic salt, 2 TBSP of oregano, & shook it all up in this container:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and place your sweet potato fries evenly on a non-stick pan.
• Cook for 15 minutes and flip them over.  Then, cook for 15 more minutes.
• Take them out of the oven and enjoy them!  My 3 medium sweet potatoes could feed 4-6 people with no problem.  YUM!!!!