Category Archives for Fruit

Beautiful Blueberry Oatmeal Breakfast Smoothie

As you know, I love oatmeal. I have oatmeal almost daily and believe that whole grains are an essential part of a healthy breakfast. But sometimes the same ole bowl of hot oatmeal on humid summer mornings in Florida gets a little boring. Blah! And even more annoying is that sometimes it takes me hours to finish my breakfast in class. My solution: turn it into a smoothie! 

Today’s breakfast is my dairy free Beautiful Blueberry Oatmeal Breakfast Smoothie made with healthy super-food ingredients.

Just like I start every bowl of oatmeal, I start my smoothies with the same basic ingredients: 1/2 cup dry oatmeal, 1 tbsp each of hemp, chia and ground flax, and 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce. Although I usually cook my oatmeal in plain water, to wet the smoothies I use 1 cup of light soymilk.

Then it’s time to get creative! This morning I added 1 cup of gorgeous fresh blueberries! These blueberries were recently on sale at my local Publix grocery store at 2 pints for just $5.00! And that’s a great price! 

Then I just add a cup of crushed ice and blend away! Easy peasy! 

And of course, I tracked all of the calories into MyFitnessPal. This smoothie comes out to about 450 calories, with a great balance of fiber, complex carbohydrates, protein, fruit and healthy fats with very little added sugar!

I enjoyed my smoothie on my drive to school along side a Venti Iced Coffee from Starbucks with only a splash of soy for flavor. It was one of those mornings where my Keureg coffee maker just wasn’t going to cut it. And yes, sadly, I’m obsessed with Starbucks!

What did you have for breakfast today?

Student Bites: Baked Kale Snack & Fiber Talk

Today in class, while learning about all kinds of fiber, I’m enjoying a tasty snack of baked kale!

I made my Kale this morning during my normal daily food prep and packing. It really takes no time at all. I preheat the oven to 400 degrees, dry then season the chopped Kale Greens, then bake for about 10 minutes until crispy. Into a container and my lunch box, and off to school I go with a dark leafy green box of yummy!

Dark leafy greens are an excellent source of fiber. Today in class I learned that soluble fiber delays gastric emptying and increases transit time. In other words, fiber keeps you feeling fuller longer. That’s important to know if you are trying to lose weight and eat fewer calories and not feel deprived! An added benefit to soluble fiber is that it reduces the body’s ability to absorb nutrients, especially glucose and that’s great news if you have high blood sugar!

I found this awesome chart showing the fiber content of some foods:

According to the MayoClinic Online: “Women should try to eat at least 21 to 25 grams of fiber a day, while men should aim for 30 to 38 grams a day.” So eat your plants!

And don’t forget, if you increase your fiber intake, you need to increase your fluids too! If you know what I mean.

Do you get enough fiber in your diet?

Anxious? Workout & Eat Smart!

This morning I woke up anxious. My heart was racing and with the buzz of my alarm, I was wide awake. Not good.

I like to chill. Not freak out. Take my time with my morning routine. But today I was up at 5:30am with way too many thoughts racing through my head. Work was busy yesterday, I had an extra errand to run this morning, and I have a final exam on Thursday that I’m not yet prepared for.

My solution: an intense heavy lifting and sprinting workout.

I broke a sweat. Dripping in the humidity in my garage gym for 45 minutes of stress busting awesomeness. I was gifted a FREE treadmill from a coworker a few weeks ago, and it was finally put to good use! In between weight lifting and push up circuits, my 5 two minute sprints burned an additional 150 calories while keeping my heart rate up!

Ever since I’ve started working the evening shift (and an additional 10 hours per week) and my current nutrition class has been keeping us until the very end of scheduled time, I’ve been missing out on my serious gym sessions. Workouts are my mood regulators. Exercise keeps me sane. And if you ask my husband, he’ll tell you that consistent exercise makes me much easier to live with!

In addition to good workouts, good nutrition reduces my anxiety. After my workout I conducted another delish smoothie experiment. I’m having a ton of fun making new smoothies in the morning. Its a nice way to get in a refreshing, cool, and filling breakfast of healthy food on these hot summer mornings.

Today’s Strawberry Banana Oatmeal Smoothie was fantastic!

Today’s smoothie ingredients include: 1 banana, 1 cup of sliced strawberries, 1/2 cup dry oatmeal, 1 cup light vanilla soy milk, crushed ice, a pinch of stevia, and 1 tbsp each of flax, hemp and chia seeds. This smoothie comes in at about 530 calories and 22 grams of protein! Sounds pretty darn good to me!

I poured my pretty pink smoothie into an awesome $4.99 tumbler from Walmart (that I own in every color), and out the door I go to start my busy day in a much better mood!

What did you do for your health this morning?

So good you won’t believe it’s only 300 calories!

Tonight’s dinner was a low-cal bowl of awesomeness that was so good it needs to be shared!

This is my filling and colorful Sweet Potato & Humus Salsa Salad:

20120716-225504.jpg

On top of a bed of crunchy lettuce I have a skinless mashed sweet potato, Publix deli medium salsa, Publix deli chili lime hummus, and some sautéed diced peppers and onions.

It was delish! And the best part: it was only about 300 calories!

20120716-225913.jpg

I believe in front loading my calories. What that means is I try to eat the majority of my daily food intake at breakfast and lunch. I also snack between breakfast and lunch and between lunch and dinner. This “front loading” helps me feel full throughout the day an avoid cheating. Then I try and keep dinner light and avoid snacking close to bed time.

My theory is that you need more calories when you are most active during the day and fewer calories when you are closer to sleep.

My typical 1850 calorie distribution goes a little something like this:

  • 8am Breakfast 500
  • 10am Snack 250
  • 1pm Lunch 500
  • 4pm Snack 250
  • 7pm Dinner 350

But to be honest, often times my meals and snacks seem to run together and it can feel like I’m constantly eating all day long and I love it! And obviously these are ballpark numbers. If I eat more at breakfast, I eat a little less at lunch or snack. It’s also important to note that on workout days I will move snacks and meals as needed in order to fit good food into the 30 minute post workout window.

What did you have or dinner tonight? How do you distribute your calories throughout the day?

Student Bites: Adult Obesity and a Snack of the Day

Today’s mid morning snack is happening in my Lifecycle Nutrition class during a very exciting lecture on adult obesity. I’m ecstatic to report I am no longer obese, and just overweight on that lovely BMI scale! I’m coming for you “normal”, watch out! According to the CDC website, for my height, a normal weight range would be from 122 to 164 pounds.

You can calculate your BMI and determine your risks on the CDC website by clicking here. 

I’m happily enjoying Watermelon, Pumpkin Seeds & a tall glass of Water, a healthy snack full of fiber, good fat, protein, hydration and yumminess!

I love fresh watermelon in the summer time here in Florida. I bought this beautiful seedless at a local stand produce stand for just $2. I’m learning to love pumpkin seeds. I bought these at whole foods on a whim. They are raw and unsalted, so maybe a little boring, but they pair nicely with fruit for a crunchy healthy snack!

Healthy snacks keep me full throughout the day so that I am never tempted to over eat at meal time and blow my weight loss plan. I have about 8 more pounds to lose to make that “normal” weight on the BMI scale.

Do you snack throughout the day? 

New Supermarket Discovery

I’m usually not one to stray from my list at the grocery store, but today in the deli section of Publix I found this awesome Mediterranean Lentil Salad:

20120627-191142.jpg

The ingredients include: lentils, tomatoes, parsley, bulgar, carrots, onion, lemon juice, oil, vinegar, and all spice.

I’m enjoying this protein packed cold salad over a bed of organic baby spinach, along side some fruit…

20120627-191438.jpg

And of course, I’ve tracked the calories in my phone. Only 210 calories for the entire package!

20120627-192244.jpg

If I could change anything about this yummy Lentil Salad I would tone down the parsley and add some pepper! I would definitely buy this again, as it packs away well for a nice easy lunch at work that doesn’t require a microwave. The same company makes an Edamame salad with roasted corn, which sounds delish, and may have to be on my list for next week!

Today the weather is finally nice enough here in water logged Florida to have lunch outside in the park at work. Check out my view:

20120627-191711.jpg

It’s always nice to be able to get outside to relax!

Do you pack your lunch for work? How do you keep it exciting and enjoyable?

Why this Vegan loves the Ruby Tuesday

I recently had a very enjoyable dinner at our local Ruby Tuesdays! I love finding mainstream chain restaurants that make eating out delicious and nutritious.

20120619-075256.jpg

First of all, how amazing is the salad bar!? Fresh greens, chopped veggies – carrots, peppers, onions, mushrooms, broccoli, corn, cucumbers – and vegetarian protein sources like edamame and sunflower seeds!

20120619-075729.jpg

For just $8.99 I ordered the 3 vegetable sides and salad bar combo. Here’s a picture of my zucchini, asparagus and sugar snap peas sans butter:

20120619-075930.jpg

My husband orders chicken, my dad typically goes for steak, and my mom gets the salmon, but I’m perfectly content with my wonderful assortment of vegetables. Despite the “is that all you’re gonna eat” comments, I thoroughly enjoy Ruby Tuesdays as a nice but not too expensive dinner out.

At what other chain restaurants do you find healthy options? Have you ever just ordered sides as a meal?

Formula for Awesome Oatmeal

Variety is key in keeping a healthy diet from getting boring. I love coming up new ways to make my daily oatmeal breakfast tasty, nutritious and satisfying.

Today’s breakfast:

20120608-181526.jpg

1/2 cup dry plain oatmeal cooked in water for 2 minutes, 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce, 1tbsp ground flax seeds, 1tbsp chopped walnuts, cinnamon & one small apple chopped

The basic formula is whole grain, healthy fat, protein and fruit. I use oatmeal with applesauce plus flax seeds, then I add a nut, like almonds or walnuts, and a fruit, like banana apple or berries. I almost always flavor with cinnamon although a dash of vanilla extract is a nice change of pace for a more dessert like taste.

It’s important to start with plain regular oats – not prepackaged and pre flavored packets – to avoid unnecessary sugar!

How do you make your oatmeal?

What’s for Lunch?

Here’s a picture of today’s healthy lunch, Mexican Chickpea & Salsa Salad:

4 cups of Greens, today I have half 50/50 mix, half Italain mix
1/2 cup Chunky Spicy Salsa + fresh squeezed Lemon Juice as dressing
Taco Chick Peas (click the link to get the recipe)
Sliced Navel Orange 

I love bulking up a meal with a huge amount of salad greens – both filling & nutritious! I also love using salsa as a salad dressing! I’m trying to up my daily calories, as per the recommendations of my metabolic rate tests you may remember from a few days ago, so I’ve used an entire can of chick peas which on their own are 368 calories!

Here’s what the calorie count looks like so far today:

As you can see I’m about 900 calories away from meeting my 1800 calorie goal for today! I haven’t gained any weight since increasing my intake 5 days ago, although I haven’t lost either. I do feel as if I have much more energy during my workouts which is a fantastic feeling! I’ve also enjoyed having a little bit more freedom with regards to serving size! Hopefully this plan works, because I sure do love eating all this yummy food!

What did you have for lunch today?

Super Saturday Oatmeal

This masterpiece is my breakfast this morning:

20120602-082515.jpg

How it’s made: 1/2 cup dry real oatmeal cooked in water in the microwave for 2 minutes. Add 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce, 1 Tbsp Chopped Walnuts, 1 Tbsp Craisins, 1 Tbsp Ground Flax Seed, and a dash of cinnamon to taste.

I have a long day ahead of me – outdoor workout at a park downtown followed with an afternoon at the beach – so I need the extra oomph to power through my morning!

As usual, here are the calories and nutrients as tracked on my fitness pal:

20120602-082933.jpg

20120602-082944.jpg

What are you having for breakfast today?