5 Tips for Eating Healthy While You Travel

Are you traveling this holiday season to visit family or friends? In addition to long lines at airports and unrelenting traffic, another challenge with travel can be the food. Airport and rest stop food can be one of the toughest blows to your healthy eating habits, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are a few tips for eating healthy while traveling:

  • Carry raw or dry roasted nuts and apples or mandarins with you – this is a great go to snack that will sustain you and sustain getting knocked around in your bag.
  • Chop veggies before you travel – take 5 minutes the night before your trip to slice a red pepper and chop a couple carrots or celery stalks. Put them in a Ziploc bag and pack along a travel size packet of hummus or almond butter for a crunchy, healthy snack.
  • Jerky has improved since the days of “slim jims” and there are now several high quality options available (be sure to read the ingredient label looking for things like “grass-fed” and no added sugar). Jerky is a great choice because it’s high in protein and doesn’t need refrigeration. Some quality brands: Nick’s Sticks, Paleo Valley, Epic, Chomps, Tanka, Krave all available on Amazon, sometimes at Whole Foods
  • Pack healthy sweet treats like homemade muffins, 70% or higher dark chocolate, and Lara Bars to avoid giving in to that candy bar or Starbucks baked good.
  • Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate…with water that is! Aim to drink half your weight in water ounces every day. Many times when you feel hunger, you’re actually dehydrated. Staying hydrated also helps flush out toxins and keep your immune system strong.

If you get stuck having to choose something while you’re on the road, choose protein and veggies, something like a chicken salad or a soup would be a great choice. Most importantly, if all else fails, don’t beat yourself up about a poor choice, but do make a commitment to get back on track with your real food habits at your next meal or snack.

Best wishes to you for a healthy and happy holiday season! If you’d like some guidance and support to help reach your health goals in the new year, you can schedule a nutrition consultation HERE.

Recipes For Saying Goodbye to Summer, and Hello Fall!

As we finally welcome real summer weather here in San Francisco, it can be difficult to remember that a seasonal change is upon us. But if you frequent the farmer’s market, you’re likely seeing the return of brussels sprouts, artichokes, sweet potatoes, and hearty winter squashes. September and October are also a great time to enjoy the end of zucchini, tomato, and corn season.

Here are some recipes to help you enjoy the last of summer’s produce bounty and welcome in fall’s sturdier veggies.

Enjoy!

Zucchini Gazpacho with Basil

Flourless Almond Butter Zucchini Muffins
NOTE: I typically omit the chocolate chips and they are still delicious. A huge hit with kids and an excellent protein packed snack.

Tomato & Fig Salad with Basil
Delicious way to combine late summer tomatoes and early fall figs.

Kale & Brussels Sprouts Salad

Pumpkin Spice Smoothie
Healthy and delicious alternative to pumpkin spice lattes.

Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins
One of my all time favorite muffin recipes!

Do you have any favorite season recipes? Please share with us on our Facebook page.

Recipes: Summer Smoothies & Salads

The summer farmer’s market bounty is here! Although we are lucky in the Bay Area to have an excellent variety of produce available all year long, some options are especially best this time of year like berries, cucumbers, tomatoes, green beans, eggplant, and summer squashes. We hope you enjoy these nutritious and delicious salad and smoothie recipes. If you have a favorite summer recipe, please share with us on our Facebook page – we’d love to hear from you!

SALADS

Spinach, Fennel, & Mint Salad (4 servings)

2 cups spinach

1 bulb fennel, sliced thin

12 strawberries, sliced

½ cup mint

½ cup slivered almonds

Optional: add chicken or salmon as a protein

Toss together and dress with Healthy Italian Dressing (recipe below) or simply olive oil, lemon juice and sea salt.

 

Tomato & Cucumber Salad (4 servings)

1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved

1 large cucumber, diced (peeled if desired)

Toss together with Heathy Italian Dressing (makes 2 cups so you will have extra):

½ cup flax oil

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

½ cup lemon juice

½ cup raw apple cider vinegar

1 garlic clove, crushed

¼ teaspoon honey

1 pinch of sea salt, more to taste

½ teaspoon each of dried basil and oregano

 

Green Bean, Walnut, & Feta Salad

1 1/2 lbs. fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into about 2-inch pieces

1 cup chopped walnuts

3/4 cup diced shallot

1 cup crumbled Feta cheese

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add green beans and cook for only 3 minutes. Drain well and immediately plunge into ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain again and pat dry with paper towels.
  • Place green beans in a large bowl. Add walnuts, red onion, and Feta; gently stir to combine.
  • Combine olive oil, white wine vinegar, mint, garlic, salt, and pepper in the bowl of a food processor; pulse a few times to blend. Pour dressing over the bean mixture and toss.
  • Chill for about an hour before serving.

Zucchini Noodles with Dairy Free Pesto

2 – 3 zucchini

2 cups, loosely packed basil leaves

1/2 cup pine nuts (or pecans or walnuts)

1 clove fresh garlic

1/4 to 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, as needed

Sea salt, to taste

  • To make pesto, combine basil, nuts, and garlic in a food processor and process the mixture until it turns into a coarse meal. Slowly add extra virgin olive oil in a steady drizzle as you pulse the processor on and off. Process until it becomes a smooth, light paste. Add enough olive oil to keep it moist and spreadable. Season with sea salt, to taste.
  • Chop off ends of zucchini and use vegetable peeler or spiralizer to create zucchini noodles, place “noodles” in a steamer basket and steam for about 5 minutes, until tender, but still crisp.
  • Toss noodles with pesto. Can be enjoyed hot, room temperature or chilled.
  • Make it a meal: add cooked shrimp or salmon or chicken

SMOOTHIES

Smoothies are an excellent way to get extra vegetables and superfoods into your diet. Here are some unique and delicious combos:

Cucumber, Parsley, Pineapple Smoothie (2 servings)

3/4 cup water or coconut water (more for a thinner smoothie)

1 large cucumber (1/2 of an English cucumber)

1 bunch flat leaf parsley, leaves only

2 lemons, peeled and seeded

2 cups pineapple, fresh or frozen

Optional: 2 scoops Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides protein powder

 

Blueberry Cauliflower Smoothie (2 servings)

3/4 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

1/2 cup frozen riced cauliflower

1/2 cup loosely packed spinach

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger

2 tablespoon hemp hearts

Generous pinch salt

Splash vanilla extract

1 ripe banana

Water – more for thin, less for thick

 

Ruby Smoothie (1 serving)

1 ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk (or other liquid of your choice)

½ cup raspberries, fresh or frozen

3 strawberries

2 Tablespoons ground flaxseeds

1 Tablespoon chia seeds

2 Tablespoons almond butter

Spring Produce is Here!

March ushers in the beginning of spring and new seasonal produce at the farmers market. We can start to say goodbye to the sturdier root veggies of winter and say hello to the lighter veggies of spring. One of my favorite vegetables that comes into season this month is asparagus. Read on to learn a bit more about it and enjoy some new recipes.

Asparagus

Incredibly high in a variety of antioxidants, asparagus is an anti-inflammatory superstar. It’s rich in vitamin K (for optimal bone health) and folate (for optimal nervous system and cardiovascular function). It’s also an excellent source of prebiotic fiber – the soluble fiber that feeds your gut flora and therefore supports your good gut bacteria.

It’s simple to prepare and so delicious!

Tips for Buying and Storing:

  • Choose stalks that are dark green and firm with closed tips
  • Wrap ends in a damp paper towel and store in fridge crisper
  • Best used within 2 days of purchasing

Preparation Tips & Recipes:

  • Hold asparagus at each end, bend gently, and snap off the hard stem end – it will naturally break where the tender stalk meets the tough stem
  • Roasted:
    • Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, & garlic powder
    • Spread into one layer on baking sheet
    • Roast asparagus at 400 degrees for 10 minutes (less if stalks are very skinny)
    • Add a squeeze of lemon before serving
  • Steamed:
    • Cut asparagus into bite size pieces
    • Steam in steamer basket for about 3 minutes until tender but still crisp
    • Toss with olive oil or butter and your favorite seasonings
    • To have cold asparagus for later use, after steaming place asparagus into ice cold water to stop cooking process and keep it crisp

I hope you enjoy adding asparagus into your meals! Click here to see what other foods are coming into season in the Bay Area this spring. Bon Appetit!

Angela Ross, Certified Nutrition Consultant

Recipes to Help You Love Your Liver This Holiday Season

It’s the time of year when many of us indulge in extra sugar and alcohol, which can overburden our livers; the body’s largest internal organ that is responsible for many important functions including detoxification and healthy metabolism. Instead of sharing ideas on how to limit or substitute sugar and alcohol, let’s focus on foods you can add to your diet to help support liver function so your body can better detoxify all the “extras” of the holiday season and give you a head start to your new year’s detox plans.

Cruciferous vegetables are the category of food I want to share with you today. In addition to being anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory superstars, cruciferous vegetables are also excellent at supporting the liver’s detoxification process. They are incredibly rich in fiber, folic acid, phytonutrients like glucosinolates, and vitamins A, C, and K. Cruciferous vegetables include:

  • Arugula
  • Bok choy
  • Broccoli
  • Brussels sprouts
  • Cabbage
  • Cauliflower
  • Collard greens
  • Daikon radish
  • Horseradish
  • Kale
  • Kohlrabi
  • Mustard greens
  • Radish
  • Rutabaga
  • Turnip

These are also foods that are in season now and readily available at the farmers market! So give your liver (and your taste buds) some love by enjoying the recipes below – I’ve made all of them so can attest to their yumminess! These recipes easily make up large amounts so you can cook once and eat several times throughout the week and some are excellent side dishes to add to your holiday meals.

Roasted Parmesan Broccoli

Smoky Cauliflower Hummus

I also like to just roast the cauliflower to eat as a side dish instead of turning it into hummus.

Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad

Sauteed Red Cabbage with Onions & Apples

Bon Apetit!

Angela Ross, Certified Nutrition Consultant

Seasonal Bites

As summer transitions to fall, we start to see a shift in the produce available at the farmer’s markets. Check out CUESA’s Seasonality Chart to see what’s in season now in the Bay Area.

Here’s a delicious and healthy recipe that gives you an opportunity to use up the last of summer’s abundant zucchini and enjoy apples as they come into season.

Zucchini Apple Muffins

Ingredients

3/4 cup of applesauce

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1-2 Tablespoons honey (optional)

2 cups almond flour

2 Tablespoons coconut flour

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1 heaping cup of shredded zucchini (Place in a clean, dry dish towel and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.)

1 medium apple, peeled and diced into 1/4 inch chunks

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease muffin tin with coconut oil.
  2. In a bowl, combine the applesauce, eggs, vanilla, and honey (if using). Mix well.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine the almond flour, coconut flour, sea salt, baking soda, and cinnamon.
  4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry. Add in the apple cider vinegar, diced apples, and shredded zucchini. Mix well.
  5. Portion out the batter into 12 muffin liners.
  6. Bake for 25-28 minutes – until a knife inserted into the middle of the muffin comes out clean.
  7. Remove from the oven and let the muffins cool.
  8. Store any leftover muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator or wrap individually in plastic wrap and freeze.

(Read more about Angela Ross, CNC and her nutritional coaching practice HERE.)

photo from thisisgoodhome.com

Healthy Habits For a Busy Month

September is an action month – no matter if you have school aged children or not. September always has an air of back to school, back to work, back to business. As schedules get busy it can be easy to slip into unhealthy patterns; that’s why it’s useful to establish some key routines that help keep you on track with healthy habits so you can have the energy and good health you need to get it all done. Here are 3 simple, healthy habits. Which ones can you implement so that you continue to feel your best, even as life gets busy?

  • Drink Water – Are you drinking enough water? A good rule of thumb is to drink half your body weight in water ounces per day. For example, if you are 150 pounds aim to drink 75 ounces of water per day. Have a hard time reaching your water goal? Carry a water bottle with you and schedule reminders in your phone to drink some water every 60-90 minutes. Keeping well hydrated has so many benefits including flushing out toxins, boosting immunity, improving bowel movements, and providing an energy boost.
  • Carry Healthy Snacks – To avoid the 3pm slump and junk food grab, carry healthy snacks instead. You can keep them in your purse / bag or make a healthy snack drawer at your desk or office fridge. Some ideas:
    • Raw or dry roasted nuts
    • Nut butter with apple or pear slices
    • Hummus with veggie sticks (ie: peppers, cucumbers, snap peas, jicama, carrots)
    • Jerky (healthy brands: Epic, Tanka, Chomps, Nick’s Sticks)
    • Healthy snack bars (Larabar, Kit’s Organic, RXBars)
    • Hardboiled egg (make a dozen for the week)
    • Smoothie (make at home and bring with you in a thermos)
    • Kale Chips
    • Seaweed snack (Sea Snax brand is great)
    • Homemade muffin (see yummy recipe)
    • Or maybe you don’t need a snack at all! Perhaps you need some water, fresh air, deep breaths, a walk around the block, or a 5 minute stretch session. When that afternoon slump happens ask yourself, “How am I feeling, and what do I need?” The answer may surprise you!
  • Bedtime routine – Do you wake feeling refreshed? If not, check in on your sleep habits and see where you can make changes.
    • Aim for lights out between 10:00-10:30pm to allow for optimal restorative sleep
    • Turn off all screens 30-60 minutes before lights out
    • Experiment with a relaxing routine before lights out. Choose one or two: a cup of chamomile tea, epsom salt bath, stretches, deep breathing/meditation, journaling, or reading a book/magazine.
    • Use blackout curtains, an eye mask, and/or earplugs to assist with restful sleep

Which of the healthy habits above can you implement? Share with on our Facebook page. We’d love to hear from you!

(Read more about Angela Ross, CNC and her nutritional coaching practice HERE.)

Recipes to Celebrate Spring

Here are three super-star foods that are in season during Spring with tips on why they are good for you and easy, delicious ways to prepare them.
Enjoy!

  • Asparagus
  • Radishes
  • Strawberries

Read more