I was able to whip up some lentils last night for dinner. I prepared them with a little garlic powder and oregano.
Happy Friday!
So often we forget that we can get protein from sources other than just animals. There is a whole array of plant-based protein options and combination foods that can get us the protein our body needs. One of my favorite plant-based protein options is lentils. Lentils come in a variety of colors, but all have a lens-like shape. These legumes boast pretty great nutrition numbers with 230 calories, 18g protein, 16g fiber and less than 1g fat per cup (cooked). I was able to whip up some lentils last night for dinner. I prepared them with a little garlic powder and oregano. I sautéed an onion, bell pepper, kale and cabbage mixture together as a side. A little lemon juice and dinner was served. A very simple dinner that had great protein and a ton of fiber! What's your favorite recipe for lentils?
Happy Friday!
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I was not compensated in any way for my review of Hello Fresh. All opinions are my own. I'm back after a nice long weekend at the lake with friends. The weather was fantastic and it gave me a nice chance to unplug. But yesterday was back to work! Luckily, dinner was one less thing to worry about because last week I bought a Living Social for Hello Fresh. HF is very similar to Blue Apron, which I reviewed last year. You are sent the ingredients for 3 meals along with instructions once a week. Last night was the first meal we were able to prepare and we went for the Cuban-Style Beef Picadillo. Some of ingredients included cinnamon and raisins, which I was a little surprised to put with ground beef, but it turned out fantastic! It was a perfect balance of savory with a touch of sweet. I will say that the amount we prepared seemed like a lot larger portion sizes than what we received from Blue Apron. We didn't even finish the whole dish! Since this is only our first meal i'm not sure if the portions are large across the board, but if they are this will be a major perk. I love having leftovers for lunch! A rave review for our first Hello Fresh dish! I'll keep you updated with our others!
Happy Wednesday! Memorial Day weekend for many of us marks the opening of outdoor pools (Not that i've forgotten the true meaning of Memorial Day-Remembering those passed who have served in our armed forces). I get so excited during this time of year, especially with my two nephews being eager to splash around. I'm also pumped because swimming is one of my favorite activities and exercises. Swimming is a total body workout, so it burns lots of calories, but is also easy on the joints. It's also both a cardio and strength exercise because water creates resistance. Gotta love exercises that check off all my boxes! Here is a great swim workout that can get you back into the pool and in Summertime shape: Reminder: A 25 typically refers to 25m of the pool or one length. A 50 is a lap (down and back). If your pool is not a set number of yards just replace the 25 and 50 with length and lap! Hope you have a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend! Goggle image from freeimages.com and pool photo from kleanpoolsinc.com
Last week I had the chance to sit down with some of my patients and another personal trainer in the area. We were able to discuss the approach of personal training and how that has been changing over the past few years. I was interested to find that the other personal trainer, certified through ACE, had a very similar approach to training. Both my background in NASM and his in ACE emphasized the importance of Stabilization Training as the first step in a training program. Stabilization Training is the starting point in the OPT Model by NASM. This model was created to layout the foundation to allow clients to achieve optimal levels of physical and physiologic performance. Stabilization Training, being the basis for this model, is the phase of training focusing on increasing muscular endurance and stability all while developing optimal coordination. Essentially, this training ensures that you are using the proper muscles and performing the proper movements to ensure that you don't get hurt in later stages of training. Overall, the goal of this phase is to improve muscular endurance, joint stability, flexibility, posture and muscular coordination. This proper foundation allows for greater gains when higher volume and/or speed is added. I think it is vital for this type of training to be included in all training plans and throughout all training plans. Below are a few exercises from NASM that focus on Stabilization Training (complete these with 2 sets and 15 reps each): 1. Single-Leg Balance Reach 2. Ball Squat 3. Floor Bridge 4. Single-Leg Dumbbell Scaption 5. Ball Dumbbell Row
This week and weekend was quite a blur from having an event or activity each night starting on Wednesday. We had a blast, but were very very busy. The weekend mindset started on Wednesday with a John Fogerty concert. John Fogerty was the lead singer of Creedence Clearwater Revival. The boy really wanted to go and we found a great deal on Groupon. It was an awesome concert and I never realized how many awesome, timeless songs CCR wrote. Side note: It was also really neat because John had his son with him on tour, playing guitar in his band! Thursday, I held a group discussion with my patients and a personal trainer in the area. We discussed some great information regarding exercise and starting an exercise routine. I look forward to sharing this information with you all in my Wednesday post. Friday ended the work week with a visit to the Greek Festival in Downtown Greenville. The food was delicious (i'll eat baklava and gyros anyday) and the traditional Greek dances were really fun to watch. I unfortunately didn't get to tour the Greek Orthodox church this year, but I plan to next year! Saturday got even busier with a quick trip to see my Grandma and then watching the boy play in a volleyball tournament. I was also put in charge of the smash cake for my adorable nephew's first birthday in a few weeks. I decided to give a try to a recipe for his cake. I followed this recipe from Fit Mama Real Food, but made original buttercream frosting. Tastes very similar to banana-nut bread, but I think it'll be a hit! Sunday finally winded down with finishing some projects. We started this shelf awhile ago, but we finally had the chance to finish it and put it up. I love the modern look to it and it really helps tie the room together. I also saw the folded book art heart on Pinterest this past week and opted to give it a shot! What was your favorite part of the weekend?
I have been dying to try chia pudding and I finally got around to it this week. I searched on tons of different blogs to see all the different options, but I chose to stay pretty general on my first attempt. I opted to use coconut milk because it includes healthy fats, which would give more staying power if eaten as a breakfast or snack. I also figured that the coconut milk would create a creamier dish. I created this chia masterpiece using the following recipe: I definitely enjoyed this dish and can't wait to try different combinations and flavors. I'd also like to try using half the cocoa powder and adding a protein powder to the mix to pump up the protein content. Also, most chia pudding recipes I saw only needed to be left for a few hours or overnight to set. However, I liked the pudding even better after I left it in the fridge for ~20 hours. At this point, it was even creamier and had a more pudding-like texture.
Give this dish a try and let me know what you think! Do you have any favorite chia pudding recipes? It is almost peach season in South Carolina and I can't wait. I love the taste of a sweet peach and can't resist putting them in every recipe and dish. One of my favorite ways to incorporate peaches is in smoothies. I created this Peach Cobbler Smoothie, which is the perfect blend of sweet with a punch of nutrition. The addition of carrots adds extra nutrients (fiber, Vitamin E and Vitamin K) while still keeping that yummy peach flavor. The cinnamon, vanilla and oats really create the cobbler taste. Depending on the sweetness of the peach, you may not even need the added sweetener. Give this a try and let me know what you think! Happy Wednesday :)
As you saw by my Thursday post, we were at Disneyworld last week! If you ever want a vacation where you walk your behind off, the happiest place on earth will surely do it for you! Over the 3 days we walked over 53,000 steps (thanks to the boy tracking it on his fit bit). That is more than I usually do on vacation! We had a fantastic time and even finished off with a Daytona Tortugas baseball game on the way home! And now for a photo dump!
I've taken a page out of other bloggers books and have decided to start doing "Things I'm Loving Friday" posts. I think this will be a fun way to share different foods, clothing, workouts and recipes with you all. So for my inaugural post, these are the things i'm loving this week: Boom Chicka Pop- Seriously, this stuff is my jam. And Costco has it, which means that life couldn't get better. I love that it only contains 3 simple ingredients and is a quick, low-calorie snack when I need something. I've even convinced the boy to substitute this in the place of chips! La Croix Sparkling Water- In any flavor! I really love the Grapefruit and Lime flavors, but I recently tried Coconut and it had me feeling like I was sitting on a beach somewhere. It's the perfect drink to mix up my normal water, but with no calories or sodium. Just natural flavors. These shorts from Old Navy. I picked up a pair for our trip to Disney and I absolutely love them. They are so comfortable and breathable. Plus, they have a stretchy waistband and they come in all sorts of fun colors! The perfect mix of comfort and style, especially for the low price. What are you loving this week?
All opinions are my own. I have not been given any benefits from any of these companies. |
AuthorKatie is a Registered Dietitian in the Greenville, SC area. She currently works as a surgical weight loss dietitian. In her spare time she enjoys playing volleyball, cooking and hiking. Archives
January 2016
CategoriesDisclaimer: I am a Registered Dietitian and Personal Trainer, but I am not a Medical Doctor. Please check with your doctor before changing your activity level or making changes in nutrition based on medical conditions. My recommendations are generalizations and may not be appropriate for all individuals.
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