Holiday Recipes!

I have been posting pictures of all of the recipes I prepared for Christmas and thought that I should  share all the recipes with you all so you can try  them! Here they are below!

Red Velvet Cake (Sunny Anderson - Food Network)

Ingredients

For the cake batter:

2 sticks butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 ounces red food coloring

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

Pinch salt

2 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Butter, for pan

For the Frosting:

5 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup milk

1 cup sugar

2 sticks butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Special Equipment: 12 by 17-inch jelly roll pan, parchment paper

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.


In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar, until light and fluffy. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, make a paste out of the red food coloring, cocoa and salt. Remove bowl from stand mixer and mix in paste by hand to the creamed butter. In a measuring cup, stir eggs with buttermilk and add to batter. Mix in vinegar and vanilla, and then add flour and baking soda. Mix until combined but do not over mix.


Butter a sheet pan. Lay parchment on top. Butter the parchment. Pour batter into pan and smooth the top to even the batter out, using an offset spatula. Bake cake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool in pan.


Meanwhile, make the frosting: Heat all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Whisk until sauce thickens, about 15 minutes. Let cool slightly before using.

Invert cake onto a cutting board and slice into quarters from the longer side. To assemble cake, spread 1 of the quarters with some of the frosting to cover. Sprinkle with a quarter of the pecans. Add another layer of cake and repeat. Continue until last layer is added. Frost the top of that and sprinkle with remaining pecans.

Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting

Ingredients

Butter, for greasing the pans
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
2 cups sugar
3/4 cups good cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk, shaken
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee
Peanut Butter Icing, recipe follows (recipe is for cupcakes, so we made 1 1/2 times the amount for the cake

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 8-inch x 2-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Place 1 layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.

Kathleen's Peanut Butter Icing:

1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup heavy cream

Place the confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.

Paula Deen's Christmas Morning Casserole

Ingredients

• 8 thick slices buttered and cubed country white bread
• 1 lb loose pork breakfast sausage
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
• 1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese
• 1 cup yellow shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 7 eggs
• 3 cups milk
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• to taste salt
• to taste black pepper
• Paula Deen's Hot Sauce

Directions

Prepare an 8×8 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the loose pork breakfast sausage, using a wooden spoon break up the sausage into crumble sized pieces, cook until browned, about 5-10 minutes. Fold in chopped sage after cooked.

Meanwhile; Into the prepared baking dish, add the buttered and cubed bread, Sprinkle the sausage over the bread, make sure to distribute evenly, then sprinkle with cheese.

In a medium bowl, add eggs, milk, cayenne, dry mustard, salt and pepper to taste; whisk together. Pour over the bread, sausage and cheese.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

The next morning…Preheat the oven to 350º. Bake for 1 hour, or until bubbly and hot. Serve hot.

Spicy Sausage Rigatoni

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon oil or butter
• half of a yellow onion, minced
• 4 carrots, minced
• 12 ounces spicy Italian sausage (casings removed – just the ground meat)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup Barefoot Rich Red Blend
• 1 28 ounce can San Marzano tomatoes, including their juice
• 1/4 cup balsamic or Italian dressing (optional)
• 1 lb. whole wheat rigatoni
• 1/2 cup reserved pasta water
• Parmesan and parsley or basil for topping
• Heat the oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion and carrots – saute for 10 minutes or so, until the vegetables are very soft.
• Add the ground sausage, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. When the sausage is fully cooked, add the wine to get the browned bits off the bottom of the pan.
• Add the tomatoes and dressing – simmer for 10-20 minutes while the pasta is cooking.
• Cook the pasta according to package directions. When draining, reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Combine the pasta, the sauce, and the reserved water and toss gently to combine. Transfer to a large serving dish and top with Parmesan and parsley or basil. Serve with more Barefoot Rich Red Blend!

Try all these recipes and share your pictures!

Breakfast Treat for Those on the Go!

Last week was one of the busiest weeks of the semester for me! Along with classes trying to tie up loose ends, I had a 3 chapter test in Medical Nutrition Therapy, a lab with lab report and presentation to do for my Graduate Exercise Physiology class, a philosophy quiz and paper,  more presentations to write, and multiple semester ending papers to write. With all that work, I needed to have meals prepped for me for the entire week.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so that is what I figured I should start with meal prep wise. I have made breakfast cups in the past and new what I wanted to put in them, so I made this recipe up off the top of my head!

Yield: 12 egg cups (2 per serving)
For this recipe you'll need:
8 Large Eggs
1 c Spinach, Chopped
1/2 pound Poultry Sausage
1 c Cheddar cheese
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Pepper

Directions:
Grease muffin tin with Pam and set aside. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove poultry sausage from casing, break apart into small pieces, and cook until brown over medium heat in a frying pan, set aside until cool. Crack, place, and light beat the 8 eggs in a large mixing bowl, mix in chopped spinach, cheddar cheese, pepper and garlic powder until evenly distributed throughout the eggs. Once sausage is cooled, fold the sausage into the egg mixture.
Fill the muffin tin to 3/4 full with the egg mixture; the egg will expand so it is important to leave room in the tins. Bake for 20-25 minutes on a center rack until the eggs look fluffy and solid.
Cool on a wire rack and put into an airtight container until you're ready to eat!
These can be stored for up to a week in the refrigerator. When you're ready to eat, warm in the microwave or toaster oven to desired temperature.


These cups are super easy and so tasty! You can mix and match what meat you would like in it, as well as what veggies you'd like! Pair with an 8 ounce glass of milk for a protein packed breakfast!

Reflection and Advice

Every once in a while, it's best to just step back from daily life and commitments and reflect on what you have learned and everything you've seen. I find myself doing this a lot lately after my internship experiences. My days are full of Interdepartmental Team Meetings, chart checking, talking with patients and families, reviewing diet histories, charting and then more homework once I get home from the hospital. But beyond basics of nutrition and figuring out whats the most important thing going on in their medical report, there is a person whose life is kind of in your hands.

Nutrition has never really killed anyone, we don't get to cut people open or administer needles filled with medications, Dietitians can't even write their own orders (not yet but soon we will!). But we are so vital in so many settings; in the hospital we can diagnose for malnutrition which is one of the leading causes of death and can lead to other diseases and illnesses, we can downgrade diet orders if we think you're not able to tolerate the food well, we can recommend tube feedings or feedings through an IV port, and we can give you education on how to make healthy lifestyle changes to better your life. In a community setting, we can work on community wide programs with education and interventions to make our surroundings a healthier place and talk about resources that available for help. Food Service Dietitians can write budgets, do managerial duties, run a kitchen properly, write menus, place and receive food orders, and work with the Dietitians to make sure the food the patients are getting is what is best for them. My favorite area a Dietitian can work in is Sports Nutrition. More than just the professional athletes need nutritional help; Sports Dietitians can work with kids, high schools, colleges and the pros! Athletes need education and help to ensure they are able to perform at the top of their game day in and day out. They need more carbs, more protein, more fat and liquids to be able to sustain and thrive. All of these areas give you new opportunities every day and that's what I love about nutrition.

Often times, I find that patients will open up more to dietitians than they will to doctors or nurses. It may just be because we have friendly faces and more time to sit and talk! Sometimes, believe it or not, patients don't want to talk to us; we've been called the food police or the diet patrol. But that's not what we are at all; I hate when someone comes up to me at functions and says "Oh you're eating that? I thought you're a Dietitian and eat healthy all the time.", we don't like when people try to be the food police to us and we certainly don't want to be the food police to you. We want to assist you in making behavior changes and implementing healthy lifestyle choices, rather than telling you you can't have something because I eat everything that you eat too!

We are also not fans of the word "diet". To me, diet means to engage in a restrictive eating behavior; and restrictive eating behaviors can lead to more serious issues and often do not work out in the end. Healthy lifestyle changes is what we want to help you do.

One last thing that I've learned and really like about what I do and it can apply to anywhere; don't be afraid to ask for what you want. Be assertive, ask questions, and step out of your comfort zone. You are smart, and it doesn't hurt to ask a question to try and expand your knowledge. Being assertive can show your confidence and your willingness to go and get what you want. And it's okay to admit that you don't know something. No one knows everything, just take every chance you can and go learn.

Are Pumpkin Seeds a Forgotten Super Food?

 Don't throw away those pumpkin seeds after you carved your pumpkin for Halloween! Those little beauties are FULL of nutrients and you only need 1 oz to reap some of the benefits! Roast them with a little olive oil and your favorite seasonings at 350 degrees for a half an hour, stirring every 10 minutes, and you'll have a grad and go snack you won't want to put down.

Try adding pumpkin seeds to your next salad, to your Thanksgiving stuffing or to your favorite sauté! 

So whats so great about pumpkin seeds? In a 1 oz serving you get 1.7g Fiber, 5g Carbs, 7g Protein, 13 g of healthy fats,Vitamin K, Phosphorus, Manganese, Magnesium, Iron, Zinc and Copper. They also are a great source of antioxidants (helping to fight off cancer), Folate, and Riboflavin.

Caroteniods and Vitamin E are powerful antioxidants that can reduce inflammation, and fight off free radicals which can cause cancer. They've also been linked to decrease risks in breast, colon, stomach, and lung cancers.

The high amounts of Magnesium in Pumpkin seeds can be extremely beneficial. Magnesium deficiency can present itself as loss of appetite, muscle cramps, weakness, high blood pressure, fatigue, dizziness, nausea, anxiety, respiratory issues, cardiac issues and more! It can also help with regulating blood sugar levels in diabetics.y

An Easy Dinner You Can Prepare Ahead of Time!

Earlier last week, I texted my mom looking for my brother's favorite recipe that she makes and she sent me right to her blog! Ian loves her Pork Scalloppine, Sage, and Caramelized Lemon recipe she found on Fine Cooking. This was super easy to make, delicious and Fine Cooking even provides the nutritional information as well. My boyfriend was blown away with the flavors of the sage and lemon with the saltiness of the prosciutto. I paired it with white rice (so it soaks up the flavor of the sauce from the meat) and sauteed broccoli with olive oil, sage, and the left over prosciutto. 

Ingredients

2 to 3 lemons

1 small pork tenderloin (about 3/4 pound)

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

18 medium or 12 large fresh sage leaves

6 slices prosciutto, preferably imported

3 Tbs. all-purpose flour

3 Tbs. vegetable oil

2 Tbs. unsalted butter

1/3 cup sweet vermouth; more to taste

1/2 cup homemade or low-salt chicken broth

Preparation

• Trim a thick slice off each end of one of the lemons, and then cut 1/8-inch-thick slices from the lemon center—you need 12 slices, so you may need a second lemon. Juice the ends and enough of the remaining lemons to obtain 1/4 cup juice. Set the slices and juice aside.
• Heat the oven to 200°F. Set a heatproof serving platter and a baking sheet lined with a paper towel in the oven.
• Trim and cut the pork tenderloin into 6 thick medallions of roughly equal weight. Place a piece of plastic wrap on the countertop. Put one pork piece on top of the plastic with one cut side up and cover with a second piece of plastic wrap. With a meat mallet (or heavy skillet), pound the meat into 1/4-inch thick scaloppine. Repeat with the other pieces. Sprinkle both sides lightly with salt and pepper. Top each scaloppine with two to three sage leaves and then a prosciutto slice, folding any of the overlap underneath the pork scaloppine.
• Put the flour in a shallow bowl. Dredge the scaloppine in flour, shaking off the excess.
• In a 12-inch skillet, heat 1-1/2 Tbs. of the oil over medium-high heat. Cook three of the scaloppine, prosciutto side down first, until lightly browned and just cooked through, 1-1/2 to 2 min. per side. Transfer the scaloppine to the baking sheet in the oven. Add the remaining 1-1/2 Tbs. oil and repeat with the three remaining scaloppine. Transfer them to the baking sheet and keep warm in the oven. Remove the pan from the heat and pour off any remaining oil.
• Add 1 Tbs. of the butter and let it melt. Add the lemon slices to the pan in a single layer. Return to medium heat and cook the lemon slices until lightly browned on one side, 2 to 4 min. Turn the lemon slices and add 2 tablespoons of the vermouth to the pan. Continue to cook until the vermouth cooks down to a glaze, 2 to 3 min. (The lemon slices will resemble bicycle wheels, with much of the flesh going into the sauce.) Transfer the lemon slices to the scaloppine in the oven, placing two slices on each one.
• Pour the remaining (approximately 3 Tbs. ) vermouth into the pan, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and deglaze the pan by scraping up the browned bits from the bottom. Add the chicken broth and lemon juice and boil until reduced to 1/4 cup, 3 to 5 min. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 1 Tbs. butter.
• Taste the sauce for seasoning; if it’s too acidic, add a touch more vermouth to the pan.
• Transfer the scaloppine to the serving platter, spoon the sauce over, and serve immediately.

Nutritional Sample Size based on three servings
Calories (kcal) : 460
Fat Calories (kcal): 250
Fat (g): 29
Saturated Fat (g): 9
Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 7
Monounsaturated Fat (g): 10
Cholesterol (mg): 105
Sodium (mg): 1090
Carbohydrates (g): 18
Fiber (g): 4
Protein (g): 33

To reduce the salt content of this recipe, try using low sodium broth or No Added Salt broth. If you do not have vermouth, a dry white wine will work well. 

Eating for your skin

A lot of what we eat has to do with our health and what we are put at risk for. But, a lot of people don't realize that what we eat can contribute to what our skin is like. Have you noticed you get an acne breakout after a weekend of junk food eating and drinking? This could be your body's response to what you eat! Perhaps even dry skin can contribute to what you eat! Here are some vital things to have in your diet for healthy skin.

Vitamin A- It does more than help you be able to see! Vitamin A has been associated with healthy and glowing skin, along with preventing organ damage like the heart, lungs and kidneys, as well as help with cell growth and repair. Vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin meaning that it is stored in the fat cells. Good sources of Vitamin A are sweet potatoes, red, yellow and orange fruits and vegetables like Bell Peppers, tomatoes, and as well as eggs, organ meats and milk.


The B Vitamins- The B vitamins are essential because they can help fight disease, producing energy, metabolism. Folate, which is a B vitamin, is crucial for pregnant women due to helping with a healthy brain and spinal chord of the baby and reducing birth defects. Below is a list of all the B vitamins and where you can get them from.

Vitamin C- Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant and plays a major role in collagen development, which is very important for healthy skin. Some studies have some that it may also help prevent damage from UV light too. Some good sources are cantaloupe, mango, kiwi, watermelon, bell peppers, and berries.

Vitamin E- Vitamin E helps to fight off free radicals in the body, which can speed up the aging process. Free radicals can cause wrinkles to form, and no one wants wrinkles! Here are some good sources: sunflower seeds, almonds, tomatoes, spinach and avocados.

Zinc- Zinc can fight off acne flare ups, which no one likes! Making sure you have a good source of zinc in your diet can help stop acne, as well as help with immunity! Here are some good sources of zinc:red meat, poultry, whole grains, and lobster.

Omega 3 Fatty Acids- Everyone has heard of omega 3's for heart health, but they are also very good for your skin. They have been proven to help make skin look smoother and younger, as well as reduce inflammation and redness. Some good sources of Omega 3's are cold water fish, eggs, flax, walnuts, and chia seeds.

Before you reach for acne medication or an overnight cream, think of what you're eating and how you can change your diet to see better and healthier skin!

What is a Ketogenic Diet?

Ketogenic diets seem to be all the rage in the past few months. I've had Starbucks customers tell me that they are trying a Ketogenic diet, I've read articles about Ketogenic diets, and I have heard  of people getting prescribed Ketogenic diets by their doctors. But what exactly is a Ketogenic Diet and is it good/safe for you? Let's find out!

The Ketogenic diet was originally thought of for those with neurological disorders like epilepsy, as well as neurodegenerative disease like Alzheimer's and Multiple Sclerosis. The goal of the ketogenic diet is to move the human metabolism into a state of ketosis. This diet was historically used as a last resort type method when drugs were not providing as much help as needed. After the body burns through the carbohydrate stores, it will turn to fat as its primary energy source. The liver will convert fat into fatty acids and ketone bodies.The ketones will pass to the brain and act as an energy source in place of glucose.  Due to the low consumption of carbs, the body is able to utilize fat better and more efficiently as a fuel source. In epileptic patients, ketones will be in the blood which leads to the reduction in the frequency of seizures. Common side effects are constipation and increased risk of kidney stones. This type of diet has been proven to work for those with seizures.

However, for those who do not have seizures, the ketogenic diet may not be the best for you. Your body's main source of energy is carbohydrates. That is what's stored in the muscles and what will power you through a tough workout, or a long distance run. Therefore, a ketogenic diet is not appropriate for athletes. Running a long distance, or even a 100m sprint is fueled by carbohydrates. Some organs strictly use glucose as its energy source, therefore, you would be causing further stress on the body when eliminating carbs from the diet. Those that are trying a no carbohydrate diet, means that they cannot have fruits or vegetables because the main composition of them is carbohydrates; that means you will be more likely to have vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Taking a supplement is fine, but your body absorps and retains the vitamins and minerals better when taken from food.

A side effect of a ketogenic diet is having ketones in the blood and urine which can cause you to feel more tired than usual, increased urination, skin is flushed, and nausea and vomiting can occur.

A ketogenic diet can also be especially harmful for those who are pregnant. The baby's primary energy source is carbohydrates, that is what aids in growth and development. When engaging in a carbohydrate restrictive diet, the baby can have impaired growth and development, as well as complications with the mother and her pregnancy.

So how can you burn fat without trying to make your body use fat as its only energy source? Eat a balanced diet, and engage in moderate intensity exercise like incline walking with an average heart rate between 120-140 depending on age. When at rest, the body primarily uses fat as its energy source. As you're sitting down reading this right now, your body is burning fat.

Remember, when you're considering to put yourself on a diet, do the research and inform yourself of the positives, as well as negatives. Eatright.org is a wonderful source for reliable nutrition information, as well as the National Institue of Health. Ketogenic diets are okay when you are monitored under physician and dietitian supervision.

The Best Starbucks Drink Picks by this RD 2 Be!

Recently, for my internship with American Dairy Association North East,  I was asked to write a blog for their Dairy Diary page on their website. The dietitian I am under thought it would be a great idea to write about my favorite drinks  at Starbucks and how to make them better for you. With a little bit of thinking, I came up with 4 of my favorite, and most ordered drinks and made them healthier!

Along with being a college senior in a nutrition and dietetics program, I am also a part-time Barista at Starbucks. Through my 2-and-a-half-year tenure there and my nutrition classes, I have found the best drinks for health-conscious customers.

These drinks are high in protein, with vitamins and minerals that help your body stay strong and healthy. From the vast possibilities of drinks at Starbucks (and believe me, there are THOUSANDS of combinations and options!), I have come up with four of my favorite good-for-you drinks.

The Smoothie

Everyone knows the Frappuccino, but Starbucks offers another type of frozen blended drink; smoothies! They are available in Strawberry or Chocolate. Both smoothies come standard with 2% milk, a banana, ice, and whey protein/fiber powder.

My favorite of these two smoothies is the Strawberry! However, I like to change up the recipe a bit. Instead of using 2% milk, I ask for it to be made with fat-free skim milk. Whichever your preference, skim or 2% milk, all milk has 9 essential vitamins and minerals necessary to keep us healthy and our bones and teeth strong. The other change I like to make is asking for an extra scoop of the whey protein/fiber powder.

The standard recipe comes with 2 scoops, but after an intense workout at the gym, the extra scoop of whey protein/fiber powder, with 6 grams of protein, helps me reach my protein goal for a post workout recovery snack. The extra gram of fiber also helps with digestion, all the more reason to ask for an extra scoop!

The Frappuccino

One of Starbucks most popular items is the Frappuccino. There are so many different flavors and combinations available. Just when I thought I’ve seen it all (like the Butterbeer or Fruity Pebbles Frappuccino off the secret menu), a new one is created.

Frappuccino’s can be made with or without the frap roast. This is a coffee concentrate that adds the flavor of coffee to your beverage. It doesn’t add much caffeine, so ask for an extra shot of expresso if you’re in need of a boost but want a Frappuccino.

Frappuccino’s are usually made with whole milk, which is one of the biggest contributors to the amount of fat in this drink. Don’t think about removing the milk all together and going with a non-dairy imposter! Instead, ask for it to be made with skim or 2% milk to cut down on the fat, while also getting the 9 essential vitamins and minerals. You can also ask for protein powder to be added to the Frappuccino, which will make your drink thicker and taste more like a milkshake!

Lastly, all Frappuccino’s  are made with Frap base. This is what makes the Frappuccino smooth and easy to blend. There are three types of bases, cream base for Frappuccino’s that do not have coffee, coffee base for those made with coffee, and the light base for light Frappuccino’s that are lower in added sugar. Ask for your Frappuccino to be made with light base to cut the amount of added sugar.

Lattes

Lattes are another staple at Starbucks. You can get a plain latte with no sweetener or flavor added, or one of the specialty lattes, like a Caramel Macchiato. All lattes come with 2% milk, but if you ask for skim or whole milk, they will gladly accommodate your preferences. Stick with real dairy instead of any milk alternatives for a healthful drink with lots of protein.

If you’re looking for a flavored beverage, ask for the sugar free syrups like mocha, vanilla and cinnamon dolce. They have the same great taste without the added sugar and calories.

Iced Teas

We brew four different types of tea daily: Black Tea, Green Tea, White Tea, and Passion Tango Tea. The caffeine free options are White Tea and Passion Tango Tea. When ordering your tea, ask for it to be unsweetened.

A standard ice tea comes sweetened with liquid cane sugar, but if you’re watching calories and added sugar levels, you can ask for it to be unsweetened. Or, if you like the taste of sweet tea, ask for less pumps of liquid cane sugar.

With all the options at Starbucks, it’s easy to get healthier versions of your favorite drinks. Go with one of my picks – or create your own!

Want to know the Nutrition Facts of your favorite Starbucks drink, or a drink you created? Head over to Starbucks.com, click menu, then go under the Nutrition tab and select Drink Nutrition. From there you can find the base beverage you had, and add all the customizations you made to find out the Nutrition Facts for your beverage. 

Surprise Recipe!

I have had a hankering for shrimp lately, my parents noticed it too when I kept pointing out that shrimp had been on sale the past few weeks at Wegmans and Price Chopper. So, finally my dad gave in and brought the shrimp! I originally was going to slightly bread the shrimp, pan fry  it and serve it with pesto pasta. But, upon perusing the price chopper site, I saw this great recipe! To my surprise, we already had all the ingredients for the  recipe! It was like it was meant to be!

I waited until all 4 of us would be home for dinner, since my brother and I both have inconsistent work schedules and never seem to really match up. The dish was very  easy to prepare and took less than 30 minutes to make. This would be good for any season, especially on Friday's during Lent  due  to the shrimp!

Rotelli with Shrimp in Tomato Cream
Yields 4-6 servings

1 lb. Rotelli, cooked as package directs
4 1/2 tbsp. Butter
2 Cloves Garlic, minces
1/2 tsp. Salt
6 leaves fresh basil, cut into thin strips
1 lb. Shrimp peeling and deveined
1 1/2 tbsp. Flour
1 1/2 Half and Half
2 tbsp. Tomato Paste

In a sauce pan, melt 1 tbsp. butter over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute. Stir in tomato puree, salt and fresh basil.  Simmer over low heat for 6 to 8 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, melt 2 tbsp. butter over medium high heat. Add shrimp and sauté until pink, about 2 minutes. Remove shrimp from pan. Cover and keep warm. In the same skillet, melt 1 1/2 tbsp.  butter. Add flour and cook 2 minutes. Whisk  in half and half. Cook until sauce is smooth and thick.  Whisk in tomato paste. Spoon in cream sauce into  saucepan containing tomato cause. Mix well. Add shrimp and simmer until heated through. Add shrimp and mixture to cooked pasta and toss.


If you aren't a shrimp eater, you could substitute it for smoked turkey sausage or grilled chicken breast.

The Skinny on Fat

We have all heard that eating too much fat can make us overweight, and that if we cut out fat then all the weight will come off. Well, there are many common misconceptions about fat and I want to bust them all!

First, lets talk about fat and fat cells. In the science world, they are called adipose cells or when there is a collection, it is called adipose tissue. When we eat and the body does not use all of the energy we ingested, it is stored. It can be stored as glycogen (stored energy in our muscles) or as fat. It is only stored as fat when our glycogen stores are full and the food has no other place to go. Carbohydrates and protein can be stored as fat too; it all gets broken down into the same type of compounds and stored.

Surprisingly, we cannot burn off fat cells; they do not just go away. Fat cells will grow in size as more unused energy is stored, and when it is burned, the cells shrink in size. We do not kill or burn away the cells. That is why it is easier to gain weight back after you lose a good amount because the cells are already there. And, we can add new fat cells as well.

I have heard from many people that they are trying a low fat diet in hopes that they will burn off their excess weight. Our primary energy source is carbohydrates. They help us when we need that sudden burst of energy to sprint as well as a long distance run. When the body uses up its stores of carbohydrates, it turns to fat. As your sitting here reading this and I am sitting here typing this, our bodies are using fat as its energy source. When you're walking on the treadmill at about 3.5 miles per hour with a decent incline at a heart rate of about 120 bpm, you're primarily burning fat. When you take fat out of your diet, and you burn all of your carbohydrate stores, the only thing left for the body to turn to is stored protein, which is muscle. If you cut out fat, and all you have left stored is protein then your body will break down it's muscles to feed itself.

We, as future dietitians, learn in school that 20-35% of our daily caloric intake needs to come from polyunsaturated fat or monounsaturated fat. These fats are known as the "healthy fats". Saturated fat is what can clog arteries and raise cholesterol levels, while poly and monounsaturated fats reduce cholesterol and prevent clogged arteries. Based on a 2000 calorie a day diet, at the most 16g of fat or 144 calories should be coming from saturated fat.

So don't be scared of fat, you need it, our bodies need it, and it does have a purpose for us.

Let's Taco 'Bout It!

I got really into meal prepping over the past few weeks for my internship, and one thing that I loved to have and make was taco salads! The beauty over making your own Taco salads rather than buying them from the store or a fast food place is that you decide what is going in them, how spicy they will be and how much you want! Best of all is that they are really, really cheap to make. I grabbed a can of corn, a can of beans, and black olives, as well as salsa, sour cream, low sodium taco seasoning, romaine lettuce, 90/10 ground turkey and reduced fat taco cheese.

One thing to be aware of when making your salad is to try to avoid excessive salt content as well as excessive fat content. When buying your canned veggies, look for the ones that say low sodium on the label. When you take them out of the can, rinse them in the strainer to reduce up to 40% of the salt content! Low sodium taco seasoning generally has between 30-40% less sodium than regular seasoning.

Go for the reduced fat cheese and sour cream to keep this lunch a low fat lunch, but super high in protein. Ground turkey is generally lower in fat than ground beef but when you use seasoning on it, it tastes just the same!

Remember, because this meal is has little to no carbs, it is good to include a pita or some baked tortilla chips with it to make sure you're getting all your macronutrients. Carbohydrates are your body's main energy source and when you try to go on a low carbohydrate diet, your energy levels will fall. Carbohydrates are good!

Rethink your (alcoholic) drink!

So I'm back! I apologize for my little hiatus; I was completing my Medical Nutrition Therapy rotation at a long term care facility and taking an online history class while going home or to see my boyfriend in Connecticut on the weekends! It's been a very busy few weeks and I am hoping to get back completely in the swing of things on here.

In May, I turned 21 (yay!) and that means that I can now legally drink alcohol. Being that I am now legal, I thought I should do a post about choosing your drinks wisely (we actually learn about this in my nutrition classes and in sports nutrition). Did you know that 1 grams of alcohol contains 7 calories?! That's more than protein and carbohydrates and almost as much as fat! And that most alcohol is actually pretty heavy in carbohydrates? That's why after you drink you feel bloated and full.

But just how many calories and marconutrients are in my drink?

Lets take wine as an example

A 5 ounce serving of dry white wine will give you about 123 calories and about 4 grams of carbohydrates. The calories and carbohydrates increase with the sweetness of the wine, so a dry Chardonnay or Merlot will have the least calories and carbohydrates. Check out this infographic I found to give a little more details into each wine and it's nutrition.



Beers

When choosing your beer, light beers and lagers tend to have the lesser amounts of carbohydrates as well as calories compaired to heavier beers like IPAs. Light beers like Bud light, Miller light, Coors Light all are around 100-130 calories with about 5-10 grams of carbohydrates per 12 ounce serving. Having a few really add up calorie and carb wise! Ales, stouts and IPAs calories are about 150-200 calories per 12 ounce serving with around 15 grams of carbohydrates.

Hard Liquors

Hard liquors are all around the same range in calories, but what really packs the nutritional punch is what it is being mixed with. A shot of whiskey has 70 calories, vodka has 64, rum has 64, and tequila has 64. When looking for a mixer for your liquor, choose a calorie free option like seltzer water, diet soda, or club soda. If you're looking to make that fruity drink you love, go for the no sugar added mixers or low in sugar ones. The higher the sugar content the worse the hang over will be the next day!

Remember, for women it is acceptable to have 1 alcoholic drink a day and for men it is acceptable to have 2 alcoholic drinks a day and no you cannot save up all week to binge drink on the weekends!

Choose the healthier option.

Vegetable Noodles!

Vegetable noodles sound very weird, I'll admit it! When I first thought about them I thought it was actual pasta made with vegetables as one of the ingredients, but its not! It's far from that.Vegetable noodles are vegetables that are spiralized using a spiralizer, and flash cooked on the stove. 100% vegetables and nothing else. Vegetable noodles are great for those trying to lose weight, or have a better source of carbohydrates than having regular pasta. Here I made zucchini noodles with homemade pesto and grilled chicken. Good source of heart healthy fats, vitamins and minerals, protein, and antioxidants.

How to make the Pesto-

2 Cups of Fresh Basil
1 Cup of Arugula
1/2 Cup of Parmesan
1/4 Cup Pine Nuts
1/2 Cup Olive Oil

In a food processor, combine argulula, basil and olive. Blend until smooth. Add parmesan and pine nuts, blend. Enjoy!

Store in an air tight container to keep fresh, freeze within 5 days of making.

Snack Time!

I'm a huge fan of munchy snacks, especially ones with a little heat in them. Over spring break, I made a delicious and addicting snack mix that everyone in my house enjoyed. It was Buffalo Ranch Snack Mix!

Here's the recipe so you can become addicted too!

Buffalo Ranch Snack Mix


Ingredients-

4c Chex Rice Cereal
3c Reduced Fat cheese crackers (cheez-its)
3c mini pretzels
1c shelled salted peanuts
1/2c Franks Red Hot
4Tbsp unslated butter
2 1/2 tsp dried dill weed
1tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp garlic powder


Directions-

Preheat oven to 225 degrees.

Combine rice cereal, crackers, pretzels and peanuts together in a large bowl.

Heat hot sauce and butter in a small pan over medium heat until butter mealts. Once melted, whisk in dill, parsley, and garlic. Pour hot sauce mixture over cereal mix. Toss until everything is coated.

Spead mix onto a cookie sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour stirring every 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Colorful Lunch to Brighten Your Day

It's amazing what a great, healthy and tasty lunch can do to your day. Last week was such a rainy and dreary week and it called for a colorful lunch to brighten everything up. I got to thinking of what I haven't had in a while that would taste good and I immediately thought of Stuffed Peppers! Taco stuffed peppers actually, but they were very tasty and filling. A stuffed pepper can be made a variety of ways, taco style or Italian style, with lots of options for fillings too! These ones has rice, ground turkey, taco seasoning, tomatoes with chiles and cheese! They had something from every food group, how could you go wrong? They are also good because they portion themselves out. All I had to do in the mornings was grab one and put it in a microwaveable contained to be heated later.


The recipe is super easy and doesn't take much time at all. They can be made for dinner tonight or meal prep for the whole week!

Ingredients

• 5 - 6 medium to large bell peppers
• sea or kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 pound groung turkey
• 1 packet of taco seasoning
• 1 can (11 ounces) Ro-tel diced tomatoes & green chiles
• 1 cup uncooked white Minute Rice or 1 + ¾ cups cooked rice
• 2 cups shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
• shredded lettuce, for serving
• sour cream, for serving

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Slice the tops off the peppers and clean out the seeds.
2. Stand the peppers up in a casserole dish and sprinkle the insides with salt and pepper.
3. Cover them with aluminum foil and bake 15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, make the filling:
5. In a large frying pan over medium heat brown the ground turkey, breaking it apart as it cooks. Drain off the grease.
6. Add the taco seasonings and follow the directions on the package.
7. Once the taco meat is ready mix in the Ro-tel with the juices and the rice. Simmer 5 minutes, stirring often.
8. Stir in the cheese. Fill the peppers.
9. Bake 25 minutes - uncovered.
10. Serve over shredded lettuce with a dollop of sour cream.

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist vs Nutritionist

So I have been running my blog now for over a year and have been talking about nutrition, health tips and sharing recipes, but I have not explained the difference between a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) and a Nutritionist. To many people, these titles are interchangeable and mean the same thing. However, that is not the case at all! There is a huge difference between what an RDN and a nutritionist is. So, I made up a handy chart to explain the differences and help you to better understand who you can trust with your nutrition advice and those who you cannot.

Here is a detailed descrition of the difference between RDNs and Nutritionists!

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist

Nutritionist

-Has a degree in Nutrition and Dietetics (bachelors or masters) from ASCEND accredited institution- the accrediting body of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics -Completed a mandatory internship of 1200 hours from an ACEND accredited internship program -Has passed the national licensing exam in     order to achieve the credential of RDN -Must maintain credential status by ongoing learning credits -Considered a nutritional professional -Is trained in and licensed to perform Medical Nutrition Therapy (an essential, cost-effective, component of the comprehensive nutrition care of medical diseases and conditions) -Provides food, nutrition and related services -Protects the public, community and populations from wrong information -Enhances the wellbeing of patients/clients -Delivers quality products programs and services, including Medical Nutrition Therapy across all focuses -Assesses and Diagnoses nutrition related health problems, plans an Intervention to correct the problem and Monitors and Evaluates the patients/clients outcomes -Can work in hospitals, assisted living homes, acute care facilities, schools, food service, private practice, sports, institutions, corporate venues, etc -Follows Standards of Practice, a Code of Ethics and Scope of Practice set in place by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

-No qualifications or classes or degree needed to be called a nutritionist -Self-proclaimed title- anyone can call themselves nutritionists due to not needing a credential or license -Not legally considered a nutritional professional -Not legally able to make sound nutrition advice due to the lack of appropriate training

Gut Health and Dairy!

Last week I attended a seminar put on by the American Dairy Association North East at my university. Every year they sponsor a speaker to come and talk about hot nutrition topics and how dairy is tied in with them as well. Topics in years past have been Sports Nutrition and Farming and Agriculture. This year's topic was Gut Health and Dairy. Before attending this seminar, I knew very little about the microbiome, probiotics and prebiotics; but after this session my knowledge and interest has grown exponentially. So, this week I decided that I wanted to share a little bit of this new knowledge with you!

Let's start with the Microbiome
- There are 10-100 trillion microbial cells in the skin, gut, mouth and feces. These cells have differ from person to person, and can vary depending on what environment we live in, as well as what type of environment the cells live in. Cells that live in the gut and are constantly exposed to gastric acids and juices are different from those that live on the skin or in the mouth. We actually get some of these  microbial cells from our mothers when we are born, and there are 3 points within our lives in which the microbiome changes. First, when we start being breast fed, second is when we first develop a sickness that requires an antibiotic, and lastly is when we begin to eat solid foods. Some other things that can effect the gut microbiome is diet, exercise, stress, where you live, gender, age, and whether or not if you have a pet.

Microbiome and Health
- Studies have been able to show a connection between obesity, cognitive function, immune health, autoimmune disease, diabetes, gastrointestinal diseases, and the microbiome. One study showed that those who are obese have a significantly smaller amount of microbiomes in the gut than those who are at a healthy weight. They put the overweight people on a diet high in fiber and probiotics and saw that they experienced a loss of weight, as well as a more diverse microbiome. Another point I found interesting was that a study was done with children who were genetically at risk for developing Type 1 Diabetes. The researcher followed these children for 3 years and tested their mircobiome weekly for changes. After 3 years, 4 of the 33 children followed developed Type 1 Diabetes. The researcher saw a trend in the children that developed diabetes, they saw that one year before the onset of diabetes, there was a significant change in the microbiome which could help them predict the development of diabetes.

What are Probiotics?
- Probiotics are live cultures intended to have health benefits. Probiotics are part of the microbiome which can help with digestion, inflammation and disease prevention, by eating foods with probiotics we can make our microbiome more diverse.

What are Prebiotics?
- Prebiotics feed probiotics. They have been shown to be able to reduce inflammation, reduce diarrhea associated with antibiotic use, and lower the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Where can we get prebiotics and probiotics?
- Dairy is a great source of pre and probiotics, yogurt being one of the best of them. Kefir (shown above), which is a cultured milk product also is a great source of probiotics (shown to have 150-950 billion different probiotics) . It produced fewer symptoms of lactose intolerance than normal milk does, while containing the same amount of lactose. This is because Kefir contains cultures with the lactase enzyme in them. Some other sources of pre and probiotics are fermented foods, fruits and vegetables, kimchi, saurerkraut, miso, kombucha and tempeh


Next time you're at the grocery store in the dairy aisle, check the yogurt container and see if it says "Contains live cultures", if so, you're helping to increase and diversify your microbiome!