Healthy Dinner Ideas: Homemade Soup

This is the time of the year when the weather is chilly outside and it is often cold and gray. Nothing warms you up at the end of a long day like a delicious, bowl of homemade soup. I love cooking soups at home during the week, because more often than not, they are quick, make a complete meal and there are left overs to take to work for lunches. 

Perks To Preparing Soup From Scratch: 

  • Healthier - I love that you can find just about any type of recipe online and you can make a traditional soup recipe even healthier. There are so many substitutes you can make to any recipe that you find. For example, if you need to watch the amount of sodium in your diet then you can consider using fresh tomatoes or no salt added canned tomatoes. You can make your own broth or use a lower sodium broth option. You can choose fresh or frozen vegetables compared with their salter, canned counterparts. There are so many easy ways to tweak and make recipes even healthier. If you need to increase the amount of fiber in your soup and your overall vegetable intake, consider adding kale or spinach to the recipe. This is also a great source of Vitamin K and antioxidants. 
  • More Cost Effective - Preparing your own soup from scratch will end up saving you more money compared with purchased an already prepared canned soup option or even a dried soup packet option from the store. There is obviously more prep work involved to make the soup from scratch, but you will get a larger volume of soup and you can use it for left-overs later in the week. This larger quantity is a perk if you have a large family to feed as well. You can pair other sides with the soup as well to make it a complete meal - have bread on the side with another fruit or vegetable offering. 
  • Customization - When you take the time to put together a recipe from scratch there is a lot of areas where you can change the recipe to fit what you or your family likes. If someone in your family really dislikes corn, then in your minestrone soup recipe, make sure that you avoid adding corn and instead use another vegetable like squash or lima beans. If you have a family member with a food allergy, then preparing your own soup from scratch can allow you to accommodate their specific diet needs. 

My Favorite Soup Recipe - White Bean and Sausage Soup

Ingredients

  • 1 cup baby carrots, cut in half 

  • 1 cup onion, chopped 

  • 2 garlic cloves, minced 

  • 7oz turkey sausage/keilbasa, cut into 1/2 inch pieces 

  • 4 cups chicken broth, fat free and reduced sodium 

  • 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning 

  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 

  • 2 cans Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed (15.8oz cans) 

  • 1 bag of spinach, fresh (6oz) 

Cooking Directions

  1. Heat a saucepan, coat with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add the carrots and cook until tender. Add the onion, garlic and the sausage. Saute the vegetables for 3 minutes and stir occasionally. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth, Italian seasoning, pepper and the beans. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. 
  2. Place 2 cups of the soup in the food processor or blender and mix until smooth. Return the pureed mixture to the pan. Simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Remove soup from the heat. Add the spinach, stirring until spinach wilts. 
  3. Substitutions - You can substitute the spinach for kale if you would prefer. 

This is a great recipe, because you can easily make this in about 30 minutes. I enjoy having dinner together within 30 minutes during the week, because after working all day, walking the dog, and exercising, I hate spending way too much time in the kitchen cooking/cleaning. Cooking Light has a great assortment of soup recipes that you will have to check out! 

Packing A Healthy Lunch

I had the opportunity this past week to give a Lunch and Learn presentation to a local Indianapolis business. It was for National Healthy Lunch Day and it was on behalf of the American Diabetes Association of Indianapolis. I have done a variety of things along side the ADA here in Indy over the past couple of years. They are a great resource in the greater Indianapolis area and I was happy to put together a presentation about Packing a Healthy Lunch. This is a topic that affects everyone, because all of us have to eat and all of us should be eating something for lunch. The goal is to make that food we put in our mouths, a healthy choice. 

Goals for Packing a Healthy Lunch
Include at least 3 food groups …
•Fruit (sliced apple, fruit salad, banana)
•Vegetable (salad, cut raw veggies, steamed veggies)
•Protein (meat, nuts, peanut butter)
•Grain (pasta, bread, pizza, etc)
•Dairy (slice of cheese, yogurt) 

Plan a snack
•Include one of the food groups you didn’t have at lunch.
•Pair protein with a carbohydrate
•Peanut butter and an apple
•Greek yogurt with granola

•Prepare enough at dinner for left-overs and portion out the left-overs for lunches.
•Make a large batch of lunches on Sunday: Cut and bag all of your fresh veggies/fruit for the week. Portion out the chili for the week into individual lunch portions.
•Keep healthy staples on hand. Always have some lunch meat, lettuce and tomato in your refrigerator for a sandwich, if needed.
•Pack what you like - Don’t force yourself to eat something you hate.

Taking the extra time to pack something healthy for lunch can really have a big impact on your health. If you are bringing healthy food to work, you are most likely going to eat it and consume healthier food choices. You will also save money, because eating out for lunch on a regular basis is more expensive. There is a little time in preparing those meals, but it is worth it! 
 

Food & Nutrition Magazine Article - The Stone Soup

I was excited to share this with you all, because I thought it was neat. I have been asked to write up/share some blog posts that I had up on RDAnna.com. There is a magazine that is run through The Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics called Food & Nutrition Magazine. This is a lovely print magazine and I absolutely love reading through it whenever it arrives at my house. They have a blog called The Stone Soup, which is a great compilation of posts from RDs all over the country. I had been talking with them for awhile about posting something, but it took me forever to get around to it. 

Well I submitted a couple of options for them about various nutrition topics and they chose one about endurance nutrition/running. I just had to share this with you! I was so excited to have this wonderful opportunity. If you want to read my article on the Food & Nutrition website then CLICK HERE.

I also had a great shout out on Twitter from @foodnutrimag and I was excited about that as well. Any time something that I write or share has the chance to reach a wider audience, I can't help but get excited! 

Scary Halloween Facts

Today is Halloween! October 31st! That means if you haven't already, you will have little ghosts, goblins and princesses showing up to your door and asking for treats and goodies. I hope you were able to read the post from last week about the Teal Pumpkin Project and possibly put together some allergy-free treats for your trick-or-treaters. 

I also wanted to share with you some scary Halloween nutrition facts, because it is fun and ends up being eye opening. These statistics are brought to you by Daily Burn

  • Americans spend ~$7.4 billion dollars on Halloween candy, costumes and decorations each year. 
  • Americans purchase 90 million pounds of chocolate during the week of Halloween. 
  • There are 41 million potential trick-or-treaters between the ages of 5-14 years old in America.
  • Each year, 35 million pounds of candy corn is produced for the Halloween/Fall season. 
  • If you ate an apple cider donut, you would have to do 54 push-ups to burn it off (~330kcal). 
  • Do you love the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte? If you drink a tall (~380kcal) you need walk for 134 minutes to burn off those calories. 
  • Did you know there are 10.5g of sugar in a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup and this happens to be American's favorite Halloween candy.
  • You would have to do 17 minutes of burpees to burn of 1 bite-sized Snickers bar (~160kcal).
  • Wondering how much your pillowcase can hold in terms of candy - 1,690 pieces of candy to be exact. 
  • On Halloween, children collect any where from 3,500-7,000kcal worth of Halloween candy in their pumpkin pails. 

I don't want you to know that I don't love Halloween, the treats, goodies and decorations. I love celebrating holidays, but I think it is important to remember that you or your child do not need ALL the Halloween candy. Trying to keep moderation at the fore front of your mind is the main message. Enjoy your time trick-or-treating, taking pictures and dressing up. Just try to be active, burn off those extra calories and make sure you have a healthy dinner before you head out. Have a safe and wonderful Halloween! 

Navigating Food Allergies on Halloween

This is a topic that is near and dear to my heart. Every year I try to take some time and make sure I talk about the Teal Pumpkin Project. This program is sponsored by the Food Allergy Research & Education group and its main focus is to provide all kids safe treats this Halloween. This campaign was launched back in 2014 nationally and has gained lots of traction over the last 2 years. 

For kids with food allergies, it is not safe for them to eat candy, because often these sweet treats contain dangerous allergens. This project wants to encourage people to provide non-food treats for trick-or-treaters so that they can still participate in the Halloween traditions, but not have to worry about their food allergies. To participate in the Teal Pumpkin Project follow these simple steps: 

  1. Have non-food treats available for kids to pick up. It is easy to find Halloween themed goodies at your local grocery store, party store or craft store. Plus, these are great goodies to hand out to all the children, because they are going to get plenty of sugary treats.
    • Bubbles 
    • Pens/pencils 
    • Glow sticks/necklaces/bracelets 
    • Vampire fangs 
    • Stickers 
    • Bouncy balls 
    • If you don't have time to run to the store to find these goodies - go ahead and purchase the Essentials Kit from FARE Teal Pumpkin Project and get it shipped directly to you! 
  2. Put out a teal pumpkin in front of your home, on your porch/in your entry way. Incorporate your family and paint your teal pumpkin today! 
  3. Display the FARE Teal Pumpkin Project sign  explaining what the teal pumpkin means.

Being An Adventurous Food Traveler

We had the chance to travel out to Maryland this past week for a wedding. We took the opportunity to turn this trip into a little "babymoon." We hadn't gone on a big summer vacation or anything this year, because we have been saving money for the upcoming arrival of our newest addition at the end of December. So with this wedding out in Maryland, we decided to make a long weekend trip out to the east coast and were able to see Salisbury and Baltimore Maryland and ventured up to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 

One thing we love to do when we travel is make an effort to only eat at local restaurants. There is too much good food in the world, to eat at a chain restaurant when on vacation. This trip was no exemption to that rule. 

Eastern Shore, MD - 

  • Rise Up Roasted Coffee - This was a super hip and cool coffee shop in the middle of Easton, MD. This shop actually was where the coffee roasting happened for the coffee that this store sold. They had a delicious smoked salmon bagel, a very smooth latte and a fantastic atmosphere to just hang out in for a little bit. We ended up just hanging out at this shop for a good 1.5 hours. It was neat to watch the employees roast the coffee beans that they sell. We picked up a package of their fall seasonal roast and are excited to have use it for our coffee at home. 
  • The Atlantic Hotel - We ventured over the Berlin, MD from Easton and checked out a historic hotel that had a cute, little restaurant attached. The town of Berlin is near the coast of Maryland. The lunch we got was yummy. I had a crab chowder and Chas got a crab roll sandwich. We were able to sit outside on an enclosed porch and enjoyed a quick walk around the downtown area after our luncheon. 
  • Specific Gravity Pizzeria - For dinner we checked out this pizza place in Salisbury, MD on the recommendation of a our friend, Lee. This is supposedly the best kept secret in Salisbury. We had a pizza with chorizo, manchego cheese and fried shrimp. It was absolutely amazing! One of the best pizzas I have had. The crust was thin and the manchego cheese was delicious. Then we also got DOUGHnuts for dessert and that just ended the meal on a high note. I definitely recommend it if you find yourself in Salisbury, MD.  
  • The Barlett Pear Inn - The wedding that we traveled all this way to attend, we held at this adorable inn. Immediately following the ceremony there was a reception with amazing hors d'oeuvres. It was such a nice venue and they had a beautiful spread for us to snack on.
  • The Red Roost - This local establishment is kind of in the middle of nowhere in the country. It was such a neat restaurant. I am so glad that we got to go and eat blue crab that were caught right there in the Chesapeake Bay area. I have to admit at first I really struggled, but it was a great experience and so much fun! 

 

Philadelphia, PA - 

  • Famous 4th Street Delicatessen - This restaurant ended up being our 2nd option for our brunch date in Philly with my sister, but it was so worth the walk. The restaurant was so beautiful and the food options were so diverse. The portions were huge and it tasted delicious. I got Challah french toast and Chas had an amazing Reuben sandwich. 
  • Jasmine Rice - This local Thai spot has a couple of locations in Philadelphia. We got to meet the owner, and he was extremely nice. I had some friend jasmine rice with vegetables and tofu and it was delicious. It is was light and full of flavor. Chas had some wonderful Tom Yum soup. 
  • Menagerie Coffee - This local coffee shop is where my sister use to work. I was excited to be able to go and see it. It was super cute and the cold brew coffee we had was quite good. It had a great atmosphere and I would see it being a great place to hang out at, drink delicious coffee and work on things.

Baltimore, MD - 

  • Cafe Jovial - This little cafe was right down the street from the townhouse that we stayed at in Baltimore. It got good reviews online and we walked down there for lunch. The owner was nice and the hot sandwiches that we ordered were quite tasty.
  • Sabatino's Italian Restaurant - As our last stop, we walked over to Little Italy in Baltimore and checked out some of the local restaurants. We ended up stopping at this local place and enjoying some traditional Italian food before heading to the airport. Chas ordered a shrimp alfredo and I had some gnocchi. The pasta portions were quite large. It was all very good and a fun place to stop before we headed out of town.

I am not sure if you have heard of or watch my YouTube, but Sorted Food is a great channel with some fun guys who do a great job at promoting new foods. They had a great blog post up on their website about being an adventurous eater and trying new things - CLICK HERE to read the post. Here were a few of my favorite comments that they made ... "every meal is exciting, and you have the best stories to tell," These are two of the best parts of eating out and trying new things in my opinion. 

I would encourage you when you plan your next trip to scope out some of the potential eating establishments in the area and try to find some local food to eat. Now I also like to try to make sure that there are some "healthier" options available as well. Even though it is vacation, it is important to try to remember the importance of a balanced diet. 

Fall Has Arrived ... Everything Pumpkin!!!

Fall has officially begun as of September 22nd; however, at least here in Indiana the weather is still behaving much like summer. Fall happens to be my favorite time of the year. The cooler weather, crisp breezes, cute clothes, warm drinks and fun activities like apple picking, trick or treating and Thanksgiving have me all excited. This is also the time of year that pumpkins have exploded onto the food scene. You can find everything pumpkin flavored now ... from your coffee to your cereal. Have you ever wondered, besides the delicious flavor of the pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, is there a health benefit to pumpkin? 

The beauty of the pumpkin is that it is a simple food item. It doesn't have an overly strong flavor so using spices blends can create delicious and unique dishes quite easily. You can make pumpkin sweet or savory and there are tons of recipes online that can help you incorporate this festive gourd into your weekly menu. 

Health Benefits of Pumpkin

  1. Helps with your eyesight. Pumpkin contains over 200% of your daily value of Vitamin A and this fat-soluble vitamin is important to help your eyes work appropriately. They contain beta-carotene which is a carotenoid - this creates the orange color and produces Vitamin A in the body. 
  2. Helps with meeting weight loss goals. Pumpkins contain a lot of fiber and this helps you to feel full and eat less with meals. There are 3 grams of fiber found in 1 cup of pumpkin puree for only 49 calories. Produce tends to be high in fiber and that is helpful in weight management. 
  3. Heart healthy seeds. The pumpkin seeds contain heart healthy fats, which can be helpful reducing your risk of cardiovascular disease. These seeds do contain more calories compared with the puree due this fat, but in small amounts this can easily fit into a healthy diet. 
  4. Improve your mood. Besides containing healthy fat, these pumpkin seeds also contain tryptophan. This amino acid breaks down to another amino acid product called, serotonin, which is helpful for sleeping and this can help your mood. This can help you rest and taking that time for you, can help to improve your outlook on life. 
  5. Loaded up with potassium. There is a lot of potassium found in 1 cup of pumpkin puree (564mg) and this is more than what you would find in a banana. This is an electrolyte that your body replaces after working out to help keep your hydration status in balance and feeling good. If you have a tough work out in the heat and sweat a lot, consider some pumpkin puree to help replenish your potassium stores.
  6. Boost your immune system. There are lots of vitamins and minerals found in pumpkin, another vitamin is Vitamin C that is found in high quantities. This Vitamin C is helpful in boosting your immune system and helping your body ward off disease. One cup of cooked pumpkin puree contains 11mg of Vitamin C or 20% of your daily value (if you are a woman). 
  7. Skin protection. The carotenoids that we mentioned earlier, help to keep your skin healthy, smooth and strong. This is a great added bonus as we head into the fall and drier weather and we all want to protect our skin from the elements. 

So as you reach for your pumpkin flavored whatever ... consider picking up some pumpkin puree and using it in a new recipe this week. Unfortunately all of these health benefits can only be achieved through consuming the pumpkin puree itself and just the pumpkin flavoring that is often added to food items. Go ahead and Google/Pinterest some pumpkin recipes and try to incorporate some of this amazing fall superfood into your next meal! 

Kids Eat Right

I know that I kind of missed the mark with this post. It is a little late, because August was Kids Eat Right Month and I know it is now the beginning of September, but I am think this is such a great topic that we should continue to talk about it into September. 

As many of you know, I am a pediatric dietitian and I feel passionately about good nutrition for our kids. This week I am was asked to put together a display booth as a Elementary/Jr High Wellness Night at a private school. I also have the chance to be on Indy Style again talking about school lunches (tune in tomorrow at 9am on WISH TV). I thought this would be a great topic for the blog this week and really focus in on recommendations for school-aged children.

There was also a great news article that was released at the end of August from the American Heart Association talking about children and sugar consumption. This statement came from research put out in the publication Circulation, looking at how sugar affect children's overall health. The recommendations are that children/teens (ages 2-18 years old) should not be consuming more than 6 teaspoons of added sugar per day. Added sugars are classified as table sugar, fructose, honey found in processed/prepared foods or beverages, sugar that is added to foods at the table or eaten separately. It has been determined that children eating more than this per day (> 6 tsp added sugar) are often consuming more unhealthy food items. 

Now you have to be wondering what in the world can you do to cut back on your child's sweet treats? Well thankful there is a great handout from the USDA on this exact topic. 

In addition to just sugar intake, overall diet is important as well for children to grow/develop to their full potential. As a parent/caregiver, the responsibility falls to you to help make sure that your child is getting the proper nutrition that they need. You should be aiming for a well-rounded, balanced plate at every meal. I know that feel intimidating, specially if you have a picky child. But keep offering healthy options and encourage your child to take at least 2 bites of each food item offered at that meal. 

Your child's plate will be smaller compared with yours, but it should still contain all of the above mentioned food groups (Fruits, Vegetables, Protein, Grains and Dairy) with each meal. Now I know it can be challenging to fit in vegetables with your breakfast, so if that doesn't happen every morning, make sure to offer another vegetable at lunch/dinner and move a fruit to a snack in the afternoon. 

Tips for a Healthy School Lunch

  1.  Incorporate fruits and vegetables in a fun way. Variety your produce options in the lunch bag. Use different dips throughout the week with the veggies (hummus, ranch, sunbutter) or with the fruit (like yogurt). Cut up the fruit/vegetables so that your child is more likely to eat them. 
  2. Make the bread on their sandwich whole grain. This could be sliced bread, crackers, pita or a wrap. You can have a variety of types of sandwiches (lunch meat, PB&J, chicken salad). 
  3. Have a snack for them in their bag for later in day – for the ride home on the bus or in between school and a sports practice. Make this something easy to carry that doesn’t need an ice pack – granola bar, crackers, dried fruit, or nuts.

If you  have more questions or want more information about planning healthy, meals for your family, feel free to get in touch with me! Have a great Monday and hope your Labor Day weekend has been amazing! 

Healthy Weeknight Meals

If you are anything like me, you kind of dread cooking dinner during the week. With a full time job, after work activities, trying to stay up on your fitness, the Olympics on TV ... there is so much vying for our time in the evenings. Sometimes the last thing we want to do is sit down and cook an elaborate meal. I thought it would be fun to put together a list of some great recipes that you could print and maybe implement in your weeknight dinner rotation. Here are some of the criteria that I was looking for when I compiled this list: Meals taking < 30 minutes to prepare, easy to use ingredients, using healthy ingredients (variety of vegetables, fruits, lean protein) and minimal clean up afterwards. 

List of Recipes to Try: 

Vegetarian/Summer Recipes

  1. Orecchitette with Roasted Peppers, Arugula and Tomatoes
  2. Grilled Tempeh Skewers
  3. Two Bean Soup with Kale
  4. Seared Tofu with Sweet Chili Sauce
  5. Chipotle Black Bean Burrito
  6. Carrot and Black Bean Crispy Tacos
  7. Sweet Potato Kale Frittata

Sandwiches

  1. Waffle Iron Turkey Melt
  2. Pulled BBQ Chicken with Coleslaw
  3. Caprese Sandwiches
  4. Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa
  5. Chicken Parm Sub

Meat Recipes

  1. Couscous with Chicken and Root Vegetables
  2. Sriracha Teriyaki Meatball Bowls
  3. Balsamic Steak and Berry Salad
  4. Creamy Salmon Chowder
  5. One Pot Lasagna
  6. Bacon and Brussel Sprout Penne
  7. Thai Shrimp Soup
  8. Corn and Ham Risotto

Hopefully you find this post helpful in at least exposing you to some new recipe ideas. Take them, try them and see what you or your family think about them. I always love encouraging people to try new foods and new recipes. Cooking should a fun experience and during the week I think if you stick to simple, quick meals that helps to make the whole process of preparing healthy meals fun again! 

Getting Back Into A Healthy Routine

It is the middle of August and school is back in swing. The summer is officially wrapping up. That means that fall is just around the corner. Now is a great time to get back in healthy lifestyle habits. Over the summer we are all on crazy schedules, between vacation time, traveling, eating delicious fried foods at your local fair and going to cook outs, we all need to get our health plan re-prioritized. I love the summer festivities as much as the next person, but some times it is nice to get back in a healthy routine. 

So where do you start? What do you start thinking about first? Let's begin with food ... what you choose to put in your mouth. 

  1. Make the choice to bring a healthy lunch to work. Believe or not this is huge. Eating out can be such a stumbling block to your health. Take the extra time to plan some easy, healthy lunches to take with you to work. If you are stuck and can't think of anything new then CLICK HERE for some great ideas. You can prepare these foods ahead of time and then pack them up so they are easy to grab when you head out the door.
  2. Pack healthy snacks for the day. Most of us all get hungry between meals and that is perfectly normally. We should be eating 3 meals a day with 1-2 snacks. So picking healthy snack options is so important. Something that provides fiber, nutritional value and some protein will help keep you filling full until your next meal. For some good healthy snack ideas, CLICK HERE.
  3. Meal plan during the week and schedule your grocery shopping. In order to be able to put together healthy lunches and snacks for the week you need to take some time to head to the grocery store. Always make out a list of things that you need and stick to that list. This will help ensure that you are choosing healthy options and that you are not spending too much money. For some good tips to navigating the grocery store, check out this post from earlier in the year - Navigating the grocery store in a healthy way.
  4. Only have healthy foods on your counters. This might not seem like a big deal, but what you have visible in your kitchen will have a huge influence on what you end up eating. For example, I had some delicious, candied popcorn out on my counter from a party last week and every time I walked past that popcorn I would eat some. It got to the point that I had to put the left-overs into the cabinet so that they were out of sight out of mind. Needless to say, after moving that popcorn my strong desire to eat it ALL quickly faded. Set yourself up for success and have healthy food items within easy reach if you are hungry.

What you eat is of course important, but your physical activity has a huge role to play in your overall health as well. 

  1. Schedule your work out time. If you want to start a new habit, then you need to set a time to practice that new habit. This applies to working out. Pick a time each day that you are going to do some intentional exercise. It doesn't have to be the exact some time everyday (if you schedule is varied), but you need to plan at the beginning of the day to exercise at a certain time. If it is helpful, set an alarm or a reminder in your phone to encourage you to get up and exercise. 
  2. Find some time of special class/activity that you really enjoy. I think this is important. Find a class or some type of activity that you enjoy and pay to participate. I have taken up prenatal yoga classes and every Tuesday night I spend 1.5 hours at the yoga studio doing yoga and it is awesome. I look forward to those classes each week and it is such a treat to get to take that time for myself. If could be a class at a gym, spinning at a studio or even joining a running group in your local community. 
  3. Get some new work out clothes/shoes and get invested. When you spend a little money on something you are just a little more invested. Go ahead and get that new pair of running shoes and then schedule regular times to run. Find a running buddy and enjoy this social time in your new running shoes/outfit. Also signing up for a race can provide great motivation in helping to ensure that you are actually training and getting ready for the event. So whatever it is you decide to do, get invested! 

So I have something fun for you ... a GIVEWAY! Take a couple minutes and fill out the form below. I have a gift card to Marsh Supermarket for you (this give away is not sponsored by or associated with Marsh). Write out 2 goals that you have for yourself to help make your health a priority. I want to encourage you to set goals and then work on accomplishing them! Good luck and I am excited to get lots of entries!

Enter to Win a $25 Gift Card from Marsh

Eating Healthy on the Run

With the summer starting to wrap up and school gearing up in next few weeks, I thought it would be helpful to take a look at some tips to eating healthy on the run.  We are all busy with the craziness of school schedules, evening activities and our jobs, it can be nice to have a plan to keeping your health and wellness on track! 

  1. Meal Planning
    • Take time to set out a meal plan for the week. Pick a day, the same time each week for this menu planning.
    • Make a grocery list and stick with it. 
    • Keep the MyPlate in mind for meals.
  2. Have Go To Snacks
    • Purchase individual snacks or bag up your own. 
    • Stick with the portioned sized snack product. 
    • Toss the snacks in your bag, car or purse so you have them when you get hungry.
  3. Do NOT Skip Lunch
    • Even if you are busy, grab a bite to eat. 
    • Pack a healthy lunch the night before or pick something healthy up from the cafe. 
    • If you wait to eat you will be famished later. 
  4. Brew Your Own Coffee/Tea
    • If you want to save $$$, make your favorite beverage at home. 
    • You can control the additive (cream, sugar) and this can = less calories. 
    • Get a a good thermos and take  your favorite beverage with you. 
  5. Follow the 3-P's
    • Plan - Create a menu plan for the week. Find quick and easy recipes online. Save these recipes and create a cycling menu. 
    • Purchase - Shop when you are NOT hungry to avoid buying unhealthy foods. Stick with your list. 
    • Prepare - Plan to take the time to cut up your produce when you get home and cook meals on the weekends to take as lunches throughout the week. 

Fit Bloggin' Conference 2016

I had the opportunity to attend the Fit Bloggin' Conference in downtown Indianapolis this past weekend. It was a great event! I am so glad that I took the time to go and it kind of pushed me outside my comfort zone. 

I attended the conference from Friday through Saturday. There were great speakers talking about their own weight loss journeys, books they had written, TV shows they had been on, research they have been doing and tips for becoming a consistent blogger. I have attended a variety of conferences over the years, but most of them relating to nutrition/feeding conferences and so this was the first time I had actually attended a conference about something else. It was great to have a chance to meet people from all over the country and get to learn about how they organized their blogs/social media presence. I was encouraged to take the effort and become more consistent with my own blogging. I try to blog every week, but I am going to work to make sure that my blog comes out at the same time each week. I also was encouraged that my platform looks great and may not have as many readers as I would love. I am working on that and had some great ideas of search engine optimization. 

It was great to be able to just listen and observe the people that I met. I have never been in the situation of trying to lose a large amount of weight, so I found it so good to be able to listen and have a better understanding of how to work with these individuals. I also was encouraged to continue to serve as that dietitian professional in my community as a resource of scientific evidence and hopefully provide a clear, and helpful message in regards to nutrition. 

Favorite Parts/Memories: 

  1. Attending the fitness sessions each day. I had the chance to attend a total of 4 fitness classes that were offered over the 2 day conference. They were great and I loved everything that I learned. From using Valslides for the first time from Valerie Waters, to learning about the application Swork It, doing Zumba and attending a session hosted by Lifetime Fitness. It was great! I was so sore afterwards, but it was a ton of fun. 
  2. I enjoyed the breakout sessions and being able to listen to a great discussion lead by David Garcia who has the website Keep It Up David. To learning how to become a consistent blogger forever by Nellie and getting to learn from her and her blog Brooklyn Active Mama.  I also learned so much about search engine optimization from Jessica Woodbury and her blog Don't Mind the Mess.  I also loved being able to meet fellow dietitian Dawn Jackson Blatner and get to speak a little bit with her. She has done was amazing things on TV and has a great website/instagram account - check her out!

Overall it was a great experience and Fit Bloggin' did a great job hosting this event. I was hoping to meet even more people, but due to some airline issues some speakers/attendees were unable to come. I am so glad that I had to chance to attend and for being made to feel right at home in a brand new environment for me. If you are a blogger and work in the fitness arena and want to attend next year, I definitely recommend it! 

Another Week at Diabetes Camp

The last week of June I had the pleasure of getting to help out a Diabetes Camp in Noblesville, IN. The Diabetes Youth Foundation of Indiana puts on a week long camp for three weeks every June for kids with diabetes. Commonly this kiddos are type 1 diabetics, but it is a great opportunity to have these kids enjoy a week at camp and have the diabetes taken care of during that time. 

This was my 2nd year back at this camp and it went great. We had a wonderful week! My role is that of a "lunch lady." I am in charge of making the food substitutions for the kids with food allergies or special dietary needs. Last year I had a ton of these kids (like 12-14), but this year it is a much smaller group. I have 2 girls with celiac disease, 1 boy with dairy, peas, peanut allergy, 1 vegetarian camper and another boy with just peanut allergies. My role was to prepare the food substitutions for meals. For example ... on a night with chicken strips, I would get and prepare gluten free chicken strips for the celiac campers. I wouldn't have to prepare their whole meal, just a portion of it. It works well because the head dietitian for the camp, does a great job putting together the menu each year, which includes fruit, vegetables, lean protein and dairy. It is a well rounded meal plan. There is always 1 dietitian each week to help oversee the kitchen area and the campers with food allergies/restrictions. This year we had another addition - a Purdue intern. Her name is Molly and she helped us in the kitchen throughout the week. She just finished her sophomore year at Purdue and is majoring in Dietetics and Nutrition, Fitness & Health. She was a great addition to the kitchen crew and did a great job. 

It was a busy week. When I wasn't working in the kitchen getting meals ready, I was using my time to chart on our NICU babies. Our census has been crazy high this summer in the NICU so we have been busy. It was a great experience as always and I really love being able to volunteer and spend some time each summer out at this Diabetes Camp. If you know of anyone with Type 1 Diabetes then make sure you share the Diabetes Youth Foundation of Indiana website with them and maybe next year they can go to camp! 

Hamilton TV Segment with the ADA on Summer Produce

I had the opportunity to work with the American Diabetes Association of Indianapolis again to put on a TV segment on the Hamilton County TV station located in Noblesville. We got together on Tuesday morning for a live interview focused on Summer Produce. I thought this would be a great topic, because now that summer is here in full force, we have tons of great produce items in the grocery store and at your local Farmer's Market. Everything tastes so much different when it is fresh. 

On the TV segement I showed some recipes and I wanted to make sure that you all had those available to you if you wanted to try them at home. 

Recipes

Make sure you give these recipes a try and if you are heading to this Farmer's Market this week or going to the grocery, try some of these new recipes. 

If you missed the TV segment and are curious as to why I highlighted some of these recipes then check out some information below about the nutritional value of Beets, Tomatoes, and Peaches. 

Beets 

  • Colorful vegetable that is often underutilized and overlooked. This deep red veggie is special because you can technically consumer the whole plant. The beet greens (leaves) can be cooked like a spinach or swiss chard. The fruit of the beets (the red portion) can be cooked as well and has been used throughout history as a sugar source.
  • Beets can help to lower your blood pressure and this benefit comes from the nitrates that are found in this produce. The nitrate is converted to nitric oxide which helps to relax/dilate your blood vessels, improving blood flow and decreasing your blood pressure.
  • There are high levels of folate found in beets and this can be a great whole food source of this nutrient for pregnant women to prevent neural tube defects.
beets1.jpeg

Tomatoes 

  • Are they really a fruit or a vegetable? That is always the debate. Either way they are full of lycopene which helps your body to fight off free radicals. 
  • Tomatoes are full of fiber and this can be helpful for diabetic patients. The fiber helps to fill you up during a meal/snack. The fiber also helps with lower blood glucose levels. If you are wondering how much fiber is in 1 cup of cherry tomatoes ... 2g of fiber. I know it doesn't sound like much, but it does add up over time. 

Peaches

  • Are ready for consumption during May through September. You can tell that your peach is ripe when you can smell it from a distance. When you touch the peach, it feels soft and not too firm. 
  • The bright yellow/orange color of the peach signifies they high amounts of Vitamin C that it has along with Vitamin A for eye sight. The skin of the peach is where all the fiber is located. These nutrients and antioxidants help to protect your cells and prevent cellular damage. 

There are tons of more great summer produce that I highlight in the TV segment, which I will post to my website after the show. Make sure to check it out. Don't forget to try some new produce this summer and take advantage of the all the health benefits these delicious foods have to offer! 

 

Your Local Farmer's Market

I enjoy the fact that now summer is full swing all of the local Farmer's Markets are open and starting to bring in delicious produce. I love being able to support local vendors who feel passionately about growing their own produce and being able to share it with people, like me, who don't garden. I would love to have a garden, but I don't have the space to grow produce, so I rely on my local Farmer's Market to obtain this delicious produce. 

Just this last weekend, my husband and I headed over to our local market in Noblesville, IN. We were able to get red potatoes, green beans and some heirloom tomatoes. They were amazing and the tomatoes were 10 x better than anything you can purchase at the grocery store. We took the dog, walked over to the Farmer's Market and enjoyed the sights and sounds of a local band playing, while we walked around and picked out our produce. I feel so much more connected to my food, when I am able to meet the people who grow it and enjoy fresher produce. 

PROs to visit your local Farmer's Market: 

  1. Fresher, local produce - You have to love being able to eat food grown in the county where you reside. It has such a different flavor than produce from the grocery and more nutrients that haven't been lost in transport. 
  2. Shorter food chain - Most of the food in the grocery store is coming from all around the world. It is picked while it is still unripe, ripens in a store house and then is transported to a store. When you purchase produce from a local market, you are getting cutting out the middle man and getting that produce directly from the farmer, which equates to better quality produce. This also allows you to interact with the farmer and know exactly where your food is coming from (for produce, meat and eggs).
  3. Supporting local economy - When you purchase food from farmers in your community you are helping to support your local economy. That money is going directly to that farmer in your community and staying in your community. That also helps support that smaller farmers who otherwise wouldn't be able to compete with the big, government subsided farms. 

If you are wondering when the Farmer's Market is open in your community check out some of these local Farmer's Market locations (thanks to the Indianapolis Star for this great list of local Farmer's Market locations, times and contact numbers. For additional locations check out there Guide to Farmer's Market newspaper article): 

• Carmel: 8 to 11:30 a.m. Saturdays, through Sept. 27, 5 Center Green, just south of City Center Drive, adjacent to the Monon Trail. Info: (317) 571-2474.

• Fishers: 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays through Sept. 27, 11601 Municipal Drive in the Amphitheater green space. Info: (317) 578-0700

• Noblesville: 8 a.m. to noon, Saturdays, May 17 through Oct. 11, Riverview Hospital overflow lot, 395 Westfield Road. 5 to 8 p.m. Thursdays June 5 to Sept. 18, 839 Conner St., Noblesville Main Street. Info: (317) 776-0205.

• The Original Farmers Market: Downtown Indy: 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesdays through Oct. 29. Market Street between Alabama and Delaware streets, Downtown Indianapolis. Info: (317) 634-9266.

• Westfield: 5 to 8 p.m. Fridays beginning June 6 through Aug. 29, Ameriana Bank, 3333 E. Ind. 32. Info: (317) 867-7740.

• Zionsville: 8 to 11 a.m. Saturdays, May 17 to Sept. 27, corner of Hawthorne and Main streets, Zionsville. Info: (317) 873-3836.

FitBloggin Conference

I am super excited to be able to attend the 2016 FitBloggin Conference in Indianapolis this summer. I didn't know much about this event until I was contacted by an acquaintance at the American Heart Association of Indianapolis. He reached out to me and told me about the event and thought that I might like to attend. He was right! I think it looked like a great event and something I love to be able to go to!

I had to share with you some of the topics at the conference that I am excited to attend: 

  • How to Influence Your Community to Achieve Fitness & Health — Hear from a panel of successful writers, bloggers, social media users, and fitness professionals about the central tenet of why FitBloggin’ exists – how to influence your community to achieve their fitness and health goals. Moderated by Roni Noone, founder of FitBloggin’. 
  • Be a Consistent Blogger…Forever (Blogging & Social Media Track) — Ten fool-proof tips and tricks to be the consistent blogger you have always wanted to be. Posting more often is the key to growth, so learn how to never lose your “blogging mojo.” SPEAKER: Schnelle Acevedo 
  • Super Simple SEO (Blogging & Social Media Track) — Session will cover the basics of how the Google algorithm works, why blogs are gaining more search traffic than ever, and actionable steps to gain traffic for your posts through search. SPEAKER: Jessica Woodbury
  • Fitness for the Minority Population — Explore how the culture of minority populations affects their beliefs and practices on healthy living, diet, and exercise. We’ll also discuss how to communicate with minority communities. MODERATOR: Shera Strange 

I have a passion for fitness & health and being able to communicate with people via social media about health and wellness. Being able to attend this conference is such a fun opportunity for me. I was able to apply for a scholarship to attend and I was picked! I really didn't think that would happen, but thankfully I was able to get most of the registration fee covered and I am super excited to attend the conference and soak up as much information about fitness blogging as possible. 

If you have a blog and enjoy fitness, you should mark July 21-24th on your calendar and set side some time to attend the FitBloggin Conference in downtown Indianapolis! Of course I will be blogging about the event and taking lots of pictures so you will have to stay tuned! 

Least Healthy City in America

Well the results on in ... the most healthy city in America ... (drum roll please) ... is Washington DC. The American Fitness Index (put together by the American College of Sports Medicine and the Anthem Foundation) released their yearly rankings for the the healthiest cities across America. There are 50 cities on the list total. Unfortunately my city, the place where I reside, came in as the least healthy city in America - at #50 Indianapolis, IN. 

Top 10 cities: 

  1. Washington DC
  2. Minneapolis 
  3. Denver 
  4. Portland 
  5. San Francisco 
  6. Seattle 
  7. Boston
  8. Salt Lake City 
  9. Hartford, CT 
  10. San Diego

The criteria that went into these rankings  include the city's desire to focus on wellness, including environmental factors, like walking paths, parks and access to outdoor activities. They also assess personal health and how much Americans in these cities are making a concerted effort to be active. 

For Indianapolis, we have 33% of our population that qualifies as obese (BMI of >30kg/m2). And our parks department only spend $24 per person on maintaining/building park areas. And if you look at the number of people who live within a 10 minute walk from a park, that total is only 32%.  When you compare that to the number one healthiest city, Washington DC, they spend $346 per person on their parks, they have 96.3% of their population within a 10 minute walk from a park. Their obesity statistics are much better at 25% of their population = obese. 

This is a huge difference and if you think about the culture of Washington DC compared with Indianapolis you have more people driving in Indianapolis and less people walking to/from their homes/work. Hopefully Indianapolis can take this information and work to better our parks and provide areas for people to be outside and get active. This is going to have to be a shift in priorities to put more money into the parks department, but I know that it can make a big difference in all of our lives. 

Information/statistics from - www.today.com

Celebrating My 2 Year Anniversary

It is crazy to think about that I am now celebrating my 2nd anniversary at St Vincent Women's Hospital and working in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit there. I remember being so nervous about leaving my job at St Elizabeth in Lafayette and wondering if I could like St Vincent's as much?! It has turned out to be an amazing transition and I am so glad that I took that leap of faith. 

I have absolutely loved the challenge of working with all the complicated neonates in our NICU. It is amazing to be part of that team that works each day to save lives. I have seen such a wide array of complex medical issues and gotten to be part of so many tiny miracles. I have enjoyed working with all the staff at St Vincent as well. The doctors are phenomenal, the nurses are super caring and all of the staff cares so much about what they do. I count myself lucky to be part of this amazing team. 

So much as happened in the last 2 years since starting at St Vincent in the NICU ... 

  • We moved from Lebanon to Noblesville
  • Chas quite working for the Boy Scouts and went to graduate school full time at Ball State 
  • Chas got a graduate assistantship to help pay for school
  • I passed a test and became a Certified Specialist in Pediatrics (CSP) 
  • I also attended the Childhood and Adolescent Weight Management Training 
  • I launched this amazing website ... www.RDAnna.com 
  • Worked with social media and various news outlets in the greater Indianapolis area to share nutrition education with the community

It has been amazing and I am excited for what the future holds. It will be amazing to continue to be part of this team and get to learn so much more about neonatal nutrition.

Artificial Sweeteners ... Yes or No?!

Over the last several years there has been a variety of research done in regards to artificial sweeteners. Now in our food supply we have tons of foods/beverages that are made with artificial sweeteners to decrease the overall calories. Is this really the best thing? I have set out to answer this question for the American Diabetes Association of Indianapolis. I have been asked to do a nutrition TV segment and a talk with a diabetes support group on this topic. 

Getting ready to our Artificial Sweeteners segment on Hamilton County TV with Carol Dixon from the American Diabetes Association in Indianapolis.

Getting ready to our Artificial Sweeteners segment on Hamilton County TV with Carol Dixon from the American Diabetes Association in Indianapolis.

I really enjoy being able to do research and increase my own knowledge on a topic and help to clear up confusion that is out there in the media. So here we go ... updated synopsis of the information that I have read and put together on the effect of artificial sweeteners on our bodies. 

  • What are artificial sweeteners? These are compounds, that taste sweet, and are used in place of regular sugar. You may have heard of sugar substitutes, nonnutritive sweeteners or noncaloric sweeteners. They are all the same thing. The theory behind them comes from the fact they are sweeter than sugar so you would use less to obtain the same level of sweetness and that decrease the amount of calories being consumed. 
  • What is the history behind artificial sweeteners? Saccharin (or as we know it Sweet N' Low) was actually discovered by accident at John Hopkins in 1870 when researchers were working with coal tar and cigarettes and ended up creating saccharin. They realized the tip of the cigarette tasted sweet and that was the beginning of artificial sweeteners. These compounds were also found to cost less to use and that helped to influence their surge in being used as a food additive.
  • What are the Pros/Cons of artificial sweeteners? I think that there are two sides of everything and I believe that artificial sweeteners have some positive and negative qualities about them. I hope this information helps you make an informed decision about using artificial sweeteners in your daily life.
    • Pros: 
      • Decrease overall calories - This has been the main reason that artificial sweeteners have gained popularity, because they decrease the calories in sweetened beverages and food. This can be helpful when you are trying to decrease your overall caloric intake to lose weight. More research is being done to look into how effective this small decrease in calories is to overall weight loss. 
      • Creates sweetened options for diabetics - These artificial have been helpful to the diabetic community to provide them with "sweet" food options that may not cause the immediate spike in their blood glucose levels. As a RD I do not think simply substituting regular sugar for an artificial sweeteners is a positive. You need to make healthy choices and not feeling justified in eating the whole sleeve of cookies just because they are "sugar free." 
      • Fine in moderation - I think of artificial sweeteners as a tool. They can be helpful if you want to decrease calories, or need to watch your blood glucose response. Having 1 Diet Coke a day is fine, but having 4-5 Diet Cokes per day is not ok. Everything in moderation and that applies to artificial sweeteners as well. 
      • Variety of products = variety of options - There are so many different types of artificial sweeteners now. Often these artificial sweeteners end up having an after taste, but with the variety of products you can find one that you prefer. Just remember moderation with whatever product you choose.
    • Cons: 
      • Still contains calories - The thing about artificial sweeteners is that they are not "free of calories." You use less of them, because they are sweeter than sugar, you don't consume as much and the calorie amount is low. If it is low enough that it doesn't have to be accounted for on a food label, then it can be labeled as "calorie free" or "low calorie." For example 1 packet of Splenda = 3.3kcal and if you were consume 12 of those packets in your coffee then you would be ingesting 40kcal. So nothing is free of calories, it comes down the amount of that artificial sweetener being consumed. 
      • Brain perceives sweetness and may trigger insulin release - There is more research that has coming out looking at the relationship between artificial sweeteners and your insulin response. So when you eat an artificial sweetener, it tastes sweet, sends a signal to your brain to release insulin from  your pancreas, the artificial sweetener isn't absorbed like glucose and you experience hyperinsulinemia (or high insulin levels). If this happens routinely it could cause you to become insulin resistant. Obviously, more research needs to be done, but it is interesting finds and could have a big impact on the artificial sweetener market in the future. 
      • May alter gut flora - Research has also been looking at how your body deals with artificial sweeteners in your GI tract. Since they aren't absorbed the same way as sugar, this can cause a change in your prebiotics/probiotics in your GI tract. This ultimately creates a different microflora in your gut. That could have other secondary ramifications. Again, it will be interesting to see what that means for people consuming artificial sweeteners on a regular basis. 
  • What do you recommend? It all comes down to moderation. The FDA has ruled artificial sweeteners as safe and if consumed in moderation I think they be a great tool to limit your calorie intake and if you are diabetic can help control your blood glucose levels. If you want a beverage or something sweetened with an artificial sweetener, make sure that you fit in some water. That is always the best thing to reach for when you need to re-hydrate. More research will be coming out in the next several years and I excited to see how this affects our recommendations regarding artificial sweeteners.

Childhood and Adolescent Weight Management Certificate Program

I had the opportunity to attend the Childhood and Adolescent Weight Management Certificate Program in Indianapolis last week. It had been a goal of mine for the last couple of years to attend that program when it was closer to where I live. They offer the 3 day program twice a year and they rotate the sights all over the country. This spring it was in Indianapolis! I just had to go, because it would have been cheaper and less travel compared to going to another state for this training. 

Now you might be wondering what this training is about. It is focused on combating the obesity epidemic in youth and the goal is for RDs to be able to learn more about this issue and be better equipped to work with patients to help them become healthier. To complete the certificate program you have to complete required readings, complete a pre-test (score minimum of 80%), attend the 2 1/2 day program and then complete a post-test (scoring a minimum of 80%). At the end of all this you get to claim this certified training on your resume and gain useful knowledge in this specialty area. 

So even if you aren't an RD, I did learn some interesting information that you might find interesting. 

  • Children ages 2-19 - 32% of them are obese and 21% of children ages 6-10 years are living in food insecure homes.
  • It is projected that by the year 2072 - 80% of everyone in the United States will be obese (BMI >30kg/m2). 
  • 60% of children 10-14 years old have a TV in their bedroom. Research has shown that kids gain 1 extra pound per year when they have a TV in their bedroom compared with children who didn't have a TV in their bedroom. 
  • Children are often the main target for intense and aggressive food marketing and advertising efforts. Often this is NOT for healthy, food options.

I know some of those statistics are depressing, but I think it helps to realize how big of a problem this is for children and this isn't a problem that goes away in adulthood. This weight gain trend often continues as the child gets older and continues to be a problem throughout the child's entire life. 

There are lots of things that we (as a community) can do to help our youth be healthier now and for the future. 

  • Make an effort with your children to limit screen time, get outside a move more and purchase healthy food for your home. 
  • Try to eat out less and make being healthy an entire family commitment. 
  • Support health/wellness initiatives in the local school systems. 
  • As a parent or caregiver, demonstrate healthy behaviors for your children. 

I wanted to share this video from the FNV Campaign (Food and Veggies) that is a partnership from the Healthier America and Let's Move Campaigns to help encourage healthier food marketing to Americans. I just wanted to leave you on that note and encourage you to make healthy choices for yourself and your children.