Nourished not Famished

Real-life healthy changes, made simple and delicious.

Real Food, Real Health

Meal Planning in 6 Bite-Sized Steps

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I feel your pain! Meal planning and prep can sound like a daunting process, and I used to believe that it was an overwhelming, all-or-nothing monster of a task. Not true, I assure you! And you don’t have to have it all figured out to start a weekly routine that works for you. Do you typically make a weekly meal plan?
Here I’m breaking down the process into six, manageable, bite-sized steps. This can help you map out your week more easily, in a way that works for you.

But first, some meal plan & prep mythbusting!

  • Nope, you don’t have to plan and prep every meal for the week. Focus on your weekly rough spots first – is it breakfast, lunch, or dinners? Or maybe tackle three days at a time. You do you.
  • Nope, just because you meal plan doesn’t mean you need to cook and prepare everything from scratch. Grab shortcut foods at the store as needed (rotisserie chicken, pre-chopped veggies, etc.). It’s okay to include dining out in your plan if that works for you. Planning when and where you dine out can often help you get more strategic about choosing places that help you better meet your health goals and your budget.

What do you think? Is it helpful to tackle this process one bite at a time? What works for you? Which steps in the planning and prep process are working for you, and which ones need tweaking?
Let’s do this!

Six Simple Steps to Stop Restricting and Start Thriving

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Are you ready to ditch the binge and restrict cycle?

Let’s bust some myths, and drop some truth bombs about what really works to ditch that torturous diet cycle (that doesn’t work anyway!). Instead, live a life of sustainable habits that actually help you thrive.

I get it. I’ve been there. I used to make ALL of the classic mistakes:

  • Slash calories super low to lose weight, then wonder why I had such intense cravings
  • Worry about how many calories my workout had burned
  • Laser focus on diet and exercise, and TOTALLY miss how my terrible sleep habits and poorly mananged stress was sabotaging me every step of the way

And I now know that I was making everything more complicated than it needed to be. I honestly didn’t know just how straightforward the solution could be.

  • No, you don’t need to atone for what you think you did “wrong” or “bad” over the weekend regarding food. Depriving and restricting yourself today in the form of undereating or overexercising, or completely restricting entire food groups will just perpetuate the binge and restrict cycle!
  • Getting yourself to a place where you feel good, you feel energized, and in your optimal health zone DOESN’T require pain and suffering.
  • It doesn’t require a hyper-detailed meal plan or elaborate fitness routine. (Unless you’re an elite performance athlete. In that case you do you!).

This week, challenge yourself to simply do your best to meet your body (and mind’s!) needs, in ways that fit your bandwidth right now.

And it’s not all about food and fitness! (Repeat that to self as needed.)

It’s all about working with your biology instead of against it.

1. Prioritize sleep. For real. #sleepisthenewcaffeine

2. Start your day with a few minutes of natural light before you reach for a screen. Minimize screen use at night (a hard truth, I know ). Right there, you’re book-ending your day in a way that actually supports your biology, helping every cell in your body feel and function its best. This helps you feel more energized, mentally sharper, and makes hitting your health and body composition goals happen more easily! Natural light is a critical signal to our biology, providing the necessary cues to every cell in our body to foster optimal function. Want to know more about this fascinating circadian rhythm stuff? Check out this article.

3. Build your plate with real, whole or minimally refined foods, and include protein, slow-acting carbs (a.k.a. unprocessed or mininally processed), veggies & fruits, and some fat at each meal. But don’t get all rigid about it either. Save the fine tuning for later (or maybe never?). Check out my recipes and meal prep tips for inspiration. Not sure what a slow carb is? Check out this explanation, and why it’s important to priortize slow carbs over fast-acting carbs.

4. At mealtime, let yourself eat the amount your body truly needs to help you make it through to the next meal. If you really need a snack to tide you over before the next meal, no big deal. Just be honest and check in with yourself when you feel like having a snack. Ask yourself whether it’s truly hunger (typically a hollow sort of feeling in your stomach), or if it’s something else you need that isn’t food. Maybe you simply didn’t eat enough food at that last meal, and it truly is hunger you’re experiencing. Or maybe you’re bored, anxious, or stressed and your habit has been to reach for food to ease those feelings. (Hey, that’s completely normal! Welcome to the club.)

If you’ve been out of tune with your hunger and satiety cues for a long time (dieting will do that), be patient. It takes time to “hear” those signals again, reliably. It will probably be messy at first. Persevere, and maintain an overall focus on nourishing your needs in mind, body, and spirit. In doing so, you will help restablish your connection to those cues. And this is how you will finally eliminate your need for external cues like calorie counting to best determine how much you need at a given meal. Accept that this skill is a work in progress, always.

5. Get some movement into your day, in whatever way it will fit. If you can break up long stretches of sedentary time, even better. Create opportunities to maintain your strength and build some muscle mass. It’s life-saving. Literally. Research is showing that muscle mass is the new vital sign! You don’t need to work yourself to the point of utter exhaustion to see benefits (in fact, killin’ it to the extreme day-in and day-out is counterproductive to seeing results).

6. Connect with your people! Do what you can to build in time to connect with the people in your life that lift you up, get you laughing, and have your back. I know, kind of surprising that maintaining strong social connections helps you thrive not only mentally, but physically, too. And you don’t need to be an extrovert with a hundred “close” friends to reap the benefits. Simply having a minimal amount of strong social ties can boost your odds of survival by 50%! Lack of social connection can have the opposite effect on your health, and can be the equivalent of smoking 15 cigarettes a day or being an alcoholic. So, yeah – nuture those connections with the people in your life who nourish you. Everything is connected!

And no pressure to dial into everything right from the start.

Instead, start where you are, use what you have, do what you can. Grow from there.

Like me, you might just discover that it is a lot simpler than you thought to break that binge and restrict cycle. You got this.

You in? Drop a comment . . . what are you doing this week to work with your biology instead of against it?

If you want some support to build your own road map to these sustainable, lifelong healthy habits, hit up my contact form on here. I would be honored to coach you through the process of ditching the diet and learning to thrive in a way that works for you and your life.

Peace,

Jen

Easy Charcuterie-style Lunch Box

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Yup, those gorgeous, drool-worthy charcuterie board pics everywhere you look lately are the inspiration for this easy, exciting lunch of your dreams: Charcuterie-Inspired Lunch Box. Say goodbye to Sad Desk Lunch/Sad School Lunch Syndrome!

I decided that I don’t need to wait for a party to enjoy a fancy-ish spread like a charcuterie board. In fact, it’s a perfect choice for an easy weekday lunch!

  • You can throw it together in two minutes, and it’s flexible enough for everyone in your household to customize as needed.
  • It’s an easy way to ensure that you’ve got protein, healthy fats, good carbs, and a rainbow of veggies and fruits on your plate.
  • It totally delivers on taste and texture variety, which is often missing from your average Sad Desk Lunch.
  • Snacking-style lunch just feels fun, doesn’t it?

The secret to keeping this easy and doable is doing a tiny bit of prep early in the week. And when prepping the ingredients, consider how you can use the foods in a variety of ways, and not just for this one lunch idea.

Make those meal prep minutes count, worthy of your precious time. Efficiently leverage your efforts so you can protect the rest of your time for everything else in your life.

For example, here’s a rundown of a recent charcuterie-inspired lunch my kids packed for themselves:

Fancy lunch in just five minutes
  • chopped veggies: Red peppers, cucumbers, and radishes. Those veggies are also appearing in other meals this week, too. Chop once, eat a bunch of times!
  • roasted asparagus: I wrapped some stalks in prosciutto before roasting, and left the rest of the stalks plain. The entire sheet pan got a toss of EVOO, salt, pepper, and smidge of grated Parmagiano Reggiano. Beyond these lunches, we’re adding the asparagus to breakfast (omelet, frittata), and for a extra boost of veggies at dinner once or twice this week.
  • radishes: Oh, the conundrum of an ENTIRE bag of radishes, right? Like, who actually eats a whole bag of radishes? (And please don’t suggest roasting them, because I tried that. I’m going to save you some time – don’t roast them. Don’t believe the hype.) I chopped up the rest of the bag, and plan to quick pickle them with some shredded carrot and the rest of the chopped cucumber. I think that might end up in a banh mi bowl . . .
  • Leverage those leftovers!: I intentionally made plenty extra when I roasted chicken on Sunday (for chicken soup). That came in handy to add a few bites here to boost the protein for this meal. Satiety for the win!
  • olives: Even a picky eater might enjoy these super mild Manzanilla olives. They helped me discover that I actually do like olives. #olddognewtricks You can find them at Trader Joe’s.
  • Not pictured: dried apricots, plus sides like crackers and crunchy baked chickpeas (perfect example of how everyone can customize to their own preferences/needs)

Need some inspiration?

How are you keeping lunch easy, nourishing, and exciting? Drop a comment? #sharingiscaring ?

Print Recipe
 Easy Charcuterie-style Lunch Box
The beauty of this easy Charcuterie-Inspired Lunch Box is the ability to customize it to meet your taste preferences and dietary needs. Use the ingredients list below (and the image above) as inspiration, and as usual, YOU DO YOU.
Course Main Dishes
Cuisine Greek, Italian, Mediterranean
Servings
Ingredients
Course Main Dishes
Cuisine Greek, Italian, Mediterranean
Servings
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Add all ingredients to a lunch container, as artfully as you have the tolerance for.
  2. Open at lunchtime, smile, and nosh to your heart's delight.

Your cravings are simply clues: How to work with them, not against them

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Oh, I am so done with the shame game when it comes to my health, my weight, my eating habits. Who’s with me?! Along my journey, I made a powerful shift from LABELING (“I have no willpower”, “I’m an emotional eater”, “I’m simply addicted to cookies”) to LEARNING (“Hmmm, why was I craving #allthejunk today?”, “Why is my appetite different this week than last?”). I went from despising myself for eating the entire party-size bag of Harvest Cheddar Sun Chips to instead, finally figuring out WTF my body needed to feel satiated and energized. 

I realized that cravings aren’t something to beat myself up over. They are simply the body and brain’s way of shouting at us when we’re not giving ourselves what we need. 

Unfortunately, our bodies can’t speak to us more directly:

“Hey Girl, you don’t need that fifth cookie, that fourteenth Netflix episode. Stop it with the 300-calorie Lean Cuisines. Balance your plate with protein, veggies, carbs, and fat, and give yourself some legit, unscheduled downtime to recharge.” 

Nope, the cravings don’t come through with that kind of clarity and encouragement.

Instead, cravings are the cranky equivalent of a screaming toddler out to dinner well past bedtime. Impossible to tune out, and will. not. back. down. until needs are met. 

When cravings strike, it’s NOT time to give yourself an emotional beatdown. 

Put down the boxing gloves. 

Instead, play detective.

Grab your magnifying glass and your thinking cap and nonjudgmentally examine and observe what’s going on.

  • Objectivity instead of judgment
  • Curiosity instead of shame
  • Compassion instead of criticism
  • Solutions instead of “screw it”


Cravings aren’t inherently good or bad. They simply are.

Cravings are our biology’s “code red” system, alerting us of risk. All of those urges are built-in protective mechanisms to save us from famine, undernourishment, physical danger, and all sorts of risks out there in the world. Which is actually a good thing. Your body is wired to help you survive. 

Reframe, and try to see your cravings for the extraordinarily helpful (though crabby) tool they are. Only then can you begin to learn from your body and what it’s telling you, instead of falling into a shame spiral. Resist the urge to simply “fight” your cravings, because in doing so, you are basically fighting against your biology (which is the product of millenia of human evolution). I think you know who’s going to win that one. 

Sometimes cravings guide us to obviously helpful things, like when you crave squash, pumpkin, and sweet potatoes because your body just knows you need some more carbs and beta-carotene.

Sometimes cravings steer us to junky, highly refined foods like donuts, muffins, corndogs, and whatever-other-junk-you-can-think-of.

There are plenty of causes of cravings:

Maybe you’ve been underfueling for too long. (Oh, yeah, you bet I’m bolding this one. So many of us aim to undereat at mealtime and it is possibly the number one driver of cravings. A 300-calorie “meal” isn’t your solution. It’s part of your problem.)

Maybe you’re sleep deprived.

Maybe you’re dealing with an extraordinary amount of unmanaged stress. 

Maybe you’ve been eating more highly processed foods than real foods, leaving you nutrient-depleted.

These are all situations in which your body is going to compel you to seek out very quick-acting, energy-dense food sources. Your body is demanding energy, stat, and it’s going to crank up your cravings to get you to seek out those foods. And highly refined foods like donuts and Cheez-Its provide just that. They are easy for our bodies to digest, so they give us a quick, intense hit of energy. Feels great for a moment, but repeating that day in and day out leaves us feeling pretty crappy.

A better solution to prevent that kind of craving is to preemptively meet your biological needs before the “must-eat-all-the-Swedish-Fish” cravings kick in.

But first, your biology.

So, does this “listen to cravings” thing mean “Oh, my body just wants donuts all the time, so that’s clearly my biology speaking. Time for a Krispy Kreme or Dunky’s run!”. Uhm, no. 

Yes, it’s true, our bodies are rather hard-wired to seek out that stuff, especially when we are shortchanging ourselves on our biological needs.

But you’ve probably learned that you can’t willpower your way out of wanting donuts every day. 

Of course, it’s totally normal to desire and enjoy a donut now and then. That’s part of life, and nothing to freak out over. But if you’re seeking them out every single day 24-7/365 and feeling like your craving is totally controlling you, then maybe you’ve got some unmet biological needs.

Fortunately, real, whole or minimally refined foods, in a balance of protein, fat, and slow-acting carbs are very effective at meeting our biological needs. 

Here are just a few of their superpowers:

Balance hunger and satiety hormones (ghrelin and leptin), leaving you you feeling full and satisfied

Boost energy

Reduce brain fog

Boost fat loss, enhance muscle building

Balance blood sugar (no more “hangry” crashes)

Reduce inflammation (and along, with that, can minimize aches and pains)

Improved health markers (lipid profile, blood glucose levels, blood pressure, etc.)

Help you better meet your overall nutrient needs

And you know what else our bodies respond VERY well to? 

Sleep

Movement 

Strength Training (at a just-right dose FOR YOU)

Self Care

Stress Relief

Connection

When we meet our true needs with our food choices and lifestyle habits, our biology is IN THE ZONE.

We have more energy.

We have more patience. (I find I yell at my kids 50% less when I meet my biological needs!)

We have more strength and stamina, less aches and pains (which makes everything else feel easier).

We feel pretty darn vibrant (due to each cell in your body finally having what it needs to do-its-thang, and do it well!).

We can think more clearly.

We can build muscle more easily.

We can burn stored fat as needed, instead of riding a spike-and-crash wave of hunger.

Maybe you’re thinking, “But, Jen, I am SUCH an emotional eater! I just know it’s my feelings driving the bus here”.
Until you are in the ballpark of meeting your biological needs consistently, avoid labeling yourself an “emotional eater”. 

Is it possible that emotions might be driving some of your eating behaviors? 

Yes, of course that’s possible. And some degree of emotional eating will probably always exist in your life and that’s totally normal. But you can’t totally bypass your biological needs and go straight to uncovering and examining your emotional ball of wax. 

First, you need to minimize the white noise of plain-old biological cravings. Only then do you have a much clearer picture of any underlying emotional eating behaviors. 

Here’s the first question to ask yourself:

AM I MEETING MY BIOLOGICAL NEEDS??

So many of us are convinced that most of our cravings are “emotional eating” and lack of willpower. That was me, too. I used to think I just sucked in the willpower department, and that I would always be in a constant wrestling match for control over my eating habits.

I was convinced that I would never be able to keep Oreos in the house without feeling the NEED to eat an entire sleeve in one sitting. 

In high school, I felt guilty when I would come home from soccer practice and feel the need to eat at least half of an entire box of Cheez-Its. 

When I was a sleep-deprived mama just trying to keep up with my toddler and infant, I was hungry for snacks every single hour.

And I used to label ALL of that as stress eating or emotional eating. I did not know then what I know now. Instead of LABELING, I could have been LEARNING:

I’ve learned that my insatiable appetite for Oreos was the result of not meeting my body’s needs through my overall diet. I was eating more refined foods than my body (specifically my blood sugar response!) can handle, and I wasn’t eating enough protein for my body’s needs. These nutrient inadequacies led me to crave lots of fast-acting energy dense junk foods like Oreos. 

I now know that I was often underfueled in my teen years, especially during my highly active sports seasons. I didn’t know then that my monster craving for all-the-Cheez-Its wasn’t a moral failing. It was simply my body’s way of desperately doing what it needed to compel me to give myself more food, more fuel as quickly as possible. 

I’ve learned that my snacking-on-the-hour habits while parenting a two-year-old and an infant wasn’t solely about stress. Yes, pure old stress was definitely a driver of my snacking habit back then (terrible twos PLUS a colicky baby, ‘nuff said). But I now know that the utter lack of sleep for months on end was also playing a huge role. As you can imagine, the chronic sleep deprivation dialed down my satiety hormones and dialed up my hunger hormones, leaving me feeling always hungry. Again, a great example of how our body is wired for survival. My body perceived lots of wakefulness and, hence, a greater need for constant energy. Right on cue, my hormones responded in a way that would encourage me to keep the fuel coming in, 24/7. Great for survival, but not the most helpful thing when you’re living in a world that’s telling you it’s time to “get your body back” (whatever that means, but that’s a NOVEL for another day, ha!).

In reality, a good chunk of what we label “emotional eating” is often driven by under-nourishment:

  • Not eating enough to fuel our body and brain’s needs day in and day out (cue the weekend binge, right??)
  • Depriving ourselves of entire macronutrients, entire food groups convinced they are the only obstacle getting in the way of fat loss (No, carbs and fat are not Satan.)
  • Shortchanging ourselves of 7-9 hours of sleep nightly
  • Not giving our body the daily dose of movement it needs to thrive. Movement has so many benefits, including regulating your blood sugar response after a meal. When your blood sugar response is less roller coaster and more even keel, you avoid those spikes and crashes that trigger cravings. Plus, a simple walk is also a great form of stress relief. Managing your stress through habits like walking (or meditation, focused breathing, knitting – whatever relaxes you) reduces your likelihood of reaching for food as a form of stress relief.
  • Going for too long without time to relax and recharge (Whatever that might mean for you – alone time with a good book? A walk? Time with friends who “get you”? 30 minutes without “Mom, Mom, Mom” interruptions? ) 

Figuring out what your body needs is a process, and it’s not going to happen overnight. There is no quick fix, just persistence and patience in figuring out what you truly need to thrive. 

Fortunately, the big rocks I’ve mentioned of real food, sleep, movement, stress relief, and self care are a very helpful starting point. If you need inspiration on getting started with those big rocks, poke around my blog for meal ideas, recipes, behavior change strategies, and more. If you’re looking for more support, shoot me a DM, send me an email, contact me however you’d like. Let’s chat about how we can work together so you can stop labeling, start learning, and start living a more energized, vibrant life.

Sweater Weather Guide to Winter Squash

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move over pumpkin. time for some squash love!

So, National Pumpkin Day is almost here . . . uhm, really? Really? As if, AS IF pumpkin really needs to be showered with any more love than it already gets?!

I think it’s high time we all spread the #squashlove, so I put together this handy guide to identifying some of the squashes typically stocked at your local market. If sweater-weather has got you in the mood for some hearty squash dishes, refer to this handy guide to ensure you find the best squash to get your fix!

Squashes are a good source of beta carotene, which the body converts into vitamin A. It’s a timely immune system boost just as flu and cold season hits!

Okay, no judgment from me if you have your heart set on pumpkin. I get it.

Here’s my recipe for Protein-Packed Pumpkin Spice Smoothie.)


roasted delicata squash over massaged kale, with yogurt sauce, pomegranate arils, and za’atar spice

Delicata and Kabocha

Delicata and kabocha have a creamy texture and mild sweetness that is perfectly highlighted by roasting (and the skin is edible on both!).

Also, kabocha and delicata are easier to cut than butternut. Kabocha looks very similar to buttercup squash, and are easily confused (you have to peek at the bottom of the squash to really see the difference – google pics to check it out so you can spot the difference). For what it’s worth, I am not a fan of buttercup at all. I find buttercup squash to be very watery and rather bland.

Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti squash is my go-to for a neutral flavored squash that works nicely in casseroles (like buffalo chicken casserole, and also good in an enchilada-sauced casserole).


roasted butternut squash with chili and cumin

Butternut Squash

For pureed squash soups, butternut is my numero uno. It’s also delicious roasted, and is a perfect pairing with a rich sausage or bratwurst and greens for a quick and easy sheet pan dinner. Check out some of my favorite butternut squash recipes:

Fall Harvest Salad

acorn squash

Acorn squash‘s texture and mild flavor are a good choice for if you’re making stuffed squash (plus, that shape just somehow screams fall, doesn’t it?).


Sugar Pumpkin

Sugar pumpkins are a bit sweeter, firmer, and less stringy than your typical carving pumpkin. They’re suitable for roasting or pureeing. If pureeing to use in a baked good, keep in mind that the consistency will be slightly less thick/condensed than canned pumpkin.

What are your favorites? Which squashes are on your shopping list this week? How many of these six types have you tried?

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How to stop feeling always hungry and ditch the calorie counting.

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If you’re trying to figure out the “right” amount of food for you, eating real, whole (or at least, minimally refined) is the easiest, most pleasurable way to figure that out.

Eating foods in their least processed state, in an optimal balance of protein, fat, and carbs that works *for you* allows your body’s hunger and satiety signals to ring true. And as an added bonus, not only do real, whole foods guide you to your “just right”, they also are loaded with all of the nutrients and micronutrients that your body was designed to consume. Seriously, real food is the universal, human “thrive formula”!

And when I say “right” amount of food for you, and the “right” ratio of protein/fat/carbs for you, I’m talking about a way of eating that leaves you feeling:
✔️ satisfied
✔️ satiated
✔️energized
✔️*and* supports your overall health

Obviously, that amount is going to vary from one individual to the next. And that amount can also vary a bit from one day to the next. This is exactly why our bodies were designed with built in regulation mechanisms. If we let those cue come through, they tell us what we need! How amazing, right?

And if you’re not sure of where to start with balancing your protein, fat, and carbohydrates at mealtime, experiment a bit and observe carefully which balance seems to leave you feeling your best.

“But, but, . . . my signals are broken.

I can’t stop!

I don’t know when to stop!”

I hear ya. I was there once, too. Honestly, I felt always hungry, and didn’t understand why. Well, here are a few common things I was doing that were totally undermining my body’s ability to give me reliable satiety cues:

  • Eating more refined foods than my body could handle. These foods were sending my blood sugar levels on a roller coaster ride daily, leaving my energy levels crashing soon after a meal. I would feel hungry soon after eating, even after adequately sized meals. Too many highly refined foods trigger that “always hungry” feeling. And due to the poor nutrient content in highly refined foods, the body often continues to seek more food in an effort to obtain your basic nutrient requirements.
  • Inadequate protein. No, I’m not advocating a super high protein diet here. I simply learned that I was consuming well under my body’s protein needs on a regular basis. Increasing these “building blocks” to my plate each mealtime was a game changer. I felt more satiated, was able to build muscle more easily, and saw my energy levels rise!
  • Deprivation and restriction. I would go through occasional phases of undereating (= eating below my body’s needs) in a misguided attempt to lose weight. Well, undereating is a sure-fire way to fire up the body’s hunger hormones, because, HELLO, your body is a system that is designed to help you survive. If you fail to meet your body’s basic requirements, your body will fight tooth and nail to get you to eat more (cue the cravings and binges!). It now sounds so obvious to me. Eating adequate fuel allows your body feel safe to thrive. So basic, but SO powerful.

Beyond real, whole foods your body has other basic needs that influence your sense of satisfaction and satiety with your food:
– manage your stress
– get adquate sleep
– move your body frequently (at an intensity that feels good for you!)

– spend time with loved ones

– spend time outdoors

Does this mean that the occasional treat will throw everything off, that you need to swear off cookies forever? No! What matters most is what you do MOST of the time. If you’re doing a bang-up job of meeting your body’s needs most of the time, your body will keep you in that “thrive” zone.

Have you ditched the calorie counting? Are you thinking about it? Are you ready to trust that your body’s got your back if you simply give it what it needs to thrive?

Trust the process. The mindset of “nourished, not famished” allows your body find its way to optimal health and vitality.

Frittata 101: How to Make the Perfect Frittata

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Okay, so maybe perfect is a stretch, but that’s the beauty of this whole frittata thing. It doesn’t need to be perfect! Whew, right? Who needs perfection on a busy weeknight, anyway? There are some basic techniques and steps to follow, but beyond that, you can just get in there and do your thing. Add your favorite veggies, or, even better – use up the odds and ends of veggies that are hiding in your fridge. Want to add some more protein in the form of ham or sausage? Slice that up, and go for it. Does a little bit of feta, goat cheese, or cheddar work for you? If you need to keep things dairy-free, garnish with avocado slices. Feel free to add in fresh or dried herbs if you like. You do you!

Frittata know-how is one of those must-have kitchen skills that can help you throw together a healthy breakfast, lunch, or dinner with very little effort and time. It’s also a great staple for batch-cooking meal prep, because you can double, triple, quadruple, etc. the amount to fit your household’s needs.

Eggs are a rich source of protein and healthy fats, so a frittata is a wonderfully satiating choice for breakfast. And, really, who has time to cook eggs from scratch every morning? The frittata is a shining example of how, with a little bit of meal prep, real food can be the easy, convenient, “fast food” choice.

Frittata made with tomatoes and zucchini

Nope, not pizza! It’s frittata made with zucchini, garlic, italian herbs, parmesan, and sliced tomato. Pizzata?

My recipe below is based on using eight eggs. Depending on your serving-size needs (1 egg? 2 eggs?),  it it makes 4-8 servings. This recipe is totally customizeable, so if you need to serve more than that, a 12-inch skillet can easily accomodate up to a dozen eggs. Also, if using a 12-inch skillet, I recommend using at least six eggs. If you plan to use less than six eggs, I recommend using a smaller, 9 or 10-inch skillet.

Use a heavy, sturdy skillet, as it conducts heat so much better. Cast iron is nice, but not necessary. You’ll need to use an ovenproof skillet, as the final cooking step involves the oven.

And one last bit of advice . . . be sure to coat the pan thoroughly with the oil. Baked-on/cooked-on egg is no joke, and will leave you scrubbing your pan for an hour. Ugh. Properly oiling the surface will make all the difference in the world!

If you want to go even bigger, try out my recipe here for Sheet Pan Frittata!

A slice of frittata from your meal prep stash is an easy way to build your plate for a quick lunch or dinner.

So good at breakfast with my favorite side – steel-cut oats, berries, Greek yogurt, and cinnamon, nutmeg, & cardamom!

 

Print Recipe
 Basic Frittata
Course Breakfast, Main Dishes
Servings
Ingredients
Course Breakfast, Main Dishes
Servings
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400F.
  2. Whisk eggs in a large bowl. Whisk in salt and pepper to taste. If you are using herbs or spices, add them in at this point, and combine thoroughly.
  3. Heat a 10-12 inch heavy skillet over low to medium heat. Add the extra virgin olive oil. Try to rub a little bit of the oil up the sides a tiny bit (I usually use a scrap of paper towel or a pastry brush to do so). This will prevent egg from sticking on the sides of the pan.
  4. Once oil is heated, add in raw veggies, and saute until softened. Cook time will vary depending on your choice of vegetables. If you are using pre-cooked veggies, do not add them at this point.
  5. Pour egg mixture into skillet, right over the sauteed veggies (be sure to spread them evenly around the pan before you add the egg mixture to the pan). If you are using pre-cooked veggies, add right on top of the egg mixture, being sure to distribute evenly (to make sure everyone gets their veggies!). If you are adding cheese, sprinkle it on top.
  6. Reduce heat to low and cook for two minutes.
  7. Turn off stovetop heat, and place skillet in preheated 400F oven. Cook for approximately five minutes, until eggs are set. Cook time will vary slightly depending amount of ingredients you used.
  8. Garnish with avocado (optional) and fresh herbs (optional).
  9. Slice leftovers into portions of your choice, and store in fridge for quick meals during the week.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

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Batch cooked sweet potatoes . . . a regular on my meal plan

 

Have only a few minutes to squeeze in some meal prep today or tonight? Roasted sweet potatoes are the no-big-deal of meal prep. With very little effort and time, you can stockpile your fridge with ready-to-eat, nutrient-rich slow carbs that are great with breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Meal prep doesn’t always have to happen in one big session. Micro sessions, squeezed in when you have a little time to spare works great, too!

When I make roasted sweet potatoes, I love to use the Montreal blend from Teeny Tiny Spice Company, or a combo of chili powder & cumin. Whatever spice blend you choose, check the label to make sure it’s made with recognizable ingredients, and none of the junk that’s going to interfere with your health.

If you’re cooking organic potatoes, go right ahead and enjoy the eating the skin, too! It’s a good source of vitamins and minerals such as iron, potassium, and b vitamins, and contains a good dose of fiber, too. Conventional (not organic) potatoes are on the “dirty dozen” list when it comes to pesticide use, so, in that case, avoid eating the skin.

These roasted sweet potatoes can be tucked into just about any meal!

Print Recipe
 Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Course Salads & Side Dishes
Servings
(depends on amount of potatoes)
Ingredients
Course Salads & Side Dishes
Servings
(depends on amount of potatoes)
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Rinse potatoes and scrub clean. Cut in half lengthwise, rub cut side with a little bit of oil, and then season with salt and your favorite spices. I love to use the Montreal blend from Teeny Tiny Spice Company, or a combo of chili powder & cumin.
  2. Place cut side down on a baking sheet, and bake at 400F for about 30-40 minutes (until soft).
  3. Or, if you prefer, cut potatoes into wedges or cubes, and toss with some olive oil or avocado oil and whatever spices you enjoy. Roast at 425F until they are browned to your liking.

You aren’t failing your diet. Your diet is failing YOU.

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Perspective is everything. If you went way off track with your eating habits, view it as a massive learning opportunity, and NOT as an opportunity to spiral down a rabbit hole of guilt, shame, and disappointment. You are not failing your diet. Your diet is failing YOU. It’s likely that your way of eating is fighting your biology, instead of working with it. Getting way off track is not an issue of willpower, rather, it’s simply a sign that your current strategies aren’t serving you and your goals. Time to do some sleuthing and uncover the the real triggers. Some areas to consider:

◽Am I ignoring my hunger and being restrictive about amount of food?
◽Am I regularly eating overly refined and processed foods (which hijack your brain and hunger hormones, a strong biological response you can’t oppose with willpower)? This doesn’t mean you won’t ever occasionally dip into such foods, but it’s a good idea to consider holding off on such foods until you’ve given your body a chance to reset and balance your hunger and metabolism hormones.
◽ Am I just too dang tired? Have I been getting enough quality sleep?
◽Have I been taking time for some stress relief?
◽Was I caught in too many situations without good food choices? Have I been doing some meal planning and simple prep to prevent difficult food choices?

It’s not you, it’s your triggers. Be gentle with yourself. Setting yourself up for success can be a much more pleasurable and *effective* way to hit those health goals you’ve set for yourself. What do you find are your most frequent triggers?

Your Brain, Not Just Your Body Needs Movement

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Your body AND your brain need movement to remain vibrant, healthy, and functioning at peak capability. And that is what we all want, right, no matter our age? I think we’re all already sold on the fact that our bodies benefit hugely from an active lifestyle that includes movement. We already get it that sedentary lifestyle = bad, bad, bad for our physical health. What’s also true is that less sedentary time, combined with more time simply moving = better learning and memory capabilities. And, here’s the biggie – there’s emerging evidence that being a mover versus a habitual sitter recudes your risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimers and Parkinsons disease. Hard to ignore that one, right?

The good news is, you don’t have to go nuts at the gym six days a week to benefit your brain health. In fact, non-exercise movment (simply walking, going up and down the stairs versus escalator; gardening, housecleaning, etc.) plays a significant role in preserving brain health. The name of the game is to interrupt your sitting time, even if it’s just standing up for one minute every twenty minutes that you’re sitting. While a big, sweaty, intense workout at the gym is great for a lot of reasons, if you’re sitting for the remainder of the day, your workout isn’t going to cancel out completely the risks associated with all of that sedentary time.

So, no need to overthink it. Just stand up when you think of it, take the stairs instead of the elevator when you can, park at the back of the lot and not in the front row, etc. Keep your joints and muscles mobile by sitting on the floor versus a chair once in a while. Get down there into a deep squat when you need to tie your shoes. If it’s only a couple of bags, carry your groceries out of the store instead of in the cart. All of these little, seemingly effortless actions add up to level of mobility and cognitive health that serves your life rather than restricts it.

That’s what I love about all of this real food/movement/sleep/stress relief stuff. They are the tools to #poweryourlife!

Want to learn more about the critical importance of movement and brain health? Check out https://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2016/02/26/sedentary-lifestyle-brain-shrinkage.aspx.