Quick Salmon Salad Sandwich

After a short hiatus due to a crazy month- I'm back in the game of sharing my quick healthy meal concoctions! And in exactly one month, I will be headed on a month long vacation (I know, I live a tough life) where I will try my darndest to post about eating healthy while traveling even when you're in exotic crazy destinations.

Quick Salmon Salad Sandwich

Serves 1

1 Pepperidge Farms Whole Wheat hamburger bun (110 calories, 2g fiber)

1 package Chicken of the Sea Salmon

1 tablespoon Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon Olive Oil Mayo

½ cup spinach
3 slices diced tomato
1 tablespoon raisins
salt/pepper to taste

In a small bowl mix ingredients and serve on bun.

Nutrition Info:

231 calories, 5g fat, 0.5g saturated fat, 25g carbohydrates, 3g fiber, 6.8g sugar, 25g protein, 733mg sodium.

Dietitian Says:

If you have all the ingredients on hand, this can be thrown together and halfway gone in less than five minutes! That’s what I did today anyways. Awesome balance of carbs and protein, however, a little higher in sodium than I would like it (aim for less than 600mg per meal and less than 200mg for snacks). That can be compensated the rest of the day though. Also, packaged salmon, such as Chicken of the Sea kinds, can often be better than fresh because it is usually wild Alaskan salmon and not farm-raised Atlantic, which is poorer quality and has less omega-3s, which is the reason to eat it in the first place! Plus, packaged/canned salmon is super cheap! Enjoy! 

Day 2 Detox- Better Late Than Never!

Bah! Got almost all the way done writing this post and of course, my computer shut down erasing everything! Then I didn't have internet en route from here to ATX. So here’s the abbreviated version because I just don’t have it in me to re-type everything.

Anyways- So back on Day 2 Detox I went a little health crazy… started my day with cardio pilates and props and ended it with yoga with weights. Made Brussels sprouts, kale chips and 4 huge jars of sauerkraut in the same hour too (Who does that?!). Meal Plan for the day went something like this:

Snack: Grapefruit and a few almonds before Pilates (running late so it was a grab-and-go)

Breakfast: Greek yogurt (have you noticed how much I love this stuff yet?), blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, flax seeds, raw honey. 1 cup black tea with 1 packet stevia in the raw.

Lunch: Tortilla-less Burrito- boiled chicken breast (boneless, skinless, seasoned with Tommy’s all natural seasoning), 2 tablespoons black beans, ½ cup fresh diced Roma Tomatoes, 1 tablespoon Fage Greek Yogurt (awesome replacement for sour cream), 1/3 small avocado, fresh salsa. Mixed it all up in a bowl, grabbed a spoon, then went to town!

Snack: Pear and a few honey roasted pecans

Dinner: Salmon burger with a friend of a friend’s super awesome Brussels sprouts recipe that I’m about to share.

Snack: 3 kale chips (just to try then shared them with my friends while we watched frozen planet, which is a crazy awesome show if y’all haven’t seen it) and a cup of strawberries.

Sweet & Spicy Brussels Sprouts

Serves 1

Canola Oil Cooking Spray
1 cup halved Brussels sprouts (or more depending on what serving size you’re going for- don’t have to feel guilty about eating extra veggies!)
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon raw honey

Pre-heat oven to 425. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray and add Brussels sprouts. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes or until slightly browned and crispy. Place Brussels sprouts in a bowl and toss with balsamic vinegar and honey till coated evenly. Enjoy!

Kale Chips

Serves as many as you’d like!

5-6 cups fresh kale, rinsed and torn into “chip” size pieces
Canola oil cooking spray
Salt/Pepper to taste  (or you can use your own seasoning- Cajun works well but trust me, a little goes a LONG way)

Preheat oven to 425. Arrange kale on baking sheet and coat LIGHTLY with canola spray. Sprinkle with salt/pepper/seasoning of your choice. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until crispy.

Dietitian Says: Great Snack and so easy to do on your own without shelling out big bucks for the pre-made kind. Add any other thinly sliced veggies for some guiltless snacks to use for hummus or yogurt based dips!

I’ll add some nutrition facts in later but as of now I’m in my favorite city in Texas, Austin for the weekend with my fellow dietitian and pal, Natalie! She’s also detoxing with me and feel free to follow her blog as well here! 

Beet it Beer Braised Red Cabbage

On my trip to the farmers' market this past weekend I encountered the biggest beets I've ever seen! I couldn't resist. I just had to have them so here they are posted above! P.s. my hands are kinda small but seriously, that thing is a monster! and all for $4! What. a. bargain.

My saturday morning grocery trip concluded with fully stocking my fridge with fresh produce and also emptying my wallet (whoopsie!) BUT i got some great stuff I won't have to get again for awhile. Anywho- decided last night to test out a beer braised red cabbage recipe by looking over a couple then winging it myself. Here's what I did:

Beet It Beer Braised Red Cabbage
Serves 4

Ingredients:
Canola Oil Cooking Spray
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 onion, chopped
2 organic farm fresh carrots, chopped (looks like they were JUST picked from the ground)
1 beet, chopped (the smallest one pictured above- saving the big guns for later)
3 cups chopped red cabbage
4 oz tofu (optional)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
6 oz beer (I used Budweiser because my roommate said it was okay to take his beer)

Instructions:
1. Heat skillet over medium heat. Spray pan and add garlic and onion, let cook until by itself 2-3 minutes. Add remaining ingredients to the pan.
2. Cover and let simmer 12-15 minutes or until veggies are tender.
3. Uncover and stir until half the liquid evaporates. Salt and pepper to taste and Serve 'er up!

Grass-fed Momma's Meatloaf

Ahh, so it's been awhile since my last post. I was back in H-town for a few days before taking off to Austin for the last weekend of SXSW. I'm going to go off on a quick tangent and just say I love the city of Austin so much! Such a great foodie, hippie, anything goes kinda place. Super easy to eat healthy too even if it means only eating out of food trucks (which I did- Chicken Tikka Masala out of the Naan Stop truck- great decision). Got to see some amazing Athens, GA based bands as well! Great Success!

Back to the food- Upon returning, I realized I had frozen my local Texas grass-fed beef I got from the farmers' market so I decided to try out my oh-so-yummy Turkey Meatloaf recipe featured in my book with the beef instead. Grass-fed beef tends to be a tad more gamey than your average beef taste-wise because it is very lean and has some of those awesome Omega-3 fatty acids instead of the usual saturated fats traditional beef is laden with. The result was wonderful! Definitely a different taste, but very acceptable. I paired the already veggie-filled loaf with more veggies- sauteed brussels sprouts, butternut squash, mushrooms, and onion seasoned with garlic and vinegar. Soo good! AND the leftovers fed me for the rest of the week! Which is time saving for when you're too exhausted later in the week to prepare something, but still want something healthy.

Here's the recipe! Enjoy!

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 lb grass-fed ground beef (local beef preferred)
1 cup oats
1 cup finely chopped onion

3 carrots, shredded
½ cup ketchup (no high fructose corn syrup preferred)
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons minced garlic
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper

Preparation:

1.     Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine all ingredients in large bowl; mix lightly but thoroughly.

2.     Bake 50-55 minutes or until meatloaf reaches an internal temperature of 170°F. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing.

Optional Sauce:

1.     Combine ½ cup grated onion, 1 cup ketchup, 4 tablespoons distilled vinegar, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, and 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce and add to meatloaf 20 minutes before done. Sauce will add 76 calories, 19g carbohydrate, and 564mg sodium per serving. 

Nutrition Information:

216 calories, 7g fat, 3g saturated fat, 1g monounsaturated fat, 1g polyunsaturated fat, 19g carbs, 3g fiber, 19g protein, 437mg sodium.