If you’re going to eat the same thing every day, here are a few things to keep in mind:

1. Pick foods you love!

2. Stick with meals that are easy to prepare.

3. Make a bulk batch of food at the beginning of the week to avoid cooking every night.

4. Shop in bulk. For these meals I bought the following at Costco:
-green apples
-Coach’s oats
-ground flax seed
-whole grain bread
-sliced turkey
-pepper jack cheese
-ground turkey
-greek yogurt
-marinara sauce
-ground turkey
-frozen blueberries
-egg whites

Eating the same thing for the past 3 weeks hasn’t been too bad. I’m not sick of the routine yet:

Breakfast has consisted of egg whites, pepper jack cheese, turkey, and sriracha on whole wheat toast. I could probably eat this every day for the rest of my life.

I’ve been packing the same thing for lunch every day, too:
-Oatmeal with a scoop of protein powder, ground flax, and bit of brown sugar
-Green apple
-Plain Greek yogurt with frozen blueberries and stevia
I keep the oatmeal, protein powder, flax, and brown sugar in my office for days when I didn’t pack leftovers for lunch.

Dinner every night has been turkey meatballs with bell pepper, spinach, and La Victoria marinara sauce. This is the only thing I’ve actually been “cooking” each week. A 1 lb package of ground turkey makes enough meatballs to last a whole week.

I was excited to see that the macronutrient breakdown of these meals has been almost exactly 1-1-1 protein-carbs-fat. It’s nice to know that my diet can be balanced even when I don’t feel like cooking!

I think it’s time for a change, though!

September 28, 2013recipe, treats

Simple Apple Galette

Karolinaapple, galette, tart Leave a comment

My sister is stopping by for dinner after work today! Instead of cooking dinner, though, I baked a tasty apple galette. You should make this too! It’s a very simple and delicious dessert- flaky, buttery, lightly sweet, and tart!

ingredients:
2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored
1 cup all purpose flour
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 packet of stevia
6 tbs softened unsalted butter + 1 more tbs
3 tbs cold water
2 tbs raw sugar

1. In a stand mixer, combine 2 tbs butter with flour, stevia, and salt. Blend until crumbly. Add remaining butter and continue to blend until the dough looks like this:

2. Add the water in gradually. Mix the dough with a spoon or spatula to pick up the dry bits of flour in the bowl. Once all the water is mixed in, the dough should look like this:

3. Use your hands to form a ball out of the dough. Flatten it into a thick disc and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.

4. While the dough is chilling, chop the apples in half and cut them into thin slices.
5. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface until about 1/8″ thick and 14″ diameter.
6. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased baking sheet. Place apple slices in the middle, leaving 2″ all around the edge. Fold the edges of the dough in over the apples, pinching the dough every inch or so.
7. Brush the dough and apples with 1 tbs melted butter using a pastry brush. Sprinkle the buttered surface with 2 tbs sugar.
8. Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes, turning every 15 minutes. The galette is done when the edges are golden and crisp. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream!

September 27, 2013snacks

7 Crunchy Gluten-free Snacks

KarolinaGF, snacks Leave a comment

Sorry for being MIA over the past few weeks! Colby and I recently bought a brand new house, so we’ve been busy learning about the home-buying process over the past few weeks. I also started a new schedule at work. I’m still adjusting to starting later and coming home after dinnertime, but I think it’ll be awesome for blogging in the morning.

When I come home late in the evening and curl up with my phone or laptop to browse houzz, I like to snack on something crunchy. Here are my latest faves for munching:

Jalepeño ranch popcorn chips… Wow! Spicy, crunchy, whole grain, amazing.

The white cheddar flavor is great if you’re craving Cheetos.

Parmesan herb popcorn bursts with flavor, too.

If you’re craving a sweet snack, try cinnamon sugar kettle corn.

If you prefer crackers, try these sea salt and almond rice rounds:

Sweet potato tortilla chips boast a lovely combo of lightly sweet and salty flavors.

Finally, my top pick for salsa dipping are these blue corn tortilla chips. They’re chock-full of quinoa and flax seeds as an added bonus!

Happy snacking! I should really get back to cooking real food, right?

September 7, 2013protein, recipe, starch

Green Lentil Quinoa Pilaf

KarolinaGF, lentil, quinoa, vegetarian Leave a comment

On this overcast day, I decided to make a satisfying vegetarian lunch bowl. The following recipe can be served solo or as a tasty and protein packed vegetarian side dish! The chewy quinoa and lentils have a wonderful texture, while the tomato, garlic, and cumin bring the dish to life with a big burst of flavor.

Ingredients:
1/2 c dry green lentils
1/2 c dry quinoa
2 c vegetable broth
1 tbs olive oil
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp tarragon
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbs minced onion
1 c tomato sauce

1. Being quinoa, lentils, and vegetable broth to a boil.

2. Add olive oil and seasonings (everything except tomato sauce). Reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until all liquid is absorbed.

3. Stir in tomato sauce and adjust seasonings to taste. Serve warm or chilled.

September 6, 2013Drinks, recipe

Flavored Coffee is so Gross

Karolinacoffee 4 Comments

Do you know how flavored coffee is made? Do you suppose flavors like caramel macchiato, peppermint mocha, bananas foster, or Irish cream milkshake are natural? I’m here to tell you that flavored coffee actually comes from stale, bitter, unwanted coffee beans that are chemically bound to laboratory derived flavoring agents. Read the full scoop on how flavored coffee is made here.

I hope you’re thoroughly grossed out and want to flavor your coffee yourself.

Here’s how to make tasty almond coffee!

ingredients:
1 cup strong unflavored brewed coffee, hot or cold
several drops of pure almond oil
Sweetener and milk of choice

I used Starbucks French roast coffee, chilled it in the freezer after brewing, and then added my ingredients. I used stevia as the sweetener. If you’re going to use sugar, add it while the coffee is still hot so it will dissolve better. Good milk choices include half & half, cow’s milk, soy milk, almond milk, coconut milk, and rice milk. Pick whichever you prefer! I used organic 1% milk in mine.

Other flavoring agents to try:
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Ground cloves
Pumpkin purée
Brown sugar
Vanilla extract
Unsweetened cocoa powder
Peppermint oil

Experiment with your own flavorings and nix the propylene glycol used to bind artificial flavors to coffee beans!

September 5, 2013protein, recipe, starch, vegetables

Salmon, Quinoa, and Veggies in 20 Minutes

KarolinaDinner, quinoa, salmon 1 Comment

Try this meal when you only have 20 minutes to get a balanced dinner on the table! Salmon cooks quickly in the oven, quinoa is a breeze to prepare on the stovetop, and veggies are sautéed to perfection in under 10 minutes. Here we go!

Ingredients:
2 marinated salmon filets, 6 oz each
1/2 cup quinoa
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup water
1 tsp + 1 tbs olive oil
2 tsp minced garlic, divided
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
2/3 cup grape tomatoes

1. Place 2 salmon filets on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes until fork tender. (I used Costco’s wild Alaskan marinated salmon)

2. While the salmon is in the oven, heat dry quinoa in a saucepan until hot and fragrant. Add water, chicken broth, 1 tsp olive oil, and 1 tsp minced garlic. Bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.

3. Once the quinoa is cooking, slice the veggies. Heat 1 tbs olive oil in a skillet. Add the onion and bell pepper. Move around the pan for a few minutes until golden. Add a splash of water if the pan is getting dry. Add the grape tomatoes and 1 tsp minced garlic to the pan and continue to sauté for a couple minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. The salmon and quinoa should be done shortly after the veggies are finished. Split everything between 2 plates and serve!

September 4, 2013protein, recipe

Pizza Meatballs

KarolinaGF, Meatballs 1 Comment

So I had all this string cheese in the fridge and had to come up with a way to use it up. String cheese isn’t great on quesadillas because it’s the wrong shape. Plain string cheese is a boring snack. I think melted cheese is just so much better in texture and flavor. This recipe was born from my love of melted cheese, pizza, and ground meat. I hope you like it too!

Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground turkey
1/2 cup old fashioned oats, ground in a food processor
1.5 tsp dried basil
1.5 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
6 slices salami or pepperoni, finely chopped
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
2 sticks of low fat string cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and cut string cheese into bite sized pieces:

2. In a mixing bowl, combine all remaining ingredients and smush together with clean hands.

3. Wash your hands and using wet fingers, make a ping pong ball sized meatball. Gently press a piece of cheese into the inside of the meatball and re-form.

4. Place the formed meatball on a lightly greased baking sheet. Repeat with all the remaining meat and string cheese pieces. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the meatballs are no longer pink inside and the cheese is melted.

5. Serve the meatballs with your favorite marinara sauce on a hoagie roll, over spaghetti, or atop zucchini noodles!

September 3, 2013recipe, snacks

Flavor Your Own Yogurt

KarolinaYogurt 2 Comments

Do you know how much sugar there is in strawberry yogurt?

Check it out:

26 grams! To put that in visual terms, there are about 4 grams of sugar in a teaspoon, so one 6 oz Yoplait yogurt has over 6 teaspoons of sugar in it! By comparison, a cup of Froot Loops has 12 grams, or 3 teaspoons, of sugar. That’s less than half of Yoplait’s sugar content! I didn’t always realize how sugar laden flavored yogurt can be, but I set my mind to flavoring my own after finding out.

I like to use plain Fage Greek Yogurt because it’s creamier than regular yogurt. This brand of Greek yogurt is strained to give it it’s texture and high protein content. Some brands of Greek, such as Dannon, do not make their thick “Greek” yogurt by the traditional method of straining. They take a shortcut and add thickening agents. This results in more filler ingredients and less protein. Fage has fewer calories and more than quadruple the protein of Yoplait Light!

I buy the big container because it’s less expensive per serving than individual cups. You can usually get it for under $5 at Costco. You’ll notice it does contain some sugar. These 9 grams are lactose sugar, the less sweet milk sugar inherently found in dairy products.

I use stevia to add sweetness to my yogurt because it’s a calorie-free plant extract. If you’re ok with using a bit of caloric sweetener, try a spoon of local honey or unrefined sugar in your yogurt instead.

(Follow @GemmaCorrell on Instagram for more puns!)

Here is all you need to make your plain Greek yogurt vanilla flavored:

Ingredients:
8 oz plain Greek yogurt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Liquid stevia to taste (about 3/4 dropper)

Stir the vanilla extract and stevia into the plain yogurt and mix well. Liquid stevia can be hard to find, so you can substitute 1-2 packets of powdered stevia. I buy my liquid stevia on amazon.com for about $10 per bottle. This lasts me between 3-6 months.

For more fun flavors, top your vanilla yogurt with fresh fruit. Try strawberries, blueberries, or peaches. Frozen fruit works well too!

September 2, 2013recipe, snacks

Kiwi Spinach Green Smoothie

KarolinaFruit, smoothie Leave a comment

I usually make very basic green smoothies. The only ingredients are green apples and spinach. Today I decided to add a little something special- kiwi! This exotic fruit is rich in potassium, vitamin C, and natural protein digesting enzyme, actinidain. It’s also one of the lowest pesticide containing conventionally grown foods, so you don’t have to buy organic. Here’s how to make a super green smoothie with it:

Ingredients:
1 kiwi, no need to peel!
1/2 green apple
1 handful baby spinach
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 c water
Handful of ice cubes

1. Combine all ingredients in a powerful blender and gradually increase speed from low to high until very smooth. Serve immediately.

I still have lots of kiwi to use up. That’s what I get for buying it at Costco! Maybe I will come up with more kiwi recipes. For now, I’ll be enjoying more of these refreshing green smoothies.

Karolina's Kitchen

from the dietitian to your kitchen

Monthly Archives: September 2013

Balanced meals for the super busy

Simple Apple Galette

7 Crunchy Gluten-free Snacks

Green Lentil Quinoa Pilaf

Flavored Coffee is so Gross

Salmon, Quinoa, and Veggies in 20 Minutes

Pizza Meatballs

Flavor Your Own Yogurt

Kiwi Spinach Green Smoothie

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