RDTOD September Favorites

Welcome to RDtipoftheday's favorites September edition. This is my blog series that highlights some of the best things I've been watching, reading, listening to, cooking, and eating. These are a few of my favorite things this month.

Eating & Cooking

I found an herby pesto-like sauce that I'm loving. It's a combination of herbs, garlic, and olive oil. I plan to post a recipe soon. I love this green, delicious sauce so much that I bought the herbs to grow into my own little planter garden. I don't have a green thumb or a large garden, so this planter box is perfect. It's a great starter garden on garden for the city. Do you have a garden? Any tips for growing herbs?

I like taking cooking classes. Recently, I've completed a cake decorating class and practiced decorating cookies and cakes at home. When you decorate cakes, you usually use buttercream or fondant. When you decorate cookies, it is common to use royal icing. So, I researched what is the difference between buttercream and royal icing?

The picture above is of some moist chocolate cupcakes I made. You need to bake cupcakes to be able to practice frosting. P.s. Don't worry I shared the cupcakes with friends and family.

I have not experimented with coloring or decorating with fondant myself. So, here's a video about fondant basics.

image from grayduckbakeshop

I love pineapples and watermelon. I just started learning about cake decorating. So, this cake is my inspiration to keep practicing. #CakeGoals

Watching

How are you enjoying your Fall semester? I always loved back to school. New clothes/uniforms, school supplies, and making new friends. If back to school has you down, this video should cheer you up; it's lunchtime. 

Reading
I'm enjoying Shauna Neiquist's new book Present Over Perfect. It's a super challenging and encouraging at the same time. This is one of my favorite quotes: it reads: "And now that you don't have to be perfect, you can be good." by John Steinbeck. 

One of my friends is hosting a brunch and books get together. A group of us are reading Present Over Perfect. I'm excited! I love eating especially brunch, talking, and reading. So, I'm super excited to hang out with the girls and do some of my most favorite things!

Encouraging
Working in nutrition, I hear a lot of people wanting to be perfect - perfect diet, perfect look, perfect this, and perfect that. I don't think perfection is achievable. My goal for myself and my clients is to live a healthy, balanced life and do your best - not a life seeking an illusion of perfection. I think there is a balance of making healthy choices and living a balanced, healthy life. I'd love to hear your thoughts on how you live a healthy, balanced life. Feel free to comment below.

I hope you enjoyed these tips, recipes, and all of my favorites from this month. Let me know if this is a feature that you would like me to continue by commenting below. And, let me know if you have something you want to be featured. Thanks! Have a great weekend!

For more recipes, encouragement, and tips for healthy eating, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. 

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Registered Dietitian's Top 5 Tips for Healthy Eating

I am a Registered Dietitian (RD). I help people eat healthier and meet their health goals every day. When we are aiming to live a healthy lifestyle, we need balance. We need a balance of macronutrients: carbohydrates, fat, and protein. We need a balance of micronutrients: vitamins and minerals. Here are my top five tips for weight management and healthy eating.

1) Choose portion control.
You can use the plate method or MyPlate as a guide. Choose a variety of foods from different food groups to make a healthy meal plan. Try to choose at least 3 different food groups at a meal. Fill half your plate with fruits and non-starchy vegetables, or fill half your plate with non-starchy vegetables. This provides you with many micronutrients (i.e. vitamins and minerals) and fiber to help make you feel full.

If you have a history of overeating, start by measuring your food and eating age-appropriate portions. If you struggle with disordered eating, please see a registered dietitian (RD), a medical doctor (MD), and a licensed counselor. This team can help you overcome eating issues and help you live a healthy lifestyle.

2) Record what you're eating.
To change, you need to know where you are starting. Then, you can make progress from where you are to where your goals are. So, measure your portions (see number 1) and write them down. You can write in a journal or use a free app like MyFitness Pal.
Note: This is usually a very eye opening activity. So, make sure you are accurately recording everything that goes into your mouth. I recommend starting with one week, so you can get a more accurate picture than one day. 

3) Make healthy switches.
Think of your favorite food. If you enjoy it, consider eating it. If you aren't craving it, consider making a healthy switch. Some people refer to this as the 80/20 rule. This is where you make healthy choices 80% of the time. Then, you can make more indulgent choices about 20% of the time.

For example, I love mayonnaise. It would fall into the 20% category. Or, I can make a healthier change and substitute avocado, light mayonnaise, hummus, or olive oil for mayonnaise and those choices would fall into the 80%.

If you have a sweet tooth, try switching your dessert, like ice cream, for a healthier alternative. Try fruit, yogurt, or a parfait as a healthier sweet option.

4) Be consistent.
These small changes from healthy choice number 3 will produce changes when we are consistent over time. I am a big believer on making small, doable changes that produce big results over time. I refer to this as small changes, big results. Try it!

5) Choose healthy beverages.
I find that most people are unaware of how many calories are in some beverage choices. 
I refer to these calories as empty, sneaky calories. We don't know they're there (sneaky calories). These calories do not fill us up or provide many nutrients (empty calories).
So, I would encourage you to make healthy beverage switches. 

For example, let's start with your morning coffee. Do you drink your coffee black? If not, it can be a source of sneaky, empty calories.

If you are getting a large (24 ounce) frozen, ice-cream-like caramel coffee drink, it will "cost" you over 500 calories, 10 grams of saturated fat, and 85 grams of sugar! This is because these drinks are made with whole milk, added flavors from sugary syrups, and topped with whipped cream. Let's see how we can lighten this drink.

If you ask for skim milk, you save 50 calories and 2 grams of saturated fat.

If you ask for 'no whipped cream,' you save 130 calories and 7 grams of saturated fat.

By saying 2-5 extra words "skim milk, no whipped cream" when you order your favorite coffee drink, you can see how these small changes add up. These are simple, small changes with big results!

6) Bonus Tip: Be physically active.
Wet talked about a healthy balance when eating. We also need a balance of healthy eating a physical activity to maintain a healthy lifestyle and prevent diseases. When we make healthy eating choices, we fuel our bodies in a healthy way. When we are physically active, we build endurance and strength. It's all about balance.


For more recipes, encouragement, and tips for healthy eating, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. 

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Please note, I am a registered dietitian; not your personal dietitian. Please use these tips as general guidelines and inspiration for a healthy lifestyle. Please see you personal dietitian for specific nutrition advice. Check with your doctor before beginning physical activity.

Let's Celebrate September

Y'all I LOVE celebrations! I love birthdays, holidays, Tuesdays, and Fridays! I love celebrating achievements: graduations, babies, marriage, or just being an amazing human being. Give me a reason, and I'll celebrate with you! So, this is a new feature that I thought would be fun! 

In this series, I'm going to provide an overview of the food celebrations and holidays in the month, so you can celebrate. For me, it's helpful for menu planning or throwing themed dinners. These food holidays are a great way to have a themed meal and invite people over to your home. 

Eating together, celebrating, and inviting people into your home are a great ways to build community. There's something about breaking bread, cooking, sharing recipes, and food that sparks conversation. I love talking and celebrating around a table. So, here are some food celebrations in September.

September has several celebrations throughout the month. September is:

• National Chicken Month
• National Honey Month
• National Mushroom Month
• National Papaya Month
• National Potato Month
• National Rice Month

There are also many celebrations on days throughout September. 

• September 1 is National Gyro Day
• Our city has a Greek Food Festival this month that my friends and I are going to got to. See if your city has a Greek Food Fest and enjoy some gyro and baklava. Yum!

• September 2 is National "Grits for Breakfast" Day

• September 4 is National Macadamia Nut Day

• September 5 is National Cheese Pizza Day

• September 6 is National Coffee Ice Cream Day

• September 9 is National "I Love Food" Day

• September 10 is National Hot Dog Day

• September 12 is National Chocolate Milkshake Day

• September 13 is National Peanut Day
• I used peanuts to make the "gold" in my rainbow and pot of gold hummus plate.

• September 17 is National Apple Dumpling Day

• September 18 is National Cheeseburger Day
• I made this turkey burger for the NKF. You can get the recipe on their Food Coach website.

• September 23 is National White Chocolate Day

• September 25 is National Food Service Workers Day

• September 26 is National Key Lime Pie Day
• I made these yummy, key lime squares for the NKF. If you want the recipes for free, sign up for there Food Coach. Enjoy!

• September 29 is National Coffee Day

I thought this list would be inspiring for your meal plan for September. I hope it is inspiring. So, let's celebrate. If you participate in these monthly celebrations, tag me, @RDtipoftheday, and use the hashtag #RDTODcelebrate for a chance to be featured. 

For more recipes, encouragement, and tips for healthy eating, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. 

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Reader Favorites: August

Thank you for all of the love this month! August is one of my favorite months; it's the beginning of a new semester. This month, the temperatures have been giving us glimpses of Fall!  I love Fall! 

If you missed any of the posts this month, here are the top favorite posts you visited in the month of August. Enjoy!

I'm a Registered Dietitian (RD). I seek out a lot of mentors in the dietetics profession. I started learning about nutrition and shadowing RDs in high school. I continues to learn from coworker and mentors. Dietetics is a broad profession, so I want to share some of my experiences and tips for future RDs. Hope you have a great semester!

Becoming a Registered Dietitian: RD Exam

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It's no secret that I love cooking. Apparently you do too! I started taking cooking classes to learn new skills and recipes. My friend, Christy, has gone to most of the classes with me. It's been a blast! 

I started this series to give you a sneak peak of what to expect if you attend a cooking class. I looked for reviews of different cooking class, and couldn't find any. If you plan to attend a cooking class, I wanted to share my thoughts and experiences so you can better know what to expect. I also include personal cooking tips and techniques.

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Cooking Class Series: Part 1

Cooking Class Series: Part 2

I've started some new blog series this year. I like to share my favorites with you because I love reading "favorites'' posts. In my monthly favorites, I focus on what I'm watching, cooking, eating, reading, and loving each month. Hope you enjoy!

RDtipoftheday Favorites: August Edition

RDtipoftheday Favorites: July Edition

The "Let's Celebrate" series is my way to celebrate every month. I love food and holidays, so I wanted to highlight everything that is happening with food for the upcoming month.

Let's Celebrate August

I'm big on goals. This series entitled, State of My Goals, keeps me accountable to my goals and keeps you updated on my progress through the year. I hope it encourages you to think about what you want to achieve and check in on your progress every month.

State of My Goals Address: July Edition

I like to write nutrition-related posts, since it's my career. I'm a RD, but I'm not your personal RD. So, I offer great, general tips for health and nutrition. Let me know if there are more topics you would like me to cover. Comment below with your topic suggestions.

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Let me know if there are any nutrition-related topics you would like me to cover. You can comment below or tag me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. 

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Healthy Snack Ideas

It's back to school time. Do you know what that means? It's August, and . . . it's Kid's Eat Right Month. 

What is Kids Eat Right Month?
Kids Eat Right (KER) month was started in 2014 by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND). The purpose of KER month is to educate family, caregivers, communities, and policy makers about the importance of nutrition and optimal health for children and their families.

Since I work with pediatrics patients, this is a busy time of the year with children returning to school. As a Registered Dietitian (RD), I want to ensure that children are fueled in a healthy way to grow, play, and succeed in school.

The most frequently asked questions I get this time of year are questions about feeding children healthfully. The mostly commonly asked question is "What's a good snack?" for my child. So, today I'm talking about healthy snacks!

What is a healthy snack?
Snacks are small amounts of food. The portion size depends on your age with smaller portions for toddlers and larger portions for older adolescents and adults.

For school age children, teenagers and adults, the goal is to eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables. The more specific goals is 2 servings of fruits and 3 servings of vegetables per day. If you eat 3 meals + 0-2 snacks per day, this averages out to at least one serving of fruits or vegetables at every meal and snack. So, I like to think about having fruits or vegetables as snacks. If a fruit or vegetable does not fill you up, pair it with something. You can add hummus, salad dressing, cheese, peanut butter, almond butter, nuts, or yogurt.

What are some healthy snack ideas?
Here are three quick and easy snack ideas. These make fruit and vegetables the star and are cute for an after school snack.

Vegetable Flowers

My vegetable flowers is made with the following ingredients: hummus, sunflower seeds, carrots, bell pepper, basil, and parsley.

Directions:

1) To make the vegetable flowers, wash all your produce.

2) Spoon hummus on the plate.

3) Arrange baby carrots around the hummus in a spiral shape like flower petals.

4) Sprinkle sunflower seeds on the hummus to represent the sunflower's seeds.

5) Cut a long strip of bell pepper to be the flower stem.

6) Arrange two basil leaves on either side of the bell pepper to be the flower's leaves.

7) Arrange parsley under the bell pepper to represent grass.

Enjoy!

*Note: Steps 5 and 6 are optional. They create visual appeal but are not necessary for a deliciously snack.

Cute Caterpillars

My vegetable flowers is made with the following ingredients: red seedless grapes, green seedless grapes, candy eyes, and royal icing.

Directions:

1) Wash all grapes.

2) Thread grapes on toothpicks or skewers.

3) Attach eyes with royal icing.

Enjoy!

Note: You could also use reduced fat cream cheese or nut butters, like peanut butter or almond butter, to attach the eyes. You could also make the caterpillar's eyes with raisins or mini chocolate chips. Also, make sure your kids or guests know that there are toothpicks in the caterpillars.

Enjoy!

   Rainbow Hummus

My rainbow hummus snack is made with the following ingredients: orange bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, green bell pepper, hummus, peanuts, parsley.

Directions:

1) Wash all vegetables.

2) Slice off the bottom of the orange and yellow bell peppers to create clouds.

3) Cut the green bell pepper in half to make the pot for the "pot of gold at the end of the rainbow."

4) Slice thin slices of bell pepper (approximately 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices). Then, cut the slices in half to make half-moon shapes for the arches of the rainbow.

5) Arrange bell peppers on the plate to make the rainbow and clouds.

6) Spoon hummus on the plate.

7) Place your green bell pepper "pot" on the plate.

8) Place peanuts on the hummus to represent the "gold" in the pot.

9) Place parsley on the plate to represent the grass that the pot of gold is sitting on.

Enjoy!

If you have any healthy snack ideas, share them below in the comments.

August is Kids Eat Right Month™, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the Academy Foundation's chance to highlight the fight for our children's healthy future. Find out how you can get involved!

Stay tuned all this month for more on healthy eating and Kids Eat Right Month. For more recipes, encouragement, and tips for healthy eating, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. 

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