Over the past several years I have begun to pull away from following every ingredient and direction listed in a recipe. When I learned I had a dairy allergy, I began to make changes to recipes to make them dairy free. Then I started changing recipes to include whole grain or healthier options. Now, I like seeing what creation I can come up with. Everything has been edible, some have been wonderful, and some did not require me to remember how I made it. It is fun to experiment. My family will ask “what are we having for dinner?” My response is a “Denise Creation”. So far they have not seemed scared to hear the response. I encourage you to experiment with your own creations.
An egg bake is one type of dish I like to play with the ingredients. It is a great way to use up leftover meats and vegetables. If I include a meat it is typically a nitrite free type of meat such as Jimmy Dean’s Natural sausage (I find it at QFC) or Hormel’s Natural Smoked Ham Slices (cardboard box in the sandwich meat section). If you had leftover taco meat, this could be another option to try. I typically always use Bisquick as well. Bisquick is not the most ideal option because it is mainly enriched white flour which is lacking fiber and has been processed. I have tried using whole wheat or other flour mixtures, but Bisquick works well. Plus, I do not use Bisquick very often, so I feel once in a while is fine. It is all about moderation.
I was trying to decide what I wanted to make for dinner. I knew I had a lot of eggs and the Jimmy Dean sausage. My frig was limited with vegetables, but I did have an orange bell pepper and onion. I debated about throwing in some broccoli (which I have done in the past, but broccoli has a strong flavor). This time I decided to serve it on the side. I went to grab my almond milk when I saw the Pacific Cashew Carrot Ginger soup (pureed smooth soup in a box – usually it can be found in the natural food section). There was just enough left. I had not used a pureed soup in my egg bake before. I thought this would be a great way to add additional nutrients to my dish. Below you will find the recipe for my latest version of the Egg Bake.
Other ingredients I have used in the egg bakes have been chopped spinach or other leafy greens, broccoli, and zucchini. I have tried the non dairy versions of cream cheese and sour cream to try to substitute for the cheese in many egg dishes. I have placed tomato slices on the top (half way through baking) and served with avocado slices (not cooked). Typically I will use onion and maybe garlic. I love cilantro, so I usually always throw that in too. At QFC I have found a tube of pre-chopped cilantro. It is so convenient. I have also added black beans. When I use a flavorful meat like the Jimmy Dean sausage, I do not feel I need to add many additional herbs, spices, or salt. If you decide to not use a flavorful meat, then you will need to add extra seasoning.
Enjoy!
Sausage Egg Bake
By: Denise Allen
Ingredients:
1 package Jimmy Dean Natural Sausage (no nitrites or preservatives)
1 small onion, chopped
1 bell pepper (red or orange), chopped
1 ½ cups Pacific boxed soup – Ginger Carrot Cashew
½ cup non dairy milk substitute
1 cup Bisquick
6 eggs
Pepper, to taste
Cilantro, to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°. Cook the sausage in a skillet until browned. Add chopped onions and bell peppers. Continue cooking to soften the vegetables (about 3 – 5 minutes). Drain off fat. Then spread the meat/vegetable mixture evenly in a greased baking dish (9 inch square or similar size). Set aside. Mix together the soup, milk substitute, and Bisquick until smooth. Add in the eggs and whisk until smooth and combined. Add desired amount of pepper and cilantro and thoroughly mix together. Pour egg mixture over the meat and vegetables in the baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Saturday, September 24, 2011
The Reality .....
As I come to the end of my first week at the hospital, the reality of how the choices we make now affect our future is quite apparent. This past week, I have observed countless sick people. The commonality for many of them is they have a health condition brought on by their poor choices. I saw individuals with cirrhosis (liver disease), COPD (lung disease), cardiovascular disease (heart), kidney disease, diabetes, cancer, and the list goes on. All of these illnesses are typically due to poor health choices (smoking, excessive drinking, poor diets, lack of physical activity, etc). I saw a man who was only 46 years old and he was literally wasting away. He did not look like a young man. He looked like a sickly, frail old man with no muscle or fat left on his body. I saw a handful of older women who also were wasting away. One was 60 lbs, another 75 lbs. They are confused, depressed, and lonely. Others struggle to breath. Many are unable to eat and need to be fed through a tube or an IV. It is the sad reality of a hospital setting.
As I reflect on these individuals, it brings on great concern, concern for my family, friends, society as a whole, and myself. Ask yourself “what am I doing now to build a better tomorrow?” I know I have many areas to work on as well, specifically getting enough exercise. This has been screaming at me all week as I follow the dietitian I am shadowing! We have been taking the stairs everywhere in the hospital. I could walk for hours in the halls, but flights and flights of stairs really get to me. The tower is the worse ~ 6 + long flights of stairs in a poorly ventilated area. I hope by the end of the 12 weeks I will be breezing up those stairs :)
The reality is so many diseases could be prevented or managed by making better food and health choices. Think about your daily meals. How do they measure up? Are you making the best choice possible? Are the food and beverages you are selecting giving you what you need? Where can you start making improvements? Pick a goal for this week and devise a plan of how you’ll accomplish this goal.
Let’s look at some ideas for each meal of the day!
Starting with breakfast, often called the most important meal of the day. The idea with breakfast is to provide your body with nourishment to replete the nutrient stores. You have been without food or beverages for hours and your stomach is empty. Breakfast gives your body a jump start to the day. Breakfast does not have to be huge, just well planned. It should be balanced, meaning there should be protein (eggs, dairy, nut butters), carbohydrates (grains, bread, cereals, and fruit), and healthy fat (nut butters, avocado). A few simple meals I can throw together quickly:
• whole grain toaster waffles, peanut butter, a touch of honey, and a piece of fruit and sometimes some almond milk
• fruit protein smoothie (milk substitute, a splash of juice, banana, frozen berries, protein powder, and sometimes a little peanut butter ~ ice may be needed)
• steel cut oatmeal (Trader Joes has frozen oatmeal ready in minutes). I usually like to add nuts and seeds, sometimes unsweetened shredded coconut, and cut up fruit
• Egg sandwich ~ toasted whole grain English muffin, egg cooked in a teaspoon of olive oil, warmed thin ham slices, a little bit of mayo and add a piece of fruit, berries, or melon on the side
Next, lunch and dinner. Again the idea is to create a balance of nutrients. Both of these meals are an ideal time to include vegetables. Plan to have about half of your meal include non starchy vegetables. Then include a whole grain (brown rice, quinoa, millet), starchy vegetable (corn), or a bread product (or tortilla, crackers, pasta). Finally, a healthy protein (meat, fish, eggs, beans, tofu). Rather than making the meat the main item of the meal, place the focus on the vegetables and whole grains. Meat should be an addition not the main course. Keep in mind a true serving of meat is the size of a deck of cards.
Snacks are also important. Consider having vegetables with humus, an apple with peanut butter, cheese with crackers and grapes, or yogurt with berries and granola. Other helpful ideas are to include a variety of colors when selecting vegetables and fruit and use herbs and spices in meals. Also, remember your water! Stay hydrated
Remember to ask yourself what you can do to build a healthy, strong body for the future!!!
To your health!!!
Denise
As I reflect on these individuals, it brings on great concern, concern for my family, friends, society as a whole, and myself. Ask yourself “what am I doing now to build a better tomorrow?” I know I have many areas to work on as well, specifically getting enough exercise. This has been screaming at me all week as I follow the dietitian I am shadowing! We have been taking the stairs everywhere in the hospital. I could walk for hours in the halls, but flights and flights of stairs really get to me. The tower is the worse ~ 6 + long flights of stairs in a poorly ventilated area. I hope by the end of the 12 weeks I will be breezing up those stairs :)
The reality is so many diseases could be prevented or managed by making better food and health choices. Think about your daily meals. How do they measure up? Are you making the best choice possible? Are the food and beverages you are selecting giving you what you need? Where can you start making improvements? Pick a goal for this week and devise a plan of how you’ll accomplish this goal.
Let’s look at some ideas for each meal of the day!
Starting with breakfast, often called the most important meal of the day. The idea with breakfast is to provide your body with nourishment to replete the nutrient stores. You have been without food or beverages for hours and your stomach is empty. Breakfast gives your body a jump start to the day. Breakfast does not have to be huge, just well planned. It should be balanced, meaning there should be protein (eggs, dairy, nut butters), carbohydrates (grains, bread, cereals, and fruit), and healthy fat (nut butters, avocado). A few simple meals I can throw together quickly:
• whole grain toaster waffles, peanut butter, a touch of honey, and a piece of fruit and sometimes some almond milk
• fruit protein smoothie (milk substitute, a splash of juice, banana, frozen berries, protein powder, and sometimes a little peanut butter ~ ice may be needed)
• steel cut oatmeal (Trader Joes has frozen oatmeal ready in minutes). I usually like to add nuts and seeds, sometimes unsweetened shredded coconut, and cut up fruit
• Egg sandwich ~ toasted whole grain English muffin, egg cooked in a teaspoon of olive oil, warmed thin ham slices, a little bit of mayo and add a piece of fruit, berries, or melon on the side
Next, lunch and dinner. Again the idea is to create a balance of nutrients. Both of these meals are an ideal time to include vegetables. Plan to have about half of your meal include non starchy vegetables. Then include a whole grain (brown rice, quinoa, millet), starchy vegetable (corn), or a bread product (or tortilla, crackers, pasta). Finally, a healthy protein (meat, fish, eggs, beans, tofu). Rather than making the meat the main item of the meal, place the focus on the vegetables and whole grains. Meat should be an addition not the main course. Keep in mind a true serving of meat is the size of a deck of cards.
Snacks are also important. Consider having vegetables with humus, an apple with peanut butter, cheese with crackers and grapes, or yogurt with berries and granola. Other helpful ideas are to include a variety of colors when selecting vegetables and fruit and use herbs and spices in meals. Also, remember your water! Stay hydrated
Remember to ask yourself what you can do to build a healthy, strong body for the future!!!
To your health!!!
Denise
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Welcome ~ Follow My Nutrition Journey!
Welcome to my nutrition blogging journey! My original plan was to begin a blog as a student at Bastyr University in the MS Nutrition program. However, being a student, a mother, a wife, and all the other aspects of my life took priority. As of today, I have officially started my next experience in my nutrition journey. Since I was beginning a new chapter in my life, I felt it was a perfect time to start blogging. Through my blog I will share experiences in nutrition, the knowledge I gain along the way, current nutrition topics, and anything else which catches my interest pertaining to health and nutrition.
Coming from a university with a strong focus on the natural health approach I am passionate about building a whole foods diet. What does this mean? Basically, if you can recognize your food as living or coming from something living, it is most likely a whole food or a part of a whole food. For example, an egg comes from a chicken and both would be considered whole foods. Vegetables, fruits, grains, beans/legumes, nuts, seeds, meat, and fish are all “whole foods”. Switching to a whole foods diet can feel overwhelming. If so, first begin by reading labels of foods and beverages. Select the foods with fewer ingredients and ingredients that are recognizable. I like to encourage people to fill their plate with ½ vegetables and fruits, ¼ grains or starchy vegetables, and ¼ protein. Many of my nutrition recommendations will include this philosophy.
As I mentioned, I am starting a new chapter of my nutrition journey. I successfully completed my MSN program in June. Now, I am beginning my 10 month experience as a dietetic intern. The first week of my internship was an orientation. In this period, I have been trying to cram in 7 chapters of medical terminology. This week I will focus on the next 4 chapters. Plus, I started my first rotation today. My first rotation is at a hospital for 12 weeks to learn the clinical side of nutrition also known as medical nutrition therapy. It is going to be a jam packed 12 week commitment. I tried to avoid getting overwhelmed with all the information. I will have to take one day at a time.
Two things I found shocking today: 1) In a hospital offering a menu style food service, patients are able to order what they want from a list of food. If they want to only eat cookies, they can just order cookies (as long as it is ok on their diet order). Also, they can order several trays during one meal slot. A person could potentially order 4 meals for lunch. 2) If an individual is an alcoholic and having to stay in the hospital, doctors can request that the patient receive beer during their stay to reduce the alcohol withdrawals. Shocking!!
I look forward to sharing the life of a dietetic intern with you as well as all aspects of nutrition.
Coming from a university with a strong focus on the natural health approach I am passionate about building a whole foods diet. What does this mean? Basically, if you can recognize your food as living or coming from something living, it is most likely a whole food or a part of a whole food. For example, an egg comes from a chicken and both would be considered whole foods. Vegetables, fruits, grains, beans/legumes, nuts, seeds, meat, and fish are all “whole foods”. Switching to a whole foods diet can feel overwhelming. If so, first begin by reading labels of foods and beverages. Select the foods with fewer ingredients and ingredients that are recognizable. I like to encourage people to fill their plate with ½ vegetables and fruits, ¼ grains or starchy vegetables, and ¼ protein. Many of my nutrition recommendations will include this philosophy.
As I mentioned, I am starting a new chapter of my nutrition journey. I successfully completed my MSN program in June. Now, I am beginning my 10 month experience as a dietetic intern. The first week of my internship was an orientation. In this period, I have been trying to cram in 7 chapters of medical terminology. This week I will focus on the next 4 chapters. Plus, I started my first rotation today. My first rotation is at a hospital for 12 weeks to learn the clinical side of nutrition also known as medical nutrition therapy. It is going to be a jam packed 12 week commitment. I tried to avoid getting overwhelmed with all the information. I will have to take one day at a time.
Two things I found shocking today: 1) In a hospital offering a menu style food service, patients are able to order what they want from a list of food. If they want to only eat cookies, they can just order cookies (as long as it is ok on their diet order). Also, they can order several trays during one meal slot. A person could potentially order 4 meals for lunch. 2) If an individual is an alcoholic and having to stay in the hospital, doctors can request that the patient receive beer during their stay to reduce the alcohol withdrawals. Shocking!!
I look forward to sharing the life of a dietetic intern with you as well as all aspects of nutrition.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)