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Rachel's Nourishing Kitchen · Page 15 of 38 · Nourish Your Body. Feed Your Soul.

Butternut Squash & Quinoa Harvest Salad {Gluten-Free}

By

On November 7, 2015

In Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Gluten-Free, Holidays, Vegan, Vegetarian

One of the coolest concepts I learned about in my health coach training was food energetics.

Steve Gagne, an expert on the topic and author of the book Food Energetics: The Spiritual, Emotional, and Nutrition Power of What We Eat, taught us about the energetic properties of certain foods.

Now before you start thinking I’m going a little out there on you, listen up!

You may have already noticed this without even thinking about it based on how your food preferences change seasonally.

In the warmer months, we often crave lighter foods – salads, smoothies, raw fruits and vegetables, and chilled soups like gazpacho. These foods are naturally cooling, support our body’s detoxification processes and keep us feeling light during the hot and humid months.

As the fall approaches, we naturally turn to more warming comfort foods – things like hot soups, stews, chilis and squashes. We crave warming spices like cinnamon and ginger. We look forward to holding a piping hot mug of cocoa or tea.

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In other words, during the warmer months we crave lighter, cooling foods. During the colder months, we naturally go for grounding, warming foods and drinks.

Squash is one of those grounding fall foods and happens to be one of my favorites. There are so many varieties of squash that you could have a different one every day for weeks and not get bored!

Today’s recipe pulls in one of my absolute favorite squash and the one most of us are familiar with and have tried before – butternut squash.

In case you want a little how-to about how to cut up this vegetable, check out the guide below. I find that it helps to peel it with a good quality vegetable peeler BEFORE cutting it up, but it works either way. Once you’ve cut it up, then dice it into cubes for this dish. 

Butternut squash how to

I made this recipe for my Going Gluten-Free without Going Crazy workshop in October and it was one of the most liked dishes I served all night!

We combine the roasted butternut squash with my #1 herb of all time – rosemary – and toss it with some dried tart cherries, toasted pecans, and a simple apple cider vinegar Dijon dressing. To add some lightness and a bit of peppery spice, we mix in a bunch of arugula, one of the tastiest salad greens out there.

We’ve since made it multiple times, so it’s quickly become one of our fall staples. It would make the perfect side for Thanksgiving dinner or for any fall or winter meal.

When we were on a trip to Upstate New York last month, we even served it with a (slightly overcooked!) fried egg on top. This one is a keeper 🙂

egg with quinoa salad

Squash Salad Banner

 

Butternut Squash, Quinoa & Arugula Harvest Salad

This salad makes for a hearty side dish to a fall meal and combines some of our favorite fall ingredients – squash, pecans, and cranberries. You can serve it with a side of chicken or fish or add some chickpeas to up the protein content.

Salad

  • 1 large butternut squash (peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes)
  • 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary (minced)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil (extra virgin)
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
  • 1 cup quinoa (rinsed and drained)
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries or tart cherries
  • 4 cups arugula
  • 2/3 cup pecans (toasted and chopped)

Dressing

  • 1 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil (extra virgin)

  1. Preheat oven to 400F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.

  2. In a large bowl, combine squash, rosemary, and 2 tablespoons oil. Season with salt and pepper. Spread in a single layer on baking sheet. Roast in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, stirring every 12-15 minutes, until squash is tender. Let cool completely.

  3. While squash is cooking, cook quinoa. Rinse quinoa in a fine mesh strainer until water runs clear. Fill medium saucepan with 1 3/4 cups water and add quinoa. Bring to a boil then cover with a lid and reduce heat to simmer for 12-15 minutes. Once water is just barely absorbed, remove pan from heat and leave covered for 5-7 minutes. Remove lid and fluff with a fork. Spread quinoa on a parchment lined baking sheet to cool and prevent it from clumping together. This last step is optional but really helps!

  4. In a small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients in the order listed.

  5. In a large bowl, combine roasted squash, quinoa and dried fruit. Pour dressing over mixture and gently toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper and add arugula and pecans, gently tossing to coat.

Warm & Cozy Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal {Gluten-Free}

By

On November 3, 2015

In Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Gluten-Free, Inspired, My Story, Products I Use, Vegan, Vegetarian

Sometimes we read books that transform us and the way we think, and once we’ve read them, we’re never the same.

That’s how I feel about a book I recently finished reading, The Slow Down Diet by Marc David.

I’m putting together a separate post about the key takeaways from the book, but as a sneak peek, one of them is to SLOW DOWN and listen to your body.

Sure, it’s not a mind-blowing revelation, and it’s something most of us have been told before, but I’m finally at a point in my life where I’m open enough to hear it.

The other day, after I woke up, I drank a tall glass of water, sipped my cinnamon tea, set up my oil diffuser (like a candle but better!), and did a video session of Yoga with Adriene.

I’m going through her 30 Days of Yoga series and am LOVING it!

It helps me stay focused and grounded first thing in the morning and brings more oxygen into my mind and body for clearer thinking and a boost to digestion.

After my yoga session, I was ready for breakfast and headed into the kitchen.

I’ve started being more intuitive about what I eat. Instead of just gulping down a smoothie on my way out the door, rushing to get to whatever is waiting for me for that day, I’ve been taking more time with eating. I’ve been pausing before making decisions about what to eat and paying attention to what my “gut” is telling me.

So, instead of robotically slamming a smoothie every day (typical time to belly = 60-90 seconds), I’ve gone back to basics and have been enjoying some of my favorite breakfast foods, foods I can chew.

Foods that are warm. Foods that are packed with flavor and texture.

PS Oatmeal

The first image that popped into my mind as I was standing at the door of the fridge that morning was a warm and cozy bowl of oatmeal, perfect for the cooler weather we’ve been having.

For me, oatmeal is one of the best comfort foods for fall, especially when it’s full of flavors like cinnamon, ginger, clove, and maple.

My favorite oats to use are Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-free Oats. Almost every grocery store sells them. I even got to meet Bob Moore himself at the Natural Products Expo last month.

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It was super cool!

I’ll be sharing a recipe for Banana Nut Oatmeal in November, but in the meantime, give this pumpkin spice version a try and let me know what you think!

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Servings: 3-4

Ingredients

  • 2 1/4 cups water
  • Pinch sea salt
  • 1 cup gluten-free rolled oats (old-fashioned, not quick cooking)
  • 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
  • 2 tablespoons almond butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon ground flax seed (flax meal)
  • 2 tablespoons 100% pure maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons chopped pecans, lightly toasted
  • Optional: scoop of unflavored protein powder (I like Vital Proteins collagen peptides)

Directions

  1. Bring water, salt, and oats to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat to a simmer and stir for 5 minutes.
  2. Stir in pumpkin puree, almond butter, vanilla and protein powder and stir. Remove from heat and cover for 5 more minutes.
  3. Stir in ground flax meal and maple syrup.
  4. Pour into serving bowl and top with chopped pecans.

Vegelicious Quiche: Perfect for Brunch (Or Any Meal!)

By

On October 30, 2015

In Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Gluten-Free, My Story, Recipes

I’ve always been a fan of breakfast.

As a kid, breakfast was special because it gave me time to read the back and sides of cereal boxes. Cereal was my prefered breakfast of choice, so I’ve read hundreds of boxes at this point in my life.

Until my early 20s, I was a pretty picky eater, and I liked plain, simple foods.

I remember going to brunch every now and then (not something we did regularly!) and seeing that quiche was always one of the dishes served.

I wasn’t a fan. I didn’t like vegetables mixed into things…or touching each other. I liked them on their own, coated with spoonfuls of Kraft Parmesan cheese, thank you very much.

Now that I’m an adult, I’ve expanded my breakfast options beyond a bowl of Cheerios and am much more adventurous about how I start my day.

I now LOVE quiches, frittatas, and omelets, and as recently as the past year have come to love both overeasy and sunny-side up eggs. Our friend, Joe, has been known to call the latter “dippy eggs.”

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My culinary nutrition instructor, Meghan Telpner, came out with her first cookbook (The Undiet Cookbook) earlier this month and in it is a recipe for a cool new spin on a breakfast quiche, one that uses a single, inexpensive, simple ingredient as the crust – millet.

If you’re scratching your head wondering what millet is, I’m here to help.

I’m going to bet that everyone reading this has seen it before, even if you’ve never eaten it.


Quiche Millet Crust

It’s one of the main ingredients in…birdseed.

But, fortunately, this ancient gluten-free grain is not just “for the birds” and was cultivated in East Asia as far back as 10,000 years ago!

You can use it in recipes just as you would use couscous, quinoa, or rice, but you can also turn it into a crust, which is what Meghan did for this recipe.

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If you don’t have one of the veggies called for in this quiche, swap them out for what you do have. Dishes like this are versatile and lend themselves to modification, so be creative!

If you’d like to up the flavor of the crust, I suggest adding maybe a half teaspoon of sea salt to the millet while it cooks. You can also cook the crust itself for 10-12 minutes before adding the egg mixture to it.

The next time I make it, I think I will saute a couple cloves of garlic in the pot the millet cooks in, so that flavors gets infused into the crust. I might even press some fresh thyme leaves into the crust before adding the egg and veggie mixture on top 🙂

*Want the recipe for this vegalicious quiche? Get it here!*

The Ultimate Gluten-Free Bread Stuffing {Paleo}

By

On October 26, 2015

In Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Gluten-Free, Holidays, Paleo, Paleo, Products I Use, Recipes, Vegetarian

Last weekend, my husband and I went out of town for a little fall getaway and spent a long weekend in the Adirondacks of Upstate New York.

With all of the (exciting!) things that have been going on in the way of travel, presentations, cooking demos, and workshops, I was in need of a break, and Bill and I were overdue for some time to reconnect and relax.

It was SO beautiful, and fall was in full swing. We captured this beautiful view of the town of Lake Placid, overlooking Mirror Lake.

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This is my favorite time of the year for those reasons and because I absolutely love fall food.

Roasted root vegetables. Creamy squash soups. Savory stews. Hearty chilis. Heart and soul-warming cups of tea and bowls of oatmeal.

Hungry yet?

And with Thanksgiving coming up next month, things like turkey, stuffing, roasted Brussels sprouts and pumpkin everything will start to take center stage.

Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to teach a workshop and cooking demo about Going Gluten-Free without Going Crazy. (I’m working on a few other posts all about gluten, so stay tuned for those.)

But, in the meantime, we’re going to focus on one of the top-rated meals I served at the class that everyone loved…Paleo Bread Stuffing!

Stuffing Aerial

After the class, one of the attendees said:

That stuffing recipe is officially my new go-to. I’m confident I’ll blow away my 3 sisters-in-law this Thanksgiving, which isn’t easy to do.

If you’re ready to wow some of your family members this year, look no further than this recipe.

Most gluten-free bread is full of LOTS of other ingredients (they have to put something in if they take out the key ingredient in bread…gluten) and tends to have less fiber than its gluten-containing counterparts. Because of that, I’m not a huge fan of eating bread just because it’s gluten-free.

A “gluten-free” label on a package doesn’t deserve the health halo so many of us have given it. It’s 100% necessary for those with Celiac disease and people avoiding gluten for medical reasons, but “gluten-free” does not automatically mean “good for you.”

But this bread is different.

SM Bread Box SM Bread Closeup

It’s naturally gluten-free and only has 6 SIMPLE, REAL FOOD ingredients. The bread mix is from a company I met at the Natural Products Expo – Simple Mills – and all you need to make it is oil, apple cider vinegar and eggs!

  1. Almond Flour
  2. Arrowroot Powder
  3. Flax Meal
  4. Baking Soda
  5. Sea Salt
  6. Organic Coconut Sugar

That’s how the label of a packaged food should look. Let’s not compromise quality of ingredients just because we’re not making it ourselves! 🙂

Here’s the recipe! You are going to LOVE it.

Stuffing Banner Stuffing Closeup

The Ultimate Gluten-free Bread Stuffing (Paleo)

For a healthier spin on this year’s stuffing, try this recipe!

  • 1 box Simple Mills artisan bread mix (or 1 medium loaf gluten-free bread)
  • 1 tablespoon ghee (AKA clarified butter)
  • 1 cup celery (chopped)
  • 1 cup carrots (chopped)
  • 1 medium onion (chopped)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary (chopped)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme (chopped)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh sage (chopped)
  • 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
  • 1 cup walnuts (chopped)
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries (chopped)
  • 3 large eggs (whisked)
  • 2 cups broth (chicken or bone both preferred)

  1. Bake the bread that morning or the day before according to the directions provided on the back of Simple Mills Artisan Bread mix bag.

  2. Preheat oven to 350°F.

  3. Cut the loaf bread into cubes; toast the cubes in the preheated oven about 10 minutes to draw out the moisture. Add walnuts and toast another 8 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

  4. While the bread cubes are toasting in the oven, heat a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat and sauté celery, carrots, and onion in ghee for 5-8 minutes or until the vegetables have developed some color and are tender.

  5. Raise oven temperature to 400F.

  6. Add toasted bread, herbs, walnuts and cranberries to pan and toss to combine. Remove pan from heat. Whisk eggs together and pour on top of bread mixture, tossing to coat evenly. Then, pour on the broth and toss to combine.

  7. Pour veggie/bread mix into a baking dish and bake for 30 minutes, covered. Remove lid/cover and bake uncovered for 10 more minutes to crisp up the top. Sometimes we give it a stir and then put it back in the oven for another 15 minutes or so, depending on how crunchy you like it!

  8. If you save it for a day or two, I find that adding 1/2 cup-1 cup of broth to the mix to remoisten it before heating it up in the oven helps and prevents it from drying out. Enjoy! 🙂

You can find Simple Mills products on Amazon, at Target, MOMs Organic Market, Wegmans, and Whole Foods.

My Favorite Good-for-You Crunchy Snack…Chickpeatos!

By

On October 21, 2015

In Dairy-Free, GBOMBS, Gluten-Free, Products I Use

As you know, I love cooking and experimenting with new recipes.

Most of the time when I do this, I’m pretty successful. But sometimes I end up with duds despite my best efforts.

I’ve tried to make crispy baked chickpeas about five different times with no success!

I’m still open to figuring out a way that works, but when I don’t feel like doing that, I opt for these yummy snacks instead. Although I make a majority of my own meals and snacks from scratch, sometimes I buy stuff in packages.

Like these.

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They’re called Chickpeatos. A fun play on “Cheetos,” one of my favorite snacks as a kid.

One of the co-founders was in medical school when he started making his own roasted chickpeas to curb his afternoon hunger pangs. He shared them with his peers, and the idea took hold.

If you’re from the Baltimore/DC area, you may recognize the former branding of this DC-based company, which used to go by 2Armadillos.

Known simply as Watusee Foods, they’ve created new packaging and branding that’s more attractive, fun and relevant.

Get it? What-You-See Foods?!

I love creativity and transparency, and this company delivers on its promise. You know exactly what you’re getting inside every package. No fillers, preservatives, or ingredients we can’t pronounce.

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Their crispy baked chickpeas are SO GOOD.

I’ve been sampling them at one of the health and nutrition workshops I teach about how to Fuel for the Road and Eat Well on the Go, and everyone is loving them!

As the front of the bag indicates, the rosemary chickpeatos are “Simply prepared with only 5 ingredients.”

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If you’ve read about my top eating guidelines in the past, you know that eating foods that contain a minimal number of ingredients is super important to me.

I apply the same standards for packaged foods as I do for fresh food.

Quality matters.

For that reason, I try to eat as many foods as possible that ARE ingredients (i.e., ingredients in an apple?…APPLE!) vs. foods that are made from lots of different ingredients.

Unlike other crunchy snacks that are usually loaded with a bunch of processed ingredients like genetically modified corn, artificial colors and flavoring, and pro-inflammatory refined oils, Chickpeatos are made from real, whole, quality ingredients. They have a lot going for them:

  1. Organic
  2. Gluten-Free
  3. Vegan
  4. Not genetically modified
  5. Simple ingredients. Here’s the ingredient list for the rosemary version: organic chickpeas, organic olive oil, organic rosemary, salt, organic garlic powder

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They come in four different flavors:

  • Rosemary (my favorite)
  • Tomato Basil
  • Cinnamon Toast
  • Spicy Cayenne

I’ve found Chickpeatos locally at MOMs Organic Market and Whole Foods, and I bet Wegmans sells them, too. You can also buy them directly from Watusee Foods’ website here. It looks like they’re adding a Store Locator functionality soon, so that should help you find them.

I like eating them as a snack OR putting them on top of salads for a nice crunch – just like croutons, only better for you!

Have you ever tried crispy chickpeas? Or maybe, unlike me, have you had success baking your own chickpeas that stayed crunchy and didn’t burn?

Either way, I’d love to hear from you, so feel free to leave a comment!

Disclosure: I received free snacks in exchange for writing this review, but I loved the product and what it stood for before this opportunity came to be. All opinions are my own, and maintaining the integrity of all content on this site is of utmost importance to me. I will never promote products I don’t love, believe in, and use myself! 🙂

Stop Playing Small…Who Are You NOT to Be Great?

By

On October 18, 2015

In Inspired, My Story

I was going to write an entire post dedicated to a recipe for a yummy chicken salad from one of my favorite blogs, Nourishing Meals.

The authors of that blog have also written a few of my favorite cookbooks, including Nourishing Meals and The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen.

Asian Chicken Salad

But because of all of the exciting events over the past week, I felt more inspired to reflect on and share a life lesson that has really transformed my life and what’s possible in it.

Earlier this year, I wrote about how Bill and I started the year by declaring how we wanted to FEEL (vs. a laundry list of all the things we wanted to ACCOMPLISH) in 2015. I narrowed down how I wanted to feel to five words and have intentionally taken action to do things that make me feel RADIANT, CLEAR, FLOWING, CONNECTED and WORTHY.

When I’m speaking, teaching, or presenting about a topic near and dear to me, I feel radiant, flowing and connected. Something in the deepest part of me unlocks and I radiate only goodness and positivity. I become the best version of myself.

I feel energized, inspired and ALIVE.

I lose track of time. I’m in a “flow” state, and everything seems effortless.

I’m joyful. I’m authentic.

I’m boldly and unapologetically me.

What a relief that is.

I haven’t always felt so CLEAR or so completely myself.

In March 2015, I was recognized by WELCOA as the #1 Health Promotion Professional in the Country, and won a trip to San Diego to attend their summit. I had the privilege of being able to share a few words with my peers during an acceptance speech and was stoked to do that.

As I was sitting at the conference listening to all of the awesome speakers, I thought to myself, “I want to do that one day.” 

I reflected on the time I spent in San Diego at the Wellness Council of America (WELCOA) Summit and the American Journal of Health Promotion Conference, and I wrote down a list of declarations on the last page of my journal.

goals

It’s been pretty mind-blowing to see how many of those intentions have become realities over the past 6 months.

On a warm, sunny day in late August, I received a call from Sara Rauch, the Director of Strategy and Planning for WELCOA. She invited me to be one of the speakers at the 2016 WELCOA National Summit in Orlando!

I was elated/joyful/on top of the world/stoked and couldn’t stop smiling. It was literally a dream come true.

Since then, a few of the other intentions I’d written down in April have come to be.

1) I’ve spoken at multiple SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) conferences.

I presented at the Maryland State conference in Ocean City in September, at Chapter meetings for the DCSHRM and Baltimore County SHRM, and most recently, at the Carroll County SHRM’s Annual Fall Conference. I’m slated to speak at the Montgomery County SHRM and possibly two other regional SHRM groups in 2016.CCSHRM2

2) Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to speak at a CEO group in Baltimore. The event was put on by the Hunt Valley Business Forum and was focused on Health and Wellness for the 21st Century Woman. I was one of the four panelists, each with different areas of expertise in the health and wellness field.

My friend and favorite group exercise instructor Jacob, who I’ve known for nearly a decade, invited me to be on the panel, and I felt SO alive and invigorated before, during and after the event. I met some amazing women who are doing great things in Baltimore and beyond.

hvbf flyer3) I’ve had the privilege of presenting at the Institute for Integrative Health multiple times.

I co-presented a Sweet Confessions event with Dr. Chris D’Adamo in July, taught a Yummy Snacks for Healthy, Happy Kids cooking class and workshop in September, and felt totally on fire and “in the zone” teaching this week’s workshop, “Going Gluten-Free without Going Crazy.”

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Have you ever walked away from a project and just felt like, “THAT is what I’m meant to do!”?

That’s exactly how I felt after Wednesday’s class. It was incredible!

We’re in the process of planning programs for next year, and I’ve been asked to speak at the Annual Health and Wellness Conference put on by the University of Maryland Center for Integrative Medicine and hosted by the Institute for Integrative Health in April 2016. I’m pumped!

I share all of this with you not to brag or be arrogant but to prove that point that we have to BELIEVE things are possible in our lives and make room for them before they’re likely to happen.

If we NEVER think we’ll get that job, have a healthy and thriving relationship, run that half marathon, cook from scratch, get a raise, or be happy, then we probably won’t. If we believe deep down that something is impossible, then subconsciously, we’ll do things to sabotage anything that comes close to looking like what we actually want to happen in our lives.

We’ll end up shutting it down before it even has a chance to come into being.

In the spirit of transparency and being totally honest and open with you, I feel compelled to share that one of my deepest fears and insecurities is that people won’t like me, that I will be TOO successful and that, ultimately I will be alone.

I know it might sound crazy to hear me say that, but ALL of us, no matter how “successful” or accomplished we become, deal with those feelings in some way or another.

Because of that, I have to be hyper aware of that tendency, so I don’t sabotage myself or sell myself short. I love what Marianne Williamson has to say about that…

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That inspiration comes from her book, A Return to Love, and the complete passage reads like this:

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

So, what about you?

What would your life look like if you were honest with yourself about what makes YOU radiate and bring light and joy into the world?

Each one of us has the power within us to be great.

So stop playing small. 

And start living the life you were meant to live!

The Top 10 Healthy Food Trends from Natural Products Expo East 2015

By

On October 13, 2015

In Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Paleo, Products I Use, Tips & Tricks

Last month I had the opportunity to attend the Natural Products Expo East in Baltimore for the second time.

The Expo gives companies who create natural, organic, and healthy living products an opportunity to showcase their stuff to a community of retailers, practitioners, business owners, press, and bloggers like me 🙂

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The best way I can describe the expo is like Halloween for healthy foodies. It’s like you get to meet all of the people behind all of your favorite products and then try their new stuff.

Pacing is important.

When you’re basically sampling all day from 9:30 until 6:00, you get full quickly, especially since many of these foods have decent amounts of fiber, healthy fats and protein.

Each year, new food trends pop up, and even though my #1 philosophy focuses on eating as much whole, real food as possible, trends are fun and can make mealtime and snack time a little more exciting.

Here are the top 10 trends I noticed in the natural food space and some products I tried along the way!

Transparency matters. Tell us what’s in your product and where it comes from.IMG_2373

As consumers are taking a closer look at labels and ingredient lists, there’s a growing demand for retailers to tell us CLEARLY what is in the packaged foods they’re making and to simplify their products to have fewer ingredients.

Here are some standouts that prioritize transparency. No secrets here!

The “free from” (dairy, gluten, nuts, grains, soy, etc.) movement is in full swing.

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Because of years of poor diet, chronic stress, too many antibiotics, and other environmental and lifestyle factors, many of us are walking around with compromised digestive health, not realizing how badly we feel until we start feeling better.

Since 70% of our immune system lies in and around our digestive system, it makes sense that an unhappy “gut” = less than awesome health.

While we’re in the recovery phase, (or if we have to be “free from” a particular food for life), it’s helpful to experiment with cutting out certain ingredients (for me it’s dairy and gluten) to feel better. These are some of my favorite “free from” brands. They’re all dairy-free and gluten-free and some are free from other allergens as well.

Gluten-free is the way to be (31% of the products at the expo were GF).

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I got to meet Elizabeth behind Purely Elizabeth granola! She's a fellow IIN grad and a rock star!

I also got to meet Elizabeth behind Purely Elizabeth granola! She’s a fellow IIN grad and a rock star!

Paleo is still going strong.

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As the free-from movement continues and we get back to our roots of eating real food, the paleo diet (no grains, legumes, dairy, sweeteners, processed foods) maintains its strong following.

Their philosophy is, “If man made it, don’t eat it.”

As someone who doesn’t eat gluten or dairy, I often buy products labeled “paleo” because I know they will not have gluten or dairy in them, which gives me some peace of mind!

Check out some of these paleo options:

Organic, grass-fed meats and dairy are the new standard.

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Cows are supposed to eat grass, not grains. When cows are fed grains, they often get sick and have to be pumped full of antibiotics, which then end up in our food. This is no bueno for the cows or for us.

That’s why we want to buy grass-fed beef whenever possible.

To take it to the next level, grass-FINISHED beef is the gold standard because it means that in the last stage of their life, the cows were still fed grass rather than being fed grains to quickly fatten them up.

A few brands of grass-fed jerky to check out:

  • Epic bars & jerky (Bill loves these and we find them at Wegmans, Whole Foods & MOMs)
  • The New Primal jerky (cows are grass-fed AND grass-finished). You can find these at REI.

Move over coconut water. Maple water is the new kid in town.

IMG_2372

With a lower sugar content and price point than many coconut waters, maple water is a new trend.

I first found out about them when we were in Lake Placid this summer volunteering at the Ironman triathlon. Drink Maple had a team competing there, and we ended up being at the same cafe as them the day after the race.

Maple water has a subtle maple flavor and naturally occurring electrolytes, so for people who can’t stand the taste of coconut but want an option aside from plain water, this is definitely worth trying!

…But coconut is still in LOTS of products and is being reinvented.

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Hemp is the new flax.

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Hemp is an excellent source of easily digestible, plant-based protein and is a great source of healthy fats and minerals.

CBD is also becoming a popular cannabis-based ingredient in edible and consumable products that one could purchase from a cbd distributor. CBD businesses have become extremely popular over the years as the demand for hemp/marijuana-based products is soaring in the market. With a wide range of potential benefits from pain relief to anxiety management to help with insomnia, it’s no wonder that sites like Gold Bee (you can view the products they have to offer on the company website here) are becoming more and more popular. This is also why great care and attention need to happen on all ends when it comes to these businesses, including when it comes to financials. There are banks that accept cbd business for those that are looking, they just need to do some research in their business based area to find the right ones.

Here are a few hemp-based brands to try:

Turmeric, the ultimate anti-inflammatory, is taking center stage.

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The key component of turmeric that makes it such an anti-inflammatory and protective powerhouse is curcumin. Research suggests that curcumin’s protective properties play a key role in the prevention and treatment of chronic disease and inflammation.

An inflamed body is a sick and angry body, so we want to do anything we can to cool inflammation, and curcumin that can be ingested via brands like CuraMed, is definitely one of the best ways to do this. But this is just one company to consider, so to find the best one for you, make sure to give these products a taste too…

This final trend excites me the most!

There’s a focus on taking a step back to traditionally nourishing, gut-friendly foods like bone broths and sauerkraut.

Since 70% of our immune system lies in and around our digestive tract, eating foods that make our digestive system happy make our whole body look and feel its best!

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And, that’s a wrap!

For a gluten-free, dairy-free foodie who is focused on prioritizing whole, real food made with integrity by people who care, those were some of my favorite finds at Expo East 🙂

Happy National Kale Day! {10 Kale Recipes Plus a Must-See RNK Video}

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On October 7, 2015

In Anti-Inflammatory, Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, Detoxifying, GBOMBS, Gluten-Free, Paleo, Recipes

My friend Natalie texted me this morning to wish me a “Happy National Kale Day.”

She’s super thoughtful and was actually the person who got me an awesome Eat More Kale shirt last year for my birthday. I was so excited that I had to make a short video dedicated to today’s vegetable of honor!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IP4jVrh0Do

In addition to posting that video on my Facebook page today about why kale is so awesome and some tricks for how to make it taste good and NOT bitter, I thought I’d whip up a quick blog post 🙂

Kale is related to some of my other favorite veggies, including cabbage, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts! It scores 1,000 on the ANDI scale, which measures the nutrient density of a food. In English, that means it packs in a TON of micronutrients (vitamins, minerals essential for our health, growth and development).

The more nutrient-dense our diet is, the better off we will be!

Kale is loaded with antioxidants that protect our body (inside and outside!) from damage caused by things like stress, poor diet, lack of activity and smoking.

This leafy green also contains isothiocyanates (say “eye-so-thio-CY-a-nates”) more simply known as ITCs. These compounds have strong cancer-preventive properties. Not only that, but kale contains over 45 flavonoids, a type of phytonutrient (FIGHT-o-nutrient) that protects plants from disease as they are growing. Flavonoids protect our bodies as well AND are give plants their colorful pigments.

Veggies at the San Diego Farmer's Market, including lots of kale!

Veggies at the San Diego Farmer’s Market, including lots of kale in the middle!

Kale is full of micronutrients like beta carotene, vitamin K, and vitamin C. Vitamin K is an important nutrient involved in blood clotting and one cup of kale contains 7 times the RDA for vitamin K.

You may have heard people express concerns about eating too many leafy greens if they are on blood thinners. In fact, the well-known anticoagulant drug Warfarin (Coumadin) works by blocking the function of vitamin K, which is why anyone taking those medications should talk to their doctor about any dietary changes like significantly upping their intake of vitamin-K containing foods.

When there are ways to naturally support our body rather than using medication, I’m all for it!

Kale is anti-inflammatory and detoxifying, so it helps us calm the fires inside of our body and get rid of toxins that can build up as a result of how we live, including how we eat. Dr. Mark Hyman, Director of the Center for Functional Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic, writes and speaks about how inflammation and toxicity are two of the reasons we are sick, develop disease and have trouble losing weight. Check out his video about it here.

If you want to learn even more about the awesome benefits of kale, check out this post by Authority Nutrition about the 10 Proven Benefits of Kale.

Oh, and if you want to be entertained, make sure you check out my National Kale Day tribute video on Facebook!

In the meantime, here are some recipes to try (and check out others on the National Kale Day website):

My Famous Super Food Kale Salad!

My Famous Super Food Kale Salad!

Med Kale Salad

  1. “Taste the Rainbow” Super Food Kale Salad (my signature salad that gets RAVE reviews!)
  2. Upgraded Kale Waldorf Salad
  3. Mediterranean Chickpea and Sundried Tomato Kale Salad
  4. Mini Kale & Mushroom Breakfast Frittatas
  5. Peachy Keen Kale Salad
  6. White Bean & Fennel Soup
  7. Caribbean Island Breeze Smoothie
  8. The Recipe that Will Make You Fall In Love with Kale All Over Again from MindBodyGreen
  9. Lentil & Carrot Salad with Kale from Serious Eats
  10. Bobby Flay’s Sauteed Kale from Food Network

Do you have a favorite kale recipe or one that you want to try? If so, feel free to share it below!

Meghan’s Chocolate, Chocolate Pancakes {Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free}

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On October 4, 2015

In Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Paleo, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

As I shared in a post earlier this week, my culinary nutrition instructor, Meghan Telpner, just released her cookbook.

I’ve had the opportunity to try some of the recipes in it, and they are awesome!

Every recipe is based on using real, whole, unprocessed foods, and no refined sugar, gluten or dairy products, so it’s totally aligned with how I eat and what makes me feel best.

She also has a quirky sense of humor and honesty that makes the book fun to read.

Today I’m sharing with you my experience of making her “Chocolate, Chocolate, Say It Twice Pancakes.” 

undiet pancakes

When we’re cooking and baking, gluten-free, we can’t just swap a gluten-free flour for white flour because the gluten-free flours don’t contain the main ingredient that creates the “doughy-ness” that most of us love so much about bread…gluten!

That’s why you’ll see that this recipe uses a blend of gluten-free flours, including brown rice, buckwheat (which does NOT contain any wheat or gluten), arrowroot and chickpea flour. The company Bob’s Red Mill sells these at just about every grocery store, so they should be accessible to most people.

Meghan posted the recipe on her website as a sneak peek to the book, so I’m going to send you over there, today.

Here’s what the finished pancakes looked like when I made them.

pancake bite closeup pancakes

Bill was a big fan and had them for dinner last night alongside these greens and Meghan’s vegalicious quiche with a secret ingredient gluten-free crust. I’ll be post

*Click here to get the chocolate pancake recipe!*

If you haven’t already, pre-order the Undiet cookbook to get access to some super cool FREE bonuses, including:

  • Two Undiet meal plans
  • Bonus recipes that didn’t make the book
  • Online smoothie class
  • Online launch party

AND be entered to win these awesome prizes:

No-Bake Chocolate Walnut Brownies {Gluten-Free, Paleo, Vegan}

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On October 2, 2015

In Anti-Inflammatory, Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Paleo, Products I Use, Recipes

My friend Sarah came over for dinner last night, and after making some yummy stuffed sweet potatoes from this new cookbook, I wanted to whip up a quick and easy dessert, which is what prompted me to make these brownies!

I love that these are no-bake, made with heart healthy, brain boosting walnuts and antioxidant-rich cacao powder, and topped with crunchy cacao nibs.

I find that Amazon has the best deals on cacao powder and nibs, so I’ve linked out to them below in the ingredient list. Viva Labs is one of the brands I love!

These are easy to make…and easy to eat 🙂 Make them this weekend!

IMG_2208 Yield: 20 servings

Ingredients

  • 3 cups raw walnuts
  • 2/3 cup raw cacao powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • 1 cup pitted Medjool dates, soaked in warm water for 10 minutes to soften
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup shredded coconut, lightly toasted
  • 1/4 cup raw cacao nibs

Directions

  1. In a food processor, blend walnuts, cacao powder, salt and cinnamon until nuts are finely ground.
  2. Drain dates and squeeze out excess water. Add dates, vanilla and toasted coconut to food processor. Process until mixture sticks together. If needed, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time to make brownies more moist.
  3. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper. Press brownie mixture into the dish. Sprinkle with cacao nibs and press nibs into brownies.
  4. Put in freezer for 30-60 minutes to firm up and then cut into 20 squares.
  5. Refrigerate brownies in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 2 weeks.

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