Recent Posts

Homemade Salad Dressing

Homemade Salad Dressing

Homemade Salad Dressing I have been leaning more towards honey mustard type dressings lately for my salads.  I have been having a spinach/cob style salad FOR YEARS. Yes, I fit that dietitian cliche’ – I know -but I also eat my salad every day with […]

Banana, Oat and Millet Muffins

Banana, Oat and Millet Muffins

These muffins have been a go-to in our house lately.  You guys know that I am a fan of millet and trying to get more VARIETY of foods in our diet. So when I came up with this Banana, Oat and Millet Muffin recipe – […]

Work with what you have: Food that supports immune health.

Work with what you have: Food that supports immune health.

I’ve been getting quite a few questions on foods that can support immune health lately (appropriately – given the current situation ?). Honestly, these are foods we should and could be eating all the time! This is awesome – because so many of these foods are shelf-stable and freezable and available ALL year long. HOWEVER, remember to work with what you have and what is available – don’t stress about it! The most important thing to do right now is to nourish your body, eat vegetables and fruit (they don’t have to be fresh or organic), drink water, move your body, turn off the news ?, and get some sleep! ⠀


Vitamin C – think of citrus, leafy greens like kale, spinach and bell peppers⠀
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Vitamin D – wild-grown mushrooms, fortified milk, and salmon (canned works!) ⠀
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Zinc – meats, shellfish (love scallops!) and beans are excellent sources ⠀
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Vitamin A – mango – (we love it dried without added sugar), butternut squash and carrots ⠀
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Vitamin E – avocados, nuts (like peanut butter), and sunflower seeds⠀
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Vitamin B-6
– chickpeas (like those found in hummus), poultry, and tuna (Remember – canned is ok!)⠀
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Pre & Probiotics – We love seaweed, yogurt, and bananas at our house! Potatoes (heated then cooled) are a great resistant starch for your gut bacteria to feed on! Fermented foods like kimchi, (real) sauerkraut, yogurt, and kombucha are probiotics and can stay safe in the fridge for quite a few days. ⠀

Vitamin E, Vitamin B6 & Pre & Probiotic foods that support immune health.
Your new smoothie go-to: think BEETS

Your new smoothie go-to: think BEETS

I love beets. I just love them. My five-year-old does too – maybe it’s genetic? Anyway, I love the earthy taste. The bright red texture. I loved them baked, sauteed, and pickled. However, I DO NOT LOVE how they stain my white kitchen when I […]

Thoughts from a recovered #caffeineholic…

Thoughts from a recovered #caffeineholic…

Coffee or tea?! Which would you choose? ⠀ Lately, I have been on a tea kick – Green, Hibiscus, Earl Grey – you name it – I’ve probably have been having a cup most days of the week. And really, you can reasonably argue that […]

Why Did You Eat?

Why Did You Eat?

I want you to think about the last time you ate. For me, it was about five minutes ago when I grabbed a few figs and some peanut butter to eat as a late-night snack while writing this post. If I took the time to think about why I ate, the answer might be surprising. Was I hungry? No, not particularly. Was I tired? Yes, definitely. Was I procrastinating work that needed to be done- so I was feeling a little stressed. Oh yeah – you can bet your money on that. 

Understanding and recognizing why we eat is one of the first steps in implementing mindful eating practices. Food was designed not just for fuel for our bodies- but can also provide enjoyment, comfort, distraction, and nourishment. I could beat myself up for eating “after 8:00 pm” by stating all the usual “diet” things we tell ourselves throughout the day “Jenny, you really shouldn’t have eaten this late at night, don’t you know what that does to your insulin response and your metabolism.” “Jenny, you don’t need the extra calories, you just ate that bowl of dairy-free ice cream for dessert (Yes, I did, and it was dang delicious!). ” The point is if we let ourselves get back to that negative self-talk, all it really does is make us feel bad about ourselves and leaves us feeling defeated and not enough.

Emotional eating, stress eating, or eating while you are distracted are NORMAL. Yes, it is NORMAL to do these things. We are human, after all, not some robot. Emotional or boredom eating can become problematic; however, if you don’t have any other coping skills in your toolbox to utilize. 

Over the next week, I’d like you to apply this exercise a few times and do some self-discovery on the type of situations you find yourself eating.

Mindful Eating Exercise

 Use the following questions to help you identify and reflect the last time you ate.

  •  When and where was the last time you ate? 
  • What made you decide to eat? 
  • What did you eat? (Describe the smell, taste, sight, touch, and sounds.)
  • What thoughts and emotions did you have as you were eating? 
  • What else was going on while you were eating? 
  • When did you stop eating? How did you decide this? 
  • What thoughts and emotions did you have after you ate?