Do you find yourself bored of the same old snacks everyday? Do you find yourself reaching for the candy dish or hitting up the vending machine just for some variety? Does your lonely snack of just an apple leave you hungrier than you were before your snack? This may sound like an infomercial but I have some great options for you!
Below I’ve outlined some tasty alternatives for traditional snack foods that are sure to spice up your day and get you excited about your snacks again. These snacks not only have great flavour but they contain a perfect balance of macronutrients (read more about balancing your blood sugar through snacks here). All of these snacks take minimal time to assemble and by preparing several of these recipes ahead of time you will be sure to stick to your nutrition plan this week (remember - it's when we allow ourselves to get too hungry or our blood sugar levels get too low that we don't make the best nutrition choices)!
During the winter months getting enough zinc is important in helping to boost our immune system. Try this recipe to get a great source of zinc and a hit of protein at snack time.
Ingredients
1 cup of pumpkin seeds
2 teaspoons of olive oil
2 teaspoons of curry powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
Preparation
Preheat oven to 300F.
Coat pumpkin seeds with oil then toss with curry powder and salt.
Roast seeds on a baking sheet for 20 minutes.
I recommend a 1 ounce serving of pumpkin seeds served with 1 apple.
Ingredients
1/4 cup unpopped popcorn kernels
1 tablespoon of coconut oil or butter (for popping on the stove) - omit if you have an air popper
2 teaspoons of sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon of sesame seeds (optional)
Preparation
Pop kernels in a stock pot over the stove with coconut oil/butter.
Once popped, remove from stock pot and toss popcorn with sesame oil and sesame seeds.
I recommend using a stockpot and some coconut oil or butter on the stove to make popcorn. Check out this YouTube video to guide you through making your own popcorn at home.
Health tip: I recommend avoiding the store bought microwave popcorn (even SmartPop or one of those “healthier” varieties). The lining of those microwave popcorn bags (perfluorooctanoic acid, also known as C8) is made of the same ingredients used in Teflon pans.
As stated by Dr. Andrew Weil
In June 2005, a scientific advisory panel to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) identified PFOA as a "likely carcinogen" but drew no conclusions as to whether products made with it pose a cancer risk to humans. However, animal studies have identified four types of tumors in rats and mice exposed to PFOA.
While scientific studies have not established a link between microwave popcorn bags and other products containing trace amounts of PFOA to increases in cancer in humans, the chemical has been shown to cause cancer and birth defects in animals, and it is so pervasive that it's detectable in the blood of 95 percent of Americans.
Ingredients
½ cup chia seeds
2 cup almond milk
1 tbsp maple syrup
4 tbsp raisins
Preparation
Combine all ingredients into 4 - 4 ounce or 8 ounce mason jars (or small glass storage containers)
Stir well and let sit overnight.
Leave jars in the fridge for quick grab-and-go snacks for the week.
Ingredients
1/4 cup of unsalted almonds
1 ounce of dark chocolate (70-80 percent cocoa), melted in microwave or double boiler
1/2 tablespoon of dried cranberries or cherries
1/8 teaspoon of Himalayan sea salt
Preparation
In a bowl, mix together almonds and melted dark chocolate.
Drop mixture onto wax paper.
Refrigerate until set.
Recipe makes 1 serving.
I recommend tripling or quadrupling this recipe to make 3 or 4 servings at one time.
Ingredients
1 ripe avocado, cubed
2 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tbsp maple syrup
3 tbsp unsweetened almond milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup fresh berries
Preparation
Place avocado in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
Add the remaining ingredients except the berries.
Serve topped with fresh berries.
May be kept refrigerated for one day until needed. Recipe makes 2 servings.
Hopefully these recipes help to spice up your menu plan this week! Do you have other grab-and-go recipes that you love? Share them in the comments below!
Yours in Health,
Kristin
This lazy-man's frittata is made for people who leave little to no time in the morning for breakfast. You can add any vegetables and spices you'd like, however to keep it as easy as possible I stuck to nothing you had to chop 🙂
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This recipe is literally some of the greatest flavours thrown together to make an amazing dish! I recommend serving with roasted yams and brussels sprouts for a gourmet looking meal that is so quick and easy to put together (tip: make extra maple drizzle for the vegetables - you're welcome 🙂 ).
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Welcome back for part 2 of Choosing a Prenatal Supplement (you can read part one here)! In this post we will finish our discussion on prenatal supplement components and what to look for when selecting this important multivitamin from store shelves!
Omega 3
When looking for an omega 3 supplement, you want to make sure it contains two different omega 3 fatty acids: DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosopentaenoic acid). DHA is critical for fetal brain development. A pregnant woman’s body will transfer all of the DHA possible across the placenta to the fetus even if this means depleting the mother’s stores entirely. EPA is important in helping to prevent postpartum depression. Finally, omega 3 supplements have been shown to extend gestation and increase birth weight.
In randomized trials using a DHA supplement versus a placebo, the supplement improved infants’ visual acuity and growth as well as helped prevent maternal depression (Maizes, 2013)
When looking at the label, check to see that the fish oil is molecularly distilled, which means that heavy metal and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contaminants that are present in many fish are removed. Look for a supplement with DHA and EPA adding up to 1000 mg and take with the largest meal of the day.
Nutrient dense food sources of DHA and EPA: mackerel, herring, salmon (wild pacific sockeye salmon is best), sardines, trout.
Don’t be fooled by foods such as ground flaxseed, walnuts, chia seeds, and flaxseed oil as being a good source of omega 3. These foods contain the form of omega 3 known as ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), which must be converted in the body into DHA and EPA to have the benefits listed above. Unfortunately, the conversion rate from ALA to DHA/EPA is believed by researchers to be less than 1% in healthy individuals.
A Canadian survey of 176 pregnant women revealed that while 90 percent were taking multivitamins, none were taking the vitamins with omega 3, and only 11 percent were taking separate omega 3 supplements (Maizes, 2013)
Vitamin D
A large percentage of women living in northern latitudes have low vitamin D status, this is a nutrient of significant importance. See my post on vitamin D here for food sources and additional information on the importance of the sunshine vitamin.
There is evidence in animal studies and some from human trials that fertility is impaired if the mother has a low vitamin D level. She will have a harder time getting pregnant and once pregnant, she will have an increased risk of preeclampsia and gestational diabetes (Maizes, 2013)
The Institute of Medicine considers vitamin D doses of up to 4,000 IU/day to be safe. My recommendation to clients is to get his/her vitamin D levels checked based on a supplement dosage of 1000-2000 IU/day and then have levels checked once every 6-12 months after until consistently in the normal range.
It is worth noting that many multivitamins, including prenatal multivitamins, only contain 200 IU of vitamin D. If you already have an inadequate vitamin D status (anything less than 50 ng/L according to the vitamin D council) than 200 IU/day is unlikely to correct this inadequacy.
Nutrient dense food sources of vitamin D: milk, yogurt, egg yolk, salmon, mackerel, herring, trout.
Calcium
Calcium is needed during pregnancy to help with baby’s bone development (particularly in the third trimester) and to keep mother’s bones strong during this time as well. Women need 1,000-1,300 mg of calcium during pregnancy and breastfeeding. I suggest focusing on food first for calcium however, many women struggle to get in enough calcium to meet pregnancy and post-partum needs. If choosing to supplement, it is recommended to split up calcium supplements because we cannot absorb more than approximately 500 mg of calcium at one time.
Nutrient dense food sources of calcium: green vegetables, milk products, salmon, sardines.
Vitamin E
Pregnant women use vitamin E for preventing complications in late in pregnancy due to high blood pressure.
Check the label on your prenatal multivitamin for dl alpha tocopherol. Dl alpha tocopherol is the synthetic form of vitamin E and indicates that the product is poor. What you should see is d-alpha tocopherol or even better, 200-400 IU of mixed tocopherols and tocotrienols. Synthetic forms of vitamin E are generally derived from petroleum products and are not as bioavailable as natural vitamin E.
Vitamin B12
Women at particular risk of low vitamin B12 levels include: vegan or strict vegetarians, women taking proton pump inhibitors or other acid blockers (think TUMS, Rolaids, etc.) or have been on the birth control pill for several years. Women with type 2 diabetes mellitus or polycystic ovarian syndrome who are prescribed metformin are also at risk of low vitamin B12 levels, due to the depletion that this drug causes.
Vitamin B12 is essential during pregnancy for DNA synthesis and low levels of this vitamin increases risks of repeated miscarriage and birth defects.
The recommended daily intake of vitamin B12 is 2.4 mcg during perception and 2.6 mcg during pregnancy. You may notice that many vitamin B12 supplements on store shelves are quite high in comparison to the recommended dietary allowance. This is due to the fact that absorption of 100% of what is in the supplement does not occur. For example, a supplement with 1,000 mcg of oral vitamin B12 leads to absorption of about 20 mcg.
Nutrient dense food sources of vitamin B12: animal meat (particularly organ meat), fish, milk products and fortified almond milk, nutritional yeast.
Additional vitamins and trace minerals
Trace minerals in a multivitamin should include copper, zinc, magnesium, potassium, and calcium.
Just remember: taking a supplement never takes the place of consuming nutrient dense foods. Think of a supplement as what it is - a supplement to your currently awesome, nutrient dense diet.
Until next time nutrient seekers..
Yours in health,
Kristin
Sources
https://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/supplement/alphalinolenic-acid
https://www.vitamindcouncil.org/about-vitamin-d/testing-for-vitamin-d/
http://healthybabycode.com/why-you-cant-get-vitamin-a-from-eating-vegetables
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART02809/vitamin-b9-folate.html
Maizes V (2013). Be fruitful: the essential guide to maximizing fertility and giving birth to a healthy child.
Okay so it's only November, but getting into the spirit of the holiday season I decided to try out a new stuffing recipe modified slightly from the amazing Juli Bauer's recipe (you can read the original recipe here). This stuffing is a meal all in itself, so you don't have to wait until the holidays to whip up this delicious blend of warm flavours!
This recipe is egg-, nightshade-, gluten-, dairy-free but it does contain nuts (which could be omitted for AIP followers).
Side note: Please forgive the photo - this stuffing was too good [and my husband was too hungry] to take the time to plate it nicely 🙂
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