What RDs Do: Nicole Osinga, BASc, MAN, RD

NICOLE OSINGA
OSINGA NUTRITION & ACUTE CARE
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After you learn more about Nicole, you'll have to check out her Instagram account. She has practical images of her meal prep and what she eats in a day - both of which may help give you ideas. Like Nicole, I'm also very interested in behaviour change, and as she says, most dietitians include it with the evidence. She continues to grow her business and learn about being her own boss, a world many of us aren't taught about in school. 

Why did you become a RD? 

I became an RD because this career path had been stuck in my mind since Grade 7. I remember we had a ‘Career Day’ in elementary school and remember selecting the card that said ‘Dietitian’ – and it was stuck in my mind. It made sense at the time because I had busied myself making diet plans for my friends during those years (LOL). 

What area of dietetics do you work in? 

I split my time between private practice (which involves media work, workplace wellness and counseling clients one-on-one) and working part-time in an acute care facility. I’m currently working towards my Certified Diabetes Educator certification. 

How would you explain what you do? 

‘I’m a plant-based meal prep master’. I own a nutrition consulting business and also work at an acute-care facility. 

What are your ‘typical’ daily/weekly tasks? 

I typically start the week on Sunday, where I prepare my instagram photos for the week, which includes meal preps, what I eat in a day, along with new recipes. I also aim to get at least one new blog post a week out. I find it helpful to schedule my social media/blog work at the beginning of the week. 

Monday – acute care facility 

Tuesday – morning is typically catching up on emails/media work/social media. I then do some client prep and see clients in the afternoon/evening

Wednesday – I see clients all day

Thursday/Friday – acute care facility 

I also sit on the College of Dietitians council and will have about one meeting a month with them. 

What has been your career path? 

When I graduated from the Masters of Applied Nutrition at UOG program in 2013, I thought I was destined to be an inpatient, acute-care dietitian. I thought this type of role would bring the challenge I was looking for. Once I graduated, I landed a few Long Term Care (LTC) contracts and was also teaching a cooking class for those with cancer. I realized the challenge I was looking for was actually in the teaching and behaviour change aspects of my cooking class job. I started hearing the same questions in my class from my participants (around soy, the alkaline diet, anti-inflammatory diet, etc.) so I started my blog in 2014, in order to give my participants more information. I kept active on my blog, and soon after I started my social media accounts. After some time, my blog and social media gained the attention of media outlets and I started to get asked for quotes and interviews. In 2015 I was contacted by the Toronto Star and worked for them as a freelancer for about a year, writing for their app ‘The Star Touch’ and also had a number of articles in print. I decided I needed to devote more time to media/private practice work, so I now only work part-time at an acute-care facility and rent a space in a physiotherapy clinic to counsel clients. I have a packed patient caseload in my practice and may need to adjust my hours further! I still keep up with my blog and social media work, and continue to appear in local and national media. 

What advanced education or special training do you have? 

I am a certified Craving Change Facilitator and attend Motivational Interviewing workshops. Behaviour change is an area that I could always use more training in. I’ve also attending a number of food photography workshops.

In an ideal world, what does the industry look like 5 years from now? 

More business-savvy, private practice dietitians. We need them! We have to get out there more as a profession, as there is so much nutrition noise out there.

What misinformation about RDs would you like to clear up? 

That we use the Canada's Food Guide (I never do) or don’t condone special diets. I largely promote a plant-based way of eating, which some of my colleagues/client may find surprising! 

What would you like people to know about RDs? 

We are the most qualified people to give nutrition advice. Period. 

What are challenges you encounter as a RD? 

Learning to run a business as a sole proprietor, while also being responsible for delivering 100% of the services. I’ve had to learn how to define my target audience, how to market to them and provide services that guide them towards the results they are looking for. Not ever imagining that I would get into business during undergrad, I didn’t learn much about marketing or business communications! 

What do people think that you do for a living? 

A chef (which makes sense if you look at my instagram feed!). 

What makes RDs unique/different from other nutrition/wellness professionals? 

In my experience, RD’s seem to place an emphasis on the behaviour change process, in addition to the evidence-based scientific practice advice. 

What is your favourite meal? 

I’m on a tofu kick…anything with grilled tofu, grilled veggies and some kind of noodle 

What tip(s) would you give to our readers? 

Keep an open mind as the field of dietetics is rapidly changing! We have to be prepared to shift our practice. 

More about Nicole:

Instagram: @nicoleosinga_rd

Website: Osinga Nutrition

Email: nicoleosinga@gmail.com

Thanks Nicole! Find out more about What RDs Do.

If you're a dietitian that would like to be featured, email me for the details!

What RDs Do: Dara Gurau, RD & Erin Macgregor, RD, PHEc

DARA GURAU & ERIN MACGREGOR

CLINICAL & HOW TO EAT

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It's great to feature a team or dynamic duo and I know these two are doing some great things. Not only do they work together in private practice, but also in a clinical setting, where they're also part of a team. I've seen their Facebook videos lately, so I sort of felt like I already knew them and they were excited to be part of the series. They create delicious recipes, such as Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal, that I'm anxious to try! Dara and Erin focus on practical things like meal planning tips and on 'healthful eating through food, not numbers' which is a refreshing approach.

Why did you become a RD?

We both grew up with a love for food, but really never thought of food and nutrition as a career. Actually, growing up, we didn't even now what a dieititan was! As we completed our first University degrees in Kinesiology and were trying to figure out what the heck to do with our lives, we discovered the food and nutrition program and thought this would be a great compliment to our kinesiology knowledge while satisfying that passion for food and cooking we had developed.

Fast forward to today, and while our knowledge of the field of dietetics has expanded, that same passion for food and cooking remains. And that's why we ultimately chose to become registered dietitians - to share our passion and knowledge for food, nutrition, and cooking with others in the hopes of inspiring them to pick up a knife or spatula and create delicious and healthful home-cooked meals to share with their friends and families.

What area of dietetics do you work in?

We work together in the clinical setting at a large teaching hospital in Toronto. We are also co-creators and owners of How To Eat, where we work in recipe development, nutrition communication, and meal planning. One part of How To Eat is our food and recipe blog, where we have been sharing easy and healthful recipes and kitchen tips for the past five years. So we are definitely never bored!

How would you explain what you do?

In our clinical roles, we work as inpatient dietitians as part of a large multi-discplinary team, involved mainly in nutrition support. At How To Eat, we are doing something completely different, working with individuals to support them in building their confidence as home cooks by helping them with meal planning and cooking. We also work with brands to provide recipe development and nutrition communication for them. Lastly, we continue to share easy, healthful, and delicious recipes through our blog.

What are your ‘typical’ daily/weekly tasks?

In our clinical roles, our days involve assessing patients' nutritional status, implementing the appropriate nutrition intervention, and following up on patients in our areas. We also attend daily and weekly multi-disciplinary team rounds, monthly nutrition department meetings, and other professional development sessions.

In our How To Eat role, we are constantly developing and testing new recipes, creating content for our blog, attending networking events and meetings, and working on the the latest special project or event we have on the go.

What has been your career path?

It should be no surprise that we ended up as colleagues, close friends, and business partners as we share such similar career paths. In fact, we often refer to ourselves as "foodie soul-mates!" We both started out with undergraduate degrees in kinesiology and then went on to complete our second degrees in food and nutrition at Ryerson. From there, we both completed our dietetic internships in Toronto where we both still work as inpatient clinical dietitians. We also both share previous experience working as outpatient dietitians counselling on cardiovascular disease, HIV, and general healthy eating.

So when we first met at our clinical positions, we actually both already had our own individual food blogs. And after realizing that we shared pretty much the same food personality, we joined forces to start How To Eat and it has now grown to the business it is today. We love having that balance of utilizing our clinical skills as well as sharing our love of food and inspiring others to cook.

What advanced education or special training do you have?

Well as we mentioned, we both have degrees in Kinesiology as well as Food and Nutrition. Erin also holds the professional home economist (PHec) designation. We also have a very important type of training - motherhood! We are both moms who have learned and developed a system to feed our own hungry families.

In an ideal world, what does the industry look like 5 years from now?

Tough question! In our ideal world, the term dietitian would be associated with "food expert." At this moment, we feel there is a big disconnect between dietitians and food - people hear the term dietitians and immediately think "diet" and "what NOT to eat." There is a shift that has begun and we hope it continues, one that shows ourselves as a profession who not only knows nutrition, but food as well. And enjoys eating it! All of it! We hope to be part of that first step in the right direction.

What is your favourite meal?

This was the hardest question! We love so many things! But there was this one dinner on a trip together in NYC at a restaurant called ABC Kitchen. It was one of those multi-course dinners that was enjoyed with a bottle of wine over several hours and absolutely everything was delicious. We were there over 5 years ago and STILL think about it, it was that good! What sticks in our mind the most was the dessert - salted caramel ice cream topped with popcorn and a rich chocolate sauce. That sweet and salty combo gets us every time!

More about Erin & Dara:

Website: www.howtoeat.ca
Facebook: How to Eat
Twitter: @How_To_Eat
Instagram: @how_to_eat

Thanks ladies! Find out more about What RDsDo.

If you're a dietitian that would like to be featured, email me for the details!

What RDs Do: Staci Gulbin, MS, MEd, RD, LDN

STACI GULBIN

MY LIGHTTRACK RD

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It would seem that Staci was always meant to be a dietitian and she's a very well educated one at that. She has great, honest responses below and I appreciate her transparency. Many dietitians can relate to being more of a counsellor with their clients and needing to listen whilst trying to help people sort through all the misinformation out there. She's just starting a new position and it sounds like a great fit, so I wish Staci all the best in this new endeavour.

Why did you become a RD?

I always knew I wanted to help people get healthy in some way. In college I was pre-med and attended graduate school for biology at NYU while I applied for medical school. Moving to a big city after attending a small private college was a huge change and was the first time I lived on my own away from home. This experience triggered depression, panic attacks, and a personal experience with disordered eating during this time. I struggled with body image, self-esteem, and was confused about what I wanted to do with my life since I had lost my passion for medicine. After being assigned to write a paper on obesity and diabetes for one of my classes, I soon realized that nutrition may be my true calling. I wrote my thesis on the relationship between insulin resistance and obesity, and soon after was accepted into a graduate program of human nutrition at Columbia University’s Institute of Human Nutrition. It was through this intensive one-year program that I realized I wanted to become a dietitian. Thereafter, I applied and was accepted into Teacher’s College, Columbia University where I completed my requirements to apply to a dietetic internship and furthered my training in nutritional counseling. I attended my dietetic internship at Iowa State University in an intensive 6-month program.

What area of dietetics do you work in?

I have worked in long-term care, rehab, medical weight loss, and fitness centers where I provided one-on-one nutritional counseling, group sessions, and support groups. I also have experience teaching nutrition to nursing students and culinary students at the college level and have previously worked in nutrition research at the USDA before I officially became a dietitian. Through these experiences, I realized my true passion is for weight loss and weight management as well as therapeutic diet counseling for obesity-related conditions. I currently work part-time as a dietitian in a short-term psychiatric facility providing nutrition education to patients and will soon be starting training to provide remote nutritional counseling to patients via a secure web interface. I also work as a health writer and editor for Omnichannel Health Media’s Cdiabetes.com site, and have a website and blog of my own that I hope to spread to a larger audience to share nutrition advice, recipes, and inspire others to get healthy in body and mind.

How would you explain what you do?

Although I primarily provide nutrition education and meal planning, I would say that before any of that can be implemented, I must be able to build rapport with my patients. Over the years, I have learned that more important than what I am going to say, I must be a good listener and allow the patient or client to address their questions or concerns. Without getting to know the patient, I will not be able to understand what their health goals are, what methods they have already tried to get healthy, what their medical background and schedule is like, and how they are currently feeling in regards to trying yet another diet regimen. This information will make a profound difference on not only meal planning and the particular nutrition advice I will provide, but on the proper approach in delivering such information. I think of myself as not only a dietitian, but as a counselor, motivator, and cheerleader to my patients.

What are your ‘typical’ daily/weekly tasks?

Currently, I start my day posting on social media to promote my website. During the day, I work on my blog, email local wellness business owners inquiry letters in regards to my business, contact doctor’s offices and weight loss centers to advertise my remote counseling services, create meal plans requested by patients, and as needed, will travel to my current job to provide coverage to the short-term psychiatric center. I have not started my position there yet, so I am not quite sure what the job will specifically entail, but I am told I will be providing requested consults on diabetes education and Coumadin education as well as teach nutrition classes once a week or as needed.

What has been your career path?

I like to say I have taken the scenic route. Since I started out pre-med, I realized my love for nutrition at an age when many nutrition students were already starting their internships or first dietetics jobs. I do not regret a minute of the time I spent in my graduate school programs or in my vast array of jobs in nutrition research, teaching, personal training, and online health writing. Each experience has provided me with different skills that have helped me to become more creative, patient, and versatile, which are skills that I feel have made me a better dietitian for my clients.

What advanced education or special training do you have?

I have a Master of Science in Biology from New York University, a Master of Science in Human Nutrition from Columbia University’s Institute of Human Nutrition, and a Master of Education in Nutrition and Education from Teacher’s College, Columbia University. I have experience as a personal trainer accredited by the American Council on Exercise, CPR and AED certification from the American Heart Association, and through my time as a long-term care dietitian have experience with therapeutic diets for a variety of chronic conditions such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, HIV/AIDs, kidney disease, dementia, food allergies and intolerances, as well as various digestive disorders.

In an ideal world, what does the industry look like 5 years from now?

In an ideal world, all insurance companies would see nutrition counseling as a preventative measure in health care and dietitian’s visits would therefore be fully covered for all of those patients that wish to improve their eating habits, not just for those who already have chronic conditions that require a therapeutic diet. In addition, I would hope that dietitians would be seen as the nutrition experts that they have trained to be and would not be confused with the plethora of individuals claiming to be nutrition experts who are spouting inaccurate nutrition news on the internet.

What misinformation about RDs would you like to clear up?

I once had a patients’ spouse ask me if I consulted with a nutritionist to come up with her spouse’s therapeutic diet. I told her that I was a dietitian and therefore am also a nutritionist. She told me that I was wrong and that a nutritionist does blood tests to come up with the most accurate meal plans for patients, and that they are the true nutrition experts. The biggest piece of misinformation I would like to clear up is that all registered dietitians are nutritionists, but not all nutritionists are dietitians.

What would you like people to know about RDs?

RDs are not just calorie counters and meal planners, but much of our job is working as a health coach and counselor of sorts to inspire and motivate our patients to want to be the best and healthiest that they can be.

What are challenges you encounter as a RD?

As an RD, I encounter a variety of different challenges depending on what environment I am working in. In long-term care, some family members of the patients were very skeptical of my ability to provide the right diet for their family member since a lot of emotions were involved in this field of work. I was yelled at, corrected, and insulted more times than I cared to be, but every experience made me a stronger person and a more patient and compassionate dietitian. During my work as a weight loss counselor, my biggest challenge was trying to overcome clients’ strongly held beliefs in the nutrition and diet claims they read on the internet or saw on television. There is such a large amount of information in the media with much of it inaccurate or not fully explained to the consumer. I feel like it is one of my jobs to help the patient I am working with to navigate through all of the information they see and hear about so they can make informed decisions about their health.

What do people think that you do for a living?

For the most part, I think that many people, including my family thinks of me as a meal planner. This is not necessarily a bad thing, since I do create meal plans as part of my job, but there is so much more to being a dietitian than that.

What are you passionate about in dietetics?

In dietetics, I am passionate about helping my patients’ to realize their healthy lifestyle goals. Many of the patients’ I have worked with have emotional eating issues, history of disordered eating or mental health issues, and/or self-esteem issues that are directly related to their nutrition or weight status. I hope to be able to not only guide my patients’ towards healthy eating habits, but to help them improve their relationship with food and with themselves.

What makes RDs unique/different from other nutrition/wellness professionals?

RDs are unique from other wellness professionals because they are required to stay up-to-date with the latest nutrition research and findings in order to keep their credentials. Therefore, RDs are best equipped to provide patients with the most current and accurate nutrition advice.

What is your favourite meal?

My favorite meal currently is baked boneless skinless barbeque chicken with cheesy cauliflower rice and my favorite veggie, green beans. I have the recipe for cheesy cauliflower rice as well as more healthy recipes and nutrition tips on my website.

What tip(s) would you give to our readers?

If you need help in achieving your health goals, do not be afraid to seek out a dietitian for help. Helping you achieve your health goals is our job. However, we all have different health goals, experiences, and preferences that make us unique. Therefore, be sure to find a dietitian that is going to respect this uniqueness of yours and design a diet and advice that is customized for you so it can be something you can practically apply to your life for the long-term.

Anything else you’d like to add that you feel would be valuable:

Getting healthy is a journey, not a destination, so if you fall off the wagon, just get back on your feet, keep trying, and be honest with yourself. I always tell my patients to track their eating when they first start a new health regimen to help keep them accountable. I tell them to be sure to be honest in their tracking since some will try to be “good” on their tracker for my sake to try and impress me. However, if you are not honest with yourself about your unhealthy behaviors, and are not open to trying new things, healthy change will be nearly impossible to achieve.

More about Staci:

Website: My Lighttrack Dietitian
Twitter: @MyLighttrackRD
Pinterest: My Lighttrack RD
Instagram: MyLighttrackRD
Facebook: My Lighttrack RD

Thanks Staci! Find out more about What RDsDo.

If you're a dietitian that would like to be featured, email me for the details!

What RDs Do: Allison Schaaf, MS, RD, Chef

ALLISON SCHAAF

PREP DISH, PERSONAL CHEF

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I came across Allison in the facebook group Dietitians on the Blog. She has a very unique background filled with culinary school and lots of travel. She's working to help people get healthy meals on their tables with a unique business. As a fellow entrepreneur, I understand the challenge of trying to explain your job to others, but that's also another reason this series exists!

Why did you become a RD?

I had a passion for cooking, and to me, it made sense to have the food I cook also be nutritious and lead to feeling better not worse. I also knew I wanted to combine the culinary arts with nutrition. I felt to really be seen as an expert in nutrition, I needed the RD.

What area of dietetics do you work in?

Entrepreneurship

How would you explain what you do?

I save people time while allowing them to enjoy healthy, tasty meals. I do this by providing weekly meal plans- grocery lists & instructions for how to prepare meals ahead of time.

What are your ‘typical’ daily/weekly tasks?

This varies! Some common tasks include recipe development, editing meal plans, creating content for my newsletter, working with sponsors/ advertisers, etc.

What has been your career path?

I started out as a personal chef in high school. I then received a degree in culinary nutrition and had experience cooking at world-renowned health spas. I then received a masters degree in nutrition communications & became a RD. I spent some time doing marketing for the Almond Board of California. From there, I moved to Austin, TX and created a personal chef company. I still run that company, but now focus on my meal planning website, PrepDish.com.

What advanced education or special training do you have?

See above.

In an ideal world, what does the industry look like 5 years from now?

I’m ready for robots to start preparing my meals and recipes! I don’t think this is within the next 5 years, but it’s where I think technology is headed in my lifetime. And I can’t wait!

What misinformation about RDs would you like to clear up?

Not all dietitians work clinically in a hospital!

What would you like people to know about RDs?

The requirements it takes to be an RD, it’s very different than a “nutritionist”.

What do people think that you do for a living?

I think many people are confused by what I do or don’t believe I make money doing so… I’ve given up trying to fully explain it to my grandmother!

What are you passionate about in dietetics?

I believe in family meals, sitting down to enjoy healthy, tasty food. I love providing tools to busy moms to make healthy, family meals a regular, stress-free occurrence.

What is your favourite meal?

Depends on the season!

What tip(s) would you give to our readers?

I feel like there are a lot of opportunities for RDs to be seen as THE nutrition expert in the online world.

More about Allison:

Twitter: @PrepDish

Facebook: Prep Dish

Instagram: @prepdish

Pinterest: Prep Dish

Google+: PrepDish

Thanks Allison! Find out more about What RDsDo.

If you're a dietitian that would like to be featured, email me for the details!

9 Dietitians Tips for Finding the Time

As I said, time has been on my mind. I try to prioritize my time, spend my time wisely, not waste time, etc. but a lot of that is subjective and I doubt I'll ever feel like there's enough time for certain things. For example, I enjoy reading, yet it falls low on my list and I often run out of time (ie. my child wakes from a nap). I have prioritized certain things (ie. not cancelling workouts/exercise and home cooked meals) and I have cut certain things out when they no longer serve a purpose.

I talk about mindfulness and minimalism, but it's not just the clutter, it could be the groups, activities, etc. that take time and really are not helping you move towards being your best self. It's hard to say no or to 'define' yourself when society encourages us to be a certain way and do certain things. It's become 'normal' to be busy, but I don't want that to define me. I want to feel like I have time to do what I enjoy doing, because we only get so much time. I also think we need to reorganize/re-prioritize and take time for ourselves, be that to nourish ourselves, to relax, to de-stress, or to workout.

To help you manage your time (or perhaps drop the excuse that you don't have time for your health), I asked fellow dietitians for their time saving tips/tricks/hacks to help you break down the barrier.

1. Meal plan, but start "small, simple, and slow"... (read more: How to Simplify Meal Planning)
Dixya Bhattarai, RDN, Food, Pleasure & Health

2. "Free online workout videos are one of my favorite high efficiency ways to get a quick workout in on busy days, even with kids sleeping or playing in the next room"... (read more: 25 Free Full Body Workout Videos (15 Mins or Less)
Dena Norton, MS, RD, Back to the Book Nutrition

3. "If you're not already exercising chunk it down to 10 min at a time to make it easier to fit into an already busy schedule and slowly expand the time."... (read more: Find the Time: 10-Minute Exercise Routines)
Meri Asterino Raffetto, RDN, Real Living Nutrition

4. "Build food traditions that help you create a better attitude around cooking and making time for it"...(read more: BYO Holiday Food Traditions)
Sharon Palmer, RDN, The Plant-Powered Dietitian 

5. "I make lunch and snacks the night before. I also make a big batch of granola and always make double dinners so that I have for leftovers and for the week. I can make soup and quick dinners also in half an hour using my food processor to chop veggies and herbs!!"
Madeline Basler, RDN, Real You Nutrition

6. "I love the quote that 30 minutes (for a workout) is just 2% of your day!"
Katie Proctor, RDN, Elevate With Katie

7. "Spend 30 minutes over the weekend planning out your meals for the week. That 30 minutes eliminates so much stress throughout the week!"
Allison Stevens, MS, RD, Chef,  Prep Dish

8. "Make extra portions of meals and freeze them. When you eat them weeks later, they'll seem new, and you will have saved time in the prep process. You can do this and have a regular rotation of 'new' meals."
Amy Gorin, MS, RDN, Amy Gorin Nutrition

9. "Take time out of your day, perhaps on the weekend when life is less hectic, and plan out your meals for the week. And fill out a supermarket shopping list, so when you go to the grocery store, you spend your time efficiently." (download her 7-Day Meal Planner and Supermarket Shopping List)
Liz Weiss, MS, RD, Meal Makeover Moms 

How do you find time for your health? Tell us below and enjoy all the time you've saved!

Cheers,
Steph Langdon, RD
www.nutrishus.com

Where's the Food?

We recently moved from a downtown loft to a house in suburbia. The kitchen was a very important part of our purchase, but we mostly got the house based on its fabulous location. Many of the houses we looked at had tiny kitchens with limited counter space. We were used to our huge island and having lots of room to move around and entertain in the kitchen. We did also gain a pantry and extra cupboards in the house. We even splurged to get a convection and induction range.

While checking the house out, a friend commented how empty the pantry was. I guess I agreed, although it definitely wasn't 'empty', but that's probably pretty close to how it will always be. I know I have a child under one year old, so I'm sure our food situation will expand as her appetite grows. However, I enjoy and have the flexibility to get fresh items often. I do cook in big batches, but only as much as our fridge/freezer can hold. I know we're in a North American bulk purchasing society, but that doesn't tend to be the way my husband and I shop or consume and it appears that helps our waistlines too. Although, I must admit that I recently stocked up on diapers (so our daughter is already changing things).

I enjoy throwing random ingredients together and trying new recipes. I often seek out google and type in a few items that I want to use together and see what recipes or images inspire me. I also often try to use up the items in my pantry. For example, I'll look and see that we have a lot of rice, or canned beans, or dried fruit and that will lead to a creation. Thus, I tend not to have a full pantry although I do have my staples, as I'm sure you do too. I guess this works really well with my attempt at living a minimalist lifestyle, even though that wasn't my intention, it's just how I approach the kitchen. It also helps me keep the kitchen somewhat clean and inviting.

It's not like my kitchen has no food, but it's also not heavily stocked (compared to some or depending on the day of the week). I started reading Brian Wansink's Slim by Design recently and he mentions that empty kitchens often lead to bigger waistlines - because people are eating out more. We use our kitchen a lot, but I think if it was full I might be overwhelmed. With a few key things on hand, I can figure out my meals for the week and reduce our waste, so it helps me be mindful too. This means we try all kinds of meals and is a handy way to help those with a strict food budget.

How do you approach your kitchen or pantry?

Happy cooking!
Steph Langdon, RD
www.nutrishus.com

Beefed Up Hamburger Soup {ReDux}

The nights have definitely been cooling off, the Canadian geese look like they're getting ready for a journey south and my iced coffees are now just coffee - yes it's 'back-to-school' time for most people. I have a few teachers in my life, so it's back to work for them too. 

I often feel that September is a time to get back in the kitchen, get back into activities, and get re-organized as lake time comes to an end. The ladies at the Recipe ReDux were thinking the same things, since this month's theme is:

Back to the Dinner Table - After the hustle and bustle of the holiday/vacation season, August is the time many families get ‘back to routine.’ Show us your favorite recipe to help families get ‘back to the dinner table.’ It might be a favorite family recipe from your childhood that you’ve ReDuxed; or maybe it’s your family’s current favorite. Let’s all gather back at the table!

Right away I thought of big batch cooking, as I prefer to prep and cook once and eat multiple times when things get busy, or freeze some for a later date. Perhaps family members will have to eat at different times, or maybe a big batch is the way to sneak in a sit down family meal. Since I also had family on my mind, I decided to tweak one of my mom's recipes. As I said, it's getting colder here, so I'm more open to warm dishes like hearty soups.

I started with my mom's hamburger soup and added lentils and a more few vegetables to 'beef it up". I also thought it was funny that I 'beefed it up" by adding lentils! This way I feel like soup can become a meal and I find it's a great way to get more vegetables in, or even to use up your garden goodies. I used ground beef, but I'm sure you could use chicken or turkey as well. I also usually make it on the stove (as a one pot meal), but I'm sure I successfully made the original version in the slow cooker once too.

Beefed Up Hamburger Soup

Ingredients

0.5 to 1.0 lbs of lean or extra lean ground beef

1 medium onion, diced

28 oz (796 ml) can diced tomatoes, no salt added

3 medium carrots, diced

2 zucchini, chopped

2 stalks celery, diced

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1/3 cup barley, rinsed

1/2 cup dry green lentils, rinsed

1/2 tsp thyme

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

2 bay leaves

3 cups of water

4 cups of beef broth/stock

salt & pepper to taste

Directions

1. Heat a large pot over medium heat. Brown the meat and cook the onions (3-5 minutes), drain fat.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients (nice and easy). 

3. Bring to a boil. Simmer for at least 1.5 - 2 hours, stirring often.

I did have a little 'help' in the kitchen this month too!

Eat up,

Steph Langdon, RD

something nutrishus

www.nutrishus.com

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hiah chat - Michyla Kielo

Bio of Michyla Kielo: I am a Registered Massage Therapist, and teach infant massage classes to new parents.  I am also a farm wife and full time Mom to Alyssa (7), Evan (5) and Riley (5). My husband Brett and I operate a grain and beef farm which is still growing and keeps us very busy! I also run 10K’s and half marathons, ride horses and barrel race.

Blog: www.runmommyrun3.wordpress.com

Twitter: @RunMommyRun3

Website: www.kielomassagetherapy.com

1. What does healthy mean to you?

To me, healthy means balance. Eating well, being active, and making time to do the things that make you happy are all important to me. I think it’s very easy for moms especially to put themselves last, but we need to have something in our lives for ourselves too. 

2. Do you feel you live a healthy life? How? (Or what would you change?)

I do feel I live a healthy life. We try to eat healthy, though there are days when I admit that doesn’t happen! One of the great things about being on a farm is that our children can play outside and ride their bikes all day, and it makes me happy to see them enjoy being active. 

3. What is a healthy meal you often eat?

I love stir fry. If some vegetables get forgotten in the back of the fridge it’s a great way to use them up. My kids aren’t fans though, so I save them some raw veggies and take their chicken out of the mix before I put the sauce on. We eat a lot of apples and bananas for snacks and have a large garden in the summer which is very helpful when I’m cooking for 9-10 people during harvest time on the farm!

4. How do you stay healthy when life gets hectic?

I pack my kids’ school lunches the night before so I’m not as rushed in the mornings. When we go to the city for errands and groceries I pack snacks and water bottles for everyone, and often pack lunches as well. I’d rather take a half hour break for them to eat a picnic and run around a park than go to a drive thru. When we travel to horse events we always pack our own food as well, so the kids know they can just go get snacks out of the cooler instead of asking for money to buy the unhealthy concession options.

5. What is one of your challenges or struggles when it comes to leading a healthy life?

We live 45 minutes away from the nearest grocery store, so I only go to the city and get groceries once per week. With five people in the house I find it challenging to be able to get enough fresh produce to last a week. This results in me buying larger quantities, but then we struggle to eat it before it goes bad! Either way, it just doesn’t seem to last a week and by days six and seven I’m  struggling to find healthy options for school lunches and snacks.  I’m also bad for not getting enough sleep!

6. Are you currently working towards a goal?

My current goal is to run a personal best time at the Saskatchewan Marathon on May 31 in Saskatoon. My current PB is 1:56:26, set at this race in 2013. I am confident I will be able to take a couple minutes off. 

7. What motivates you to be healthy?

I’ve always been active, but only in the past eight years or so have I worried much about eating healthy. I feel much better now and have more energy than I did in my twenties. Seeing  my kids making healthy food choices is a good motivator too.

8. What is a treat or indulgence that you enjoy?

Cookies.  I love cookies. And wine! 

9. Any inspiring words or comments that you’d like to share with our readers?

I stuck a sign on my treadmill this winter that says “just when you are about to give up is when a breakthrough is about to happen.” This got me through a lot of boring runs this winter when it was too cold or dark to go outside.

Good luck on the 31st Michyla!

Tortilla Egg Cups {ReDux}

I didn't find time for last month's Cook Once, Eat Twice recipe challenge, oddly enough we made what I was planning one evening a little later. I was thinking leftover baked potatoes as a type of one-pot hash or a scramble, which my husband made one night since it's such a quick meal to throw together. Since I now have a five month old on my hands, things that are quick or make leftovers are still key. I was also working on a few recipes for an upcoming young athlete demo when I came up with this one.I get my chance to blog and create in the kitchen once the little one goes to bed at night, since I don't want to miss out on spending any time with her!

 

Our April challenge/theme was Spring cleaning: Go through your pantry, cupboards, freezer, or fridge; what ‘treasures’ have you found? Pick an ingredient/spice/condiment that’s been hanging out for a while and give it the attention it needs. Share a healthy recipe made using your new-found pantry prize.

  

I came across dry mustard which I rarely use, I'm not even sure what recipe I would have originally bought it for. The prep is fairly minimal and if you prep a lot of veggies while making this, then you're set for your busy week - for pastas, salads, stirfries, etc. It's also a great recipe for satisfying differing tastes as you can make a variety of combinations.

Tortilla Egg Cups
Makes 12 cups

Ingredients
3 large whole wheat tortillas (9-10" diameter)
2 Tbsp green onion,diced
3 Tbsp red pepper, diced
3 Tbsp mushrooms, diced
1/3 cup arugula, chopped
1/3 cup ham, roughly chopped
6 eggs
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1/2-1 tsp dry mustard
 dash of pepper

 

 

 

 

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Cut tortillas into quarters with a pizza cutter or knife (I checked out theyummylife for tips on making tortilla cups). Place in muffin tin (no need to grease it)
3. Wash and chop veggies.
4. Whisk eggs, cottage cheese, mustard, and pepper in a medium bowl. Stir in veggies and ham.
5. Divide egg mixture evenly into 12 cups and bake for 20-25 minutes until set. Let stand for 5 minutes and serve.

 

What treasure(s) have you found in your kitchen?

Cheers,

Steph

See other dietitian recipes below: 

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