Even though I am a dietitian (or maybe BECAUSE I am a dietitian), I love food, desserts and all.
I feel best though when I fuel my body well, giving it the food it needs to have long lasting energy.
For me this means protein, fat (omelets, tuna, oils, nuts and nut butters), and yummy carbs, like sweet potatoes and pumpkin.
Can you tell it’s autumn? 🙂
Impromptu Peanut Butter Cup
Just recently (on Halloween night actually), I experimented by making a homemade treat out of tahini (broasted sesame seed butter) and some good quality maple syrup.
It was pretty much an impromptu peanut butter cup, since it was Halloween and I had no candy on hand! I found it to be super satisfying and surprisingly high in protein and good fats.
Last month brought about a lot of sharing, which is what I enjoy most about my profession.
Giving people the tools to live a better life and leading by example.
Two overarching themes that resonate with me.
Healthy Sharing
In the last four weeks, I have found myself sharing healthy recipes, workouts, and new food products with others who are looking to be healthier.
These encounters almost always happen unintentionally, with friends and neighbors inquiring about how to eat well with limited time, limited budget, etc.
Last month I mentioned how I am on a quest to simplify life (declutter, make simple meals, keep exercise simple, etc.) in order to live my best life.
We are constantly infiltrated with distractions that keep us in a mode of rushing around.
When you find yourself in “rush around” mode, here are a few things that have helped me keep it simple and “get back to goodness”.
6 Ways To Get Out Of “Rush-Around Mode” & Back To Goodness
1) Connect with friends and family as often as possible. I usually plan one week ahead to ensure that I make time to spend with people I care about, even if it means driving a distance.
2) Plan ahead for quick and easy meals. I make a batch of herbal tea the night before to drink the following day.
I grocery shop and buy in bulk so that I don’t have to shop as often (plenty of frozen produce, too—so that there are always lots of fruits and veggies included in meals, especially for my kids!).
3) Order cleaning supplies in bulk and only buy non-toxic products. Out with the Windex and in with the earth and kid friendly stuff! Once I find a brand that works, I stick with it for awhile.
4) Spend some time outdoors every day, a must for  me. It provides me with an appreciation for the place I live and connects me to the bigger picture when it’s easy to get caught up in the day to day to-do list.
5) Compliment and be kind to others. Live in the present as much as possible. Sometimes this means looking at the world through the eyes of a child, or just making time to rest and relax and recharge your batteries.
6) Reach out to companies that are making great products and let them know how awesome they are!
(Note From Mike: Kristen did this with one of her favorite natural peanut butter products and they actually ended up sending her coupons for a bunch of free jars of peanut butter. It pay to be kind and let others know they’re awesome!) 🙂
My Favorite Products This Month
Outer Aisle Gourmet
Cauliflower is all the rage these days and these cauliflower-based sandwich thins and pizza crusts do not disappoint.
They are surprisingly filling and really delicious. The pizza crusts even have basil and oregano to give them a hearty and authentic pizza like flavor.
They can be toasted, although I prefer to eat them plain, not to mention they make a great snack.
Udo’s Choice Probiotics
I’m a big fan of probiotics and I have long loved Udo’s Choice products.
This company is dedicated to making high quality products such as oils, digestive enzymes, and probiotics, just to name a few. I also love their line of refrigerated probiotics and the idea that I am helping to support my immune health.
Wild Friends Nut Butters
These flavored nut butters (sunflower, almond, and peanut) are delicious!
My favorite so far of the flavors I have tried is the chocolate almond butter with crunchy almond pieces. Think chocolate truffle on a spoon… (I may or my not have ate it straight from the jar). 🙂
Low in sugar and high in healthy fats, with some protein to boot, a serving of these flavorful spreads will keep you satisfied from one meal to the next. I am eager to try every single flavor in their lineup.
Flavors Of Fall
I’ve been loving the fall flavors this month, too—cooking up lots of pumpkin, sweet potato and spaghetti squash dishes and enjoying soups in the evening (even though temps here in San Diego are still in the 80s— I’ll just pretend it’s chilly).
I love to buy canned pumpkin and use it as a base for savory and sweet soups, or to steam sweet potatoes and add them to omelets.
Fall Recipes
Sweet pumpkin soup
2 cups Canned pumpkin
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 Tbsp maple syrup
Cinnamon and vanilla extract to taste
Combine the ingredients in a soup pot until hot, stirring throughout.
Savory pumpkin soup
2 cups canned pumpkin
1 cup marinara sauce
1 cup mixed frozen vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli and carrots work well)
ÂĽ cup Parmesan cheese
Combine the ingredients in a soup pot until hot, stirring throughout.
Grab-N-Go Snacks
Given that life is busy, I always like to have snacks and foods on hand that I can grab in a pinch.
Here are some grab-n-go snacks:
- Roasted seaweed snacks
- Canned tuna/salmon/sardines
- Roasted nuts
- Pumpkin seeds
- Dark chocolate bars/truffles
- Tea bags/water bottles
- Boxed or canned soups
- Fresh veggies (carrots and celery and bell peppers are easily transportable)
- Lettuce (for wraps or salads)
- Chicken apple sausage
- Egg whites (for quick omelets)
- Frozen broccoli
- Sweet potatoes (a mini meal in less than 10 minutes!)
Have a great month and let me know your best tips on getting back to goodness in the comments below.
Brooke Joanna Benlifer, RD is a Cornell University graduate and Registered Dietitian. She currently lives in San Diego with her husband and twins.
“My passion is preventative health through optimal nutrition. I want to lead people toward healthier, more fulfilling lives.”
To connect with Brooke, please leave a comment below.
I missed threrrecipe for peanutbutter cup.
Here’s the peanut butter cup recipe right from Brooke… “I used tahini (sesame seed butter) & added real maple syrup (1 Tbsp sesame seed butter to 1 tsp maple syrup). Alternately, you can use almond butter or peanut butter and add 1Tbsp mini dark chocolate chips mixed into 1 Tbsp of almond or peanut butter. If you want to make a lower fat version, you can use a powdered peanut butter (such as Protein Plus peanut flour or PB2 or PB Fit), mixed with water or coconut milk, & then add the chocolate chips. Enjoy!” Thanks Brooke… We definitely WILL enjoy! 🙂
This definitely made me hungry! Thank you for providing great ideas to implement in getting back to goodness!! (I will definitely be trying out those soup recipes too!) Thank you again, Brooke!