Category Archives: Nutrition & Wellness

Happy National Almond Day! Munch on my Almond Lover Cookie Recipe

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jennifer fisher- thefitfork- almond lover cookiesDid you know today, February 16th, is National Almond Day? Roasted, raw, spiced, salted, covered in chocolate; you probably don’t need any additional encouragement to snack on these delicious little nuggets from nature. But, just to bring more cred to the crunch, here are my top five reasons that eating almonds is good for you. Plus, I’ve also included my Almond Lover Cookie Recipe below.

  1. Almonds are a super source of vitamin E, an antioxidant that many runners and other athletes lack, primarily because there are so few good food sources of it. Plus, research has suggested the type of vitamin E, called gamma-tocopherol, found in nuts helps to fight cancer. And, apparently gamma-tocopherol isn’t found in supplements, you have to get it straight from the food source.
  2. Almonds are chock full of other nutrients (besides vitamin E) beneficial to runners and athletes including magnesium, iron, calcium, and potassium. One handful of almonds can help reduce muscle damage, strengthen your bones, and boost energy to power through a workout.
  3. Other research has shown that munching on nuts several times per week reduces circulating cholesterol levels, particularly the artery-clogging LDL type, decreasing your risk for heart disease.
  4. Almonds are packed with both protein and fiber, meaning a snack incorporating almonds will keep you feeling fuller longer. A serving of almonds is one ounce (about 24 almonds) and has 170 calories, 3 grams of dietary fiber and 6 grams of protein.
  5. There are so many delicious things you can do with almonds. Gobble them straight from the bag, sprinkle in salads, mix with dried fruit or grind up and use as a coating of fish or chicken. Almond meal (a fancy way to say “ground almonds”) also makes a great substitute for flour in baking, especially if you are following a gluten-free, low-carb or Paleo diet. Check out this yummy Almond Lover Cookies Recipe I came up with that takes advantage of almonds in every way!

Almond Lover’s Cookie Recipe

  • 6 Tablespoons butter, softened
  • ½ cup almond butter
  • ½ cup Splenda (or preferred sugar alternative)
  • ¼ cup egg white
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ cup almond flour
  • 24 chocolate covered almonds

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

In medium mixing bowl, add butter, almond butter, Splenda and mix together until well-combined. Beat in egg white until mixture is fluffy. Next, mix in baking soda, salt and almond flour, stirring until incorporated.

Let mixture sit in refrigerator for a couple hours (or freezer for 30 minutes). With hands, shape dough into 1-inch balls and place on 2-inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press a chocolate-covered almond into the top of each. Let cool on sheet for 1 minute and then spatula off to wire rack.

Makes 2 dozen.

Nutrition per cookie: Calories 103, fat 9g, sodium 24mg, potassium 96mg, total carbohydrate 2.8g, dietary fiber 1.5g, sugars 1.0g, protein 2.5g

Coconut, Acai Berry & Banana Smoothie Recipe with 3Fuel – EatSmart Scale Saves Day

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Are you one of those people who pride themselves on precision, accuracy, and exactness?  If your marathon training plan says run 20 miles, would you be okay running 19.5?  If you’re sharing a cookie, would you measure it down the middle or just snap it in half, risking one side might be bigger? I say, who cares about being perfectly precise, aren’t we just getting too hung up on the details and ruining the delight of the moment. If you scrutinize my blog, you might even find some typos – but I think you still enjoy what I’m saying. Or, so I hope.

But, in some instances, approximating, being imprecise or overly loose-goosey has unfortunate consequences. It don’t like to venture into unfortunate consequence territory, that’s why I’m precise about some things. Of course, I’m not going to weave out of my lane driving, I’m going to take any and all medications as prescribed and I’ll always pay my bills on time.

As far as watching what goes in my mouth, I’ve always been more of an eye-baller. Too much measuring might get in the way of the experience, so I’ve relied on “rules” that say a 3-ounce serving of meat is the size of a deck of cards and grains, potatoes and such should be limited to the size of your fist at each serving. However, there is a margin of error here and the consequences vary depending on the food. Obviously, guess-timating a portion of lettuce is much less risky nutrition-wise that scooping willy-nilly out of a Haagen-Dazs container.

That’s why it can be handy for an “eye-baller” like myself to check-in and set some visual baselines every now and then with a food scale. I really like the EatSmart Precision Digital Kitchen Scale to help me figure out my serving sizes.  I used it this morning to measure out the protein powder for my smoothie (recipe below). If you’ve ever used protein powder, you know how frustrating it can be to lose the scoop!  The instructions to use “one scoop” are never supported by what fraction of a cup that is or how many tablespoons. I’ve always just guessed how much that scoop should be, imagine that! Thankfully, my bag of 3Fuel protein powder did give the number of grams per serving and the EatSmart Scale measures in both pounds (up to 15) and grams (up to 7000) via the push of a button.

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Tip: If you are weighing your protein powder (or anything else) in another container on the scale, remember to weigh that container separately and then subtract it from the final weight!

Tip: Remember to wipe you scale after measuring each ingredient, especially if you are plopping down meats that might cross contaminate. The EatSmart Scale has a really nice big stainless-steel loading platform that can easily be cleaned up.

Tip: Use an EatSmart Scale to portion servings of nuts, spices, protein powder and even the perfect amount of coffee beans to grind for your morning cup of Joe.  Find out other tips to “eat smart” on the EatSmart Facebook Page or by following the EatSmart Blog

Coconut, Acai Berry and Banana Smoothie Recipe (with 3Fuel)

  • 3 cups almond coconut milk (unsweetened)
  • 2 scoops protein powder of choice (I used 3Fuel Nutrition Shake)
  • 2 tablespoons dried acai powder
  • 1 tablespoon Stevia
  • 1 frozen banana
  • 2 cups ice

Easy to make, just pour all ingredients into a blender and process until smooth. Pour into tall glasses, serves 2.

Nutrition per serving: calories 199, protein 12g, fat 6g, carbs 24g, carbs from sugar 7g, fiber 3.5g, sodium 103mg, calcium 414mg (68% RDA).

Fact: Acai Berry is a macronutrient rich source of resveratrol, polyphenols and flavonoids for increased energy and health.

 Get your supplies here:

 

Save 10% on 3Fuel Nutritional Shake by using code 3FHUNT at checkout.

Beef for Breakfast – “Top of the Sirloin” Sweet Potato-Steak-Egg Bake!

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I’m excited to say that this delicious recipe of mine, ‘Top O’ the Sirloin’ Morning Sweet Potato-Steak-Egg Bake, is featured as a guest post on Beef Loving Texans. I love this site, it’s packed with cooking tips and creative recipes straight from the kitchens of carnivores right here in the great steak, err, I mean state, of Texas. We’re friendly in here in Texas and like to share, so everyone’s welcome to click on over and surf around for a spell.

I’ll also be presenting this healthy breakfast recipe along other options for lunch and dinner, like the Mojo Beef Kabobs, at the Live Well 2013 event this Saturday. I’m really looking forward to it; It’s going to be a really fun way to share my love of healthy eating and grilling with a big group of folks interested in reaching their health and wellness goals.

 

 

 

 

My Top Five Gym Bag & Purse Snacks

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I don’t leave home without them. No, I’m not talking about my American Express and other credit cards; those are already mainstays in this mama’s purse. But, perhaps more import than having funds on hand for a quick trip to load up at the market or splurge at my favorite running shoe store is keeping a reserve of healthy food rations at my fingertips. Having these nutrition options on-hand when hunger strikes keeps me from grabbing a pack of M&Ms from the vending machine or skipping out on essential post-workout refueling.  Oh, and I never forget to hydrate by keeping a bottle of water in my purse too!

Jerky: Packed with protein and trimmed of fat, dried-meat jerkies will keep forever, even if they fall all the way to the bottom of my bag and don’t get discovered until months later!  Give or take a little by brand and the type of meat, most jerkies have less than 100 calories per ounce and as much as 13 grams of protein. A favorite brand I’ve recently discovered is Simply Snakin’; it’s made with all-natural ingredients with no preservatives and has been combined with many wholesome fruits and spices to create crazy-delicious flavor profiles. Two of my favorites are Teriyaki Beef Sirloin with Blueberries and Cranberries and Chicken Breast with Black Bean Salsa. Because this brand incorporates fruit into their recipes, the overall calorie and protein grams are lower (about 60 calories and 5g protein) which means I don’t feel guilty about having two at a time!

Fruit Leathers & Dried Fruit:  I’m not talking about the jacked-up sugar and fake-colored roll-ups that are marketed to kids on the cereal and granola-bar aisle.  Those are nasty and not good for anyone. I like the products from Sun-Rype, they offer a range of 100-perecent fruit snacks with no artificial anything and lots of natural satisfaction for my sweet tooth.  For example, the company’s Fruit Source Bars contain two whole servings of fruit, no fat and just 120 calories. Dried fruit (with no sugar added, you have to read the label for that  –  ahem, Craisins) also makes a great purse snack. Raisins, dried apricots and dried figs, yum! The only caveat is that you have to pre-pack most dried fruit in little individual zip-top bags.

Nuts: Nuts are one of nature’s best snacks; they are high in protein and provide a lot of essential nutrients and healthy fats. That being said, you don’t want to overdo it on nuts because they are higher in calorie, fat and sodium levels (if salted). Keep perfectly portioned by filling up snack-sized bags with ¼ cup of nuts (like almonds, cashews, walnuts or what have you) and stash in your purse for enjoyment later.

Fresh Produce: If I know I will be eating my purse snack by the end of the day, I’ll slip in an apple, baggie of mini carrots or sugar snap peas. You just can’t beat getting your nutrients and fiber straight from the source without a middle man. Many stores now stock individual-sized cups of nut butters, hummus, and low-fat dips that make excellent on-the-go accompaniments to fresh produce. Use a small Tupperware with ice-pack insert if your purse or gym bag will be sitting out for more than a couple hours.

Protein Bars: I admit it; I’m a protein bar junkie and have probably sampled every make and model out there! Some have a funky texture and aftertaste and others have a surprisingly large amount of sugar. Even so, the higher-sugar protein bars are better than a real candy bar in the fact they do at least pack some protein and other added nutrients. But, if you take the time to research what you put into your mouth and experiment with the texture format you like best (like rice crunchy, nougat-based, nutty), you’ll find lots protein-bar options that are great to store in your purse of gym bag. My current favorites are Think Thin Chocolate Fudge (no sugar added at all and 20g protein) and Muscle Milk Lean Protein Bar Chocolate Peanut Carmel   (15 grams protein).

What is your favorite purse snack? Share your ideas in the comment section!