Healthy in a Hurry
Post by Olivia Martino, Registered Dietitian and Co-Owner Nourish Northwest
Paula and I both have a hard time when a client asks for quick, easy recipes. We see many people that either don’t like to cook or don’t have the time, which can be hard for us to relate to. We both love to cook and love to experiment with new and sometimes in depth cooking techniques. We have plenty of time to cook, given that we do this for our career. While others work 8-12 hours a day as teachers, accountants or real estate agents, we work as professional cooks. Our office is a kitchen and we have plenty of hours and opportunities to use it. We recognize that time to cook is an absolute luxury that many people don’t have. For this reason, we are working more on developing quick, healthy resources and recipes for our clients to use.
For this post, I would like to share some kitchen staples I like to keep around for whipping up quick meals. When I started using some of these items, I remember feeling like I had failed in some way by not making everything from scratch 100% of the time. After all, some of these things are simple to make in the kitchen, cost less to make and may have a higher nutrient content if homemade. But it’s time to get real…. pre-prepared foods are easier, quicker and can be much more nutritious than the alternative of not cooking at all. So let go of your ideals of doing everything perfect all of the time (or… is that just me?) and make your life a little easier.
Canned Beans
Beans are a nutrition powerhouse, full of fiber and protein but they can take between 1 and 2 hours to cook on the stovetop. Cooking them is not difficult, but it takes time and if you did not pre-plan your bean centered meal, dinner won’t be on the table until 9 pm. So stock your cupboard with a variety of beans… garbonzos, black beans, pinto, white… grab em all! I look for brands whose ingredient list contains only the bean and salt. If you have trouble digesting beans, opt for Eden Organic brand, which cooks the beans with a piece of kombu, making them easier on the belly.
Canned beans have a ton of uses including, tacos, salads, enchiladas, casseroles, bean burgers and soups.
Partially cooked grains
Whole grains are always going to be a healthier alternative to their refined counterparts, but same as beans, they can take a long time to cook. While some of the water soluble nutrients (B vitamins) can be lost in the cooking process, partially cooked grains still contain all the fiber. Trader Joe’s has a line of 10 minute hearty grains, including barley and farro. These are great grains for lunch time salads or dinner time pilafs.
Pre-cut/Frozen Veggies
Frozen veggies actually often have a higher nutrient content than fresh from the grocery store. They are usually flash frozen shortly after harvesting, which locks the nutrients in. Often the produce that is sitting on your grocer’s shelf has been away from it’s nutrient source for a week or longer while it was transported. Many stores even offer pre-cut fresh veggies, such as onions, peppers and squash. The nutrient quality of these may be compromised but they still contain fiber, antioxidants and decent amounts of vitamins and minerals. Having veggies already chopped can be a really helpful step in getting them on the dinner table.
Frozen Veggie/Turkey Burgers
There are dozens of brands and varieties of veggie burgers to chose from. My perferences are always changing but one thing that stays the same is that I always have a box of some version in the freezer. Amy’s California burgers are in fashion for me at the moment.
When choosing a veggie burger I always check that they are actually vegetable based, rather than an ultra-processed soy product. It’s also nice when they have a protein source in them, like beans or nuts. These Amy’s ones contain walnuts. Garden burgers are such a great thing to make when you are really in a pinch for time. Heat one up, put it on bread or on a bed of greens, top with avocado and you’re ready to eat in less than 10 minutes.
Not a fan of veggie burgers? Turkey burgers work great, too!
Miscellaneous time savers
- Cans/boxes of soup
- Bags of mixed greens/pre-chopped kale
- Steamed beets from Trader Joe’s
- Pre-cooked lentils from Trader Joe’s
- Pre-grilled chicken from Trader Joe’s
- Instant oatmeal
- Whole grain pancake mix
- Spice mixtures
Homemade Nut Thin Crackers
Post by Paula Jahn, Co-owner and Dietitian at Nourish Northwest
Crackers don’t have to be processed, boxed and full of preservatives. These crackers are super easy to make and are every bit as crunchy and satisfying as the store-bought version. Call them Paleo-friendly, gluten free, grain free, soy free, or just plain nutty and delicious. Unlike other crackers, which are mostly just carbohydrate, they can stand alone as a “mini-meal” snack: They are packed with protein, fiber and healthy fats like omega-3 fatty acids.
Dietitian approved snack food!
Homemade Nut Thins
(Adapted from elanaspantry.com)
Ingredients
½ cup almond flour or meal
½ cup macadamia nuts
1 tablespoon coconut flour
¼ cup pumpkin seeds or other nut such as cashews or almonds
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 tablespoons chia seeds
1 Tbs flax seed meal
½ tsp sea salt
1 Tbs coconut oil
1/4 cup water
Preparation
- Pulse almond flour, macadamias and coconut flour in a food processor until well ground.
- Pulse in seeds, flax meal and salt until almost fully ground (leave a little texture for crunch).
- Pulse coconut oil, then water; dough will form a ball in food processor.
- Roll out dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper to ¼ inch (or less) thick.
- Cut into 2-inch squares, 5 rows each way.
- Bake at 300° for 20 to 25 minutes.
How to Videos: The Many Faces of the Burpee.
Post by Olivia Martino, Certified Personal Trainer and Co-Owner, Nourish Northwest
We all let out a groan when told we have to perform this exercise, yet deep down we know it’s going to be better for us in the long run. It’s true, it’s hard. It hurts. We hate it, yet love it and need it all at once. My friends, I’m talking about the burpee.
So why does this tortuous exercise appear so frequently in our group fitness classes?
The main reason that we love the burpee is that it incorporates almost every major muscle group into one exercise, while also raising and keeping the heart rate elevated; a mix of cardio and strength training all in one fellow swoop. You’ve got your legs propelling you up into the air, your core working to stabilize you and your arms resisting against gravity as they lower you to the floor.
Another great reason to love the burpee is that you can do it anywhere. This exercise requires no special equipment or space. Do a few right when you get out of bed in the morning or in your hotel room. Stop at the park in the middle of a jog and bang out a few. Do burpees during the duration of a commercial break.
Lastly, we love the burpee because it’s modifications are endless and can be tailored to any fitness level. This means any beginner can perform this exercise and continually challenge themself by adding things on to make it harder. So, let me walk you through a few of these modifications and then leave you with a challenge: just 10 burpees a day. Right when you wake up, in the afternoon, before lunch… whenever you can squeeze them in. I promise, you will see results with just as little as 10 per day. And I have a feeling you’ll start to love them too.
The basic burpee
Starting in a standing position, fold over your legs and place your hands on the ground.
Walk your feet out one by one into a plank position.
Walk your feet back into your hands, one by one.
Stand back up.
Burpee with a hop
Starting in a standing position, jump your feet back into a plank.
Jump your feet back into your hands.
Hop up and land back in a standing position
Burpee with a push up
Starting in standing position, jump or walk your feet back into a plank.
Lower yourself down to the ground and back up, completing a full push up.
Walk or jump your feet back into your hands.
Hop back up and land in standing position.
Burpee with a jack
Starting in a standing position, jump your feet back into a plank.
Jump your legs out and in, as if you were doing a jumping jack.
Jump your feet back into your hands.
Hop up and land back in a standing position
Burpee with a frog jump
Starting in a standing position, jump your feet back into a plank.
Jump your feet back into your hands.
Jump your feet up to your hands, landing in a squat position.
Jump your feet back into your hands.
Hop up and land back in a standing position
Workplace Wellness: Health Beyond (Our) Borders
Post by Paula Jahn, Co-owner and Registered Dietitian at Nourish Northwest
We love our space at Nourish Northwest. It is bright, inviting and comfortable. A few clients even asked who our interior decorator (us!) is, which we find amusing.
Most of what goes on at Nourish Northwest—cooking classes, nutrition workshops, nutrition counseling, or fitness classes—happens inside our doors.
Our core belief is that “movement, enjoyment of wholesome, nutritious food and community relationships are essential to optimal health.” One way we seek to bring these principles to the community outside our brick and mortar location is through corporate wellness programs.
We have found that worksites are great place to educate and inspire people to make better choices for their health. Often, either employers and/or health insurance companies will pay for wellness programs for employees and even offer monetary incentives. Employees are usually engaged and excited to take time away from their desks to learn about health and nutrition.
It’s no wonder more and more companies are choosing to implement corporate wellness programs. Take a look at these staggering statistics:
- A recent study from the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that obese employees miss over 450 million more days per year than their healthier counterparts. This costs employers more than $150 billion in lost productivity.
- It is estimated that as much as 75 percent of total U.S. health care spending is for people with chronic conditions. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Four Common Causes of Chronic Disease. April 2012.)
- Just four modifiable health risks (tobacco use, poor nutrition, lack of physical activity, and excessive alcohol consumption) are responsible for much of this chronic disease burden. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Four Common Causes of Chronic Disease. April 2012.)
- According to a recent study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, for every $1 spent on nutrition counseling with a Registered Dietitian, $4 was saved.
- Workplace wellness programs can reduce sick leave by 28%, medical costs by 26%, and 30% among worker’s compensation claims.
Registered dietitians and certified personal trainers carry the education and expertise to implement corporate wellness programs that address two of the four health risks that predict chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. The Nourish Northwest team has developed a number of workplace wellness lectures in a “lunch and learn” format, cooking demonstrations, and healthy habits/weight loss programs to address this growing need. Take a look at our full list of offerings!
Although employee wellness programs require time to see positive results, companies that make this investment will enjoy many benefits, from healthcare savings to increased employee productivity and satisfaction. As health professionals, we are excited to bring our programs to workplaces across the Portland area!
15 minute at home workout
Post by Olivia Martino, Certified Personal Trainer and Co-Owner, Nourish Northwest
What are your biggest barriers to working out? There’s a ton of them and believe me I have heard them all. Other than lack of motivation, I would say the most common barrier is time. One of my missions as a personal trainer is to address that barrier head on and find a solution. I am all about efficiency when it comes to working out.
A few months back I wrote a blog post about the 30 minute interval training class I teach at Nourish Northwest. The post discusses research that showed working out harder for a shorter period of time was actually more beneficial than working out for a longer period of time at a moderate intensity.
So all that being said, here is your 15 minute at home workout. Looks fairly simple but once you get started you will quickly see how long the one minute intervals can seem. Have more than 15 minutes? Do it twice!
15 minute total body workout
Set a timer and do each exercise for 1 minute, no rest in between. After completing all exercises, rest for 2 minutes and repeat.
Jump squats
Start in a squat position with your fingertips touching the ground. Hop up off the ground as high as you can and land back in your squat position. A modification to this exercise is to take the hop out and simply do squats.
Wide arm push ups
Set your palms on the ground about 3 inches away from each shoulder. Lower down to the ground and back up. If a modification is needed, do the wide armed push ups from your knees.
Mountain Climbers
From plank position, alternate bringing your knees into your chest as quickly as you can. If you tire, slow your pace down but try and keep moving.
Tricep dips
Placing your palms behind you, lower down so your elbows point out straight behind you. To make this exercise harder, move your feet out straight in front of you. If this bothers your wrists, use hand weights to do standing tricep raises above your head.
Skaters
Starting in the position below, in a small squat with your left leg forward and your right leg behind. Jump sideways to the right, landing with your right leg forward and your left leg behind you. Repeat several times for the one minute interval, increasing speed and height as you get more comfortable with the movement.
Spidermans
Starting from a plank position, bring your left knee up to meet your left tricep, turning your head back to look as they meet. Repeat and the right side and continue alternating sides for the minute interval.
