Real Food Nutrition in a Fast Food World

Recipes

Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas

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When meal planning for the week I always try to pick one dinner that will be easy to double or triple so that I can count on leftovers for dinner and/or lunch. These Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas were the winning ticket this week and I think I may be making more of these soon.

Sheet Pan Meals

You all have asked, and I’m trying my best to keep up! You said you want simple & healthy meals. Look, I get it! Me too. This whole one sheet pan meal is not only easy but also delicious. The best part (in my opinion) is the cleanup. I mean, who wants to have to clean 500 pans after making a delicious dinner? I know I sure don’t.

I made this sheet pan as part of my meal prep this week and the good news is that you can heat it up during the week and feel like you’re getting a home cooked meal with zero effort. Get yourself a pan that you enjoy using. I have 3 and honestly, I prefer this one over all of them EVERY TIME. Why do we keep things we don’t need an end up using 1% of what we actually have?! Haha, oh well.

Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas

Why chicken fajitas? Because I love all things Mexican food related. If it fits in a taco, it doesn’t matter, I’ll make it fit. These are going to go on tacos one night and then in a rice bowl the next.

Chicken fajitas are a great weeknight meal that pleases everyone because it’s a protein AND a veggie that most people enjoy. Eating healthy is important but if it doesn’t taste great then chances are you are going to eat it long term, so enjoy this fast and delicious dinner on me tonight (or yah know when you have a second to make it. )

Pro Tip: Make your own taco seasoning and have it on hand for a recipe like this, use it mixed with a bit of oil and use enough to coat the chicken & veggies.

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Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas

Yield: 4-6

Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas

Ingredients

  • 1.5- 2 lbs chicken breast, sliced
  • 3 bell peppers, color of choice, sliced
  • 1 red onion, sliced
  • 1/4 cup oil of choice (I used avocado oil)
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • Pinch of red pepper flakes, optional

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl mix all ingredients together until evenly coated.
  3. Spread out bowl mixture onto pan evenly, place in oven and cook for 30-35 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
  4. Optional: serve as tacos with tortillas, lettuce, cheese & guacamole or serve as a burrito bowl with rice, beans, lettuce, etc.
https://thesassydietitian.com/sheet-pan-chicken-fajitas/

Do you like sheet pan meals?! If so let me know and I’ll make some more! 

xoxo,

Sassy

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sheet pan chicken fajitas

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I MAY BE COMPENSATED THROUGH AFFILIATE LINKS IN THIS POST AND ON THIS SITE. HOWEVER, ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN. COMPENSATION HELPS WITH ANY EXPENSES NEEDED TO KEEP THIS BLOG GOING.

Instant Pot Sous Vide Egg Bites

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If you follow me on Instagram you know one of my go-to breakfasts on the road is the Sous-Vide Egg Bites from Starbucks. Why? Because they are easy to grab and go, I know my stomach can tolerate them, and they taste delicious. The other reason is that there is a Starbucks almost anywhere I go, so it’s nice to have something to rely on.

Protein On the Go

The other great part about these egg bites is that they are a great source of protein. It’s not every day you can find an easy & quick source or protein. More often than not I find both myself and my clients struggle with getting enough protein. These have been a lifesaver on the road.

A serving (2 bites) has 19g of protein which for me will hold me over for quite some time. If I’m really hungry I’ll usually grab a Flat White & an Oatmeal as well with fresh blueberries for an entire meal that will stick with me and make me feel my best on the road.

More Instant Pot Recipes

I was at a local competition yesterday and when I was low-key dying between events, a fellow crossfitter from a local gym came up to me and said “more Instant Pot recipes, please!” I said, “right now?!?!”. HA! He obviously meant in the future, but hey, he asked and guess what he’s getting a new recipe today, YOU’RE WELCOME!!

I do have more Instant Pot recipes in the works for you all, since I’ve been convincing so many people to buy them! I also recommend looking out for some killer Black Friday deals so if you don’t have one, you can stop complaining and TREAT YO’SELF to one.

Egg Bites in the Instant Pot

My sister-in-law knew that I loved the egg bites and suggested I try them in the Instant Pot because she, herself has been making them and loves them for her and her family. I easily could have used a recipe but I very much enjoy trying to make my own. I knew that the cups had eggs & cottage cheese and figured I’d figure out the rest.

I went for a more Mediterranean feel with these but think I’m going to be adding more flavors to them as they are so easy to make, so easy to eat and just all around #sassyapproved.  The cool thing is that if you make these at home they are WAY cheaper than if you buy them out, so you get to eat healthy for cheaper, win-win.

Egg Quality

While I’m all about this balanced real food approach lately (and always). I also want you to focus on quality over quantity as it relates to your diet. People ask me all the time: “How many eggs can I eat in a day?” I always say “it depends”.

What does it depend on? Well, a ton of factors but I promise you the biggest factor as it relates to eggs is the quality OF the eggs. I would bet that the quality of eggs found in Starbucks’ egg bites is nothing to write home about. Sometimes when you are on the go, you have to make compromises. However, when you are home, you have a bit more freedom to make better quality choices.

Nellie’s Free Range Eggs

You have so many options when you are at the grocery store and it can be hard to know which eggs to buy. Now, if you’re lucky you have chickens at home OR friends with chickens. I’m lucky and have lots of friends with chickens, but sometimes I need more eggs because I cook A LOT.

One of my go-to egg purchases is Nellie’s Free Range Eggs. I can find them at my local grocery store(s) and don’t have to pay an arm and a leg to get them. I know that they will almost always have a dark yellow yolk (normally means more nutrients in the yolk) and they will taste phenomenal.

They are Certified Humane & Free Range meaning they have room to roam and be chickens. Just look for the purple carton in the egg aisle or check out where to find them here. They are eggs you can feel good about and enjoy all at once.

Alrighty, on to the real reason you’re here, the Egg Bites in the Instant Pot. Enjoy and if you do, make sure to tag me on @thesassydietitian so I can see what you’re making!

Pro tip: grab yourself an actual mold to make things easier or be verrrrrry careful when putting the egg cups in with these because otherwise, you might have a disaster in the instant pot, or on your counter.

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Instant Pot Egg Souffle Cups (Starbucks Copy Cat Recipe)

Yield: 6-8

Instant Pot Egg Souffle Cups (Starbucks Copy Cat Recipe)

Ingredients

  • 4 eggs
  • 1/2 cup cottage cheese
  • 1/2 cup roasted red peppers, sliced thin
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
  • 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1 cup water

Instructions

  1. Whisk or blend (in a blender) all ingredients except water until frothy and combined evenly.
  2. Place 1 cup of water in bottom of Instant Pot
  3. Fill 6-8 egg cups/molds with mixture (ok if filled to the top), place on trivet, and place trivet on top of water in the Instant Pot
  4. Seal Instant Pot, set to steam and set time to 10 minutes.
  5. Once done, allow to naturally release for 10 minutes, then open vent, remove from Instant Pot, let cool and enjoy!
https://thesassydietitian.com/instant-pot-sous-vide-egg-bites/

What are some of your go-to meals/snacks on the road?!

xoxo,

Sassy

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egg bites

 

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I MAY BE COMPENSATED THROUGH AFFILIATE LINKS IN THIS POST AND ON THIS SITE. HOWEVER, ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN. COMPENSATION HELPS WITH ANY EXPENSES NEEDED TO KEEP THIS BLOG GOING.

Fig & Maple Breakfast Cookies (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Nut-Free)

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I know, I know cookies for breakfast?! Sounds ridiculous coming from a dietitian but hear me out. I struggle to eat breakfast most days of the week as do many of my clients. It’s not that I don’t like breakfast it’s just that I don’t love eating when I first wake up. Now, I’m not saying I need to be bribed with breakfast cookies but having something to grab and go that tastes good and doesn’t sit in my stomach like a brick is helpful.

Cookies for Breakfast?

There are no rules as far as meals go.  You don’t need to eat certain foods for certain meals. So, in that case, these cookies don’t even need to be eaten at breakfast. They could be eaten any time of day, frankly. I personally like them in the morning, but they go well as a nighttime snack as well.

I know some people don’t like to use the word cookie and equate it to health but let’s be honest, a cookie normally is loaded with sugar and not much else. These cookies are mostly oats and have other nutrients from sunflower seeds/butter & figs. Some may disagree, but I’m going to go out on a limb and say these are “healthy” or at least #sassyapproved

Sunflower Seed Butter 

While, yes, I normally use peanut butter, I’m not really biased as far as nut/seed butters go. One of my all time favorite seed butters is 88 Acres. They have 4 main flavors and I love them all in their own right. I find that their maple sunflower seed butter goes so well with both savory and sweet options. This time I went with sweet. My last recipe using it was this one (also amazing).

I had the pleasure of hanging out with 88 Acres while at FNCE and while you would think eating too much of something would be a bad thing, it just made me want more of it. When I got home, I wanted to find new ways to use it and for whatever reason, breakfast cookies came to mind. I mixed up a few ingredients and bam it was a match made in breakfast cookie heaven.

If you have any type of nut allergy you are in luck! 88 Acres is free of the top allergens but the best part is that their products taste so good even those without allergies can enjoy and won’t even know the difference. Try them out and let me know what you think.

Pro Tip: Feel free to add in any other mixins like dried cherries or pepitas to make these cookies your own!

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Fig & Maple Breakfast Cookies (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Nut-Free)

Serving Size: 12

Fig & Maple Breakfast Cookies (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Nut-Free)

Ingredients

  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 1 cup oat flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup applesauce
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup sunflower butter
  • 1/3 cup dried figs, chopped (about 4)
  • 1/3 cup sunflower seeds, roasted & unsalted
  • 2 Tbsp coconut oil (or butter), melted
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
  2. Mix all ingredients together by hand or in stand mixer until uniform.
  3. Use an ice cream scoop or large spoon to scoop 12 even scoops onto baking sheet and use back of scoop/spoon to flatten down the middle slightly.
  4. Bake for 15 minutes or until cooked through and outside is slightly golden.

Notes

*to make oat flour, grind rolled oats in a blender for 10 seconds

https://thesassydietitian.com/fig-maple-breakfast-cookies-gluten-free-dairy-free-nut-free/

Would you eat cookies for breakfast?

xoxo,

Sassy

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breakfast cookies

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I MAY BE COMPENSATED THROUGH AFFILIATE LINKS IN THIS POST AND ON THIS SITE. HOWEVER, ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN. COMPENSATION HELPS WITH ANY EXPENSES NEEDED TO KEEP THIS BLOG GOING.

Gluten-Free Green Bean Casserole

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I have to admit, to my knowledge, I have never had green bean casserole before. Every year I have looked it up and thought “why would I want that?” I guess my background serves me well in that case because I think processed non-enjoyable dish when I think of a traditional green bean casserole. Now, I’m sure many of you will argue that it’s delicious and I have no doubt that it is, it’s just not something I want to eat in the normal way it is made, end of story.

gluten-free green bean casserole

Thanksgiving Side Super Stars

As I showed you the other day, Thanksgiving can be healthy AND delicious, even if indulgent. I’m all for having my cake and eating it too, especially on Thanksgiving. What I’m not about? Eating food that isn’t delicious and doesn’t make me feel good. I’d rather pass on a food that may seem good now to forgo later digestive upset. It’s taken me YEARS to get there, so I don’t expect you all to be there yet. For many, it’s not a big deal, but for others, it can make all the difference in their health.

You should know that when you do find foods that don’t make you feel good, there is ALWAYS a way to make it in a way that serves you. If you can’t make substitutions, you can also swap it for something comparable. You just have to be creative and open to something new. This green bean casserole may be my new favorite side dish, and frankly, wish I could eat it year round….which I may do because what are food rules anyway?!

gluten-free green bean casserole

Classic Green Bean Casserole

I’m pretty sure I’ve never had green bean casserole before because I’m more into fresh ingredients than canned ones. When I picture the traditional casserole I think of onions from a package, condensed mushroom soup from a can, and soggy green beans. I mean, I know I’m exaggerating, but that’s what I think about!

Here are the ingredients of a traditional green bean casserole:

  • 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 tsp soy sauce
  • 1 dash black pepper
  • 4 cups cooked cut green beans (frozen & canned recommended before fresh are, by the way…)
  • 1-1/3 cups French’s French Fried Onions (yeah, no).

Hard pass.

gluten-free green bean casserole

Gluten-Free Green Bean Casserole

While, once again, I’m sure the above tastes good, it’s just not that appetizing from me. I decided instead to make all parts of the recipe from scratch. You get fresh green beans, fresh onion topping, and your own easy-peasy condensed mushroom sauce.

Fun fact: I was going to use breadcrumbs for the onions but found a few bags of 4505 Pork Rinds in my cabinet from Expo East and thought, huh, I wonder if these will do?!

The flavor of the pork rinds was amazing and I’m so glad I decided to experiment. If you don’t have any pork rinds, or can’t find any, feel free to use bread crumbs instead, just reduce the amount probably in 1/2. However, I highly recommend trying something new 😀

gluten-free green bean casserole

Pro tip: Make this dish ahead of time and allow it to cool & set so that the mushroom sauce thickens and the dish becomes a bit more robust in flavor & texture.

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Gluten-Free Green Bean Casserole

Gluten-Free Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients

  • 1 to 1-1/2 lbs green beans, washed, trimmed, and cut into thirds
    • Onion Topping
  • 1 Tbsp butter/olive oil
  • 2 yellow onions, sliced thin
  • 2 cups pork rinds, crushed
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 tsp salt
    • Mushroom Sauce
  • 1 Tbsp butter/olive oil
  • 24 oz. mushrooms, sliced
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1 cup broth or water
  • 2 cups milk of choice
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • Crushed red pepper, optional

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F, grease a large baking dish, set aside
    2. Green beans
  2. Bring a medium pot of water to boil, place green beans in water for 3 minutes (to blanch), remove from heat & drain, add ice & water and allow to cool/stop cooking for 3 minutes. Drain, pat dry, and place in greased baking dish, set aside.
    3. Onion Topping
  3. In a large skillet over medium heat add butter/oil, add onions and saute for 3-5 minutes or until onions start to become translucent. Remove onions from skillet and toss in a bowl with pork rinds, parmesan cheese, & salt, set aside.
    4. Mushroom sauce
  4. Return skillet to heat, add remaining butter/oil, add mushrooms and saute for 3-5 minutes or until mushrooms start to sweat.
  5. Add in garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
  6. Add cornstarch, cook for 2 minutes
  7. Add broth, milk, parmesan cheese, and salt/pepper, stir and allow thicken for 2-3 minutes.
  8. Add mushroom sauce to green beans and toss to evenly distribute.
  9. Top with onion mixture (spread evenly) and bake in oven uncovered for 30 minutes or until heated through.
https://thesassydietitian.com/gluten-free-green-bean-casserole/

Have you had green bean casserole before?! Do you love it or hate it?

xoxo,

Sassy

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green bean casserole

 

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I MAY BE COMPENSATED THROUGH AFFILIATE LINKS IN THIS POST AND ON THIS SITE. HOWEVER, ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN. COMPENSATION HELPS WITH ANY EXPENSES NEEDED TO KEEP THIS BLOG GOING.

Sweet Potato Apple DIY Protein Pouches

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I was at the gym the other day and was looking at the food we had on hand. I love what we offer at our gym because it’s pretty simple to grab & go, and real food-based. However, I’m always in the camp of “can I make this myself?” I looked at the Fuel for Fire in the fridge, and thought “huh? I wonder if I could make this myself.” Turns out, yes, in fact, I can (and you can too).

I wanted to try it out because, while I love the brand and the product they have, I also love to make things for myself. It’s also much cheaper to make them for yourself if you pay some upfront costs for the reusable pouches.

Cost-effective Copycat Fuel for Fire

Anytime I eat and/or see food, I always wonder if I could recreate it and/or make it better. I feel like that’s a very cocky thing to admit. I’m not saying it to sound cocky, instead, it’s just a challenge I like to give myself. I love food and I love cooking, so it’s a hobby of mine.

The other day when I looked in the fridge, I saw the Fuel for Fire and looked to see what they were selling for. They go for $3/pop. That’s about average for what you can find something like this for. So I did the math and figured out what I could make something like this for, here’s what I came up with:

8 reusable pouches: $14.99 (only for 1st batch)
2 cups mashed sweet potatoes (@99 cents/lb): $0.99
2 cups applesauce (@~ $5/48 oz.): $1.65
2 scoops protein powder (@ $42 for 27 scoops ): $3.00
1/4 cup peanut powder (@$4.64/6.5 oz.): $1.25

1st batch: $3.65/pouch
2nd batch and beyond: $1.15/pouch

Now, I’m not saying you HAVE to make these yourself because there is something to say for convenience. I just want you to have the option should you want to make them yourself!

Pre/Post Workout

So many people on Instagram asked what I was making these for. No, this is not baby food. Sure you could probably feed this to your kids, but these are not meant for infants. Instead, these are meant for adults and teens for pre & post workout snacks.

I get asked all the time what people should eat pre & post workout. My usual response is “real food”. However, for those who are struggling to find food that is convenient and/or easily digestible, I have recommended Fuel for Fire. I still recommend the brand! However, if you want to make some for yourself during meal prep, here is your option to do so. I’m going to be freezing some of these to ensure that they can last in the freezer. If so, I’d recommend making a large batch all at once and then you have snacks for days!

For pre/post workout, you generally want easy to digest carbs & protein sources. This fits the bill and should be consumed in conjunction with real food in a meal prior to the snack pre-workout (1-2 hours prior) and/or after the snack for a meal within 1-2 hours post-workout.

Sweet Potato Apple DIY Protein Pouches

I had the pleasure of meeting the founder of Fuel for Fire at FNCE. He was awesome and I’m loving what the company is doing. Since I cannot digest banana well, he gave me their Sweet Potato Apple flavor to try. I compared the two and they are very similar in texture, however, the taste was a little different. The Fuel for Fire is a bit more citrusy and fresh and mine is a bit more mellow & peanut buttery.

I will be working on more flavors because I feel like I’m on to something for my athletes. Stay tuned and please let me know if you’ve tried these and enjoyed them!  I had one today and I don’t love eating a lot pre-workout. I felt like I had a lot of energy and no digestive complaints, win-win.

Pro tip: add more water as needed to make the consistency thick but easy enough to eat! You can also try adding more protein powder, which will require more water!

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Sweet Potato Apple DIY Protein Pouches

Serving Size: 6

Sweet Potato Apple DIY Protein Pouches

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend on high for 30 seconds or until uniformly mixed.
  2. Distribute evenly into pouches, seal and refrigerate up to 7 days or freeze until ready to consume.

Notes

Per serving Calories: 129 Protein: 10.5g Carbohydrate: 20.4g Fat:1.2g

To make your own mashed sweet potatoes: peel potatoes, wrap in damp paper towels and microwave for 6-8 minutes (flipping once)

https://thesassydietitian.com/sweet-potato-apple-diy-protein-pouches/

This was my first go into a protein filled fruit & veggie pouch, I’m hoping to continue to try new flavors and combinations but would love your input:

What flavors are you hoping to see next?!

xoxo,

Sassy

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I MAY BE COMPENSATED THROUGH AFFILIATE LINKS IN THIS POST AND ON THIS SITE. HOWEVER, ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN. COMPENSATION HELPS WITH ANY EXPENSES NEEDED TO KEEP THIS BLOG GOING.

Holiday Apple Cider Punch (Alcoholic & Non-Alcoholic)

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This post is going to be a hard left from yesterday’s post, ha! But, my friends and I had a  wine night this past weekend and this Holiday Apple Cider Punch turned out too good NOT to share. So, I have a special treat for you today.

I’m usually a dry red wine or dry cider girl if you’re asking but every once in a while I’m up for a good mixed drink. I don’t like when they are overly sweet or when the alcohol completely overpowers the drink (I guess that makes me somewhat picky). This drink is both not that sweet and not-that alcoholic which made it absolutely delicious to drink.

Holiday Apple Cider Punch

At our party, we made both an alcoholic and non-alcoholic version of this punch so all could enjoy AND so that those who were driving home felt like they had a nice beverage but didn’t need any alcohol to enjoy themselves. After all, a party is far more than just about the alcohol, am I right?

I cannot wait to make this drink again. When I do make it again, I want to make it in a punch bowl because I personally love getting the fruit in my drink so it’s kind of like a grown-up fruit salad. You can certainly use something like this but then you may need a spoon (or a cup) to get the fruit out and enjoy it!

Pro Tip: Make a day ahead of time to save time when prepping for your party.

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Holiday Apple Cider Punch (Alcoholic & Non-Alcoholic)

Holiday Apple Cider Punch (Alcoholic & Non-Alcoholic)

Ingredients

  • 4 cups apple cider
  • 1 liter setlzer (use 2 liters if non-alcoholic)
  • 1-750mL bottle champagne/sparkling white wine (omit if non-alcoholic)
  • 1 cup apple pie flavored liqueur (I used a local Apple Pie Moonshine)
  • 12 oz. fresh cranberries
  • Pomegranate seeds from 1 pomegranate
  • 2 apples, cored & chopped
  • 3 Cinnamon sticks
  • Ice

Instructions

  1. Combine all in a large pitcher and fill with ice as needed. Serve immediately or store in refrigerator until ready to serve.
https://thesassydietitian.com/holiday-apple-cider-punch-alcoholic-non-alcoholic/

xoxo,

Sassy

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