Real Food Nutrition in a Fast Food World

Recipes

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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Easy Egg Salad Sandwich

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Sometimes you just need a recipe with a lot of pictures, am I right?! That’s what you are about to get here, an easy egg salad sandwich with some pretty photos, you’re welcome. I spent the day making a lot of new recipes and I cannot wait to share them with you. Until then, enjoy one of my go-to lunches, an egg salad sandwich.

If you know me, you know I’m an egg-thusiast and could probably eat eggs every day. However, some days I don’t have time to make myself an over-easy egg or my favorite, poached eggs, so a hard-boiled egg and/or egg salad sandwich have to do. This is one of my favorite lunches, and hope it helps give you an idea for lunch as well!

Egg Salad Sandwich

For a while, once I found out gluten was a big gut irritant for me, I just avoided bread altogether. I mostly did it because I couldn’t find any bread that tasted good or held up to literally anything. Someone then suggested I try Canyon Bakehouse, and I’ve been hooked ever since.

It’s a great go-to sandwich bread and it’s frozen so I find that it lasts so much longer. I don’t eat bread every day and would hate if it went to waste. This egg salad is very good on this bread To make it, all I do is take it out of the freezer and put it right into my toaster oven, toast for a few minutes, place about 1 cup of egg salad on the bread and add some lettuce. BOOM, lunch is served.

Pro Tip: swap avocado for mayo if you aren’t into mayo or don’t have any on hand.

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Easy Egg Salad Sandwich

Easy Egg Salad Sandwich

Ingredients

  • 12 eggs, hard boiled
  • 1/4 cup avocado oil mayo
  • 2 Tbsp. dijon mustard
  • 2 stalks celery, diced
  • 1/2 yellow onion, diced
  • 1 small apple, cored & diced
  • 1 dill pickle spear (1/4 cup), diced
  • 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced (leave seeds in if you like a kick!)
  • 1/4 tsp of each: paprika, salt, black pepper, onion powder
  • Bread, optional

Instructions

  1. Mix all together with a fork and enjoy with lettuce between 2 slices of your favorite bread.
https://thesassydietitian.com/easy-egg-salad-sandwich/

xoxo,

Sassy

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egg salad sandwich

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.

Easy Gluten-Free Apple Crisp

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I don’t know about you but I love this time of year for food. It seems like some of the best foods are in season. I may be biased because I’m a foodie but man oh man am I loving all the apples, squashes, and other fresh harvest fruits & vegetables. I had so many apples this year that I had to find ways to use them and this apple crisp was so good it barely lasted 3 days.

gluten free apple crisp

Apples to Apples

I’ll never forget learning in undergrad how apples are in one sense a processed food. Now, don’t go running and screaming yet. They aren’t processed foods like the ones you’re thinking. They don’t come in a box/bag/package, just their own skin. But if I remember correctly it takes about 20+ steps for store-bought apples to get from the tree to your hands. TWENTY PLUS STEPS! That’s insane!

If you’ve ever been to an apple orchard, you know that getting an apple from the tree to hand is ONE step. You literally walk up to a tree, grab an apple and BOOM instant gratification. Unfortunately, because we want to have apples year-round, we must get used to the idea that for the apple to last long enough AND be safe enough to eat, the average apple touches 20 different steps.

The way to prevent this? Shop locally and seasonally. Go to the actual farm and pick the apple. If you are unable to do that, no worries, just do your best to buy apples from September-December and look for the label to say something close to where you live.

Count Memories, not Calories

Okay, so regardless of where you get said apples for this recipe, you shouldn’t be concerned necessarily about the calories. When I’m looking to make a dessert, I’m not thinking of the calories, I’m frankly, thinking of the memories that will be made with said dessert. Why? Well, usually when I’m making a dessert it’s for some occasion.

I made this apple crisp recently when we were having friends over for dinner. I didn’t once think about what calories were in there, instead, I was thinking about how my friends were going to get to enjoy the fruits of my labor, aka cooking. Remember that food and your health is so much more than calories in and calories out. IF we allowed ourselves to enjoy food more often, I think we’d have a healthier relationship with food and therefore a healthier outlook, end of story.

Gluten-Free Apple Crisp

Dessert happens. Don’t have regrets, instead, have dessert and move on.

I love crisps because they are not as intensive as some other desserts. You can mess up the measurements of a crisp and still get a good end result. Last year I made a Pear-Cranberry crisp and this year I decided to stay traditional with an apple crisp.

I would recommend enjoying this warm topped with pumpkin or vanilla ice cream, but that’s just me! I’d also recommend getting yourself an apple corer of sorts to be able to enjoy the process of slicing the apple and so that you waste less of the fruit. You know what they say, waste not, want not.

Anywho, enjoy this with friends and make some memories over such a simple, yet delicious dish.

Pro Tip: Use any type of apple, especially those that are starting to go bad as the sugar will save them! Feel free to use regular flour if gluten-free is not necessary.

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Gluten-Free Apple Crisp

Gluten-Free Apple Crisp

Ingredients

    Filling
  • 6 apples cored & chopped
  • 1/4 c. sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • Pinch of salt
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 1 Tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
    • Topping
  • 1/2 cup gluten free flour (I used Bob's Red Mill)
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a large baking dish
  2. In a small bowl, mix together lemon juice, cornstarch, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt (for filling)
  3. In the baking dish, add apples & sugar, stir to coat evenly, add in lemon juice mixture and stir to combine.
  4. In a medium bowl, add all ingredietns for topping and with two forks (or a pastry cutter) combine to form into crumbs.
  5. Once combined, top filling with topping and bake in oven for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and center is cooked through (sides will be bubbling)
https://thesassydietitian.com/easy-gluten-free-apple-crisp/

xoxo,

Sassy

ps. my friend Ashely over at MyWeeklyEats also recently posted an Apple Crisp (great minds think alike!) check it out here.

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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.

How to Cook Spaghetti Squash 2-Ways (Instant Pot or Oven)

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Let me set one thing straight before I start this post, spaghetti squash is not spaghetti. While I love the squash and use it in place of pasta, I will not sit here and tell you that it tastes the same or can replace pasta 1 for 1. I’m Italian after all, so I know good homemade pasta when I see it. So, while this post is dedicated to the spaghetti squash, I am under no impression that it is pasta because it’s not, it’s a vegetable, or more specifically a squash.

Spaghetti Squash

That being said, I love spaghetti squash and think more people should embrace the squash. The great thing about spaghetti squash is that it’s filling and a great vehicle for sauces and other items. It is super easy to make and really satisfying when it’s cooked. You feel somewhat accomplished when you cook this vegetable because when it’s done it lets you know. The strands pull out so easily and you’re not even sure how.

Haven’t made it before? Great, follow the recipe below so you too can feel satisfied both in your cooking skills and your ability to make yourself something healthy.

spaghetti squash

How to Cook Spaghetti Squash 2-Ways

So I was going to post how I cook spaghetti squash a while back. But then I got busy and forgot. I’m so glad I forgot to because during that time I learned how to make spaghetti squash in the Instant Pot.

To be honest I had really only been using my Instant Pot sporadically and with recipes, I knew by heart. Yes, I too get stuck in my ways. So I decided a few weeks ago to start figuring out new ways to use the Instant Pot because if I was going to be telling people they need it, I sure as heck need recipes to back it up. So now you have 2-ways to make spaghetti squash whether you have an Instant Pot or not.

I have a Spinach & Artichoke Chicken recipe that pairs nicely with this as well as a bolognese that I will get to posting soon so you have some options when it comes to your spaghetti squash, but in the meantime, you can pair it with any protein and vegetable you dang well please.

Pro Tip: Grab your favorite marinara sauce & frozen meatballs to make this the easiest (and healthiest) dinner you’ve made in a while.

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Spaghetti Squash 2 Ways (Instant Pot or Oven)

Spaghetti Squash 2 Ways (Instant Pot or Oven)

Ingredients

  • 1 medium spaghetti squash (~2-3lbs)
  • 1 cup water

Instructions

    For Instant Pot
  1. Pierce skin of squash with knife or fork 20 times all over
  2. Place 1 cup of water in bottom of Instant Pot and place trivet on top
  3. Place spaghetti squash on top of trivet, close pot & seal
  4. Choose Manual (High) for 8-10 minutes depending on desired level of doneness. (8 for al dente, 10 for soft)
  5. Once done, quick release by opening the valve, remove squash from pot, slice in half, scoop out seeds and then pull strands out with a fork.
    6. For Oven
  6. Preheat oven to 400°F, line a baking sheet with foil or spray.
  7. Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise, scoop out seeds.
  8. Place spaghetti squash cut sides down and bake for 40-50 minutes until easy to pull strands out and skin is easy to push in.
https://thesassydietitian.com/how-to-cook-spaghetti-squash-2-ways-instant-pot-oven/

Enjoy! Don’t have an Instant Pot? You’re missing out go get one for yourself #TreatYoSelf

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.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Overnight Oats

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I had some other things I was going to write today but man guys, Monday started out with a bang! I have some amazing opportunities coming up and I’m hoping that I can keep up. I ws on another podcast today, so when it releases I will let you know, we talked about some fun topics that I think you’ll enjoy. That being said I am holding strong on this 100-day challenge and I am LOVING getting new content to you daily. I’d love to hear from you guys what you want to hear/see more of. Just comment below 🙂 Please don’t be shy!

Okay, now let’s get on with the show as this Pumpkin Cheesecake Overnight Oat recipe has already been a hot topic on my Instagram stories today, so why wait to share?!

National Oatmeal Day

The cool thing is that today is National Oatmeal Day. You know how much I love the opportunity to celebrate anything related to food. SO that being said I was meal prepping last night and made Overnight Oats 3 ways. I didn’t realize it was National Oatmeal Day today,  I was just craving overnight oats.

Why? Because I get food-fatigue and like to try something new. So, I thought let me try 3 different recipes and if any of them are good I’ll share. I have a knack for making a lot of food and then not sharing, so I’m going to share this recipe literally less than 24 hours after making it. Why? BECAUSE IT’S FREAKING DELICIOUS that’s why, and because of good timing.

Oatmeal Health Benefits

I love to eat food that tastes good and makes me feel good, end of story. The fun thing with food is that those healthy foods are different for everyone. Some people may think oatmeal tastes AMAZING, some may hate it, some may feel great after eating oatmeal, others like crap.

Oatmeal or rather, oats, have been studied a lot and they have been shown to those that can digest/absorb them properly to have some awesome health benefits. You may not care, and that’s okay, just skip on down to the recipe and get to cooking.

Here are a few health benefits of oats to consider when eating oats. Oats…

Oat Side Note

One small caveat, if you are someone who has trouble with gluten and/or gut issues, it is possible that oats may not fit into your diet. Please consult a dietitian (or nutrition expert) who can help you determine if oats are right for you or not! Also, not all oats are certified gluten-free, so if you need gluten-free oats, look for the label and feel free to reach out to the company, they’re usually more than willing to answer. If they’re not, they may be hiding something so run far far away (just kidding, but not really).

Pumpkin Cheesecake Overnight Oats

Fun fact: I love cheesecake. Wait, let me rephrase, I LOVE CREAM CHEESE. Ha! I know that’s a funny thing to like but for some reason, I have always loved cream cheese. I would eat those Philadelphia cream cheese packets at the pool as a kid and didn’t even bother eating the bagel. Can I order a bagel with cream cheese, hold the bagel?! That was me.

Anywho, that being said I also love cheesecake which is made with my beloved cream cheese. So, I had recently found pumpkin cream cheese at Trader Joe’s and thought, huh?! What would this taste like in overnight oats?! The answer? Amazing-ness. And so, the Pumpkin Cheesecake Overnight Oats were born, you’re welcome.

Pro Tip: sub in greek yogurt if you don’t have cream cheese and it should do the trick! You can also up the oats to 1/2 a cup if you don’t have/want protein powder/collagen in your oats.

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Pumpkin Cheesecake Overnight Oats

Yield: 2

Pumpkin Cheesecake Overnight Oats

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup rolled oats
  • 20g protein powder/collagen peptides (can omit but increase oats by 1/3 cup)
  • 2 Tbsp chia seeds
  • 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (sub 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon)
  • 1/4 cup pumpkin cream cheese (sub:1/4 cup cream cheese + 1 Tbsp pumpkin puree + 1 tsp brown sugar + 1/4 tsp cinnamon)
  • 1 cup oat milk (or milk of choice)
  • Optional: 1-2 Tbsp peanut butter to thicken

Instructions

  1. Mix oats, protein powder, chia seeds & pumpkin pie spice.
  2. Add in milk & cream cheese until well combined.
  3. Separate into 2 glass jars (for easy single servings) and refrigerate overnight.
https://thesassydietitian.com/pumpkin-cheesecake-overnight-oats/

What is your favorite way to eat oats?! Share below, please and thank you!

xoxo,

Sassy

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