Real Food Nutrition in a Fast Food World

Recipes

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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5-Ingredient Homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

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I’ve said it before but one of my all-time favorite Halloween candies is Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. I don’t often crave them but when it’s that time of year (aka Halloween) it happens. I see the orange wrapper at grocery stores and Target and start to get that mouthwatering sensation. While it’s okay to eat these once in a while, it’s not really something I want to be putting in my body often.

peanut butter cups

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

Here’s the thing, Halloween is next week, and my guess is that candy is going to come into your life in some way, shape or form. What I don’t want to happen is for candy to take over your life and overstay it’s welcome through the holidays. Instead, commit to making yourself some candy and when it’s gone, it’s gone!

I mean, let’s get real for one moment, here are the ingredients of the beloved orange wrapped candy:

Milk Chocolate (Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Chocolate, Nonfat Milk, Lactose, Lecithin, PGPR (emulsifier)), Peanuts, Sugar, Dextrose, Salt, TBHQ (preservative), citric acid (to maintain freshness). 

It just seems to me that there are A LOT of unnecessary ingredients for such simple candy. Really all you need is peanuts, chocolate, some fat, and a little sugar and you are good to go. Unfortunately for that candy to stay edible and not melty for as long as possible, it must be processed in the manner that it is. I get it, but I don’t like it.

peanut butter cups

Sassy’s Peanut Butter Cups

Okay, so when I get annoyed at a product that I want but I don’t like, I set out to make it on my own. They say to put your money where your mouth is and vote with your dollar. That’s exactly what I did with these peanut butter cups. I decided to take matters into my own hands, buy some dang good peanut butter, and get to work.

The ingredients?

Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Butter, Honey, Cocoa Powder

They taste just as good (if not better), melt in your mouth (and hands), and are a true labor of love. I feel like when you make your food you are less likely to overindulge and more likely to eat less purely based on the fact that it takes longer to make the food than it does to purchase the product.

Anywho, make this recipe and maybe share it with friends at a Halloween party, bring it to work (or in my case the gym), and let others enjoy the tasty goodness that is Sassy’s Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups.

peanut butter cups

Allergic to peanuts? Swap in some sunflower or pumpkin seed butter instead!

peanut butter cups

Pro Tip: it’s OK if these don’t gel together like Reese’s, the combo of chocolate and PB is good enough to not worry about these looking perfect.

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5-Ingredient Homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

5-Ingredient Homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Ingredients

    Chocolate Shell
  • 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 Tbsp butter (or oil/ghee)
  • 1 Tbsp creamy peanut butter
    • Peanut Butter Filling
  • 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 2 Tbsp butter (or oil/ghee), melted
  • 2 Tbsp honey
  • 1 tsp cocoa powder, optional

Instructions

  1. Line muffin tin with 24 small muffin cups or spray, set aside
  2. In a large (microwave-safe) bowl, add all the chocolate shell ingredients and microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring each time. Continue until chocolate is smooth and one consistency.
  3. Fill each muffin cup with enough chocolate to coat the bottom (~1/4-1/2 tsp each), place in freezer for 5 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, in a large bowl or mixer, mix the ingredients for the peanut butter filling until creamy
  5. Remove the muffin tin from the freezer, add ~1/2 tsp or more peanut butter filling to each cup, top with the remaining chocolate and freeze until set ~5-10 minutes.
  6. Enjoy!
https://thesassydietitian.com/5-ingredient-homemade-chocolate-peanut-butter-cups/

What is your favorite candy this time of year?

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. 

 

Sheet-Pan Breakfast Bake

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Hello from Washington, DC. You guys, I lost my voice (if you have it, please return) and I sound absolutely ridiculous so I’m glad that I can type to you and you won’t notice. I am having an absolute blast and cannot wait to update you on what I’ve been learning here at the conference. I have been lucky enough to connect with so many like-minded Dietitians that its been an absolute blast and maybe why I’ve lost my voice.

Anywho, that’s neither here nor there, I want to share with you this breakfast bake recipe. I LOVE breakfast for dinner and this is my go-to meal for when groceries are limited and time is tight. You can use any spice of your choice to make this dish your own, but I’m sure this recipe will help you when you get the question “what’s for dinner tonight?”

Sheet-Pan Meals

When I first saw people making sheet-pan meals, I was like “DUHHH” why didn’t I think of that?! It’s such a great concept and makes for an easy weeknight dinner. I like to get creative with my sheet pan meals, some turn out amazing, others turn out, well, not-so-amazing. The thing with cooking in the kitchen is that it’s sometimes an experiment, and that’s okay. I’ve found some of my biggest mistakes turn into the best recipes.

So, grab yourself a sheet pan, some parchment paper and/or some cooking spray and start making some food! The great part is that it will be easy on the cleanup and after all, I hate cleaning up so I think I may try and make a few more recipes for you on the good ol’ sheet pan. Objections?! I sure hope not.

 

Breakfast Bake

Like I said I love breakfast for dinner. As I’m writing this, I’m craving some delicious breakfast since we’ve really been mostly snacking at the conference we are at. I decided to bake this one because have you ever cooked potatoes on the stovetop?! It takes for forever because you end up sitting there watching them cook. It’s like watching paint dry.

Anywho, I figured let’s try baking the potatoes so I can get other things done around the house. Then, I thought, what if instead of making the eggs to order I just cracked them in the potatoes?! It was magical! Dinner made on one sheet pan.

You will know the eggs are ready when the egg whites are no longer opaque. Feel free to skip the eggs and sausage and make those to order BUTTTTT that means more dishes, so that is up to you.

Enjoy! Stay tuned for the return of my voice and me to Albany where I’ll share with you what happened in Washington, DC.

Pro Tip: Use any vegetables you have on hand in this bake to plump it up or to be savvy with what’s on hand.

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Sheet-Pan Breakfast Bake

Yield: 4-6

Serving Size: 1-2 eggs + hash

Sheet-Pan Breakfast Bake

Ingredients

  • 1-1/2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2.5-3lbs potatoes, washed & chopped
  • 2 bell peppers, chopped
  • 1 large red onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 package frozen sausage, optional (~5.6 oz. or 8 links, I used Teton Waters Ranch Breakfast Links| https://www.tetonwatersranch.com/products/original-breakfast-links/ )
  • 6-8 eggs

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Optional: spray with cooking spray, set aside
  2. In a large bowl, toss potatoes, peppers, red onion, garlic, oil, and spices so evenly covered.
  3. Place potato mixture on the baking sheet and spread out evenly
  4. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until potatoes are fork-tender, turning once
  5. Add sausage and make 6-8 holes in potatoes and crack an egg in each hole
  6. Bake for an additional 10-12 minutes or until egg whites are set and sausage cooked through.
https://thesassydietitian.com/sheet-pan-breakfast-bake/

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. 

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