replenish-nutrition

Cinnamon Nut and Seed Granola

megan@replenishnutrition.org (Megan Salazar) — Tue, 26 Jul 2022 17:45:16 GMT

Crunch is fantastic for breakfast, right?

I love granola. It adds a nice balance to yogurt for breakfast and can be another way to get in some whole grains and healthy fats. The only problem is that most grocery store brands contain preservatives, poor cooking oils, and lots of refined sugar.

What’s wrong with those? In small amounts, nothing is wrong with them. Don’t feel you have to make your own granola if it’s more convenient to improve your habits by switching to it as a better choice than something else.

For the long term, you may want to consider these facts:

High omega-6 cooking oils: Sunflower, canola, and soybean oils are commonly used in many processed food items such as granola, chips, popcorn, sauces, dressings, and other pre-made goods. While a small amount of them does not have a great impact, eating a higher proportion of omega-6 foods in your diet may increase your risk for heart disease and obesity . When omega-6s are in whole foods, like nuts, they are also combined with other nutrients that protect the oxidation of the oils and therefore offer a protective effect .

Refined sugars: In excess amounts, as with any food/nutrient, refined sugars can have an negative effect on your weight , heart health, and gut balance . However, there is no evidence that a small amount of sugar, especially when combined with a diet high in whole foods and an active lifestyle, will have a harmful effect on your health. And sugars like maple syrup and honey have other benefits, like increasing your vitamin and mineral intake, as well as boosting your immune system.

So if you have time on the weekend or want to make this with your kids after school, it can be a great addition to a healthful routine.

Cinnamon Nut & Seed Granola

3 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup chopped raw walnuts

1/2 cup raw sliced almonds

1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds

1/4 cup sprouted pumpkin seeds or raw pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

3/4 tsp Himalayan sea salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 cup unrefined coconut oil, melted

1/2 cup maple syrup

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Combine the oats, walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, coconut flakes, salt and cinnamon. Stir well.
Melt the coconut oil and mix with the maple syrup.
Pour the oil & syrup over the oat mixture. Stir well to coat the oats, nuts and seeds.
Pour the granola onto the prepared pan and spread out evenly with a spoon.
Bake for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through.
Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

++If you want crispier granola, bake for 10 minutes longer. Just keep in mind that granola crisps up as it cools.

++Want to add some sweetness? Add mini chocolate chips to the mix after it cools. I like these dairy-free ones .

++Like dried fruit in your granola? Add a 1/4 cup in with the oats – you could try raisins or cranberries to start.

++Serve your granola over yogurt, with your milk of choice and maybe some fresh fruit.

Easy Flourless Almond Banana Muffins

megan@replenishnutrition.org (Megan Salazar) — Thu, 07 Apr 2022 17:01:59 GMT

Easy Flourless Almond Banana Muffins

I love a good muffin - easy breakfast food with extra protein, snack for my kids, or just something fun for me. Muffins can be filled with ingredients that lead to a rush of blood sugar with little to slow it down. If you love buying a muffin, just make sure to eat it with a great protein source - like a hard boiled egg, turkey bacon, or a protein shake.

These muffins are packed with vitamin E due to the almond butter, potassium-rich with the bananas and almonds, and have very little added sugar. These would be a great breakfast option for kids, with an additional protein source for adults. Everyone will love the chocolate chips!

Easy Flourless Almond Banana Muffins

1 cup almond butter (I used Kirkland brand from Costco)

2 eggs

2 ripe bananas

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 Tbsp honey

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (I prefer these Enjoy Life brand ones )

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a muffin pan with paper liners or coat with coconut oil.
Place all of the ingredients, except for the chocolate chips, in the blender. Blend for about 20 seconds to get it thoroughly combined. Add the chocolate chips and briefly blend, just to mix them in.
Pour mixture into the prepared muffin pan, in about 1/4 cup portions.
Bake for 9-11 minutes, until the muffins are puffed up and the edges are brown. Let them cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Store in an airtight container for up to one week, in the fridge for 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Makes 10-12 muffins.

Enjoy!

Gluten-Free Waffles

megan@replenishnutrition.org (Megan Salazar) — Thu, 17 Feb 2022 18:07:09 GMT

A delicious and nutritious way to start your day.

After discovering that I have a severe reaction to gluten, I was on the hunt for a good recipe for gluten-free waffles that tasted good. We make waffles every week for Waffle Wednesday in my house so it was a must have, must do on my list! Most recipes were bland or too crispy. I think you'll find that these are crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and deliver a nutty taste (even without nuts!). I also upped the protein by including Greek yogurt instead of regular yogurt. Without further ado - the recipe:

Gluten-Free Multigrain Waffles

Makes 4 large waffles (16 waffle wedges) in a large waffle maker

1 cup gluten-free all purpose flour (I used Bob's Red Mill)
1/2 cup buckwheat flour (yes, despite the name, this is gluten free)
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1 cup dairy-free milk (I use Silk Protein Nut Milk)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup avocado oil
2 Tbsp flaxseed oil (or more avocado oil if you don't have this)
1 cup plain Greek yogurt (I use full fat)
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Combine all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl; whisk well until blended. Add the milk, eggs, syrup and vanilla. Whisk until smooth. Stir in the oils and yogurt and whisk again until combined. Fold in the nuts, if using. Let the batter rest 5 minutes before using.
Preheat your waffle maker to a desired setting (about mid-way works for mine).
Pour 1 heaping cup of batter onto the center of the griddle of the preheated waffle maker. Spread the batter evenly using a heatproof spatula. Close the lid of the waffle maker. When the tone sounds or the light turns off, the waffle is ready (usually about 3-5 minutes). Open the lid and carefully remove the baked waffle. Repeat with remaining batter. For best results, serve immediately. Can be refrigerated for 1 week, frozen for 6 months.
Top with almond butter, yogurt, fruit, maple syrup, and/or honey - be creative !

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

megan@replenishnutrition.org (Megan Salazar) — Thu, 30 Sep 2021 18:07:59 GMT

A delightful fall (or anytime)

breakfast or snack.

I love this Pumpkin Pie Smoothie at any time of year, but in the fall it really captures the flavor of the season (pumpkin, duh) for sure. I love it with vanilla protein powder, but feel free to make it with yogurt instead! Great for breakfast or a high protein snack.

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

8 oz milk (I use almond or cashew milk)
4 oz water (more or less, depending on how thin you like your smoothies)
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 banana (or 1/2 cup applesauce if you don’t like bananas)
2 Tbsp almond butter
1 serving vanilla protein powder (or 1 cup Greek yogurt)
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or more)
1 cup of ice

Add all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Top with granola or pumpkin seeds for fun!

**This post contains affliate links, meaning that at no additional cost to you, I will be paid if you purchase the item linked.

Copycat Chipotle Chicken Fajita Bowl

Fri, 21 May 2021 03:06:12 GMT

You'll never spend $13 a person for this again!

Or maybe not, but at least you'll have the option!

I love Chipotle, but I don't like the expense of eating out. And I feel like I'm in more control of the ingredients and nutrition this way, too.

While this has different components, it's relatively simple things without a lot of complicated processes. You can even marinate your chicken, chop your veggies and prep your beans ahead of time.

Copycat Chipotle Chicken Fajita Bowls

Ingredients:

Chicken Marinade

2 lbs Chicken Breasts

Juice of 1 lime

2 Tbsp avocado oil

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp paprika

1 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp salt

Fajita Veggies

1 green bell pepper, sliced into 1/2" inch strips

1 red bell pepper, sliced into 1/2" inch strips

1 orange bell pepper, sliced into 1/2" inch strips

1 red onion, cut in half then sliced thin

1 Tbsp avocado oil

1/2 tsp salt

Black Beans

1 can black beans, undrained

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp paprika

Salt, to taste

1.5 cups rice (uncooked)

Optional Toppings:

Salsa

Avocado

Plain Greek Yogurt

Cheese

Add all of the marinade ingredients with the chicken into a resealable bag. Turn the bag several times to get the juices on all of the chicken. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 6 hours.
Closer to meal time, start cooking the rice according to the directions. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and preheat the grill.
Slice the bell peppers and onions and place it onto a cooking sheet. Drizzle with avocado oil and sprinkle with salt, to taste. Toss the veggies to distribute the oil and salt. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes.
Add the canned beans and spices to a pot and heat on medium low until warmed. Add salt to taste.
Grill the marinated chicken on medium high heat on the grill for about 10 minutes per side. Check the internal temperature to ensure that it reaches 165 degrees. Once cooked, let it rest on a plate, covered with foil, for about 5 minutes. Slice and serve.

6. Plate it all up with the rice, beans, fajita veggies, and chicken, topped with your favorite toppings.

Enjoy!

-Megan

Almond Protein Energy Bites

megan@replenishnutrition.org (Megan Salazar) — Thu, 11 Feb 2021 04:24:50 GMT

The perfect snack for you and your kids... or just you.

I love a good homemade snack, but I don't like having to go through a lot of effort to make them. This was a perfect combination of ingredients and ease to make it.

Plus, I hate it when energy bite recipes don't stick together, so I really worked on this to make sure it would hold without falling apart.

These are great for a mid-afternoon pick me up, a snack to send with the kids to school, enjoy as dessert after dinner, or eat as breakfast when you slept through your alarm.

Almond Protein Energy Bites

Makes about 16 bites

Time: 10-15 minutes

1/4 cup lightly salted whole almonds
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
6 Medjool dates, pitted and lightly chopped
1 tablespoon coconut oil
3/4 cup almond butter
1 serving of collagen peptides
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup raw rolled oats

Place the almonds and chocolate in the food processor and blend for 20-30 seconds. Pour into a large bowl.
Places the dates in the food processor and blend for several seconds. Add the coconut oil, almond butter, ground flaxseed, chia seeds, and vanilla. Blend until smooth.
Pour mixture into the bowl with the almonds and chocolate. Mix until combined and then stir in the oats.
Roll into 16 bites.

**This post contains affliate links, meaning that at no additional cost to you, I will be paid if you purchase the item linked.

How unrealistic goals can sabotage your success

Mon, 14 Dec 2020 19:05:38 GMT

You have the right intentions. You make the goals like everyone else makes – lose 20 pounds; decrease body fat percentage by 10%; fit into a size 8 pants. Then you make a plan of action – start exercising, eat better, stop drinking alcohol, sleep more, etc.

So you start all of these things … and then the scale doesn’t move. Or your pants don’t fit any better. Or you don’t like not being able to have alcohol on the weekend. Or you really don’t feel any better. And you say all of these things on Friday afternoon.

So screw it. Stop exercising – if I’m not seeing results then why waste the time. Stop trying to eat better – nobody likes kale anyways. And let’s go OUT this weekend, girlfriend! I can’t lose weight, so might as well drink.

Then Monday comes around again and you’re still not happy with how you look or feel.

So what went wrong? Was it you and your lack of willpower?

Or was it how your set your goals and came up with a plan to achieve that goal?

First off, there is nothing wrong with setting a goal with a measurement and time-based expectation to it.

That is called a SMART goal (specific, measureable, attractive, realistic and timely). However, it’s the WHY and the HOW behind the goal that can make or break you.

If you are setting a goal based on a weight that you had in high school, then you may be reaching too far. Most of us (not all of us), have no idea how good we had it in high school when it came to our metabolism. We usually can’t go back to that lovely, still-supporting-growth metabolism, unfortunately. Not saying people don’t/can’t do it, but that may not be your initial goal.

If you are setting a goal based on what a fitness/health professional says is best for you, then you need to fire that person. Your goals need to be something YOU want to do and shouldn’t be based on someone else’s ideal of the best version of you.

So let’s start with WHY… a very good place to start.

WHY does the scale matter in your goal – is it for a competition where you need to be in a certain weight class, then this is a good goal to set. Does it matter what you are going to look/feel like, then this may not be the best measure of your success. The scale is very fickle – many people can lose inches, body fat percentage, look better, feel fantastic and still be the same weight (pounds, kilograms) as they were when they started. The scale is just a number – not a representation of your value to yourself, your family and friends.

WHY does body fat matter in your goal – are you going to be judged on stage for the amount of muscle seen/shown, if so, this is a good goal. Are you (and maybe your significant other) the only one that sees yourself in a state of undress most of the time? Yes? Then body fat may be a good measure to calculate on occasion to see how something is working, but know that it can very much depend on the amount of water you drink (or don’t), your sodium intake, how much sleep you had the night before, your stress levels, your type of food intake, etc. Too many factors can shift this number on a hour-to-hour, day-to-day and even week-to-week basis. That being said, it’s a better way to measure success than total weight is, but it’s still not perfect.

WHY does your pant/dress size matter in your goal – unless you are buying the exact same brand, color, fit, then this can be as fickle as the scale. One manufacturer may make a size 8 out of one proportion of a woman, and another manufacturer base it on an entirely different size woman. For example, my 5-year-old daughter fit into one size of skinny-cut jeans and another pair of straight-leg jeans were too big for her in that same size (same manufacturer). So to compare yourself in size of dress/pants may be ill-fitting for your success. Now if you fit better in that pair of jeans you have in your closet or have to go to a size smaller in that same fit/manufacturer, then that may be an indication that changes are happening.

WHY behavior matters more – in 12 weeks, I want to be exercising on average 5 days a week, eating vegetables at every meal, and sleeping without waking from 10pm-6am. Are these goals SMART ?- for someone they may be! But it’s also HOW they get to them that matters as much as the WHY.

HOW – start small and one at a time.

Say this person is not exercising once a week and wants to get to 5 times a week. Most people would start at the 5 times per week, but I say – have room to grow. If you start at 5 times per week, this is such a BIG adjustment from your normal routine. This may seem attainable, but probably will only happen for 1-3 weeks max before things fizzle out. It's like starting a race in a sprint. You'll likely burn out and won't be able to sustain that pace.

The pyramids weren’t built in a day – start with one stone at a time.

Instead, start working out 1 or 2 days a week, and make those a solid routine before adding on more. BONUS – when you do add on more days then you are also using more calories than you did the week before, so you will still likely see progress towards your composition goals. Also, your body adapts after about 2 weeks to whatever change you impose, so you have to keep changing the equation.

WHY you want these goals matters most – I want to be a healthier, fitter, better version of me for my joints/kids/heart health/mental health. Go deep with your goal setting, trying to focus less on the surface and uncover what is really bothering you. Are your joints aching when you walk – even just to the bathroom? Are you having a hard time keeping up with your kids, even if it’s just playing in the backyard for 20 minutes? Is your cholesterol/triglycerides/blood sugar getting to the point of out of control? Are you not feeling like yourself anymore? Whatever it is, knowing these WHYs will also keep you going past the week of no changes on scale/body fat%/pant size.

You’ll say, who cares, I know I have to keep doing this for _________________ (you fill in the blank).

So dig deep, my friends. Obtain that seemingly elusive success by setting yourself up for it with the best WHY and HOW in mind.

Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

Mon, 14 Dec 2020 19:05:37 GMT

I love zucchini. It is so versatile to be able to use it in savory and sweet ways. As much as I love spiralized zucchini with a red meat sauce, I will always love it in breads and muffins more.

However, most of the time those recipes are heavy in sugar and flour, without much substance to keep you full after eating them. I wanted a recipe that I could give to my kids in the morning before taking my daughter to school that would last her awhile. These are the perfect option for that or a fun afternoon snack that feels like a treat.

Enjoy!

Makes about 14 large muffins or 42 mini-muffins

3/4 cup of oat flour*
1 1/2 cups super fine almond flour
1/2 cup vanilla protein powder
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 tsp Himalayan sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs
2 egg whites (or 6 Tbsp liquid egg whites)
1 medium ripe banana, mashed
2 cups grated zucchini, about 1.5 medium, pressed
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Line a muffin tin with paper liners.

3. Add all of the dry ingredients (oat flour through cinnamon) to a large bowl. Stir until combined, set aside.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and egg whites together. Add in the mashed banana and stir until combined.

5. Add the wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients. Stir until the batter comes together.

6. Press the zucchini by placing it between paper towels and squeezing. Add the zucchini to the rest of the batter and mix until well distributed.

7. Stir in the chocolate chips.

8. Fill the muffin cups with the batter until about 3/4 the way full. Bake for 18-20 minutes for regular muffins or 11-13 minutes for mini-muffins. The muffins should have lightly browned edges and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

9. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days (if they last that long) or in the freezer for 3 months.

*You can make your own oat flour with 3/4 cup of rolled oats in the food processor, blender or coffee grinder.

replenish-nutrition

Cinnamon Nut and Seed Granola

Crunch is fantastic for breakfast, right?

Cinnamon Nut & Seed Granola

Easy Flourless Almond Banana Muffins

Easy Flourless Almond Banana Muffins

Easy Flourless Almond Banana Muffins

Enjoy!

Gluten-Free Waffles

A delicious and nutritious way to start your day. ﻿

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

A delightful fall (or anytime)

﻿ breakfast or snack.

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

Copycat Chipotle Chicken Fajita Bowl

You'll never spend $13 a person for this again!

Copycat Chipotle Chicken Fajita Bowls

Ingredients:

Chicken Marinade

Fajita Veggies

Black Beans

-Megan

Almond Protein Energy Bites

The perfect snack for you and your kids... or just you.

How unrealistic goals can sabotage your success

Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

A delicious and nutritious way to start your day.

breakfast or snack.