This blog post is in partnership with The Quaker Oats Company, but all opinions expressed are my own.

In college, I ate oatmeal EVERY single day from freshmen to senior year. True story – all of my old roommates can all confirm this! While for most people coffee comes to mind first thing in the morning, it was a running joke in our apartment that I did not (and could not) function for the day without eating my bowl of oatmeal first.

Oatmeal is such a quick and easy meal that I found comfort in the daily routine. It also helped that you can find a canister of Quaker oats at most grocery stores and it fit perfectly into my college budget. It cooks quickly, stores in the pantry forever, and can be made into a nutritious meal. I found myself eating it not only for breakfast, but for lunch, dinner and even as a snack.

Four years of oatmeal for breakfast has given me a million opportunities to experiment with the ways to eat it (it’s just so versatile!). But for me, savory is ALWAYS the way to go.

October 18, 2017 TAGS: broccoli, James Beard Foundation, more taste less waste, nutrition happens, oatmeal recipes, oats, quaker oatmeal, whole grains, zero waste BY: May

Life + Style Personal

Chicago Ideas Week 2017: Fearlessly Pursuing Ideas

File this under: cool things forever happening in Chicago.

For those of you who are not familiar with Chicago Ideas Week, it’s a a festival here that brings together incredible humans doing amazing work from ALL industries. Think of it as a rally to vibe and learn from each other – ultimately inspiring each one of to fearlessly pursue the ideas that help change the world.

October 17, 2017 TAGS: business, chicago ideas week, dietetics, entrepreneurship, nutrition happens BY: May

Nutrition + Food Recipes

Should I Buy Pasture Raised Eggs?

This post was written in sponsorship with Handsome Brook Farm. Thank you for supporting continuing projects that make Nutrition Happen!

EGGS.

Yes, we’re chatting about one of the most versatile and talked about proteins out there today. Chances are, if you are not a vegan and are not allergic, eggs tend to always make it to your weekly grocery list (right?) They’re often a weekly staple because you can literally make eggs a MILLION different ways, for all meals and snacks during the day without forking over a low-key down payment for a good protein source. Hashtag, finance goals (or, more money for shoes).

As with pretty much all nutrition topics, things can get pretty controversial and eggs are no exception. However, by now we have pretty significant research that supports that eating one or two egg yolks per day will not impact overall total cholesterol in healthy individuals (it’s more so dependent on OVERALL food consumption over time) (source)

And perhaps one of the biggest misconceptions/myths about eggs (I get asked this ALL the time):

Brown eggs are better than white eggs.

The scientific TRUTH:

Actually…they’re the same. The color of the shell does NOT indicate any change to the overall nutrition value. The color is dependent on the breed of chicken laying the eggs, so the price differences reflect that. Brown eggs may be a few cents more due due a variety of factors: the type of egg, the feed they eat, etc. Regardless, all eggs will have 70 calories, 6 grams of protein and contain all 9 essential amino acids + 13 separate vitamins and minerals, which makes it a powerful food, nutrition-wise.

September 28, 2017 TAGS: eggs, handsome brook farms, nutrition, organic, pasture raised BY: May

Fitness Nutrition + Food

One Simple Nutrition Tip for ALL

As a dietetics professional, I always get a handful of the same common questions regarding nutrition. What are the best foods to eat? Should I go vegan? Is butter a carb (true story!)? While there is truly no one method or recommendation to nutrition that will work for everyone, there’s always one topic that does however, apply true for all: HYDRATION.

I know, it’s probably one you hear about often – but it’s also the one that gets overlooked the most. When was the last time you felt good with your water intake? This is particularly important since now that it’s warmer and we’re outside moving more (hey, I see you summertime Chicago!). Dehydration can cause a handful of common (and very general) symptoms – headaches, fatigue, dizziness. It’s easy to mistake dehydration for other things, but at the same time, it’s also one of the easiest things for us to manage. Since our bodies are mostly water, everything functions properly when we are adequately hydrated.

June 23, 2017 TAGS: hydration, konadeep, lifestyle, nutrition BY: May

Nutrition + Food Recipes

Savory Pancakes with Honey Bourbon Jackfruit and Brussel Sprouts

When was the last time you cooked for someone? Because if you’re like me and are still scrambling around for a Father’s Day gift, making Dad a home cooked meal is the perfect way to show him how much you appreciate him (and easy to pull together last minute!).

The best part is choosing the recipe and in my experience, there are two things that win over hearts of [most] men (well, at least my dad, anyway): bourbon and pancakes.

But hey now, let me make a point clear. Cooking for someone does not mean spending all day in the kitchen from dawn to dusk. There are always, ALWAYS shortcuts in the kitchen you can take to make a meal that still leaves you extra time to hang out and catch up.

Case in point: these pancakes with a honey bourbon jackfruit topping. Low key, ready in about 30 minutes or so – exactly what you need for Father’s Day on Sunday.

June 14, 2017 TAGS: bourbon, breakfast, KOVAL, SimpleMills BY: May

Nutrition + Food Recipes

Smoked Salmon Cauliflower Crust Pizza

Top reasons I love a good pre-made pizza crust:

1. My meal is ready in less than 10 minutes.

2. There are fewer dishes.

3. Pizza.

4. There are FEWER DISHES!

5. Literally, prep time takes no work.

It’s amazing how the food industry is expanding by the minute and healthier products like this are readily available. Have you guys tried making cauliflower crust yet? I don’t know about you, but it’s messy and I can’t ever get the texture right.

Ever since I started grad school two years ago, I’ve always been on the search for the healthiest options that are also convenient – and believe me, they’re out there! I get it – sometimes we’re just looking for an easy way out on busy days, and that’s totally okay. It’s definitely a good thought to prepare meals to have ready for the week, but don’t let the media trick you into thinking that if you don’t have a perfectly prepared tupperware of chicken and roasted vegetables in the fridge, you’re doing it wrong. It’s okay to take the easy way out every now and then – breathe!

Like I said, the industry is making it easy to do so in a mindful way. Case in point: these pre-made crusts from Califlower Foods. While I obviously still cook (but let’s be real, 1 pan meals are my EVERYTHING), there a few healthy grab and go places I like to frequent in the Chicago area for a healthy prepared meal like Snap Kitchen, Kitchfix, or the delivery service Eat Purely.

May 1, 2017 BY: May

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Nutrition Happens

Nutrition Happens

May

More Taste, Less Waste: Savory Green Oatmeal

Chicago Ideas Week 2017: Fearlessly Pursuing Ideas

Should I Buy Pasture Raised Eggs?

One Simple Nutrition Tip for ALL

Savory Pancakes with Honey Bourbon Jackfruit and Brussel Sprouts

Smoked Salmon Cauliflower Crust Pizza