Motivational quote that says If you focus on results, you will never change. If you focus on change, you will get results.

5 Reasons You’re Overeating

, , , ,

We all overeat sometimes.
And it’s OK! πŸ‘πŸΌ

BUT… If it’s happening over and over and you want to stop…

Then it only makes sense to look at ✨WHY✨ you’re overeating so you can make a change.

There are many reasons for overeating, but here are 5 that are biggies:

1. SKIPPING MEALS OR UNDEREATING AT MEALS. 🍎
Under-fueling/inadequate calorie intake will catch up with you, often resulting in overeating later. Plan ahead so you don’t miss meals and ensure you’re eating enough to satisfy you.

2. IMBALANCE OF MACROS AT MEALS. πŸ₯—
Macros (=macronutrients) are carbs/protein/fat.
No, you don’t need to count them, but if you’re lacking any one of them, you may find yourself overcompensating later. Strive for balance and variety.

3. YOU’RE TIRED. πŸ₯±
When you’re sleep deprived, food can be seen as a quick energy source. It’s easy to overeat when what you really need is to rest.

4. WAITING TOO LONG TO EAT BETWEEN MEALS. πŸ•’
Not everyone needs a snack between meals, but if you’re ravenous when it comes time for lunch or dinner and end up overeating, you might find having a snack in between helps.

5. EATING WHILE DISTRACTED. (phone, TV, etc) πŸ“Ί
Β If your overeating correlates with scrolling on your phone, playing on your computer or watching a show, then try putting the screens away and paying more attention to your food when you eat.

 

🫒 Surprised that I didn’t mention lack of willpower?
Overeating typically has nothing to do with willpower.
Telling yourself you have no control is disempowering.
Get curious about other potential reasons and make changes!

/0 Comments
Meal idea: Breakfast for dinner. Eggs, toast, fruit, green smoothie.

Meal Idea: Breakfast for Dinner

, ,

Eggs, toast, fruit, green smoothie.

πŸ₯š Do you love eggs but have a time crunch in the morning that prevents you from eating them for breakfast?

πŸ‘‰πŸ» Enjoy them at dinner!

Eggs are a ✨nutrient-rich✨ food to include in a healthy diet.

An average egg contains ~6g of protein. So if they are your main protein source at a meal, you may want to eat 2-3 (depending on what else is in your meal).

 

πŸ’‘ Ideas for making eggs into a balanced meal:

🍳 Cook an omelet, scramble them or fry β€˜em up. (This is your protein & fat)
🍞 Pop some whole grain bread in the toaster or make home fries. (Carbs with fiber)
🍍 Whip up a fruit salad or green smoothie to round it out with colorful produce. (Micronutrients and fiber)

 

πŸ˜‹ Or try my favorite:
2-Egg Banana Pancake Roll-Ups!
πŸ₯šπŸ₯šπŸŒ
https://btcnutrition.com/2-egg-banana-pancake-roll-ups/

πŸ₯° And the answer is YES– the yolk IS nutritious and delicious so please eat that too! Almost half of the protein is found in the yolk, not to mention important nutrients like choline as well as fat-soluble vitamins A ,D ,E & K.

/0 Comments
Cover for a 4-step guide to building a balanced bowl.

Build a Balanced Bowl

, , , ,

Balanced bowl of food containing protein, vegetables and carbohydrates.

✨Create a delicious, balanced bowl in 4 easy steps.✨

These balanced bowls give you an ideal combo of carbs, protein, fat and fiber to stay full.

They’re a perfect way to get a wide range of micronutrients (vitamins & minerals).

Memorize this template and you’ll be able to put together dozens of different meals!

Pick one carbohydrate source or combine 2 or more.

Rice + beans pair well as do quinoa + winter squash.

Aim for a variety of veggies over the course of the week.

Steam, oven-roast, grill or saute them.

Frozen are fine too- microwave or steam & they’re ready in just minutes.

If you’re looking for a vegan meal, choose one from the bottom 3 and keep in mind that many of the carbohydrate sources like lentils, beans, quinoa and some pastas are actually pretty decent sources of protein… so mixing and matching these can meet your protein needs.

Flavorful sauces & crunchy, salty, sweet and spicy toppings will boost the nutritional value as well as keep your food interesting.

🍠πŸ₯¦πŸ—πŸ₯‘πŸšπŸ₯¬πŸ„πŸ§„πŸ€πŸ₯œ

There you have it:Β  Pick a carbohydrate, protein, veggies and fat/flavor!

✨Get creative and discover the combos you find the most satisfying.✨

/0 Comments
Hunger scale.

Hunger Scale (printable!)

, , , , ,

printable hunger scale.

Years of dieting can cause a disconnection from your internal signals.

A Hunger Scale is a tool to help you connect to your hunger & satiety cues.

It’s a way to increase awareness, which is the first step towards behavior change.

 

3 Ways a Hunger Scale can be helpful:

 

1️⃣ Do you go too long without eating, often finding yourself at a 0-2?

Use it to check in with your body earlier to notice signs that you need to eat.

 

2️⃣ Do you tend to overeat to the point of feeling uncomfortable (8-10)?Β 

Use it to check in with your body while you are eating to learn when you’ve had enough.

 

3️⃣ Do you find yourself mindlessly reaching for food between meals?

Use it as a pause button to check in with your body & identify what’s triggering the urge to eat.

The scale can help you decide if you need food or if you are actually comfortable and could respond differently.

 

 

Β Aim to stay within 3-7 most of the time.

That being said, there are going to be times when you may need or want to eat when you aren’t hungry and that’s ok.

There are going to be times when you eat beyond a 7 and that is ok too.

There are many factors involved besides hunger/fullness when it comes to eating.

Look at it as a tool to get curious & gain insight into your habits and behaviors.

At first you may not know how your body feels or what it needs.

Practice and it will get easier and easier.

 

πŸ’— Reconnect with your body and eat for the way you want to feel!πŸ’—

 

Print your FREE Hunger Scale here!

/0 Comments
Understanding the delay between eating and satiety to help choose the right amount of food.

Wait 15 Minutes

, , , ,

Is this you? πŸ‘‡πŸ»

You’re hungry.

You enjoy a delicious dinner.

You finish your plate.

You refill your plate with more food.

You’re FULL.

Man feeling too full.

You wonder why you ate so much…

AGAIN. πŸ™„

Let me introduce you to a little tip that can help.

Quote: The better you understand the delay between eating and the feeling of satiety, the more confident you'll get at choosing the right amount of food for your body.

Doesn’t it feel nice when you eat just the right amount of food?

When you reach that point where you’re no longer hungry, yet you’re not uncomfortably overfull.

It’s easier said than done.

Most of us have eyes bigger than our stomachs.

Let’s face it, food is delicious and brings us great pleasure.

We are extremely fortunate to have access to such abundance.

But the problem with this is:

Our waistlines are expanding and we have astronomically high rates of diet-related diseases because of overeating.

The key is to be able to enjoy enough food to satisfy without going overboard. βš–οΈ (Balance!)

This is not easy for most people, but with some appetite awareness and mindful practice it can be an achievable goal.

 

Check out this study where subjects were given snacks in either a small portion or a much larger portion size.

The snacks included chocolate, apple pie and potato chips.

These are all very tasty foods that are also easy to overeat.

We’ve all been there!

Study outcome showing that both groups felt equally fulfilled with different sized snacks.

Something to think about, hmmm? πŸ€”

Each group ate their snack and then waited 15 minutes. ⏰

✨There is a delay of about 15-20 minutes for your brain to register that your body has had enough.✨

Β  ➑️This is good to know because if you are aware of this you can consciously decide to stop eating before it’s too late.

We all know that feeling of wanting to continue eating, thinking we need more, or maybe simply just wanting more, only to realize later that we overdid it and should have stopped eating much earlier.

✨We can feel satisfied after eating less food than we think we need.✨

Strategy for overeating.

πŸ‘‰πŸ» Chances are good that by then your stomach will have sent the signal to your brain that it’s had plenty & the desire for eating more will have faded.

✨You may be surprised to learn that you didn’t need as much as you thought you did.✨

 

You can also try this if you tend to over-snack in between meals!

Consciously decide to have a smaller snack than you normally would.

Give yourself 15-20 minutes to begin to digest and metabolize your food.

Then reassess your need for more food. πŸ€”

 

Be patient with yourself because like learning anything else new, this takes practice.

You’re essentially trying to change a habit (overeating) and that’s not easy to do.

You might find it tremendously hard to stop eating until you get that too-full feeling if that’s what your body is used to experiencing.

But each time that you are able to eat a little bit less, you are reinforcing the fact that you really do not need such large quantities of food to feel satisfied.Β Β  You will gain confidence.Β  It WILL become easier and easier with each success you have. πŸ’ͺ🏻

We never repent of having eaten too little. – Thomas Jefferson

/0 Comments
Baking sheet of roasted vegetables and a roasted chicken.

Oven-Roasted Chicken and Vegetables (Easy!)

,

πŸ˜¨πŸ” Intimidated by the thought of roasting a whole chicken?

I used to be, but I’ve found an EASY and incredibly delicious way of doing it and I’m going to walk you through it step-by-simple-step so you can do it yourself…

πŸ‘©πŸΌβ€πŸ³ Start by preheating your oven to 425 degrees.

Next, it’s time to get chopping. πŸ”ͺ

Fill a large roasting pan with chopped veggies.

πŸ₯”πŸ₯•πŸ πŸ₯¦πŸ†πŸ«‘πŸ„πŸ…πŸ§…πŸ§„

Ideas include: Onions, peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, garlic, carrots, celery, tomato, asparagus, beets, broccoli, cauliflower– really, just about anything goes.Β  I also like to include hearty tubers like potatoes and/or sweet potatoes.

Make a lot!Β  You don’t need to do anything to them.Β  They are going to take onΒ  amazing flavor from the chicken in the roasting process.

You’ll want plenty to enjoy eating with your chicken.πŸ˜‹

You will need a 5-6 pound whole chicken…

…and some olive oil and seasonings.

I like poultry seasoning, salt and garlic powder:

Rub the oil and seasonings onto your chicken and place the chicken right on top of the veggies/potatoes:

Place the pan into the preheated oven and roast for about 90 minutes.

(Your house will smell AMAZING!)πŸ₯°

Use a meat thermometer to ensure your chicken has reached at least 165 degrees.

You’ve got all the components for a complete, balanced and satisfying meal:

🍴 Enjoy! πŸ€—

/0 Comments
Two egg banana pancake peanut butter and jelly roll up.

2 Egg Banana Pancake Roll-Ups

Ingredients:

  • 2 eggs πŸ₯šπŸ₯š
  • 1 banana 🍌
  • 2 tablespoons peanut butter (or other nut butter) πŸ₯œ
  • 1/2 cup berries or 2 tablespoons of your favorite 100% fruit jam πŸ“
  • Coconut oil or butter for greasing your pan 🧈

Directions:Β Β 

  • Heat your pan on medium-high and add a pat of butter or oil.
  • Blend the 2 eggs plus banana in a mini food processor.
  • Pour your egg/banana mixture into the hot pan and cook until you see small air pockets form.Β  Flip pancake and cook on the other side until done.
  • Remove from the pan with a spatula and spoon the nut butter and berries (or jam) onto your pancake and roll up!

✳️ Your pancake texture will vary depending on the banana’s ripeness.Β  Over-ripe and you will get sweeter, softer pancakes; under-ripe and they will be firmer and less sweet. They come out best when the banana is at the perfect ripeness for eating. 🍌

    DSC_9970
    /0 Comments
    Quinoa with apples, raisins and peanut butter.

    My 2 Favorite Quinoa Recipes

    ,

    Quinoa is simple and healthy… It cooks up in about 15 minutes in water or broth. Which is fine! But for a change of pace, why not add in a few extra ingredients for some variety?

    My 2 favorite quinoa recipes are easy and only require 4 ingredients (not counting water)!

    But first, a few facts about quinoa:

    Quinoa is:

    • Gluten-free
    • Actually a seed but cooks up like a whole grain
    • Quick cooking (15 minutes)
    • Considered a complete protein (1/4 cup dry, before cooking=6g)
    • High in fiber and iron
    • A good source of B vitamins and magnesium

    Now that we know a little more about it, let’s move on to the recipes…

    Sweet Coconut Red Curry Quinoa

    A little spicy, a little sweet and a lot of fantastic flavor!Β 

    Light coconut milk, quinoa, medjool dates and red curry paste.

    Ingredients:

    • 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
    • 1 can light coconut milk
    • 1-2 tablespoons of Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste
    • 5 medjool dates (more or less, depends how sweet you like it)

    Directions:

    • In a medium saucepan, bring quinoa and coconut milk to a boil.
    • Chop dates and add them to pot.
    • Stir in the red curry.Β 
    • Reduce heat, cover saucepan and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

     

    Apple Raisin Peanut Butter Quinoa

    This was something I made on The Rhode Show when I was a Nutrition Excellence Coach for Whole Foods Market:

    Ingredients:

    • 2 1/2 cups water
    • 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
    • 1/2 cup raisins
    • 1 medium apple, chopped
    • 1/2 cup peanut butter

    Directions:

    • In a medium saucepan, bring water, quinoa and raisins to a boil.
    • Reduce heat, cover saucepan and simmer for 12 minutes.
    • Stir in apple.
    • Cover and cook for 3 more minutes.
    • Stir in peanut butter.Β  Sometimes I add cinnamon too.Β  Serve warm.
    Quinoa, apple, raisins and peanut butter

    🌟 As you can see, quinoa is a versatile food!

    βœ”οΈ Try eating the Apple Raisin Peanut Butter Quinoa for breakfast or lunch paired with a yogurt. Or get creative: Start with a bowl of plain quinoa and eat it like you would oatmeal, adding in nuts, seeds and fruit. Quinoa even makes a great salad topper.

    βœ”οΈΒ  Try the Coconut Red Curry Quinoa as a side dish to go with seafood, chicken, beef or tofu along with a cooked vegetable like broccoli, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, kale, collard greens, Swiss chard or spinach.

     

    /2 Comments
    Baking sheet of roasted vegetables.

    Oven-Roasted Vegetables

    , , ,

    Pan of oven-roasted vegetables

    πŸ₯¦ As a dietitian, part of my role (along with reminding you to eat your vegetables) is to help you find practical ways to make vegetables enjoyable.

    Today I am here to hopefully inspire you to try oven-roasting veggies! 😍

    We all know how good they are for our health– all those vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, antioxidants and of course the fiber.

    With so much controversy in nutrition, one thing just about all the experts agree on is that vegetables are awesome for us!

    πŸ…πŸ₯•πŸ πŸ₯¦πŸ„πŸ§…πŸŒΆπŸ†πŸ§„

    But most of us really struggle to eat enough.Β  Even when we know we should eat them and we want to eat them– it can be tough to make it happen.Β 

    If your goal is to increase your vegetables but you’re stuck, ask yourself why:

    😝 Do you think you don’t like veggies?

    🌟 Taste buds can change over time. And different cooking methods and seasonings can make a major difference in taste and texture. It’s a fact that you can learn to like vegetables!

    😣 Do you believe veggies are too much work?

    πŸ’“ There are just too many health benefits to eating them to not make the effort. Effort-based rewards (like making food) are keys to happiness and achieving a sense of accomplishment & satisfaction in life!

    πŸ₯± Are you bored with the same old veggies you always make?

    πŸ‘©β€πŸ³ Search for new recipes or watch cooking shows for inspiration. Pick a new vegetable to try at the store or at a farm stand. Get creative and out of your comfort zone!

    😏 Or this one that makes me smile: β€œThey go bad in the fridge before I eat them.” 

    🀣 That is only because you let them sit there instead of cooking and eating them! Buy less and shop more often to avoid this. Utilize frozen veggies too. Check your fridge daily to see what needs to be eaten soon and plan your meals around those vegetables.

    ➑️ Whatever your reason, it is a limiting belief.

    Limiting beliefs are thoughts you believe to be absolutely true– only they are not– instead, they hold you back from success!

    If you want to get more nutrient-rich vegetables into your life, let me suggest one of my favorite super-easy and delicious ways to cook vegetables…

    OVEN-ROASTED!

    Pan of veggies before roasting.
    Before
    Pan of roasted veggies.
    After

    🀭 Guess what? You really can’t mess up oven-roasted vegetables.

    Here’s how I do it:

    • Pre-heat oven to 425F.
    • Wash and chop up whatever veggies I have.
    • Toss the veggies with olive oil (2 T?Β  I don’t measure) and salt, garlic powder or any seasoning.
    • Spread evenly on parchment lined baking sheet.
    • Bake for 30-40 minutes or until tender.
    Pan of roasted mushrooms, peppers, onions and brussels sprouts.

    A few more reasons to try it if you’re still not convinced:

    • Perfect opportunity to put on music and chop away any worries of the day. 🎡
    • Warms up the house. πŸ”₯
    • Fills your home with comforting, mouth-watering aromas. πŸ‘ƒ
    • Makes a nutritious and simple meal paired with a protein like seafood, chicken, pork, eggs, tofu or beef. 🍽 Be sure to add in some more carbs if you need ’em.
    • Packed full of a wide range of nutrients for energy and disease prevention. ✨
    • Great way to increase fiber intake and promote good digestion and gut health. πŸ’—
    • Fills your belly for not a lot of calories which can support weight loss goals. πŸ‘
    • Leftovers for several days of lunches and dinners. Cook once; eat 2 or 3 times. ⌚

    Not sure which ones to try?Β  Pick one, two or the whole list!:

    • Onions πŸ§…
    • Garlic πŸ§„
    • Red, Yellow, Orange or Green Peppers 🌢
    • Zucchini πŸ₯’
    • Mushrooms πŸ„
    • Broccoli πŸ₯¦
    • Cauliflower 🀍
    • Brussels Sprouts πŸ’š
    • Asparagus 🌿
    • Tomato πŸ…
    • Butternut Squash (any winter squash) πŸŽƒ
    • Eggplant πŸ†
    • Carrots πŸ₯•
    • Sweet Potato 🍠
    • Green Beans πŸ’š

    Hopefully all this talk about roasting vegetables inspired you. πŸ˜„Β 

    If it even sparked one person to try something new or reminded someone of how easy and tasty roasted vegetables can be, then this dietitian is happy! 😊

    /2 Comments
    Quinoa with blueberries and strawberries.

    Red, White and Blue Quinoa-Berry Salad

    ,

    The 4th of July is almost here and it’s time to celebrate all things red, white and blue…

    …and all things nutritious and delicious! πŸ“πŸ«πŸ₯°

    I’ve been making this Red, White and Blue Quinoa-Berry Salad for years.

    It’s so easy, beautiful and packed with fiber and antioxidants.

    If you’re looking for something festive for your holiday, ➑️ this couldΒ  be it!

    You’ll find variations of this recipe on the internet, but here’s basically how I do it:

    πŸŽ†πŸŽ†πŸŽ†πŸŽ†πŸŽ†πŸŽ†πŸŽ†πŸŽ†πŸŽ†πŸŽ†πŸŽ†πŸŽ†πŸŽ†πŸŽ†πŸŽ†πŸŽ†πŸŽ†πŸŽ†πŸŽ†πŸŽ†πŸŽ†πŸŽ‡πŸŽ‡πŸŽ‡πŸŽ‡πŸŽ‡πŸŽ‡πŸŽ‡πŸŽ‡

    Ingredients:

    • 1 cup quinoa (dry)
    • 1 lb of strawberries, chopped (can also sub/add cherries)
    • 1 pint of blueberries
    • 1/2 cup slivered or chopped almonds (can also sub/add macadamia nuts or shredded coconut)
    • 2 T honey or maple syrup
    • 2 T lemon or lime juice
    • pinch of salt
    • optional: crumbled goat cheese

    Directions:

    • Rinse quinoa and bring to a boil in 2 cups of water in a medium pot on the stove.
    • Turn down the heat and simmer uncovered for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
    • In a small bowl mix the honey or maple syrup with citrus juice and salt.
    • Once quinoa is cooked and cooled, stir in the above mixture.
    • Gently mix in the berries and nuts.
    • Garnish with goat cheese, if desired.

    Have a very happy and healthy Fourth of July! πŸŒžπŸŽ‡

    /0 Comments