The strange thing is, Cory safely consumed all these foods his entire life until a couple of years ago when he developed the allergies and began experiencing various symptoms such as severe reflux.   Since, I’m usually only cooking for two, I’ve completely stopped preparing meals containing any seafood or poultry (aka- totally Cory friendly).  And since we eliminated these foods from his diet, he is feeling 100% better!

At times, I do miss cooking seafood! Luckily, I do eat grilled or baked fish/shrimp pretty often at my hospital’s cafeteria (where I eat lunch for free!).  Also, I order seafood almost every chance I get when dining out.

With the new dietary changes, I have been incorporating many more Vegetarian Meals into our dinner rotation so that we are not eating too much red meat! 

Some of our favorite meal options are…

-Beans & Rice

-Vegetarian Chili

-Mexican Pizzas

-Bean Burritos with whole wheat tortillas

-Whole Wheat Pasta mixed with Mushrooms, Spinach, & Pesto topped with Parmesan cheese

Do you or anyone in your family have any type of food allergy?

What is your favorite vegetarian meal option?

Till next time!

Kasey

After working a twelve hour day and cooking a quick dinner, it’s kind of tough to plan and prepare healthy snacks for the next day.  So my go to snacks lately have been all about healthy options and convenience such as fresh fruit, nuts, and single serving hummus products.  Usually, I would rather portion out raw veggies and hummus to bring as a snack to save money.  But the other day I spotted Dippin Stix’ for 99 cents!  I bought the carrot & hummus combo to try out.

One container has 60 Calories, 2 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 2 grams of fiber, & 3 grams of protein.  A great mix of healthy fat, fiber, and protein.  Typically, I usually consume closer to around 150-200 calories for a snack so I paired the single serving hummus combo with some grapes.

Have you tried any single serving hummus snacks?

What’s your go to healthy and convenient snack?

Hope everyone is having a great week!

Kasey

The other night, I used up the leftover rotisserie chicken to make chicken quesadillas.

Chicken Quesadillas

Ingredients

-grilled chicken, shredded (I used ~8 ounces of rotisserie chicken)

-1/4 tsp. garlic powder

-1/4 tsp. onion powder

-1/4 tsp. chili powder

-1/4 tsp. paprika

-1/4 tsp. black pepper

-1/4 tsp. oregano

-1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

-whole wheat tortillas

-salsa

-low-fat shredded cheese

-olive oil cooking spray (I used a Misto)

Directions

-Season shredded chicken with garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, paprika, black pepper, oregano, and red pepper flakes.

-To assemble the quesadillas, first layer the tortilla with salsa.  I used Whole Food’s Black Bean & Corn Salsa which was perfect for quesadillas!

-Next, layer on the shredded, seasoned chicken.

-Then, layer on the low-fat shredded cheese.

-Top each with another tortilla.  Spray olive oil onto a heated skillet and cook each quesadilla on medium for about 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown and crispy.

Let cool and cut each quesadilla into 4 slices. I served with guacamole and salsa.

It turned out delicious and was very quick to prepare!

Have you ever made quesadillas at home?

What’s your favorite Mexican dish?

In other wellness news, I have finally persuaded Cory to practice yoga with me at home.  He had been mentioning for the last few months that he wanted to try it out for the benefit of stretching and core strengthening.  So far, we have done a couple beginner videos from On Demand.  We are planning on trying a more challenging routine this week!

Hope everyone is having an awesome weekend!    

Kasey

 
With limited free time at home, my strategy for healthy dinners has been quick and easy meals. The other night I threw together dinner in less than ten minutes thanks to the help of a store bought rotisserie chicken. According to the nutrition label, 3 ounces of the rotisserie chicken has 120 calories and 4.5 grams of fat.

First, I toasted whole wheat pitas in the oven on low broil for a couple minutes. I placed a toothpick in the center of the pita prior to broiling so that I could easily stuff the pita with chicken and toppings afterward.

Once toasted, I spread a layer of hummus inside the pitas followed by some fresh spinach leaves. Next, I added the chicken and topped with some low-fat shredded cheese.

I knew this dinner was a winner when Cory proclaimed “This is really good!” after his first bite.  An added bonus is now we have leftover rotisserie chicken to use in other quick and healthy dishes (salads, quesadillas, sandwiches, wraps, etc) all week.

What’s your favorite way to eat rotisserie chicken?

What’s your “go to” quick and easy meal?

Kasey

Today is National Almond Day!  If you’ve been a reader of Fit For Wellness for a while, you probably already know how much I heart almonds and almond butter!  Almonds + Fresh Fruit = My Favorite Snack! 

Why do almonds deserve a day of celebration?  Almonds are a great source of protein, healthy fat, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.  Specifically, almonds are very high in vitamin E which may protect against cardiovascular disease.  Almonds are also high in calcium, magnesium, and potassium.  An interesting tidbit I read today… Almonds contain a natural form of the same drugs used to treat Alzheimer’s disease. 

One serving of almonds equals 1 ounce or 23 almonds which is approximately a small handful.  A serving contains 160 calories, 14 grams fat (only 1 gram of saturated fat), 6 grams protein, and 3 grams fiber.

I pretty much eat almonds (or another type of nut) everyday for my mid-morning snack.  I also frequently enjoy almond butter & jelly sandwiches on whole wheat bread.

Do you eat almonds (or any other nut) regularly?

What’s your favorite way to eat almonds? With fruit? Almond butter? Added to side dishes, cereals, or salads?

Hope you are having a great week!

Kasey

As a dietitian, I hear a lot of excuses on why people don’t eat healthy.  The most popular are “I’m too busy to eat healthy” or “I don’t have time to cook”.  I truly believe that everyone has enough time to eat healthy and/or cook with proper planning and time saving strategies.

The first thing I do once I get home from the grocery is wash and cut all the fresh fruit and portion them out into portable containers for Cory and I to take to work as healthy snacks throughout the week.

Another snack favorite in our house lately is honey Greek yogurt.  I always have plenty containers on hand for a grab and go snack.

Because I’m not getting home until after 9pm two nights out of the week, I cook twice as much as I normally do when I have a free night to cook.  For example, Tuesday I knew I would be getting home too late to cook on Wednesday.  I planned ahead and prepared two dinners, Spinach & Shrimp Pasta (recipe coming soon!) and Shrimp Tacos, on Tuesday night that gave us plenty of home-cooked food as leftovers which is always better than the fast food option!

If you live with someone, how do you divide the household responsibilities?

Do you have any time saving tips or strategies related to eating healthy?

I hope everyone is having a great week. Thanks for reading

Kasey

The other day I decided to spice things up a bit and eat something other than cereal to start my day.  It’s a rarity but occasionally it happens!

Whole Wheat Toast + Almond Butter + Banana + Drizzle of Honey = Delicious!

So simple and so tasty!!!  And it’s nutritionally balanced with fiber, protein, and healthy fat.

What would you choose if you could only eat one food for the rest of your life?

What’s your “go-to” breakfast choice?

I’ve got a busy weekend!  I’ll be heading to my cousin’s baby shower in a couple hours and Cory and I are going to a friend’s birthday party at Le Foret this evening.  I’ve been once before and the food is fantastic!!!

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend

Kasey

Seriously, where have I been and why am I just discovering this fab little magazine?  Maybe I’m totally head over heels because the first issue I received from my new subscription is “The Light Issue” which is filled with healthy recipes and meal ideas.  Nonetheless, I look forward to the upcoming issues for meal planning inspiration!

Speaking of inspiration, the first recipe I decided to try was the Parmesan Chicken which involved chicken crusted with panko breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan.

I was inspired to use the same crust to make zucchini fries as a side dish. 

The ingredients are quite simple:

-3 zucchinis, chopped into strips

-1/4 cup whole wheat panko breadcrumbs

-2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan

-2 teaspoons olive oil

-salt & pepper to taste

Directions:  Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Mix together panko and Parmesan.  Toss chopped zucchini with 1 teaspoon of olive oil in baking dish and arrange in a single layer.  Sprinkle panko mixture over the zucchini.  Drizzle remaining teaspoon of olive oil over the zucchini. 

Cook on upper rack of oven ~20 minutes.

The Zucchini Fries were Cory and I’s favorite part of the meal!  Along with the chicken and zucchini, I served a mixed bulgur and herb salad which I absolutely loved and Cory thought was too strong in dill.  The bulgur recipe was also compliments of Martha!

Have you ever eaten baked zucchini fries?

What gives you dinner time inspiration?

Hope everyone is having a great week so far!  Thanks for reading.

Kasey

My nephews sure are!  The other day, my sister and I took the boys to “Miracle on Fulton Street” in downtown New Orleans.  The free attraction (located on a pedestrian street during the holidays) features a canopy of lights, Christmas trees, holiday music, Santa, and faux snowfalls!  I took over 500 pictures of the boys and now my sister has way too many pictures to choose from for her family’s holiday Christmas cards.

“It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas” in the Lopez household! We bought our first real Christmas tree this year.  The smell of a Christmas tree and the sparkling lights definitely makes it feel like the holidays!

Although I’ve started wrapping gifts, I still have quite a bit of shopping left!

Cory and I are attending our first annual Friend’s Christmas Party this weekend.  Of course, I’ve been on the hunt for some fabulous holiday dishes that I can bring to the shindig!  For Thanksgiving, I made Angela’s Apple Streusel Butternut Blondies which were a huge hit with my family so I might make a couple batches for my friends.  I’m also thinking about making an appetizer inspired by this recipe which involves goat cheese, pistachios, apples, and candied ginger!

Have you decorated for the holidays?  What is your favorite holiday party food?

Kasey

Fall weather has finally arrived in New Orleans.  Yesterday was our coolest day of the season so far with a low of 54 degrees.  If it’s snowing outside your house right now, 54 degrees probably sounds like beach weather but we are kinda wimpy here in the South when it comes to the cold.  Cory & I put the heater on this morning to take the chill out of the condo!

Since we knew cold weather was quickly approaching, my coworker gave me another batch of fresh basil from her garden before the coldness hit.  Basil is very sensitive to cold weather and grows best in warm, sunny weather.  I decided to make a batch of homemade pesto with the last of the fresh basil.  Traditionally, pesto is made with toasted pine nuts or walnuts.  I used toasted almonds to avoid a trip to the grocery.  This recipe turned out great and was so easy- seriously, only two steps!

Homemade Pesto

1/4 cup toasted almonds

4-5 cloves garlic

1 and 1/2 cups fresh basil

1/2 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon grated parmesan

1 pinch chili powder

First, toast almonds over medium heat on a dry skillet.

Next, process all the ingredients in a food processor or blender.

Pesto is so versatile and can be added to sandwiches, wraps, pasta, pizza, etc.  I first served the pesto mixed over whole wheat pasta & sautéed spinach topped with fresh, grated parmigiano reggiano.

Last night, I used the homemade pesto as a pizza topping…

Have you ever made homemade pesto?  What’s your favorite way to eat pesto?

Are you enjoying the cooler fall weather this weekend?

Cory and I are heading over to my sister’s house to cook and watch the big LSU vs Alabama game in a couple hours!  GEAUX TIGERS!!!

Hope you are enjoying a great weekend

Kasey