Breakfast Quinoa Bake, with Peanut Butter and Syrup

As a dietitian and a foodie, my friends and clients often share with me their favorite recipes that they believe I might enjoy.  They text me, e-mail me, call me, or personally hand me recipes that they've either tried and loved, or that they think I should try and let them know if they are actually as good as they sound. Last year I met someone very special and worked with him to adapt a healthier diet for his extreme endurance sporting events.  The first time we met he learned that I love to cook and blog, then afterwards he sent me a few of his favorite recipes, including today's recipe.  It took me a while to try it, but boy I'm glad I did!

I modified the recipe a tad, because that's just what I do.  I think I ended up with close to perfection. This was extremely tasty and filling, to say the least.

Breakfast Quinoa Bake

Source: Andrew H.
Gluten Free

Serves 9

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa, cooled

4 eggs, beaten

1/3 cup vanilla soy milk or almond milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 Tbsp. cinnamon

2 Tbsp. maple syrup 

Peanut butter for topping; ~ 1/2 Tbsp. per serving

Optional: Extra syrup for the top (I used sugar-free) **

** NOTE: If you are following a low FODMAPs diet you will be happy to learn that this recipe is free of FODMAPs.  However, if you use sugar-free syrup for the topping like I did, be careful not to use one with sugar alcohols.  If you do, don't use much (maybe 2 Tbsp, max).

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees and place quinoa in a large mixing bowl.  Line an 8 x 8 baking pan with lightly greased parchment (or just grease your pan and forget the parchment).

2.  In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, soy milk, vanilla extract, and cinnamon until thoroughly combined.  Add maple syrup and whisk.

3.  Add egg mixture to cooked and cooled quinoa. Stir with a large spoon to combine.  Pour into baking dish and spread around to ensure that it's even.  

4.  Bake ~20 minutes until set and golden.

5.  Gently remove the bake from the pan as soon as possible so that it doesn't steam (or stick to the pan).  Cool completely on a rack or plate and cut into 9 squares.  Serve with peanut butter and top with syrup, if you'd like.

I stacked the squares for photography purposes.  It just looks better this way, right?

You could eat one square, two squares, or three.

But, the nutrition facts below are for one delicious square.

Estimated Nutrition Facts for 1/9th of bake

Includes peanut butter on top

Doesn't include additional syrup

Source: CalorieCount.com

Nutrition Highlights:  Under 150 calories and a good source of protein (although you could have two squares and be just under 300 calories, which in my opinion is a good thing, remember my blog post?  Add some Greek yogurt on top or whey protein and bam, you've got 30 grams of protein!).

I saved the rest of the "Squares" for breakfasts throughout the week. I actually made the following a couple times for breakfast; 1 quinoa bake square, topped with Greek yogurt, frozen berries, PB2 and sugar free maple syrup.  Oh yum.

QUESTION:  What's your favorite fall breakfast?  I remember a couple years ago I went through an oatmeal phase...it lasted 2 years actually!

In other news, I just found out I get to go to Houston for the Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo in October.  I was there in four years ago and had the time of my life, so I'm pretty excited to have the opportunity to go again. If you will be there, please let me know and we can meet up!

Thanks for reading, and have a great Tuesday.

The Candid Rd

To Weigh or to Measure? (FAQ Friday)

As I've mentioned, briefly, I am no longer a supermarket dietitian.  Actually my job has been completely transformed over the past month, and gone are the days of personal dietary consultations with clients trying to lose or gain weight.  As part of my new job I meet with students who need help finding gluten free, peanut free, dairy free, etc. foods, now that they are away from the comfort of their own home and familiar environment.  While I may not be doing private consultations as part of my full-time job, I'm still hoping to do a few hours here and there for friends, family, or anyone who would like me to come over to their home and do a cabinet or kitchen "makeover".  I guess you could call me the very part-time "traveling consultant dietitian".  I do enjoy meeting with people for one-on-one consultations, very much, and I'm lucky to have a profession that still allows for that every once in a while, when time permits.  Lately I've been thinking about new methods to use in order to give people specific goals on what to eat and how much. I usually start out by weighing clients on a scale, then giving them a new weight (and calorie) goal based on their age, height and sex.  However, having seen the effect the number on the scale can have on people (women and men) I'm thinking of skipping the scale from now on, and just using a tape measure.

I've written some posts about the scale before.  Please read them if you'd like......

Do you weigh yourself?

What does the scale really reflect? 

While the scale has been a great tool for me in the past (and honestly, still is something I use for myself maybe once or twice a month) I've decided I'm not going to be purchasing one for clients to use when they visit with me.  Here are some basic reasons why I refuse to buy a scale for personal consultations;

1)  I hate weighing myself. I hate getting on a scale. I hate when the number on the scale effects the rest of my day, no matter how hard I try not to let it.  Because I have been happy weighing myself only when I go to my parent's house (they have a scale) I'm afraid that if I buy one for my home and say it's "for clients only" I will be enticed to get on the scale more often.  That being said, if my clients want to weight themselves they can do so, at their own home.

2)  I always cringe when a client gets on the scale, all excited, then sees a number he/she doesn't like.  Not only do I feel bad for him/her, but I feel bad for myself because I then have to explain why this may have happened.....I feel like a broken record.  And this awful situation is almost always followed-up with a "but my clothes feel looser!", which to me means "yeah! You are losing!", but to them the number on the scale still bears more weight (pun intended).

3)  Fat does not weigh more than muscle (ie: 1 pound of fat = 1 pound of muscle. Obviously).  But, if you have a 4 x 4 piece of fat and compare it to a 4 x 4 piece of muscle, the muscle will weight more.  Therefore, per square inch the fat does weigh more.  A scale does not help you determine whether you have lost fat and gained muscle.  You may be lifting more and eating everything right, but your weight might stay the same because you've lost fat and gained muscle.  Ugh.


4)  Raise your hand if you've ever gotten on a scale at home to see one number, then jumped on a scale at your doctor's office (literally 30 minutes later) and there is a 1-5 pound difference (I know all of your hands are raised. Mine sure is).  Scales are not to be trusted, they all seem to weigh differently!


5)  Raise your hand if you've ever gotten on a scale one day, then jumped on the next day (same scale, same time of day) and you notice you have "gained 5 pounds".  My hand is raised.  Does that mean you've gained five pounds of fat?  Unless you ate 17, 500 calories over your calorie budget....NO!  Most likely you're just retaining water because you ate a higher carbs or sodium meal the night before (or perhaps it's hormonal fluctuations. It's fun being a women.)  Read this article for other reasons your weight can fluctuate.


Instead of getting people on a scale I'm going to measure their waist, and possibly their waist to hip ratio.  Go ahead and determine your waist to hip ratio here.  Make sure you are measuring your hip at it's widest part (typically that's the widest portion of your bottom), and your waist should be measured at or above your belly button.  Be sure not to breath in, just stand normally and relax.

Source

I think just measuring someone's waist on the initial visit will be enough of a baseline to use for goals.  The recommendation, for health, is less than 35 inches for women and 40 inches for men.  So I envision clients coming in, getting their waist measured, learning which foods to include in their diet and which to minimize (based on their own personal needs) then coming back in a month and see if they lost inches.  Heck, even a positive change in energy and attitude may be enough to keep someone motivated (I've seen it!).  Compare this to getting on a scale and seeing a +1 pound after a month of positive changes and lots of hard work.  That's just the worst, and let's face it, it often means absolutely nothing in regards to how far you've actually come.  FitSugar posted a few other ways to measure weight loss in this article (all good options, in my opinion).

I bought a pink measuring tape. It's just so much more friendly than a scale.  I mean, it's pink!

Oh, in other news, have you seen my new "Stand-up" desk?  I went to Bed, Bath and Beyond and bought a bed table/tray (you know, one of those trays you bring to someone who wants breakfast in bed) and I put it on top of my work dest so I can stand while I work. You're jealous, right?! You want one too, I'm sure (that's what I keep telling my co-workers..."you're jealous!"...although I know secretly they think I'm just insane).

I have to give credit where credit is due; I got this idea from my friend Kelly from where I used to work. Brilliant I tell you!  I hadn't completely unwrapped the desk when I took this photo, hence the cardboard still on it.

QUESTION:  Do you weigh yourself? What do you think about a dietitian without a scale?  Also, would you ever stand-up while at work, all day??

Have a great weekend, GO BUCKS, and thanks for reading!

The Candid Rd

30 grams of protein for breakfast. Do it.

I went to a nutrition conference earlier this year and one of the speakers' topics was protein.  At first I thought, "what on Earth can this guy talk about with regards to protein, for a full hour?!".  The hour flew by as I learned more about protein than I ever thought I wanted to know (and yes, I wanted to know it, it was unbelievably interesting. Yes, I'm such a nutrition nerd).  One of the things I will never forget was what he said about the importance of protein at breakfast.   

I know I know, you already know protein is important at every meal, but did you know that research actually shows that 30 grams of protein at a meal can stimulate muscle growth?  We tend to get very little protein at breakfast, then slightly more at lunch, then too much at dinner (the excess just turns to fat or it turned to glucose unless you actually use it).  What we should do is try to evenly distribute our protein intake throughout each meal, so rather than getting ~10 grams of protein at breakfast, and 20 at lunch, and 50 at dinner (yes, this is typical of many American diets) we should aim for 30/30/30. This article from Science Daily explains some of the science behind this concept.   Here is a bit from the article; 

"Usually, we eat very little protein at breakfast, eat a bit more at lunch and then consume a large amount at night. When was the last time you had just 4 ounces of anything during dinner at a restaurant?" Paddon-Jones said. "So we're not taking enough protein on board for efficient muscle-building during the day, and at night we're taking in more than we can use. Most of the excess is oxidized and could end up as glucose or fat."

A more efficient eating strategy for making muscle and controlling total caloric intake would be to shift some of extra protein consumed at dinner to lunch and breakfast.

If we can aim for ~30 grams per meal, our muscle synthesis, in theory, will be more efficient.  The speaker at the conference said that "one study showed those who consumed 30 grams of protein, or more, at breakfast showed muscle growth compared to that you would get from a workout" (here is one of the studies to which the speaker referred)

Nick will kill me if he sees this on my blog.
Oh well.
I wanted to show you that we order breakfast even when on vacation (as in this photo) and I'm proud to say that Nick, a  one-time non-breakfast-eater, now eats breakfast daily.  

If you read Today's Dietitian Magazine (which, I'm guessing most of you don't, but I highly suggest it, even for non-RDs!) you already know how important breakfast is because they include articles about breakfast in almost every issue (ok, maybe not almost all, but many).  There was an entire article about the benefits of breakfast in the latest issue ( here is the article).  I've added a small piece from the article here;

Studies also have found that a breakfast rich in protein may improve satiety and diet quality in teens and adults who are overweight or obese.5,10 A recent study used MRI to assess brain signals controlling food motivation and reward-driven eating behavior, and found that these signals were reduced following a high-protein breakfast—evidence that breakfast may be a valuable strategy to control appetite and regulate food intake.5

Ok, enough talk. How in the heck can you get 30 grams of protein for breakfast, anyway?!  It takes some serious determination, I'll tell you that right now.  In all honesty, you'll have to start putting some effort into your morning prep, but I think it's worth it.  Here are some ideas....

5 egg whites, in a bowl, with cinnamon, vanilla, and 1/4th cup oats. Allow to sit for ~15 minutes, then pour onto a hot non-stick skillet.  Cool like an omelet, flipping after about 2 minutes.  Make sure whites are cooked through, then top with blueberries and ~1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (and sugar-free syrup).
30 grams of protein

1-cup frozen blueberries, 1-cup skim milk,  some stevia and 1-scoop chocolate whey protein, blended well.  Top with 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt.
~30 g protein, total

Frozen Greek Yogurt Bars
12 grams of protein in 2 bars (~300 calories)
Add more protein by topping them with more yogurt, or adding whey protein to this recipe.
Ok, this is a stretch, but these bars are yummy.

Banana Split Oats
~250 calories and 5 grams protein
Modify the recipe by adding a scoop of whey or soy protein powder, and making with regular milk for extra protein (instead of almond milk)
~30 grams protein, total

Spicy Granola Bites
~ 230 calories and 5 grams of protein in 2 bites
Enjoy 2 bites with 1-cup of plain Greek yogurt (look for one with 25 grams of protein)
~ 30 grams protein, total

Popped Amaranth and Toasted Wheat Berry Breakfast Sundae
~370 calories and 20 grams of protein
Add more cottage cheese, sprinkle some protein powder on top, and/or chase with a glass of milk
~30 grams protein, total

Chocolate Teff Pudding
~162 calories and 5 grams protein
Add a couple scoops of protein powder or PB2
This is another one that is sort of pushing it....ie: not easy to reach 30 grams protein.  A scoop or protein powder and some PB2 should get it up there...

Summer Frittata
2 slices, ~250 calories and 20 grams pf protein
Chase down with a glass of skim milk
~30 grams protein, total

Dark Chocolate Quinoa Bars
~230 calories and 6 grams protein
Enjoy with 1-cup plain Greek yogurt (with about 25 grams of protein)
~30 grams protein, total

Chocolate Chia Pudding and Raspberry Parfait
~17 grams of protein
Serve with ~1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
~30 grams protein, total

And of course don't forget my all-time favorite breakfast (seen in the first photo on this post); Greek yogurt, frozen blueberries, 1-scoop whey protein, stevia and unsweetened cocoa, plus some high-protein cereal like Kashi Go Lean.  Yummmm.  I swear, it's tasty.  Want more ideas? Check out my Breakfast Board on Pinterest!  I'm especially a huge fan of all the breakfast burrito recipes (egg beaters are another great way to get protein in the morning, without the extra calories and cholesterol from eggs).  You could also go one egg and then 3/4-1 cup of the egg beaters.

QUESTION:  What's your idea for a 30 gram protein breakfast??  

I hope you have a wonderful weekend.  I'm happy to say this will be be my first full weekend off of work in a very long time.  I plan to live it up (ie: catch up on all the chores I have been neglecting).  haha, yes, I do love my life.

Thanks for reading!

The Candid Rd

Editor's Note:  After publishing this blog post a reader provided this article about protein recommendations for preventing muscle loss as we age.  While the research might have focused on the elderly population, there is nothing wrong with starting this higher protein habit early (and remember, a balanced diet is still key, so be sure you aren't increasing your protein at the expense of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables).

Friday Food Rules

I've written posts in the past about pretty controversial topics, and have never failed to receive those dreaded comments from readers who just don't agree (which is fine, of course, it's why I have a comment section).  Today I'm going to preface my opinions with a name with whom many of you are familiar; Michael Pollan.  So, if Mr. Pollan said it, there is not need to argue, right?!  I mean the guy is a New York Times number one bestselling author with a true talent for researching and writing about food and nutrition (and he's not even a doctor or dietitian, yet I trust him and agree with just about everything he says).  He's in a word, brilliant!  His book "Food Rules" is basically the Cliffs Notes on what to eat and what not to eat (another of his books, "The Omnivore's Dilemma" is a must-read too).

Now, I'm not a huge fan of rules, especially when it comes to food, as I'm sure you know.  As a dietitian I pride myself in the fact that I rarely give people food rules, because I know that's not the best way to get through to those who are trying to make lifestyle changes.  That being said, I think some rules are ok, as long as you also allow those rules to sometimes be broken. Today I want to share my top eight favorite rules from Michael Pollan's book.  I'll write out his rule, then provide my additional thoughts on the rule.

1)  Avoid Products That Contain HFCS:  I love and hate this statement at the same time. I really can't stand it when I hear "Oh, but it has HFCS in it, I can't buy that".  Why?  We eat agave nectar like it's the nectar of the gods, yet agave is 90% fructose, compared to 55% in "HFCS".....so which is the true High Fructose?!  Hmmmm.  I think Pollan's point with this rule is to simply say that typically foods with HFCS are highly processed with a lot of junk, therefore they should be avoided.  You wouldn't ever find HFCS on the label for a single whole grain, or a fresh fruit or vegetable. No, you find HFCS in packaged goods with a handful of other ambiguous ingredients. Therefore, avoid or limit HFCS if you can (as well as other added-sugars).


2)  Avoid products with the term "lite" or the terms "low-fat" or "non-fat" in their name.  I would agree with this, but not completely.  I actually enjoy many lite and low-fat foods, especially when they are dairy products and dressings.  Lite (or "light") means the product has at least 50% less sodium, calories or fat, compared to the original.  Fifty percent is a lot, but often it's not enough to completely take away from the flavor of a product.  Non-fat, on the other hand, I avoid like the plague (although, again, I do enjoy non-fat dairy products!).


3)  Eat wild foods, when you can.  I don't have much more to add to this one.  We know that wild animals and seafood (ie: typically not raised on a farm) have a better ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 because of their diverse diet of, of course, wild plants (they also tend to have less saturated fat).  Those "wild plants" typically have more antioxidants and more omega-3 (because apparently we breed for "shelf-stability" meaning less omega-3, since they oxidize more readily).  Does this mean you should go vegetable hunting, and meat hunting? No, start a small garden, and buy foods as close to local as possible (and consider organic when you can).


4)  Eat when you are hungry, not when you are bored.  It's called being intuitive.  It's my motto as a dietitian.  I tell this to all of my clients when they ask "How many calories do I need?". Your body knows best.  When you're hungry, eat. When you're not hungry, don't eat. Work hard not to allow outside forces such as emotions, sights, and sounds dictate when you eat (that's called appetite, and it's different than physical hunger).


5)  Eat slowly:  Not only does eating slowly mean you are likely going to eat less (think about when you are at a restaurant with a bunch of people, if you eat really fast you might keep grabbing the bread or chips on the table once you are finished with your meal, or order another drink, simply because you feel the need to be eating or drinking with everyone else who hasn't finished their meal yet) but eating slowly also helps you eat more mindfully, and savor your food.  It's actually a fact that the longer the food stays in your mouth, the more pleasure you get out of it (once again, I'm learning this from the book "Taste What You're Missing".  So, slow down, savor your food, allow your body to truly soak up all the flavors.  Live to eat, don't eat to live (yes, in this case, the saying is reversed, because it should be reversed sometimes!).


6)  The Banquet is in the first bite:  No other bite will taste as good as the first.  Did you know this?  Take a bite of a really delicious food, and continue eating it and be mindful of the flavors.  You will notice that the flavor actually starts to deaden on your palate. Of course, most of us just continue to eat and eat and eat, not because the flavor is great, but because we've been conditioned to eat until we're full (and many times uncomfortably so).  So I guess another rule might be "eating until you are only 75% full".  Why waste the calories with another flavorless bite?!



7)  Buy smaller plates and glasses:  One researcher actually found that by switching your dinner plate from a 12-inch to a 10-inch size people reduced their consumption of calories by twenty-two percent. Wowza.  I don't know about you, but I'm a fan of this concept.  In fact, for the past year or so Nick and I have eaten our dinners (at home) off of our salad plates.  I'm not sure if Nick has even noticed yet, or thought anything of it.  Muahaha


8)  Break the rules every once in a while.  Sometimes you're just gonna order the fish from...who knows where...that has been dipped in.....who knows what, along with the fat and sodium-loaded fries, and side of heavy tartar sauce.  Sometimes you're going to eat those fish n' chips incredibly fast, not slow, and you're going to chase them down with an artificial diet coke (you know, to save some calories) and then follow it up with a fat-free bowl of fro-yo (topped with hot fudge, of course).  And you know what? Sometimes, that's just fine ;)

QUESTION:  If you had one "Food Rule" what would it be?

Happy Friday everyone!

Is a Calorie Really a Calorie?

Yes.  A calorie is a calorie.  That's not really what this post is about. I mean, it's obvious that 100 calories worth of celery is the same amount of calories as 100 calories worth of peanut butter. We all know this.  But the real question is; "Does it really make a difference where you get your calories from, an a day to day basis?".  In short; Yes, it does. At least, if you care about staying trim, fit and healthy, it matters.

Source: iStockPhoto

It was recently reported in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that an analysis of trends since the 1970s found that Americans were consuming more calories from 1971 to 2003, but are actually consuming less calories today (by about 74 calories per day) than in 2003 (to read more details about the analysis read this article). So if we're actually eating less calories as a nation, why are we still gaining more weight? It just doesn't make sense, right? Shouldn't our decreased calorie consumption coincide with a decrease in weight? The article suggests a few things;

1.  People may not have been accurate in their calorie reports (I've seen this firsthand, it's true that people tend to underestimate their calorie consumption.  But, I doubt we are any more inaccurate in our estimates now than we were in 2003)

2.  We may be consuming less, but we're also less active, which sort of "cancels out" any benefit we might see from eating less calories (uhhh, yeah, this one makes sense, we are sitting more and moving less than ever before).

3.  There hasn't been enough time to allow the decrease in calories to actually "kick in" and have an effect on our nation's weight (In other words, in a few more years this small decrease in caloric consumption may actually produce a concomitant decrease in obesity.....  I say fat chance. Pun intended.)

I think these are all fine points, and certainly may explain this phenomenon somewhat, but from my perspective there is certainly more to the story.  Yes, a calorie is a calorie, and yes if we reduce our calories we should theoretically lose weight (all other factors remaining the same), but it's not quite that simple (come on, you all know someone who has reduced their caloric intake, either slightly or significantly, and still hasn't lost weight....right?!) I think Mark Bittman explained it well in a March 2012 article for the New York Times.  Here is a snippet for you to read.

SOURCE 

In other words;

• If you eat more calorie dense foods (foods that are compact, small, and loaded with calories), you'll likely eat more calories each day and in a sitting.  However, if you eat more low calorie dense foods that are greater volume and less calories (ie: not calorie dense) you are most likely going to take longer to eat, feel more fool, satiated, and therefore most of the time you will eat less calories.  So, yes, a calorie is a calorie, but if you eat better calories you are more likely to eat less calories.

I like the idea of eating with the volumetrics concept.  Read more about volumetrics (and calorie density) here and here

• People may be eating less calories, on average, than in 2003, but that doesn't necessarily mean they should (as a nation) be less obese.  The sad truth is more people are overweight now than they were in 2003.  Not only that, but those who are overweight are more overweight (with higher average BMIs) than in 2003.  This means two things; first, it's going to take more caloric restriction to lose the weight because our bodies try to hold onto fat for dear life.  And second, perhaps the fact that we are more overweight and "weight obsessed" now than in 2003 (wouldn't you agree?) plays a roll in the decrease in caloric consumption. Many more people are on diets now so it's not a shocker that our average caloric consumption has decreased.  And, we all know that most "new age diets" simply don't work, so there you go!

So what can you do?  Choose less of this....

Source: iStock Photo
Liquid calories.  This is America's worst enemy.  I believe it.

and this....

Source: iStock Photo

And of course less of these......no, the "MyPlate" logo doesn't have grains and starches as the entire plate!

And more of these (fruits and veggies, high volume, low calorie!).....

.....and do more of THIS!

QUESTIONS:  Are you surprised that we are eating less calories, yet still not losing weight as a nation?  What other reasons can you think of for this "phenomenon"??  Another question is, what's your favorite high volume, low calorie food?  Mine is spinach.  Love it.  I can make a HUGE SALAD with spinach and it's so filling, with so few calories.  Of course, I always add stuff to my salads, but the base is the spinach and that's my favorite high volume, low calorie food (other than popcorn, of course, popped by me!).

And of course I can't end this post without saying something about yesterday's tragic events in Boston.  My heart and prayers are with everyone who was there and everyone affected.  Is anyone safe anymore? That's the real question.  This is now the second time in less than a year that I have been approached in the middle of my busy day at the grocery store with a "Did you hear about the shooting/bombing in xyz???".  Seriously.  It's a shame that I even have to think twice whether or not to bring another child into this world for fear of what it's turning into.  Just remember to hug the ones you love today, and everyday.  And, cherish every moment.

Thanks for reading.

The Candid Rd

NOTE: I love comments!  But, be sure to come back to read any replies to questions or comments, as they do not go directly to your e-mail.