#StrongIsTheNewSkinny #GAINS #FitFam #EatClean… whatever you want to call it, our world has suddenly turned into a place that is constantly focused on health, wellness, and the newest diet trends. As an upcoming registered dietitian, here are some of the staples that I have in my diet. If you want to be someone’s #MCM or #WCW, bulk up on these—I swear by it.
1. Oatmeal
And I don’t mean the dinosaur oatmeal that you loved as a kid (and still may enjoy now). Steel cut or quick oats provide soluble fiber and complex carbohydrates to keep you fuller longer and provide energy. If I could, I would eat oatmeal for every meal of the day.
Some of my favorite toppings:
- Dark chocolate and peanut butter, (yes, still somewhat healthy).
- Savory oatmeal (what?) topped with a runny egg and some veggies
- Bananas and brown sugar
2. Eggs
Eggs are just an all around perfect food. Protein, healthy fats, runny yolks… the whole nine yards. When you put an egg on something you automatically make it taste better. “But Emily! What about all of the cholesterol?” Ugh. Let me make something clear for now and forever. First, the facts. The 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee states that, “available evidence shows no appreciable relationship between consumption of dietary cholesterol and serum [blood] cholesterol.” Long story short, many studies have shown that eating foods with dietary cholesterol will not increase your blood cholesterol and lead to heart disease. What you should be concerned about are the foods you are eating in company with your eggs—things high in saturated fat such as bacon and sausage. These items will clog your arteries and lead to some very serious health consequences.
My advice, (and I like to think I’m a pretty credible source after four years of college and only one year away from becoming a registered dietitian) is that you can eat eggs WITH THE YOLK. You will not die. In fact, you will be getting a ton of vitamins and minerals such as all of the B vitamins you could ever need, biotin, folic acid, vitamin A, iron, zinc, selenium, iodine…I can go on. Also, who doesn’t love a runny egg sandwich on a bagel after a hard weekend?
3. Quinoa
Taking only about 15 minutes to make, quinoa is full of protein and fiber to keep you full for longer. It also contains a lot of vitamins and minerals that a lot of us don’t get enough of—such as iron and magnesium. Throw this in a salad with fresh fruit and almonds for a quick and filling lunch.
4. Avocado
If anyone knows me they would know that avocados are my favorite food. They are so versatile—you can eat them with a spoon, make brownies (seriously, Google it), pudding (again, look it up), AVOCADO TOAST, GUAC, I am getting so excited right now. Besides the fact that they, like eggs, just make everything better—they are ~healthy AF~.
Here’s another one of my favorite comments about my beloved avocado,”I can’t, they have too much fat.” *eye roll*. Avocados are high in a type of fat called monounsaturated fat—which actually reduce the “bad” cholesterol levels in the blood, lowering your risk for heart disease and stroke. Great news, they are the GOOD type of fat! So, eat them like me—with a spoon and to the face.
5. Kale
But you already knew that I was going to say this. Kale is one of the world’s best forms of Vitamin A, which helps with eyesight and skin care. Stressed college students with acne—stuff a bunch of kale in a bowl for your salad instead of just lettuce. You can also make kale chips, which are absolutely bomb for being a vegetable.
Basic recipe:
- 1 bunch kale
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
1. Rinse and dry kale.
2. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
3. Bake at 350 for about 10-15 minutes or until slightly brown.
6. Dark chocolate
You bet your a** I put this on here. Those with a sweet tooth, this is your lucky day. I bet you’ve heard that dark chocolate has a lot of these things called “antioxidants” but you don’t really know what they do. That’s what I’m here for. As you age, your body tissues suffer from oxidative stress from free radicals—which can cause damage to cellular DNA, and this can lead to a number of diseases. Antioxidants benefit the body by cleaning your blood from these free radicals. So, yay! Eating a few squares of dark chocolate when you’re feeling something sweet is actually helping you. Just don’t mistake me saying this by eating one of those one pound Hershey bars and saying that you have to in order to prevent cancer.
