SNAP Challenege Day 5 in Review

In Illinois, over 200,000 seniors are using ‪#‎SNAP‬. However, 3 out of 5 seniors who qualify for SNAP do not participate, and 44,983 seniors in Suburban Cook County are food insecure.

SNAP Challenge Day 4 In Review

What are some common misconceptions or myths associated with SNAP?

Stigma associated with the SNAP program has led to several common misconceptions about how the program works and who receives the benefits. For instance, many Americans believe that the majority of SNAP benefits go towards people who could be working. In fact, more than half of SNAP recipients are children or the elderly. For the remaining working-age individuals, many of them are currently employed. At least forty percent of all SNAP beneficiaries live in a household with earnings. In fact, the majority of SNAP households do not receive cash welfare benefits (around 10% receive cash welfare), with increasing numbers of SNAP beneficiaries obtaining their primary source of income from employment.

Source: SnapToHealth.Org

SNAP Challenge Day 3 In Review

SNAP benefits the economy. SNAP can be a powerful source of economic stimulus. USDA research shows that for every $5 in new SNAP benefits, $9 of economic activity is generated. When families receive their benefits, they use them to purchase groceries and necessities for their family, which not only meets family food needs but also keeps local businesses running smoothly.

SNAP Challenge Day 2 Review

What can you and can't you buy with SNAP benefits?

Households CAN use SNAP benefits to buy:

Foods for the household to eat, such as:  

breads and cereals;  

fruits and vegetables;  

meats, fish and poultry; and   

dairy products.

Seeds and plants which produce food for the household to eat.

Households CANNOT use SNAP benefits to buy:

Beer, wine, liquor, cigarettes or tobacco

Any nonfood items, such as: pet foods, soaps, paper products or household supplies

Vitamins and medicines

Food that will be eaten in the store

Hot foods

SNAP Challenge Day 1 in Review

Did you know that SNAP stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program?

SNAP Challenge grocery list and meal plan for the week

SNAP FACT: In Fiscal Year (FY) 2014, 82 percent of benefits were redeemed in super markets and superstores.

Hello!

Just when you probably thought that this blog was done, I have returned!

Well, it's been almost 2 1/2 years since my last post.  

What have I been up to?  Well...

A quick and simple meal or snack

 

With an abundance of bread around my kitchen lately I am left with a very important question, what should I have with my grilled cheese today?

What Does a Dietitian Eat?

Do you want to know the easiest thing in the world to cook?  Couscous.  I swear it practically cooks itself.  It's kind of like rice, kind of like pasta... Paired with some steamed vegetables and lean protein it makes a quick and easy dinner.

What Does a Dietitian Eat?

What does a dietitian eat?  Well sometimes she eats muffins.  And sometimes the leftovers from those muffins turn into ravioli one day and lasagna the next.  What could possibly be left?  The ricotta mixture is used up, the produce drawer is empty and random shelf stable items that were hanging around for too long have been re-purposed. 

What Does a Dietitian Eat?

Contrary to popular belief most dietitians not only eat fast food but we actually enjoy it :)  After a busy day just like everyone else sometimes we allow ourselves a treat and pick-up something on the way home for a quick and easy meal.

What Does a Dietitian Eat?

So two weeks ago was my mom's birthday and as a surprise my brother and I showed up two days early to celebrate with her!  We flew out to LA on Thursday night and then took the first flight to Honolulu in the morning so that we made it to the hotel in time for happy hour.  It was a long day but well worth it to see how excited she was to see us.

What Does a Dietitian Eat?

Can everyday nutrition include happy hour?  You betcha!

What Does a Dietitian Eat?

Did anyone else participate in the stamps for cookware promotion that Jewel had over the last several months?  I did, and thanks to generous stamp contributions from my mom and her coworkers I was able to collect enough stickers for a roasting rack and grill pan, Yah!!!

Due to recent traveling I had not been home to try them out but last night I finally was able to try one out.  I have a George Foreman grill which had been my primary indoor grill but to be honest it was always a pain to clean.  I figure that a grill pan does the same thing (puts the item slightly higher to allow for fat to drain away) so if it worked out well George F. could soon be permanently replaced.

What Does a Dietitian Eat?

Take Out Part Two:

Stretching a take out meal into many smaller meals is easy, saves money and provides correct portions.

Tuesday night for dinner I ate: 1/2 Chicken Pesto Calzone, 2 cups salad and a diet coke

For lunch Wednesday I ate: 1/2 Chicken Pesto Calzone, 1 apple

For dinner Wednesday night I took the rest of my leftover salad, added 6 ounces of grilled chicken, 1 chopped tomato, 1 cup of mushrooms and 1/2 a red onion to make dinner for two.

What Does a Dietitian Eat?

Yesterday was a long day thanks to the lovely snow storm that delayed my flight home on Monday night, 5 hours delayed to be exact...  Needless to say I was really tired and didn't want to put much effort into my meals. 

For breakfast I chose:

1 soyjoy bar
1 orange

Again, things that I keep at work for a quick healthy meal when I get hungry.  There is no reason why breakfast has to be different everyday.  Find something you like that is quick and healthy?  Stick to it!

Lunch was:

1 can of Healthy Choice hearty vegetable soup
1 apple

An afternoon pick-me up:
1 cup of swiss miss sugar free hot cocoa

Dinner:

So breakfast and lunch is pretty easy to keep simple and healthy, but what about dinner?  To be honest all that I wanted to do was go home, put on comfy clothes and spend the evening catching up on my DVR'ed tv shows that I missed while I was gone.  The solution?  Take out.

I multi-tasked and swung by Eduardo's (Great pizza place in Chicago) to pick up my order while taking my dog for her evening walk.  Here is how to make a take out meal fit into Everyday Nutrition.

Here is what I ordered: 1 Chicken and Pesto Calzone, 1 small side salad and 1 diet coke.

I cut the calzone in half, added more fresh veggies to my salad and portioned it out into two separate meals.  Restaurant meals are often much more than one servings and make a great meal for two (or two individual meals).

Take out is fast and easy, just adjust portion, add more veggies and you have yourself a delicious meal without the guilt.

PS  ignore the dates on the pictures, I guess I forgot to set the date :)

What Does a Dietitian Eat?

Eating is one of the biggest joys in life.  As a dietitian I try and make my day 80% good for me stuff and always allow for 20% treats.  The key is moderation and balance, eat when you are hungry and get your 5 servings of fruits and vegetables. 

Yesterday I knew that I would be going out to eat for dinner so I chose healthier smaller items earlier in the day to help make up for the higher calorie meal that I knew I would be having that evening.

Here is how the day went:

* We hear it all the time, "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day".  Yes, it is important.  Yes, it does get the metabolism going.  Yes, it is important to have the right foods.  I have never been a breakfast person, I am simply just not hungry when I first get up.  Do I skip breakfast?  No, I just wait until that little voice in my head tells me I am hungry and for me it is around 10am.  I do eat breakfast, it just usually happens a little later than most.  Eating just to eat can provide extra calories.  Listen to your body, with proper training it will tell you when you are hungry and when you are full.

For breakfast and lunch I usually eat something light that I can keep in my office at work. It is important to keep healthy things on hand at work so that you have something to reach for when you are hungry, if not you are more likely to make unhealthy choices.

I knew that I would be going out after work for dinner and drinks.  Because I cut back on calories earlier in the day I was able to have a more indulgent dinner along with a few cocktails.  As for my drink of choice, I had never had a whiskey sour and I must say it was delicious!  As for "dinner" we ended up getting several appetizers to share.  They came one at a time which allowed time in between items to allow for our stomachs to catch up with our eyes and provided just the right about of food, Yum!

One last comment.  No matter what, have at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables and 8 glasses of water per day, no exception!  Whether it's a Sunday Funday free for all or a normal Tuesday, make sure you always have the staples.

Bon Appetit!

What Does a Dietitian Eat?

Ever wonder what a Dietitian eats?  Find out here!  I will truthfully blog days throughout the month as to what I ate.