The fall months bring cooler weather and busy schedules. Between school drop-off, end-of-year work projects, fall sports, and the general hustle and bustle of life, it can be easy to let health and wellness fall by the wayside. During busy seasons like these, people often find themselves grazing on convenient snacks as they run out the door. Lunch boxes get filled with simple grab-and-go options, anything to fill the stomach. The bad news is that many of these convenient snacks tend to leave everyone feeling unsatisfied and hungry in an hour. The good news is with a few simple adjustments, convenient snacks can support health while fitting into a busy schedule.

“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day”… a mantra we have all grown up hearing. Not only is eating breakfast important, but what you choose to eat at that breakfast is equally as important! While some breakfast foods can be high in carbohydrates and nothing else, breakfast is a great meal to focus on fat and protein instead to ensure you are making the most of that meal.

I am often asked about my instagram handle @nutrition.at.its.roots. This name was picked for a purpose and to tell you about it, I need to tell you a story. A few years ago, I went to the beach with my family and we spotted an ocean front plot of sand that would be the perfect spot to set up camp for the day. We plopped down next to this wonderful couple from San Diego who were just as chatty as we were. Us ladies chit chatted as the kids ran amuck in the ocean and soon we were talking about what everyone does for work. Well, as you may know, my family works in a wide variety of agricultural sectors including nut farming. When the wife heard that we farmed almonds and walnuts she was very excited because she was an avid consumer of an almond milk alternative instead of milk. She wanted to learn about how the almonds were grown and asked us, and I quote, “So how do the almonds grow? They grow along the ground on vines, right?” Y’all. My jaw hit the floor! Did she not know that nuts grew on trees?!

Calling all my fellow coffee lovers, this one is for you! Espresso scented pumpkin bread with a delicious whipped coffee butter icing… need I say more? We’re in the season of pumpkin everything. Pumpkin in your coffee. Pumpkin in your smoothies. Pumpkin in every baked good you could possibly think of. Hey, I’m not complaining, but I am looking to shake things up a bit. This pumpkin bread has light hints of espresso, the spice of nutmeg, and is all held together with Challenge butter. Challenge butter is churned fresh daily from pure cream from its family-owned dairies making it the perfect addition to this delicious fall loaf.

Many consumers may believe that going dairy free can benefit their health. That’s not true. Dairy foods are an essential piece of a healthy eating pattern. There’s sound science to support their inclusion in the 2020-25 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA). As health professionals, we strive to empower people to make small effective change. In our work, sometimes we need to myth bust. I’m here to help. Today I’ll dive into four popular milk myths, bust the myth and share the science.

Snacks seem to have earned the reputation as a "waste of calories." Well fear not, my friends, here at LTN we are HUGE snack people. Generally, the issue with snacks is not the concept of a snack itself but with the way that people choose to build that snack. Most people build up snacks in a way that simply provides calories but doesn’t necessarily maximize nutrition. They opt for drive by, convenient snacks that fill the “right then and there” hunger but are not planned out enough to hold you over until your next meal. This is often leads to “grazing” and the constant snacking on “carby things” that send us over our calorie range and give snacks a bad reputation. The best way to break out of this cycle is to start forming well planned snacks. Well-planned snacks can absolutely fit into a healthy diet and are actually very beneficial when it comes to eating healthy and losing weight.

We have stocked your pantry, we have stocked your freezer, now we need to get your refrigerator stocked with all the healthy items you will need to reach your goals and nourish your body well! I love to have go to healthy options in each area of my house because really, each items serves a different purpose and does better in different dishes. Freezer and pantry stocker options, for example, are fantastic for smoothies, tossing into soups, and throwing together a balanced meal when all of your fresh ingredients are gone for the week! Fresh options are fantastic for on the go snacks, quick meals, and building up balanced side dishes with some fresh, crunchy vegetables or fruits! Here are my top 10 recommendations for fridge stockers and the food items you will absolutely always find in this dietitians refrigerator!

It’s that time of the year when calorie counting seems to be in full swing! Everyone is trying to get ready for the summer and wants to feel good in their own skin. One of my favorite pieces of advice on how to get a bikini body fast is to, 1) have a body and, 2) put a bikini on it. Seriously, you all look fantastic and are so much more than any bikini body… I encourage you to remind yourselves of that each and every day. That being said, I also support everyone who wants to pursue weight loss as long as you pursue it in a healthy and sustainable way. Well, here’s the deal, in order to lose weight you have to create a calorie deficit. In order to create a calorie deficit, you need to lower the amount of calories you consume or increase the amount of calories you burn. Do you want to lower calories without counting calories? Here are 6 easy tips to help lower your calorie intake and get you into a calorie deficit!

A lot of flavor doesn’t need to mean a lot of time OR require a lot of ingredients. I live by this philosophy when I cook and applied it full force to this simple taco salad. Don’t let its simplicity fool you, this salad is still packed with flavor from fresh ingredients. With only 10 ingredients and minimal prep time required, I see this healthy salad becoming a dinner staple in your house!

We all know that eating well while traveling can be a challenge. It is so easy to reach for unhealthy snacks on the go. Whether you are gearing up for a long flight or a road trip, here are my tips for making healthy choices while traveling.

We’ve all been there - sitting on the couch, enjoying our favorite show - when out of nowhere, the late-night munchies hit. It seems that no matter what you do, there is no avoiding them! Though the occasional late night snack can absolutely fit into a healthy and calorie controlled diet, they can also be a source of significant calories depending on how often we eat them and how much we end up eating! If you feel that late night snacks are hindering your progress, here are my top 5 tips to navigate night time snacking!

Moving on with my topic of “preparing for when you are unprepared” today we are talking all about freezer stockers! My number one tip to make eating healthy easy on yourself is to ALWAYS KEEP YOUR FREEZER STOCKED WITH HEALTHY OPTIONS! By keeping your pantry and freezer stocked at all times, you will find it much easier to eat healthy because you always have heathy options at home! We have been so engrained by todays culture to believe that fresh is best and anything not fresh is not worth it. This is harmful thinking and could not be farther from the truth!

A lot of flavor doesn’t need to mean a lot of time OR require a lot of ingredients. I live by this philosophy when I cook and applied it full force to this simple taco salad. Don’t let its simplicity fool you, this salad is still packed with flavor from fresh ingredients. With only 10 ingredients and minimal prep time required, I see this healthy salad becoming a dinner staple in your house!

How many of y’all feel like the answer to eating healthy is always to meal prep your lunches? How many of y’all feel like the answer to losing weight is to meal prep some of your meals? How many of y’all feel like you have no clue where to start with meal prep? (insert girl with her hand raised emoji). Trust me, I hear you.

A lot of flavor doesn’t need to mean a lot of time OR require a lot of ingredients. I live by this philosophy when I cook and applied it full force to this simple taco salad. Don’t let its simplicity fool you, this salad is still packed with flavor from fresh ingredients. With only 10 ingredients and minimal prep time required, I see this healthy salad becoming a dinner staple in your house!

I wanted to give you a glimpse into the pantry of a dietitian and share my top 10 pantry staples that I always have on hand for times like these!

One of the most common questions that I get asked is, “Why did you become a Registered Dietitian?” Let me just say, there are so many twists and turns to how I ended up here so buckle up, I’m going to tell you my story.  

With just 6 simple ingredients, this cinnamon apple and walnut oatmeal is quick and easy and the perfect level of cozy cinnamon spice to get you ready for cooler autumn weather.

We all know that eating well while traveling can be a challenge. Whether you are gearing up for a long flight, a road trip, or your friend’s birthday BBQ, here are 5 tips for healthy snacking while traveling this summer!