Hi! I’m Lauren.
I’m a registered dietitian and I have been working hard to put together recipes, recommendations, and product reviews to help you live your life well fed!
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Brown Butter Golden Graham Rice Krispies
Looking for an easy dessert that is a guaranteed crowd pleaser ? These brown butter golden graham rice krispy treats have a short list of just 4 ingredients but are full of sweet and savory flavors that will have your taste buds singing. We are about to enter holiday season where all of us are going to be assigned “a fun dessert” for your holiday get together! While not full of traditional festive flavors, these Rice Krispies are just different enough to make them seem (and taste) special.
5 Ways to Eat Cottage Cheese And Fruit
Cottage cheese and fruit make a great snack or meal combination that is high in protein, loaded with fiber, and packed with antioxidants to keep you feeling your best. Here are 5 delicious cottage cheese and fruit pairings for you to try.
Cottage Cheese Chuys Jalapeño Ranch Dip
This healthier Chuys jalapeño ranch recipe is creamy, spicy, lower in calorie and higher in protein than the traditional recipe. It’s so full of flavor that you would never know its made with just four simple ingredients including a protein packed base of blended cottage cheese.
Coffee and Banana Probiotic Smoothie
This gut healthy coffee and banana probiotic smoothie is loaded with delicious flavors and gut healthy bacteria that support your health, digestive regularity, and support your immunity.
High Protein Overnight Oats with Date Caramel
Looking for a breakfast that will actually keep you full? One serving of these high-protein overnight oats has fiber, healthy fats, and over 40 grams of filling protein wrapped up with a naturally sweet bite of caramel date sauce that will keep you fueled up all morning long.
The Ultimate Pigs In A Blanket Recipe
With just a few extra additions to a football season favorite, these aren’t just quick and easy pigs in a blanket- they’re pigs in an evening gown. Your football team may win or lose, but these ultimate pigs in a blanket will have you heading home with the appetizer “W” every game day!
Should You Buy Non-Homogenized Milk?
When we buy a carton of milk, we expect to see milk that is uniform in color, texture, and appearance. This tried and true appearance is because most milk at the stores is homogenized and actually isn’t how milk has always looked. Well, it appears that some people are missing the good ol days are there is a revitalized interest in purchasing non-homogenized milk. In today’s blog, we will do a deep dive on what non-homogenized milk even means, why people are interested in it, and if you should be buying non-homogenized milk too!
10 Ways To Eat Cottage Cheese
It’s safe to say that cottage cheese is having its “it girl” moment and to be honest, I’m here for it! Y’all know I love the dairy section of the grocery store but cottage cheese holds a special plate in my heart because love it or hate it, you cannot deny its nutrient density. With a fairly low calorie content, a fairly high protein content (most brands featuring 10 grams +), and the micronutrients we know and love of milk-based products, cottage cheese is a great addition to your plate! Not sure where to start? Here are 10 of my favorite ways to incorporate cottage cheese into your diet.
Pecan Crusted Maple and Mustard Salmon
A question for the crowd: Why do foods fall into specific categories? Why are pancakes a breakfast food? Why is chicken on the afternoon/dinner menu? When did pecans get limited to trail mix and dessert recipes? Pecans are a seamless addition to much more than pie and can be added to sweet and savory recipes to amp up the satisfaction and crunch factors. Before we get to this delicious pecan-crusted maple and mustard salmon, let’s lean into the versatility of pecans and talk about why you should include them on your plate!
Snack Stronger Pre & Post Workout
Milk has 13 essential nutrients that can support a healthy and active lifestyle and can even enhance athletic performance. While nutrition is a crucial component of exercise, it’s also important to properly time your snacks to get the most out of your workout. To know which nutrients to focus on, and when to focus on them, it’s helpful to break your snacking into two categories: pre-workout and post-workout. We’ve included a number of delicious recipes below for each, but first, here’s a quick breakdown showing how snacks that include milk and cottage cheese can fuel your workout and help you recover after exercising.
Myth Busting: Fight The Flu With Milk
When you hear, “winter brings the cold,” you’re probably hoping for cold weather and not head cold. Whether it keeps you from school, work, or other fun activities, few things put a damper on the season quicker than calling in sick with a cold or flu. How can you enjoy cooler weather without the cold?
Five Tips for Nutritious Grab and Go Snacks
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.
High Protein Colorful Egg Bites
“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.
Why Nutrition At Its Roots?
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?!
Espresso Scented Pumpkin Bread
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.
Myth Busting: What Your Clients Need to Know About Dairy
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.
Tips for Strategic Snacking
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.
Top 10 Fridge Stockers
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!
6 Easy Hacks To Lower Calories
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!
Loaded Burger Bowl Recipe
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!