protein

What’s On The Menu – The Superior Nut Butter

Much like coffee creamers, the variety of nut butters has seemed to increase almost exponentially over the past 5-10 years. I imagine that the increase in childhood peanut allergies (21% increase since 2010) has been a major contributing factor.

For those of us that aren’t stricken with that terrible affliction, deciding on whether to buy peanut butter or almond butter can be a constant struggle. Well no need to worry because this menu spotlight will tell you which nut butter is nutritional superior.

Both are a great source of monounsaturated fat, fiber and plant based protein, but almond butter has more vitamin E, iron and calcium. Just make sure the only ingredients are almonds and maybe a pinch of salt. You don’t want to negate the nutritional benefits by buying something full of sugar and additives that prevent oil separation.

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What’s on the Menu – Goes Together Like Peas & Coffee

A few weeks ago I shared my favorite dairy coffee creamer, but I want to let all you know that I’m also a fan of nondairy creamers. As mentioned in the previous post the variety of nondairy choices you have to choose from is borderline overwhelming.

Soy, almond, and coconut are probably the most popular (besides the uber processed coffemate), but there is one that is starting to show up more in stores that I believe provides the most nutritional benefits.

Ripple Foods produces “milk” made up primarily of pea protein. Eight ounces contain nearly 5 g of fat and 8 grams of protein. It doesn’t have as short of an ingredient list as I’m use to, but it’s much more nutritious than almond milk.

Too much dairy wreaks havoc on my digestion so I like to add this and some unsweetened coconut milk to one of my daily coffee concoctions.

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What’s On The Menu – Frozen Dinners Aren’t Always Bad

When I provide nutrition counseling to clients, I always stress the importance of cooking the majority of your meals at home. Unfortunately, many people (including myself) don’t have the time during the week necessary to make a meal from scratch.

That’s why Shannon and I love wholesome frozen items like the frozen stir fry mix featured below. This skillet full of veggies take about 10 minutes to prepare and contains no additional seasonings, sauces or preservatives. I added shrimp for protein and we had dinner ready in less than 15 minutes.

Oh, by the way, studies show that frozen vegetables have just as many, if not more nutrients than fresh vegetables. As long as the ingredient list contains ONLY vegetables, than they are viable option for you to make a quick & nutritious meal.

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What’s on the Menu – Quick & Easy Protein

I’m a big believer that increasing your intake of whole sources of protein will reduce your feelings of hunger & increase your chances of maintaining a healthy diet. In fact, numerous scientific studies suggest that that foods containing a significant amount of protein will help you stay fuller longer and hold back that pesky hunger hormone gherlin.

One of my go-to sources for protein as of late is “just grilled chicken” from Trader Joe’s. Three ounces contain 14 g of protein and the only ingredients are chicken, spices and potato starch, which prevents freezer burn.

It only takes a few minutes to defrost in the pan or microwave. It’s great on its own or you can add it to a vegetable medley like Shannon and I love doing. If you’re having trouble curbing your hunger cravings, I’d suggest adding something like this to your daily meal plan.

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What’s On the Menu – Too Good To Let Go To Waste

Let’s be honest. Guacamole is the best “dip” there is. Don’t bring your hummus, spinach & artichoke or salsa in my kitchen. NOT UP IN HERE!

Between the taste, nutrition and ease associated with preparing it, every thing else is playing for second place. Which is why I had to act fast when I had several ripe avocados at the house last week.

Instead of letting them go bad, I decided to make guacamole with whatever ingredients I had available. I ended up using 2 avocados, cherry tomatoes, shallots, fresh lime juice and salt. The heart healthy monounsaturated fat contained in the avocados was too good to let go to waste. ⠀

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What’s on the Menu – The Best Breakfast Option Out There

I’m a gigantic breakfast fan. The options you have at breakfast far surpass anything lunch or dinner has to offer, and I believe it’s all thanks to one magical food.

Eggs.

Whole eggs, yes yolks and all, are at the top of my “Whole Foods” power ranking list. Right below eggs on that list is its frequent companion on a many diner menus. Steak.

Steak & eggs is high in protein & fat and contains a ton of important micronutrients like iron, vitamin B, choline and omega fatty acids. I had the meal below and swear I wasn’t hungry for the rest of the day. I believe based on the nutrition research I’ve gathered & personal experience, that this is a much healthier option than the meals filled with processed carbs that seem to dominate breakfast foods (cereal, bagels, etc.).

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What’s on the Menu – Cooking in batches is good for your health

Shannon and I really try our best to make one wholesome “Big Batch” dish every week. Having one dish that is ready to go whenever we get home from work prevents us from ordering out or picking up dinner. We’ve found that the less takeout and delivery we get, the better we feel. It’s also much easier on our finances.

One such big batch we make frequently is a Tuscan Chicken Skillet. I’ve shared the recipe with several of my clients and they all love it. It’s not exactly a quick meal, but it’s definitely worth the time. It’s also one of those dishes that I believe taste better the next day.

Below is the recipe and a few pics. If you end making it please send us and email (elementaltampa@gmail.com) or share a pic of it on our social channels (Facebook, Instagram or Twitter).

Tuscan Chicken Skillet

  • Cook 1-1.5 lbs of chicken tenderloins in olive oil for 4-5 mins on each side, or until cooked thru⠀
  • Remove chicken from skillet, add more olive oil & 8 oz of chopped mushrooms, cook till soft⠀
  • Remove mushrooms and add an entire onion, sliced & cook till soft⠀
  • Add a can of diced tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes, garlic, spices (salt, pepper, oregano & thyme) and 1/4-1/2 cup of chicken stock⠀
  • Simmer till liquid reduces slightly then add chicken and mushrooms back in⠀
  • Remove from heat and add several handfuls of greens and season to taste⠀

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Addicted to Fitness Show Notes – From the Vault: Answering Health Questions From Listeners

We’re jumping into the Addicted to Fitness time machine for this week’s episode and heading back to the days when the podcast was known as the ETT Wrap Show. As you’ll hear, this throwback show features our past cohost, Tyler Knox. He also made an appearance on a more recent ATF podcast discussing how being a new dad affects your fitness (click here to listen), and given my current situation, a lot of what he mentioned is coming true in my life.

Tyler and I kickoff this old school episode giving our respective training recaps. I discuss a recent 4 mile run Shannon & I did on the the Tampa Riverwalk which is a nearly 3 mile walkway that snakes its way through downtown Tampa. Tyler on the other hand recounts the scuba diving he had to do for his job. Most people think of scuba diving as a recreational activity you do while on vacation in the Caribbean, which it can be, but when you do it several hours a day and have to perform specific tasks underwater, it can be very physically demanding.

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Former ATF cohost Tyler Know just lying around

After our training recaps, we give a thorough UFC update. Unfortunately, if you’re looking for recent UFC news, this throwback episode won’t satisfy you. BUT, it’s still interesting to look back and hear about Cris Cyborg signing with the UFC and Jon Jones trying to make one of his many comebacks. If you are looking for the most up to date UFC news, I’d recommend checking out MMAFighting.com.

We do get into some evergreen health topics including tips to perform a “proper” squat. I put proper in quotations because, as you’ll hear, different physiologies create different squatting mechanics. We also answer a few interesting health questions from listeners including how many grams of protein a person should eat per day? Make sure you listen to hear the answer because it can vary depending on your fitness goals.

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I love looking back on these throwback episodes, not only to see how we have progressed as podcast, but also to see how the topics we’ve discussed have evolved. I hope you all enjoy these time capsule episodes as much as I do. If you do, we’d really appreciate it if you gave us a rating and review in iTunes (link) or on the Addicted to Fitness Facebook page (link).

We’ve got a lot of great podcasts lined up for you all, including an interview with a hypnotherapist. You’ll definitely want to subscribe to the podcast if you haven’t done so already, and please rate, review and share Addicted to Fitness with anyone and everyone.

Don’t forget to visit our sponsors website, hempcoffeeexchange.com, to stock up on sustainable super coffee for the holidays. Make sure you use the promo code “ATF” to get 20% off your order. Thanks again for all the support and stay healthy this week peeps!

Links to this week’s episode

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/from-the-vault-answering-health-questions-from-listeners/id1121420986?i=1000395026764&mt=2

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/nick-burch-702220833/from-the-vault-answering

Website: http://addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/from-the-vault-answering-health-questions-from-listeners