Incorporating Vegetables Into Your Everyday Meals

There are a lot of debatable issues regarding nutrition, but we can all agree that VEGETABLES are our friend, not our foe!  How can we include more of these immune boosting, anti-inflammatory and nutrient dense colorful veggies in our diet every single day?!  Well, a great place to start is with a delectable salad.  Set a goal for your family to include a salad with dinner every night.  Building a great salad can be very simple.

Just follow these three steps:

1)  Choose a dark leafy green (spinach, kale, spring mix, etc.) for the base.

2)  Include chopped carrots, bell peppers, tomatoes, avocados, radishes, celery, sweet potatoes, jicama, etc.

3)  Top with an olive oil, vinegar, or yogurt based dressing and jazz that salad up with a healthy crunch from sprouted toast pieces, roasted chickpeas, brown rice crackers, kale chips, plantain chips, chopped apples, slivered almonds or cashew halves and pieces, etc.

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Diana Robison

MLS, Sporting KC Sports Performance Dietician

Breakfast Cereal/Granola Choices

A few questions were raised about how to shop for breakfast cereal/granola.  Below are a few of my top cereal choices that don’t taste like gravel, so your kids will actually enjoy transitioning from cocoa pebbles, cinnamon toast crunch, etc. to some superior options.

Cereal Buying Guidelines:

• Look for WHOLE grains (i.e. oats, quinoa, etc.) in the ingredient list.
• 10g of sugar or less.
• At least 3g of fiber in every serving.
• At least 3g of protein in every serving.

My Top Cereal Choices:

1) Alpen Swiss Style Muesli

2) Barbara’s Original or Peanut Butter Puffins

3) Bob’s Quick Cooking Steel Cut Oats

4) KASHI GoLean Cinnamon Crisp Cereal or Vanilla Graham Clusters

5) Cascadian Farms Purely O’s or KASHI Heart-to-Heart Toasted Oat Cereal

6) Cascadian Farms Hearty Morning

7) Quaker Honey Nut Oatmeal Squares

8) Kellogg Special K Protein

9) Nature’s Path Millet Rice

My Top Granola Choices:

1) KIND Granola

2) Bear Naked Granola

3) Bob’s Red Mill Crunchy Coconut Granola

4) Nature’s Path Pumpkin Flax Granola

*Combine any of these cereal/granola choices with 2% milk, Greek yogurt, or FairLife milk for extra protein at breakfasts, snacks, and evening desserts.

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Diana Robison

MLS, Sporting KC Sports Performance Dietician

Smoothies

Do you ever get tired of the same old smoothies, day after day, week after week?  Well, you’re in luck!  I’ve created some new and fun, EASY smoothie recipes you can refer to and switch things up a bit!

Creamy “Nice Cream”

• 1/2 avocado
• 1 frozen banana
• 2 spoonfuls ground flaxseed
• 8 oz unsweetened almond or coconut milk
• Optional: 1 scoop protein powder

Daily Greens

• 8 oz coconut water
• 2 handfuls spinach
• 1 splash lemon juice
• ½ cup pineapple
• Squirt of honey
• Ice

Cold Brew Smoothie

• 8 oz cold brew (or chilled brewed coffee)
• 1 banana
• Squirt of honey or 2 pitted dates
• 1 scoop protein powder
• 1 Tablespoon nut butter
• Ice

Almond Joy

• 12 oz unsweetened almond or coconut milk
• 1 scoop almond butter
• ½ cup blueberries
• ½ banana
• 1 scoop collagen
• 1 scoop protein powder
• Squirt of honey
• Ice

The Hydrator

• 8 oz coconut water
• Pinch of sea salt
• ½ banana
• ½ cup berries or cherries
• 2 handfuls of spinach
• 2 spoonfuls chia seeds

Complete Meal

• 8 oz unsweetened almond or coconut milk
• 1 Tablespoon nut butter
• 1 scoop whey protein
• ¼ cup rolled oats
• 1 banana
• 2 handfuls spinach
• Few shakes of cinnamon
• Ice

Mighty Mango

• 8 oz unsweetened almond or coconut milk
• 1 scoop whey protein
• 1 banana
• 2 handfuls spinach
• Squirt of honey
• ½ cup frozen mango

Cake Batter

• 8 oz coconut water
• 1 banana
• 1 scoop protein powder
• 2 spoonfuls chia seeds
• 2 spoonfuls flax seed
• ½ spoonful cocoa powder
• Squirt of honey
• Ice

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Diana Robison

MLS, Sporting KC Sports Performance Dietician

5-Ingredient Meals

I get it.  Cooking can seem overwhelming and daunting to the point of giving up before we even make it to the store! But here are some quick meals that 1) don’t require a recipe and 2) are loaded with veggies!

1. Chicken + cauliflower/brown rice + coleslaw mix + sesame ginger dressing + peanuts
2. Chicken + whole grain pasta + broccoli + marinara sauce + parmesan cheese
3. Chicken + lentils + kale + pico de gallo + guacamole
4. Chicken + sweet potatoes + stir fry veggies + seasoning/herb blend + lemon olive oil

Enjoy!

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Diana Robison

MLS, Sporting KC Sports Performance Dietician

Recipe: Protein Power Bites

This easy, peasy protein bite cep not only tastes delicious, but will help your player feel powerful and invincible on the field. Plus, these little gems cost about a forth of the cost of most protein bars!

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Servings: makes 8 bites

Ingredients

• 1 cup rolled oats (half pulsed in, half stirred in)
• 1/2 cup nut or seed butter
• 1/4 cup flax meal
• 2 T honey
• 2 T coconut oil
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

1. Combine ½ cup oats with all other ingredients in high-powered blender
2. Scrap out into medium-sized bowl, combine with other ½ cup of oats
3. Stir to combine, and then get in with your hands to get all ingredients thoroughly mixed together
4. Use a 2 oz. ice cream scoop to make 8 balls.
5. Store in freezer or fridge and enjoy!

*NOTE: Eat as is or roll into unsweetened cocoa powder, crushed/freeze-dried strawberries, or unsweetened coconut flakes. To boost the protein, add 1-2 scoops of protein powder per serving. Store in freezer or fridge.

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Diana Robison

MLS, Sporting KC Sports Performance Dietician

911 Snacks, Pre-Made Meals & Fast Food

While I always recommend cooking your own meals, I know life doesn’t always allow us to do so. So here is what I call my “911 list”: snacks and meals that can serve as good substitutes when you’re in a rush or simply don’t have the time to cook at home.

911 Snacks

• RXBARS or KIND BARS
• EPIC BARS & Grass-fed Jerky
• JACK LINK’S Big Beef Sticks
• Hard Boiled Eggs
• Crunchy Chickpeas
• Nuts & Seeds
• Apples, Oranges, Bananas, Dried Fruit (raisins, dates, figs, apricots, etc.)
• BOARS HEAD Deli Meat
• Smoked Salmon
• Whey or Vegan Protein Powder
• LACROIX or Sparkling Water

911 Pre-Made Meals

• TASTY BITE Indian Madras Lentils
• Fresh Thyme Rotisserie Chicken Breast
• Frozen Meals
  • AMY’S
  • EVOL
  • HEALTHY CHOICE Power Bowls

911 Fast Food

• CHIPOTLE
• CRAZY BOWLS & WRAPS
• JIMMY JOHN’S Unwich
• CHICK FILA Chicken Salad (ask for sauce on side)
• MCALISTER’S Soup & Salad
• ASK FOR:
  • Grilled Meat
  • Sauce on Side
  • Small Portion Sizes

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Diana Robison

MLS, Sporting KC Sports Performance Dietician

Keeping Your Immune System Strong & Healthy This Flu Season

Alas, flu season has decided to return with vengeance … The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is reporting another wave of severe infections. 😞

Have no fear!  Below are some very important steps you can take to keep your immune system strong and healthy:

1) ALWAYS WASH HANDS! (*Especially before eating, after using bathroom, etc.)

2) Increase consumption of IMMUNE BOOSTING FOODS (*see list below)

3) Supplement with probiotics (https://www.vitacost.com/vitacost-probiotic-15-35-15-strains)

4) Consider taking an immune boosting supplement with Vitamin C + Zinc or ImmunoBoost Shot (*see recipe below)

IMMUNE BOOSTING FOODS LIST

ImmunoBoost Shot Recipe

Makes 1 Shot

• 1/2 cup OJ
• 1/4 tsp minced garlic
• 1 T fresh Ginger or 1 tsp. powdered ginger
• 1/2 tsp. Turmeric or Curcumin
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp honey

Shake in blender bottle, shake, and drink!

Thank you all-stay healthy!

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Diana Robison

MLS, Sporting KC Sports Performance Dietician