Tag: healthy

Balanced Breakfast Tips for Busy Parents

In the thick of the school year, creating balanced breakfasts for yourself and your family can be a challenge. Early school times create hectic mornings, leaving little time to whip up a fresh breakfast. If nutrition is the hardest part of your morning, here are a few tips to make balanced, nourishing meals a consistent part of your routine.  

Let’s begin with the basics of a balanced meal. Balanced meals contain sources of all three macronutrients: protein, carbohydrates, and fat. Each of these macronutrients have important roles in nutrition and health, so focusing on balance helps ensure we meet our nutrition needs. Keep in mind, balanced doesn’t always equal healthy! Be mindful to include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and unsaturated fats when creating meals.  

Keep Recipes Simple

If you have time in the morning to prepare breakfast, stick to simple and fast recipes. Keeping pre-cut vegetables and fruit in your fridge is a great way to quickly add these to your favorite egg dish or breakfast parfait, like these egg rollup and mango chia pudding recipes from Dietitian Jonnell. You can even utilize recipes that don’t require any cooking time. Try granola with yogurt and sliced fruit, or awhole wheat English muffin with sliced turkey, cheese, and greens.  

Utilize Make-Ahead Recipes

Make-ahead recipes are a staple for anyone who isn’t a morning person. Putting in the work to create balanced breakfasts when you’re not feeling rushed makes the morning a breeze. When the brain fog is still thick, these recipes require minimal brain power to reheat or serve. Check out this article for a list of 10 make-ahead breakfast recipes, along with a few preparation tips and suggestions. These breakfast egg casserole and pecan pie oatmeal bars are also great places to begin!  

Find On-the-Go Favorites

For mornings when your kids (or yourself) hit the snooze button one too many times, have grab and go options available. You can combine individually packaged, convenient items together for a balanced breakfast on the go! Try yogurt cups with a banana and a Dietitians Choice granola bar, or a whole grain toaster waffle with nut butter and a fruit smoothie pouch or applesauce packet. For additional ideas, check out our Healthy Breakfast collection in eshop. If you include nutritious foods that you enjoy, the possibilities are endless!  

As dietitians, we know making nutritious, cost-effective, and convenient meals can be difficult. If you have further questions or need more breakfast inspiration, reach out to your Harmons dietitian at dietitian@harmonsgrocery.com. 

Fresh for Fall

Today’s blog was written by a previous Harmons nutrition intern Andrea Walsh, a master of science student at the University of Utah, with revisions and updates from Harmons Dietitian Heather Lieber. 

Temperatures are dropping, and fall has arrived! Bring on all the warm soups, stews, and goodies. However, even through Autumn there is still a variety of vibrant, fresh produce to incorporate. This time of year, keep your eyes on the prize with root vegetables, leafy greens, winter squash, and apples that are perfectly in season. m

Root Vegetables

Sure, there are carrots and potatoes (who doesn’t love a classic roast and vegetables?) but what about the other root vegetables? Rutabagas, turnips, parsnips, fennel bulbs and beets are all in full glory in the coming months. Root vegetables are delicious oven roasted, thrown into stews and soups, or mashed for a hearty side. As a bonus, root vegetables are a good source of vitamin C, potassium and vitamin A! For general roasting instructions, check out this blog post. For a complete meal, try Dietitian Ashley’s French Chicken Roast recipe that includes a full helping of root vegetables from fennel to beets. 

Leafy Greens

Dark leafy greens are nutrient powerhouses. Include them raw tossed in a salad, or take advantage of their quick cooking time and add them into cooked dishes. We are nearing the end of their season locally, but thanks to the globalization of the food supply these greens are available year-round to accompany all the Fall dishes. Pictured below is a recipe from Chef Callyn—one of our experts in plant-based cooking. This is a seasonal Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad which also includes butternut squash. 

Winter Squash

Carotenoids (a type of antioxidant that protects our cells from damage) give winter squashes their beautiful yellows and oranges. These antioxidants alongside vitamins A and C make winter squash a package of immune system supporting nutrients. Winter squash can be roasted and pureed into soups and sauces or folded into ravioli. Really, there’s nothing they can’t do! In the coming months, watch for the unique varieties to hit the shelves such as acorn, kabocha, banana and delicata. Find local butternut and spaghetti squash on the shelves now. For a hearty grain salad, try out Dietitian Jonnell’s Butternut Squash and Sage Quinoa. If you’re short on time, use the shortcut microwave method to cook spaghetti squash and use it as a base for your favorite toppings.

Apples

For the perfect sweet treat in early Fall, look no further. Fresh, crunchy apples can give you your fix. Enjoy them as is, dipped into Harmons almond or peanut butter, dipped into Greek yogurt or incorporated into recipes. For a quick breakfast, prep this Apple Pie Chia Pudding or Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats the night before. 

For more fresh, Fall-inspired ideas, contact the dietitian team at dietitian@harmonsgrocery.com. 

Heather’s interest in nutrition sparked from her passion for both delicious food and overall wellness. She completed her degree in Nutrition and Dietetics through Utah State University, and her dietetic internship in the St. George area.

Learn more about Heather here.

What’s In Season for October?

Here at Harmons, we’re officially “falling” for the delicious produce October brings us. The star of the show is squash. With so many to choose from, you’re sure to find at least one variety of squash that will satisfy your taste buds.  

When shopping for winter squash, look for squash that feels heavy for its size and has a hard, deep-colored skin that’s free of blemishes. Here are some tips on how to prepare some of these delicious squash varieties, as well as some tried and true recipes to get you started! 

Spaghetti Squash

Once cooked, pull the inner flesh of the squash with a fork until you get long strands of squash, similar in looks to spaghetti. Spaghetti squash is a great lower carb alternative to pasta. Here are some simple recipes for my pasta lovers out there: 

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Pumpkins

Halloween isn’t complete without pumpkins. Aside from being the perfect gourd to carve, pumpkins also make a delicious addition to a variety of dishes. Save your pumpkin seeds and roast for a protein packed snack, or blend them up into a delicious, creamy sauce. Check out the sauces below for some inspiration! 

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Butternut squash 

These squash behemoths are a little easier to handle once cut in half lengthwise. Peel the skin and scoop out the seeds to make these squashes recipe ready. Butternut squash can be cooked quickly by microwaving, or roasted to bring out it’s natural sugars. Check out our Harmons Roasted Butternut Squash Soup in the kitchen department, or try Dietitian Melanie’s Butternut Queso Fundido for a healthy take on queso dip. 

Acorn Squash

With a mild yet sweet flavor, acorn squash is a versatile squash. Roast acorn squash to bring out its natural sweetness, or steam it to keep the flavor milder. Acorn squash’s skin becomes soft enough to eat when roasted, and is delicious both on it’s own or added to dishes like soups. 

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Be sure to look for a few more squashes coming into season, including buttercup, honeynut, delicata, kuri, sugar pumpkin, turban, Hubbard and kabocha. 

Squashes aren’t the only produce in season in October. Below are a few in-season fruit options to choose from as well. 

Honeycrisp apples ​

There’s a reason Honeycrisp apples are some of the most popular apples in the U.S. With a deliciously –sweet flavor and a touch of tartness, they’re perfect for both snacking and using in recipes. Honeycrisp apples also have a long shelf-life, lasting up to 6 weeks when refrigerated in a plastic bag. 

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Holiday Seedless Grapes

These extra-large grapes are the perfect juicy-sweet fruit to snack on this month. Snack on them right out of the bag, or freeze and eat with a toothpick for a frozen treat. Use Holiday grapes in this Garlic Rosemary Chicken With Red Grapes recipe for a festive entrée. 

Cranberries

A simple trick to tell if your cranberries are fresh or not is to do the bounce test. On a flat surface, bounce your cranberries. Fresh cranberries will bounce while old or damaged berries will not. Use fresh cranberries in baked goods, add to salads, or cook down into a delicious sauce. Check out Chef Casey’s Cran-Raspberry Sauce for an easy, fruit forward cranberry sauce. Add to plain yogurt or oatmeal for a healthy breakfast, or use in a grilled cheese sandwich to add a touch of sweetness.

Other fruits in season this fall include pomegranates, kiwi and many more varieties of apples, including the beautiful Lucy Glow and Lucy Rose. 

Want monthly updates of what’s in season? Follow @harmonsgrocery on Instagram where we post what’s in season each month. 

Five Ways to Feel Your Best

What does it mean to be healthy? Most of us think about eating right and exercising, which are both incredibly important. However, consider that those behaviors primarily address physical health. Have you deeply considered the other components of health? 

Emotional—Social—Spiritual—Financial—Academic—Environmental 

Our team of Harmons dietitians naturally focuses on nutrition within the physical sphere and yet, we also understand addressing the whole person is essential for success. With that in mind, here are some tips regarding self-care that touch on the other realms of health: 

Relieve Stress with Home Remedies

We’re all spending more time at home, so take steps to make your home a personal sanctuary. Light a candle with a favorite scent when you get home from work. Place fresh flowers or a beautiful houseplant in a prominent place so you see them often. Plan a weekly bath with aromatic salts or support a local to Utah business and try a fun Soap Lady bath bomb. Don’t have a tub? Place a few drops of essential oils on the side of your shower before stepping in or try Soap Lady shower steamers for an aromatherapy steam. These are all relaxing ways to support emotional health. 

Practice strategies to avoid anxious eating

Many of us use food to cope with negative emotions, and actually, sometimes that is okay. If it’s your only tool though, it can lead to overeating which defeats the purpose. Be sure to use other stress relief strategies such as taking a nap, spending time with a loved one, meditation, playing a game, listening to an interesting podcast, or reading a good book. These strategies have the added benefit of supporting emotional, social, spiritual, and academic spheres of health, depending on the activity you choose. 

Support a good mood with good food

Nutritious diets are associated with lower rates of depression and promote feelings of well-being. Focus on the following five food groups for maximum benefit: 

Dark green vegetables which contain folate and other B vitamins. These have been shown to positively affect neurotransmitters that impact your mood. 

Whole grains like popcorn and brown rice are loaded with fiber and healthy carbs to keep your energy levels up and rumbling stomach at bay. 

Legumes such as lentils and black beans are packed with plant protein and fiber to keep you satisfied and brain nutrients like B vitamins and magnesium. 

Seafood, including salmon and shrimp, are full of delicious flavor, omega-3s and vitamin D—key components to happy taste buds and a healthy brain. 

Cultured dairy like yogurt and kefir are tangy, sweet, creamy and loaded with probiotics which may be associated with better mental health. 

Get creative with exercise

If you’re having trouble sleeping or are still feeling stressed despite having a normal exercise routine, it’s time to think outside the box. Try something new to you! It could be hiking outside with binoculars to go bird watching, finally giving yoga a try, purchasing a new tool like a pull-up bar or step to incorporate into workouts, or simply creating a new playlist to listen to on your next jog. Whatever it is, challenge yourself to try something new. The novelty will reward and inspire you.  

Lean into caring for and showering affection onto your pets

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in record pet adoptions across the country and in Utah. Research shows that simply having a pet is associated with better health. Some possible reasons for this are that pet-owners want their pets to be healthy and thus are more likely to go out on walks, and another is that pets have been shown to help lower stress levels. To make you and your pet happier, lean into treating them with some extra love. Try out a bowl booster to bring excitement to dried food, buy a new toy or puzzle game, or treat them to a new premium treat. 

We hope that this article provided some inspiration for ways to better feel your best. If you have questions or would like to work with one of our Registered Dietitian Nutritionists, please contact us at dietitian@harmonsgrocery.com.