I’m really into bean salads right now. Once I realized how truly simple – yet satisfying – they could be…let’s just say I’m sorry it took me so long.

I like to keep it really basic: no fancy home-made dressings, no crazy chopping of vegetables, just beans + herbs + olive oil + spices and maybe some cheese if it works. I love the complex bean salads, with more flavor, lots of tiny vegetables and delicious dressings, but simple bean salads deserve their place in the world too! This salad has been a lunch staple lately and in my effort to keep lunch-cooking/prep to a minimum, it’s been perfect.

Other Simple Bean Salad ideas:

• garbanzos + parsley + feta
• black beans + cilantro + queso fresco
• garbanzos + mint + feta
• white beans + chopped arugula + parmesan
• lentils + red pepper + goat cheese
• garbanzos + sun-dried tomatoes + parmesan
• black beans + avocado + cilantro (a splash of oj would be great in this one!)

Am I missing any bean salad staples? Share your favorites below! 

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finally hiking up to the Hollywood sign!

eating out like 10 meals in a row. BAD!

walking home from work in flats. I made it about 3.25 miles and then I had to call Richie to pick me up.

getting into my annual spring/summer raw food grove with dinner at Cafe Gratitude with my fave LA Blogger, Lynn.

creating really fun infographics at work.

taking a road trip to Vegas. One of the joys of LA is the endless amounts of road trips. We used to drive 4 hours to Wisconsin. Now we have our pick of Vegas, Santa Barbara, San Diego, Palm Springs, Big Bear…ok, I’ll stop bragging.

reading Unorthodox. Also very good.

attending my first Social Media Club LA function.

spending the weekend in Napa for a Science and Culinary Retreat: Plant-Powered Eating: The Role of Peanuts in Healthy Diets, put on by The Peanut Institute. It also meant I got to spend the weekend hanging out with Mercedes and finally meet Lori! You can expect many peanuts in your future.

my Napa trip included cooking at the Culinary Institute of America (squeel!) AND meeting some really great people. Like Alyssa. <– Really fun blog.

trying out Bludso’s (BBQ joint in LA) – it was wonderful.

trying out The Scientific 7-Minute Workout. Have you heard about it? I tried it on Saturday (2 times through) and am still sore. 

eating peanut butter & jelly sandwiches for breakfast – OBSESSED! (see peanuts, above)

 What’s going on with you? 

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I’m also coming off of a weekend in Vegas, a few days of being sick and eating out an insane amount of times. So I could use a LOT of “good” this week. Lots of good vegetables, protein, workouts and water. She is my inspiration this week!

am workout: 20 minutes of physique 57 (strength)

coffee: (duh) + 1/2 & 1/2 while I made my daily “to do” list. I never cross off as much as I would like to…

breakfast: One of Gwyneth’s (and co-author Julia Turshen’s) favorite breakfasts is avocado toast and even though it’s nothing new, I thought the addition of mayo (she uses vegenaise) was interesting. Verdict? Yes, I love it! I don’t know what it is that makes it so delicious but I’m hooked. I had a touch of vegenaise + a small avocado on 2 slices of sprouted bread.

lunch: salad (also from the cookbook) with a delicious vegan, creamy parsley dressing and all sorts of toppings: cucumbers + garbanzo beans + beets + 2  hard-boiled eggs.

snack: baby carrots + greek yogurt ranch dip

workout: 30 minutes on the elliptical + 40 minute walk (to/from gym)

dinner: While making dinner I snacked on a few olives + chips and salsa. Burgers weren’t on the original menu but they kept getting pushed back so had to be eaten tonight. I also had them last night at a family cookout and have a lunch date at The Counter tomorrow. Life could be worse and you won’t ever catch me complaining about eating burgers. Broccolini + onion & jalapeno on the side!

dessert: small handful of dark chocolate almonds

approximate nutrition stats: 1955 calories, 121 grams fat (53%), 145 grams carbohydrates (28%), 40 grams fiber, 33 grams sugar, 96 grams protein (20%). My Dad (who works in Cardiac Rehab) might fall over if he sees that 50% of my calories came from fat…

I know Gwyneth can be polarizing – love or hate?  

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I’ve had a recent obsession with Mediterranean/Lebanese/Israeli/Levantine cuisines lately. I cannot be stopped. My favorite restaurant? Zankou Chicken. (Trying Ta’eem next!)  My favorite cookbook? Modern Flavors of Arabia. My favorite lunch? This fattoush salad.

Fattoush salad (for those of you who aren’t familiar) is a bread salad made with greens and vegetables and fried pita bread. This version is so flavorful – and colorful – from sweet tomatoes, persian cucumbers, fresh lemon juice and bright herbs. I took a shortcut by buying pre-fried pita chips, but you could also use baked ones from the store. Just don’t skip the pita chips – they truly make this salad!

Serve the salad alongside some chicken shawarma or a slab of feta and fresh olives for a true feast.

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{Today is the last installment of the so you want to be a nutritionist post – part 1 | part 2 - I hope you have enjoyed learning more about what dietitians actually do!}

Hello, my name is Amanda Hernandez and I am a registered dietitian that blogs at The Nutritionist Reviews. I am happy to be here to share with you what I do as a dietitian and what a typical day looks like for me.

I work full time at a nursing home as a long term care dietitian. I did not originally plan to work in long term care but I love it.

When I first graduated college with my bachelor’s degree in dietetics, I was not matched to an internship the first time. I was devastated but kept working toward my goal to become a RD. I found a full time job where I worked as a Certified Dietary Manager in a nursing home which was a similar position to my current one. About a year and a half later, I was matched to an internship and became an RD in July 2012.

At my job in the nursing home, I get to see and do so many different things. Here is what a typical day looks like for me:

I arrive at work at 6:45 AM. When I first get to work, I usually check my email, catch up on any new admissions and discharges and check the FAR (Food Acceptance Record- shows how much the residents are eating). At 9 AM, I attend a daily morning meeting with the management staff and right after is our clinical meeting. In the clinical meeting, weight loss, falls, pain, behavioral and clinical issues are discussed with the care team.

The rest of my day varies a lot depending on what is going on with my residents. Some of the things that I do are:

• New admission assessments where I look at resident’s diagnoses, diet, weight history, labs, medications and nutritional needs. 
• MDS assessments and care plans
• Log and chart on weight loss and gain
• Add supplements to resident’s diets as needed to meet nutritional needs
• Calculate and monitor tube feeding
• Ensure that resident’ s with wounds are getting proper nutrition
• Work on food service issues (this is not often because the dietary manager mostly handles food service)
• Do quality assurance audits where I explore ways that we can improve our current systems.
• Attend resident care conferences with family members where we discuss the plan of care for the resident and solve any issues going on. 

As you can see, I do all kinds of different tasks which helps to keep my day interesting. I love what I do and would highly recommend checking out long term care positions for anyone who is a RD or who is interested in becoming a RD. Many new dietitians do not think that they would enjoy working in a nursing home but it is a great option. I get to use many of my clinical skills and nutrition knowledge.

After work, I often work on my blog, The Nutritionist Reviews or write nutrition articles for Demand Studios.

If you have any questions about becoming a dietitian or about what I do, please feel free to email me achernandez711@yahoo.com.

A big thanks to Emily for letting me guest post on her blog!

{Thank you Amanda for sharing your story and what a typical day for you looks like! Stay in touch with Amanda here: facebook | twitter}

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Can I share a total midwest recipe with you?

I know, I live in LA – land of green juice and salads – and I want to share a not-so-healthy recipe that is comprised of mayonnaise and cheese. But we can call it parmesan crusted chicken and pretend it’s fancier than it really is.

As much as I drink the “green juice and salad” kool-aid there are times when I enjoy some good old comfort food.

And an easy dinner. I know everyone loves an easy, no-fuss recipe for busy weeknights. It’s simple: mix together mayo + parmesan cheese, top chicken (or salmon – also amazing on salmon) and bake! Truthfully, it’s not made with the healthiest of ingredients, but its really not that terrible calorie-wise so I’m not concerned.

The original recipe from Hellman’s calls for bread crumbs, but I left them out both times and still loved the results! I think it is the juiciest chicken I’ve ever made. Just another reason to make it… 

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drinking a glass of warm lemon water each morning. Read more about this Aruvedyic practice on my learnist board.

pre-ordering Gwyneth Paltrow’s new book, It’s All Good – can’t wait for this one.

visiting our family and friends in Wisconsin and Minnesota. We met 4 babies, saw 3 little ones, and a whole lot of friends. It was non-stop!

spending my thirtieth birthday with a wellness shot (lemon, ginger, oil of oregano, garlic extract and cayenne), green juice and a bowl of pho. (We both caught colds on our trip.)

running. And dare I say kind of enjoying it?! Getting ready for 8 miles this weekend!

picking up a bad shellac manicure habit. But it’s so nice to not have to paint my nails all the time…

celebrating my birthday for real at AOC with Richie and then at the horse track with my cousins – so fun! (AOC had a focaccia topped with young broccoli, cipollinis, burrata and bagna cauda that was RIDICULOUS. I can’t stop thinking about it.)

really needing some yoga in my life. Please motivate me.

What’s going on with you? 

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