When we think of protein, the first image that might pop into our minds is of muscular athletes lifting weights. But protein is not just about building biceps; it’s an unsung hero for overall health, especially digestive wellness.

Why Protein is a Big Deal

1. Balanced Blood Sugar: Including protein in your meals can help stabilize blood sugar levels. This means less likelihood of those mid-afternoon energy dips and sudden sugar cravings that can sabotage your healthy eating intentions.
2. Digestive Healing: Experiencing gut issues? Protein could be a part of the solution. It assists in repairing a damaged gut lining, a common concern for many.
3. Satiety and Stamina: Ever had a meal and felt hungry an hour later? Protein helps keep those hunger pangs at bay, ensuring you remain full and energized.
4. Building Blocks: Every cell, fluid, bone, muscle, and piece of cartilage in our body owes its existence to amino acids found in protein. It’s fundamental to our very being.

Where to Get Your Protein Fix

• Animal Sources: (Opt for organic and grass-fed when you can)
  • Chicken
  • Fish
  • Eggs
  • Game meat, ie. venison
  • Beef and bison
  • Bone broth
  • Dairy products, ie. Greek Yogurt
  • Protein supplements, ie. collagen, whey protein
• Plant-Based Options: (Go organic, and if possible, sprouted)
  • Nuts and nut butters
  • Seeds and seed butters
  • Whole grains, especially quinoa, amaranth, and sorghum
  • Beans and legumes
  • Soy, especially fermented versions like tempeh
  • Plant-based protein powders

And while it’s definitely easier to get 30g protein per meal with animal based sources, it’s possible to do it all plant-based as well. It requires more effort and often more carbs, but it is doable. Using plant-based protein powders is one way to get extra protein in if you’re plant-based. While I prefer whole real food, plant-based protein powders like Four Sigmatic or Vital Proteins Pea Protein (available at a discount to you via FullScript) can definitely give you a boost. It’s important to ensure that you’re getting enough of each of the essential amino acids from plant foods as many are much lower in plant foods like lysine, methionine, threonine, and tryptophan.

Serving Suggestions: How Much is Right?

For most, about 30g of protein each meal is a solid benchmark. To give you a visual, that’s akin to:

• A grilled chicken breast
• A generous helping of Greek yogurt sprinkled with nuts
• A substantial portion of tofu stir-fry over quinoa

Remember, individual needs may vary, so it’s essential to tailor recommendations to your unique circumstances and preferences. (That’s what I do as an Integrative RDN.)

Protein-Rich Meal Ideas

• Breakfast: Imagine a fluffy omelet loaded with spinach, mushrooms, and your choice of feta or goat cheese. Pair it with whole-grain toast (gluten-free if needed).
• Lunch: A salad with grilled salmon atop mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, finished with a balsamic drizzle.
• Dinner: A plate of lean chicken, venison, or tempeh stir-fry tossed with broccoli, carrots, bell peppers, and serve over a bed of quinoa.

Protein Deep Dive

If you’re wanting a deep dive into the protein conversation, this podcast with Dr. Gabrielle Lyon (~ 2 hours long) is packed with insight related to the importance of both dietary protein and body muscle stores.

Here are some key things to know about protein:

• Track your protein intake for at least 2 weeks so you know how much you’re getting and what foods have what. My clients have access to the journals (that I review) in Practice Better. Personally, I use Cronometer to track food and love it. For you MyFitnessPal fans, that works too.
• Aim for 1.0-1.2 g protein per pound of ideal body weight. So, if you want to weigh 150# and that’s a healthy weight for your gender, body type, and height, your goal would be to consume about 150 grams of protein per day. I’ll be the first to say that this sounds like a LOT.
• Try to eat about 30 g protein at all main meals. 30 g x 3 = 90 g so that’s a good start. You may need more protein depending on your goals and the math above.
• Eating adequate protein supports both fat loss (where you lose fat, not muscle) and weight maintenance. Muscle is extremely metabolically active. The more muscle you have, the more calories your body burns at rest.
• Don’t wing it. Make a plan to get what your body needs and stick to the plan. While I have nothing against carbs (seriously), it’s really easy to overeat carbs, especially highly processed refined carbs in meals and snacks.
• At meals, try eating protein and vegetables first.
• Protein is made up of amino acids. Of the 20 different amino acids, 9 of them are “essential”. This means that your body can’t make them, you have to get them from food. Plant-based foods are often missing one or more of the essential amino acids. You can get them all eating plant-based, you just have to do it intentionally.
• Each of the amino acids has specific functions in the body. You can think about each of the 20 amino acids as their own nutrient. Just another reason adequate protein is key to immune, cellular, and gut health.
• If you’re not hungry enough to eat a whole chicken breast or 1 cup of beans, you’re probably not hungry!
• There are 2 keys to building muscle:
  • 1. eat enough protein (ie. 30 g/meal)
  • 2. do resistance training 2-3 days/week to stimulate muscle hypertrophy (AKA growth)
• Since we ALL eat and less than 25% of Americans meet the minimum exercise recommendations, start with increasing protein to stimulate muscle growth (AKA hypertrophy) and then add in resistance training.
• Muscle is your metabolic sink! The more muscle you have, the better able your body is to handle the food you’re eating (specifically carbs, sugars, and fats). Muscle helps prevent and reverse insulin resistance and helps with glucose sensitivity.

In a nutshell, protein is more than just a muscle maker. It’s a wellness warrior, ready to support you in your health journey. Dive in and enjoy its myriad benefits!

Is brewing kombucha (or insert a challenge here) a lot of work? Well. . . like so many things, it depends.

It depends on if you’ve done it before.

It depends on whether you know the steps to take to make a successful batch.

It depends on whether it’s a priority for you and it’s something you want to do.

Here’s the thing. . . if you don’t want to take the time and effort to make kombucha, don’t. There are tons of great options to buy it at lots of different stores. Or don’t buy it at all if it’s not your thing.

Doing hard things

But, what about exercise? What about cooking? These are two areas I here from clients over and over again that they are hard.

Again, “hard” is relative and it depends.

Are you trying to do too much too fast?

Are your expectations for yourself bigger than the time and energy you have to dedicate?

Again, if it’s not a priority for you, you’re NOT going to do it. You’re not going to find the time and bring the energy.

So. . . what do you do?

First, let’s take a quick peek at a (rough) concept I recently learned from Yuri Elkaim as another way to describe hard things.

Most of us operate in the comfort zone where the “hard” things like cooking your own healthy meals consistently, working out and building muscle or chasing fitness goals, and even making kombucha. . . seem out of reach.

This is the comfort zone or status quo where the time required is minimal and so are the results.

The problem is that to get to progress and success (whatever that looks like for you), takes time AND walking through the unknown or chaos.

You HAVE to go through the chaos of not knowing what to do to reach success and make progress. The DOING of the thing that seems hard is the only path to progress, success, mastery, and competence.

It will feel HARD at first. Expect it to. Any new thing will feel hard in the beginning.

As you wade through the chaos, you’ll move towards what you want whether that’s to be lean and toned, getting rid of your digestive symptoms, cooking family meals from scratch, or making a batch of kombucha.

Why doing hard things matters

I’d like to share a snippet with you that came to me by way of Atomic Habits author James Clear and written by entrepreneur and writer Nat Eliason on challenging yourself to do hard things and why it matters:

The ability to do hard things is perhaps the most useful ability you can foster in yourself or your children. And proof that you are someone who can do them is one of the most useful assets you can have on your life resume.

​Our self-image is composed of historical evidence of our abilities. The more hard things you push yourself to do, the more competent you will see yourself to be.

​If you can run marathons or throw double your body weight over your head, the sleep deprivation from a newborn is only a mild irritant. If you can excel at organic chemistry or econometrics, onboarding for a new finance job will be a breeze.

​But if we avoid hard things, anything mildly challenging will seem insurmountable. We’ll cry into TikTok over an errant period at the end of a text message. We’ll see ourselves as incapable of learning new skills, taking on new careers, and escaping bad situations.

​The proof you can do hard things is one of the most powerful gifts you can give yourself.

Nat Eliason

Let me reiterate: “The proof you can do hard things is one of the most powerful gifts you can give yourself” BECAUSE “the more hard things you push yourself to do, the more competent you will see yourself to be.”

One mantra I like to use is “I can do hard things.”

I’m training for a 100+ mile bike ride around the lake where I live in upstate New York. When I’m peddling and it feels really hard, I tell myself “I can do hard things”. Mindset is everything.

How can you apply this in your own life?

Take action

What do you want to do, be, or learn that right now feels HARD?

​Take the first step towards doing it. Enter the chaos. It won’t feel good at first but if you persist, you’ll get there if you have a plan, a recipe, or a guide.

So, what do you want to do, be, or learn that right now feels HARD? Leave a comment below and we’ll all cheer you on. -Erin

When it’s strawberry season, we pick strawberries, buy flats of strawberries from our CSA (community supported agriculture) share, and make ALL THE THINGS with the strawberries. Some even make it to the freezer for later.

One of our annual favorite June recipes is Strawberry Dream Chia Pudding. It’s fresh, it’s delicious, and it keeps really well. This chia seed pudding was inspired by The Kitchn and is incredibly smooth and creamy. It is gluten free, dairy free, a quick and easy recipe to make, and is loaded with real food nutrition.

Start with fresh strawberries or frozen strawberries, just be sure they are organic if possible. Strawberries are heavily sprayed with pesticides and since you eat the whole thing, it’s important buy organic strawberries to get all the goodness without the chemicals.

Add some coconut milk or other milk. Did you know. . . light coconut milk is just diluted full fat coconut milk? Save your money and dilute it yourself to make this Strawberry Chia Pudding. Thick almond milk, oat milk, and other plant-based milks work well too, they just don’t end up quite as creamy.

To sweeten the strawberry chia pudding, add some honey or maple syrup. You can also skip the sweetener if you prefer. About 10 drops of liquid stevia also works well as long as you replace the missing water with either a milk of your choice or water. To keep the consistency great, be sure to use the ratio of liquid to chia seeds that’s in the recipe.

This is one of our favorite recipes to take on camping trips. It packs a potent nutritional punch for kids (and adults too) with plenty of healthy fats and protein to sustain energy when being active outside. We also really like to put a dollop of this Strawberry Chia Pudding on our rolled oats or steel cut oats in the morning. It’s also a great way to add some texture, flavor, and sweetness to plain yogurt. Top with a sprinkle of granola and you have a snack or breakfast you’ll want to make again and again.

Enjoy and leave a comment below if you make it or if you have a question.

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Strawberry Dream Chia Pudding

This tasty dairy free pudding is a smooth, creamy, and delicious way to incorporate fresh or frozen strawberries in your diet.

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword chia, chia pudding, strawberry

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 8 half cup servings

Ingredients

• 2 cups strawberries hulled
• 1 can light coconut milk or 1/2 can full fat coconut milk plus 1/2 can water, or other milk like almond milk
• 1/4 cup honey or maple syrup, or skip and add 1/4 cup more milk or water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon lime zest awesome but optional
• 1/2 cup chia seeds white or black

Instructions

• In a blender, add all ingredients except chia seeds. Blend for about 30 seconds or until mixture is smooth and creamy.
• Pour creamy strawberry mixture into a medium bowl and whisk in chia seeds.
• Let mixture rest for a few minutes, whisk again. Repeat this 2 to 3 times to prevent chia seeds from clumping.
• Refrigerate for 30 minutes to overnight to set up. The longer the pudding is in the fridge, the more it will thicken.
• Serve and enjoy! This chia pudding keeps well in the fridge for 3-5 days.

Notes

• Black chia seeds work well for this recipe but personally, I prefer the look of white chia seeds in this pudding. If you can't find white chia seeds locally, check out Nuts.com  (that's where we get ours from). 
• To skip a step or two and some dishes, after blending, you could also add the chia seeds right to the blender canister and give them a stir. After they are mixed up, pour the mixture right into a 1 quart jar to thicken up. 
• This is one of my family's favorite camping snacks and topper for a warm bowl of oatmeal or steel cut oats. 

To make the salad, start with cooking and cooling the quinoa.

While the quinoa is cooking, prep your other ingredients including spinach (or tatsoi), red onion, and chop the strawberries.

Dry roast the walnuts or pecans in a small heavy bottomed pan to lightly toast until they smell fragrant but not burned. Set the nuts aside.

Mix up the dressing. Add all of the ingredients including freshly squeezed lemon juice, lemon zest, honey, mustard, poppy seeds, salt and pepper. Whisk until well combined then drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil while continuing to whisk. Set aside.

Next, combine the cooked and cooled quinoa with the spinach and strawberries. Slowly drizzle in the dressing until you have enough to evenly coat the salad. If you have extra, just put it in the fridge and save it. Your strawberry spinach quinoa salad is coming together!

Finally, top with the toasted and cooled nuts and take to your potluck, picnic, or party. Not only will you have a healthy option to eat there, your guests will be pleased there is a wholesome dish with vegetables too. =)

If you make this or have questions, be sure to leave a comment below or tag me on Facebook or Instagram. I LOVE hearing from you. Enjoy!

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Strawberry Spinach Quinoa Salad

This is a quick salad to make that's perfect for summertime picnics, potlucks, and other gatherings. It also keeps well for a few days for lunchtime meal prep.

Course Main Course, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword June produce, picnic, potluck, quinoa salad, strawberries

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa cooked and cooled
• 3 cups spinach leaves chopped
• 1 small red onion diced
• 1 cup strawberries chopped
• 1/2 cup walnuts or pecans chopped, toasted

Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing

• 1/4 cup lemon juice freshly juiced from about 2-3 lemons
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest from 1 lemon, use a microplane
• 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard gluten free if needed
• 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt fine
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

• Cook and cool quinoa. To do this, rinse with a fine mesh strainer until the water runs clear then combine in a saucepan with 2 cups water. Boil then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Then, remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes. If using a pressure cooker, cook for 1 minute at high pressure then allow natural release for 10 minutes.
• While the quinoa is cooking and cooling, chop the spinach, strawberries, onion, and add to a large bowl.
• Dry roast the nuts in a heavy bottom skillet until they smell lightly toasted. Set aside in a bowl to cool.
• Next, make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, lemon zest, honey, mustard, poppy seeds, salt, and pepper until well combined. While whisking, slowly add the oil.
• Add the cooled quinoa to the strawberry spinach mixture and toss. Slowly add the dressing and toss. If you have extra dressing, save as a salad dressing in the fridge or add more if needed. Sometimes the quinoa will dry out a bit when kept in the fridge for a day or two.
• Top the salad with the cooled nuts and serve.
• This salad is best eaten fresh but it will keep for 2 to 3 days. Enjoy!

Notes

• Take this delightful recipe to your next potluck, party, or picnic!
• To add additional protein to this salad to make it a complete meal, add 1 cup white beans or garbanzo beans.
• Make a double batch of the dressing so you’ll have extra for your salads for the week. The dressing will keep about 1 week in a sealed jar in the fridge. 

In my post 3 Reasons to Eat More Fermented Foods (and Where to Find Them), I discussed some of the health benefits of eating more fermented foods and especially, fermented vegetables. They are great for you gut but the hands-down number ONE reason I eat fermented foods is because they are downright delicious.

I actually crave the tart, tangy, and slightly salty flavor of homemade kraut (just like this super simple sauerkraut). Making fresh homemade kraut is easy and utterly inexpensive compared to its store-bought counterparts.

Sauerkraut sold at most stores is in a can or a jar on the grocery store shelf. If it’s been cooked and canned, the probiotics in the sauerkraut have been killed. If you’re wanting to buy sauerkraut similar to this super simple sauerkraut recipe, be sure to get raw lactofermented kraut found in a refrigerator in the store in a glass jar or bag.

Let’s get cooking. . . or more accurately shredding, salting, and packing.

Ingredients for making Super Simple Sauerkraut

Super Simple Sauerkraut is simple and easy and contains only TWO real food ingredients.

The first ingredient is cabbage. For a 1 quart batch, find a dense head of green cabbage weighing about 2 pounds. Organic is best but if you can’t find an organic cabbage, just peel off the outer couple layers of leaves and compost them.

If you prefer to make a Red or Ruby style kraut, you can use this exact sample Super Simple Sauerkraut recipe and just swap red cabbage for the green cabbage.

The next ingredient is the salt. Avoid using table salt that contains iodine as it will give the kraut an off metallic flavor. Pickling or kosher salt works if it’s finely ground. It’s pure but also devoid of much nutrition. I prefer using sea salt (with no added iodine) or Redmond Real Salt which is mined in Utah. When it comes to salt, just keep it simple and use what you have to get started.

Tips for making Super Simple Sauerkraut

For kraut, there are a few keys. Remember the following three “S” words and you’ll be good to go: shred, salt, submerge.

First, gather your equipment. You’ll need a large mixing bowl, a sharp chef’s knife or food processor for the cabbage, a cutting board, and the tools of fermenting such as a crock or 1 quart mason jar, weight (like a pickle pebble or 1/2 pint jar filled with water and topped with a lid), and a fermentation airlock (like a pickle pipe) or clean towel to cover. If you’d like to double, triple, or quadruple this recipe, it will work great. Just add the salt slowly and taste so you don’t over-salt the kraut. A good rule of thumb is about 1 tablespoon salt per quart.

Follow the recipe carefully, especially the steps on packing the kraut. The kraut will ferment from a few days to 2 weeks or more, depending on how tart you like it. The air temperature will affect how fast it ferments. You’ll know it’s done when it’s tangy and tart and tastes delicious to you. The color will change when it’s done as well, it will look like cooked cabbage instead of fresh cabbage. 

Sometimes, the waiting for it to be ready to munch on is the really really hard part. Take a deep breath, you can do it. So, get your hands on some cabbage and make it today!

Start with this Super Simple Kraut Recipe to get the hang of making kraut then branch out and add herbs, spices, and other vegetables. Adding some shredded carrot and ginger will give you a delicious carrot ginger kraut. Adding some caraway seeds to this Super Simple Kraut will give you a traditional sauerkraut with a different flavor. Experiment, have fun, and enjoy!

If you have questions or comments about this recipe, post them below. I love hearing from you.

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Super Simple Sauerkraut

This is an easy and quick recipe for a basic lactofermented sauerkraut.

Course Side Dish

Keyword kraut, sauerkraut, sauerkraut recipe, small batch

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Fermentation Time 7 days days

Servings 16 1/4 cup servings

Ingredients

• 1 cabbage 1 small head or about ¾ medium head, note green cabbage makes naked kraut and red cabbage makes ruby kraut
• 2 teaspoons sea salt use up to 3 teaspoons per quart, it should taste pleasantly salty but not too salty

Instructions

• Remove outer cabbage leaves and set aside. Cut cabbage in half, then in quarters. Cut out some of the cabbage core. Using a large chef’s knife, finely slice all cabbage. Alternatively, you could use a food processor to “slice” the cabbage. 
• Put cabbage in a large mixing bowl and add salt. Set aside for a few minutes then firmly massage mixture with your hands until liquid squeezes out of cabbage, about 2 to 10 minutes.
• Pack cabbage tightly into a 1 quart (32 ounce) canning jar using a blunt object or kraut pounder. Press often when filling the jar to remove air bubbles and to allow the brine to come above the cabbage. Leave about 1 inch headspace in the jar since the cabbage will expand as it ferments.
• Cover the shredded cabbage mixture with cabbage leaves to keep the shredded cabbage in the brine. Add a fermentation weight, boiled rock, or bag filled with water to weigh it down (if desired).
• Put a lid or fermentation air-lock on the jar. Place in a cool place out of direct sunlight. 
• Allow cabbage to ferment for about 1 week for young crisp sauerkraut to about 2 weeks to 1 month for more sour, softer sauerkraut. Check on ferment and taste with a clean utensil every 2-3 days until you are happy with the flavor. If the top appears dry, pack down sauerkraut until liquid rises above the cabbage leaves. 
• Store sauerkraut in the refrigerator until it’s eaten. The cold temperature will significantly slow the fermentation process. 

Notes

• If you need to make a brine to cover your vegetables, mix about 1 tablespoon sea salt per 1 cup water, although this shouldn’t be necessary with kraut. 
• Once you get the hang of making basic sauerkraut, experiment with adding other ingredients to the base of cabbage like beets, garlic, dill, caraway seeds, etc. 

Carrots are delicious. Ginger is delicious. Add a little sea salt and a week or two of fermentation and you have a delightful Carrot Ginger Kraut to add to your meals.

Carrots and ginger are both yellow-orange foods. Add more color to your diet increases your dietary diversity which in turn increases the diversity in your gut microbiome which improves gut health, followed by improved overall health and immunity. Not bad, right?

Not only are there tons of phytontutrients, vitamins, and minerals in the carrots and ginger in this kraut, the process of fermentation by lactic acid bacteria make it both delicious and great for your gut. Don’t just take my word for it on why eating more fermented foods is supportive, check out this randomized controlled trial published in Cell in 2021 on fermented foods, microbiome diversity, and immune health.

How to make Carrot Ginger Kraut

Recently, I taught a cooking class at our local food co-op on how to make kraut! It was super fun and the Carrot Ginger Kraut was a hit with participants. What I didn’t expect was when I got home from the class, my kids asked if they could have some of the fermented krauts I brought home and polished off the jar of Carrot Ginger Kraut.

Part of the reason they were so excited to taste (devour) it was because my 3 year old helped with the prep for the class. He processed all 6 pounds of carrots for the class ‘all by himself’. If you have kids in your life, get them involved in the kitchen!! Not only is is amazing for them, you will benefit too. But I digress. . .

To make the Carrot Ginger Kraut, start by collecting your ingredients. You’ll need some carrots (preferably organic), a knob of ginger (fresh or frozen), 1 lemon (preferably organic, you’ll use the outside peel), and some sea salt. For the salt, unrefined sea salt works great. Kosher salt (fine) also works well. Don’t use salt that has added iodine as it will negatively impact the taste of your ferment. My go-to sea salt for cooking and fermenting is Redmond Real Salt which is mined from ancient salt beds in Utah and contains loads of trace minerals.

Next, gather your equipment. You’ll need a large mixing bowl, a grater or food processor for the carrots, a fine grater or microplane for the ginger and lemon, a cutting board, a chef’s knife, and the tools of fermenting such as a crock or 1 quart mason jar, weight (like a pickle pebble or 1/2 pint jar filled with water and topped with a lid), and a fermentation airlock (like a pickle pipe) or clean towel to cover.

Follow the recipe carefully, especially the steps on packing the kraut. The kraut will ferment from a few days to 2 weeks or more, depending on how tart you like it.

Tips on fermenting Carrot Ginger Kraut

If it’s warm in your kitchen (like above 75 degrees F), you’re in danger of undesirable microbes like yeast predominating your kraut because of the heat and the sugar content of the carrots. The lemon juice and zest help acidify the kraut to prevent undesirable microbes from predominating in the ferment early on.

You have a couple of options to help ensure your kraut will ferment as planned. First, when it’s packed in the jar, put it in a cool place like on the floor in your basement if it’s summertime. Just don’t forget about it and check it regularly. Second, if you have some fermented cabbage kraut, add a tablespoon of the juice or brine to kick off lactic acid fermentation in your Carrot Ginger Kraut. That’s it.

Ferment your kraut, after a few days, taste it regularly and enjoy!

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Carrot Ginger Kraut

This simple non-cabbage kraut is a kid-friendly favorite.

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword carrot kraut, fermented ginger carrots, kraut, sauerkraut

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Fermentation Time 14 days days

Servings 1 quart

Equipment

• 1 Pickle Pebble work great with any wide mouth mason jars, optional: https://amzn.to/3SujE6F
• 1 Pickle Pipe work great with any wide mouth mason jars, optional: https://amzn.to/3BK8Yen
• 1 wide mouth canning funnel not essential but definitely limits the mess: https://amzn.to/3OYFEnm
• 1 Chef's knife not the one I used in the video but a great budget friendly knife I highly recommend: https://amzn.to/3vKjm1E

Ingredients

• 2 pounds carrots washed, ends trimmed, no need to peel if organic
• 2 teaspoons fresh ginger root grated with a fine grater or microplane
• 1 lemon zested with a fine grater or microplane
• 1/4 lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons sea salt fine

Instructions

• Grate or shred all carrots. A food processor will make this much faster.
• Add carrots to a large mixing bowl and add salt, ginger, and lemon. Mix then set aside for a few minutes.
• Firmly massage the carrot mixture with your hands until liquid squeezes out, about 2 to 10 minutes.
• Pack carrots tightly into a 1 quart (32 ounce) canning jar using a blunt object or kraut pounder. Press often when filling the jar to remove air bubbles and to allow the brine liquid to come above the mixture. Leave about 1 inch headspace in the jar since the carrot mixture will expand as it ferments. Cover the shredded carrot mixture with cabbage leaves if you have them to seal out air and keep the carrots below the brine.
• Put a lid or fermentation air-lock on the jar. Place in a cool place out of direct sunlight.
• Allow carrots to ferment for about 1 week for young crisp carrot kraut to about 2 weeks for more sour, softer kraut. Check on ferment and taste with a clean utensil every 2-3 days until you are happy with the flavor. If the top appears dry, pack down kraut until liquid rises above the cabbage leaves.
• Store carrot ginger kraut in the refrigerator until it’s eaten. The cold temperature will significantly slow the fermentation process.

Notes

If the temperature is warm (above 75 degrees F), either ferment your carrot ginger kraut in a cooler place like on the cool floor in a basement or add some cabbage sauerkraut juice to help kick off fermentation of your ferment. Yeast may feed off the sugars in the carrots and take over if it’s too warm. 

Recipe adapted from Fermented Vegetables by Christopher and Kirsten Shockey.

If you want to master vegetable fermentation and find recipes for ALL THE THINGS, get this book. It’s awesome. 

You know those occasions where you need to make something quick to bring with you to share? I’m thinking about potlucks, parties, summer picnics. . . the bake sale at your kid’s school. This is my go-to dessert for any of those occasions.

As an Ithaca, nutritionist, I’m known for *always* showing up with something tasty, and healthy, and more than likely most-of-the-allergens-free. More than any other dish I’ve ever brought to parties, potlucks, and other events, THIS is the one I get asked for the recipe the most.  

If you’re looking for the “best ever” chocolate chip cookie recipe, you just found it.

I taught a class at Greenstar Co-op in Ithaca, NY recently and when asked which dessert was their favorite, about half of the attendees raised their hands for this recipe. I’m done hyping this recipe, just go make it. 

They take about 5-10 minutes to make max and freeze really well for months (if they last that long). The only way I can get them to last that long at our house is if I hide them behind a bag of frozen peas in our deep freezer. . . but I digress. 

Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies Ingredients

These cookies are super simple and the ingredients can be switched up to suit your needs and preferences. I don’t know how to take away the nuts though as almond flour is the base so check out another recipe on my blog if you’re tree nut-free.

The base ingredients are:

• Almond flour– you can also use almond meal which is whole almonds ground instead of blanched almonds ground but they will taste a little heartier and not be as light in color. I really like using half almond meal, half almond flour if I have both. Keep your almond flour in the freezer to prevent it from going rancid! 
• Oil– avocado oil or melted coconut oil are my go-to’s for this recipe. If you like the coconutty flavor, go for coconut. Avoid vegetable oil as it’s pro-inflammatory. 
• Maple syrup– get the good stuff. Yes it’s expensive and yes it’s worth it. You could also use honey if you have access to it. I haven’t tried other liquid sweeteners like yacon syrup or brown rice syrup but I imagine either would work with a little more or less almond flour. 
• Dark chocolate– why not skip the refined sugar and expensive bars and just go straight for the cacao beans? When I started putting cacao nibs in these (crushed cacao pods) instead of chocolate chips, my kids didn’t even notice. The sweetness from the almonds, vanilla, and maple syrup offsets the bitterness of the chocolate beautifully. Of course, you could also use crushed baking chocolate of any cacao content or go for mini-chocolate chips. 
• These are also really good with other add-ins like goji berries, dried cranberries (juice sweetened), or dried cherries. Yum. 

Enjoy! Leave a comment below and rate the recipe. I love hearing from you. 

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Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you're looking for the best ever chocolate chip cookie recipe (made from healthy ingredients), you just found it.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword almond flour, almond flour cookies, cacao nibs, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 30 cookies

Calories 114kcal

Author Erin Harner

Ingredients

• 2.5 cups almond flour
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 6 tbsp avocado oil, grapeseed oil, or melted/liquid coconut oil
• 6 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips or cacao nibs

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• Combine the dry ingredients (first 3) in a large bowl.
• Add the oil, maple syrup, and vanilla and stir well, then fold in the chocolate.
• Spoon heaping teaspoons of dough onto cookie sheets.
• Bake for about 7 to 10 minutes or until cookies are light brown.
•  Allow cookies to cool completely on parchment paper or a wire cooling rack.
• Refrigerate or freeze any leftover cookies. They will keep up to 3 months in the freezer.

Notes

• Cacao nibs are bitter but they are pure chocolate and loaded with polyphenols. 
• Enjoy Life Foods mini chocolate chips are allergy free and delicious, although they do contain cane sugar.
• Almond flour can be hard to find. If you can’t find it locally, go to Nuts.com. Alternatively, you can grind whole or blanched almonds into almond flour using a coffee grinder, food processor, or a dry canister to a high-powered blender (like a Vita-Mix).
• This recipe is adapted from the Gluten Free Almond Flour cookbook by Elana Amsterdam. This is a great cookbook but she uses agave and grapeseed oil heavily. We now know that agave is too high in fructose to be good for your liver. Maple syrup, honey, or just reducing sweeteners overall is a good idea. 

Any ideas what the “#1 thing you can do to reduce inflammation and diversify your microbiome is”? Take a guess or several.

• It’s not cut out sugar, although that’s a good one.
• It’s not eat plant-based, although that’s closer.
• It’s not stop eating gluten forever, although for some this is entirely necessary.

In the almost 2 hour interview, they get into lots of different topics but it all boils down to diversity. Specifically, increasing diversity in your diet by eating a greater variety of plant foods. Diversity has to do with the “what” of what you eat or the quality.

Dr. Minich spoke at length in the interview about why variety is more important than quantity. She also talked about “dietary micro-rotation” to increase diversity or the idea that you can make simple substitutions to increase the amount of diversity in your diet. Diverse diets feed your microbiome differently than eating the same foods over and over and over.

In short, adding diversity to your diet increases the diversity of your microbiome which enhances gut health and total body health.

Adding diversity to your diet is a pretty simple AND easy thing to do.

Let me give you some ideas from the podcast, my own life, and my work with hundreds of clients:

• Eat real food.
• When shopping, buy the purple carrots (or the yellow or red carrots). Try the dragonfruit or lychees.
• Add in spices and herbs to foods. Dried or fresh.
• Spice blends like garam masala, curry powder, chili powder, and even pumpkin spice can add variety.
• Teas and herbal tea blends are helpful to mix things up. Love green tea? Try sencha or matcha or gunpowder.
• When shopping, buy several types of apples instead of just one.
• Greens powders, veggie powders, herb powders, and mixed fruit powders can also add some extra diversity to your diet but they shouldn’t be your primary source of fruits, veggies, herbs, and spices. These work well in smoothies or elixirs.
• My personal favorite is to eat seasonally by shopping at a local farmers market or get a CSA (community supported agriculture) share from a local organic farm. The farmers grow so many different varieties of veggies and even fruits and other foods than what is sold in a grocery store. They have freedom to play around with different varieties because they already have people to take them home and eat them!

Check out the spread from our CSA that I picked up this morning. Note that it’s February in upstate NY and not a whole lot grows here in the winter. THIS is impressive. Also note that there are 4 different shares in the photo (from  Full Plate Farm Collective ) including a veggie share, fruit share (there were a lot more apples in the box than in the photo), yogurt share, and cheese share. The locally grown pinto beans came in the veggie share and the juices are local as well and were in the fruit share. When you have all of this amazing food, you figure out ways to use it and your family gets used to a variety of tastes, textures, and flavors (yes, even little kids).

ACTION: What is ONE thing you can do today to increase the diversity in your diet? Go do it.

Another way to increase the diversity in your diet is to make soup.

Warm up with a nourishing bowl of soup. Toss in as many different colored vegetables as you can and make a double batch and freeze in right-size portions for you and your family to help out future you. Because soup, stew, and chili are full of water, they keep really well for the week in the fridge and in the freezer. Freezing soups allow you to get more variety week to week versus eating the same soup or chili all week.

Here are a few of our family favorites:

•  Southwestern Black Bean Soup  (really really easy)
•  Butternut Squash Apple Soup 
•  Butternut Squash, Kale, and Quinoa Soup 
•  Harvest Vegetable Stew 
•  Turkey Chili with Kale 

So there you have it. The #1 thing you can do to reduce inflammation and diversify your microbiome is to diversify your diet. And, that’s something that’s both pretty simple and pretty easy to do.

1. It’s all about habits. What are you DOING each day that’s moving you towards your goal(s)? Habits often are not fun or sexy, they are 100% about doing the thing you said you’re going to do today, tomorrow, and the next day- even when you don’t feel like it. Even little things add up and make a huge difference over time. So. . . figure out what you need to do each day to feel how you want to feel. Start with the smallest, lowest hanging fruit first. What is it? Now get going!
2. You have to have a plan. This goes hand in hand with habits. The old adage of “failing to plan is planning to fail” is so true when it comes to health. If you want to be lean and fit and strong and show up at the gym without a plan of what you’re going to do, what will you do? You may make some gains since you showed up (high five!) but you’re probably not going to make the most of your time there. How about dinner time. What’s for dinner tonight? Do you know? If not, how are you going to figure it out? Are your go-to meals healthy? Is ordering take-out on the way home serving you?

FACT: to be healthy, you have to eat healthy food. Sorry but there is no way around this. The BEST way I know of to get healthy food in your body is to cook it. Healthy meals don’t have to be fancy, complicated, or Insta-worthy, they just need to fuel your body and mind with nutrition.

Here’s the first step to meal planning and adding in:

Make a list of your favorite go-to home-cooked meals (aim for at least 5-10). TAKE the 3-5 minutes to do it NOW.

Bonus points if you sort your list into 3 categories by time or type (less than 20 minute meals, 20-45 minute meals, 45 minute+ meals OR quick and easy meals, make-ahead meals, weekend/fancier meals)

You have to have a plan. The old adage of “failing to plan is planning to fail” is so true when it comes to health and nutrition.

If you have your meal planning master list in hand, here’s the next step:

I’m going to let you borrow my hat. Go ahead, put on my hat (integrative registered dietitian nutritionist, functional nutritionist, and health coach) for a couple minutes and answer these questions:

1. What colors of foods are on your list? (Could include white/brown, red, orange, yellow, green, blue/purple). Colors=phytonutrients. The more variety of colors, the better.
2. Does each meal or snack include a non-starchy vegetable like broccoli, cucumbers, leafy greens, etc.? If not, does it include a low sugar fruit like berries or cherries? In order to fit in at least 3 servings of non-starchy veggies each day and 1-2 servings of fruit, you want to include at least 1 serving at each meal. 1 serving= roughly 1 fist.
3. Does each meal include something rich in protein and/or healthy fats? Generally, you want 1-2 servings of protein at each meal (depends on gender, activity level, age, etc.). Does each meal and/or snack include protein-rich foods like eggs, meat, poultry, fish, Greek yogurt, beans or legumes, etc.? Nuts and seeds, nut butters, hummus, etc. are usually considered healthy fats. Healthy fats and protein help balance blood sugar and keep you full and satisfied for longer stretches of time.
4. Are your carbs whole foods? Think starchy veggies like sweet potatoes, butternut squash and whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, oats, whole grain baked goods, etc. If you have GI distress with certain high fiber foods, choose lower insoluble fiber options and be sure to reach out for nutrition support.

Now, go ahead and take your list of meals and EDIT it. Use the questions above to add or take-away components of each meal until you have a list that’s colorful, includes lots of non-starchy veggies, fruit, protein, healthy fats, and carbs. EDIT your list of favorite go-to home-cooked meals (aim for at least 5-10) based on the questions above and start choosing your meals from this list. This simple activity should radically reduce the brain-power needed at each meal to come up with something healthy and nourishing.

Here’s a helpful guide for serving sizes with roughly 1 serving of each thing per meal/snack for women and roughly 2 servings of each thing per meal/snack for men.

Now you’re on a roll with meal planning, here’s the next step, adding in:

Eating healthy is not rocket science, it takes some forethought, planning, and follow-through to buy the darn kale and figure out a way to cook it.

Now, I want you to think about adding in. This concept takes the premises of diet culture of cutting out and deprivation and flips them on their head. What can you add in?

• Diet:
  • Leafy greens you haven’t tried like bok choy or broccoli rabe?
  • Herbs and spices like turmeric, ginger, cayenne pepper, fresh cilantro?
  • Acid to balance flavors like a squeeze of lemon or dash of apple cider vinegar?
  • Fermented foods (1-2 Tbsp 1-3x/day) like sauerkraut, kimchi, yogurt, or fermented vegetables?
  • Water? Herbal tea?
• Lifestyle:
  • Go to bed 30 minutes earlier for 30 minutes more sleep?
  • Get out of bed when your alarm goes off to fit in some stretching, yoga, or exercise?
  • Brush and floss your teeth after dinner to curb the late night snacking?
  • 5 minutes of deep diaphragmatic breathing or meditation to start your day?

Here’s the cool thing about adding in. Pay attention, especially if you’re super busy and don’t feel like you have space to “add in” ANYTHING. Adding in forces you to crowd out. If you add in a serving of leafy greens at dinner, you won’t have room for something else. That’s the point. Add in, crowd out. Think about nourishing your body and make it a habit.

Here’s the challenge for you this week:

Diet: Look at your list of favorite go-to home-cooked meals and figure where you can “add in”. This simple activity should radically reduce the brain-power needed at each meal to come up with something healthy, nourishing, flavorful, and balanced.

Lifestyle: Where can you “add in” one small practice or habit that will make a big shift in how you feel in your body?

BONUS TIP: Adding things in can be more fun when you’re surrounded by like minded people or you’re doing it together with friends or family!

Let me ask you. Are you someone who sets New Year’s goals or resolutions and achieves them? Or are you someone whose plans flop early. Either way, this year, I want you to succeed!

Let’s start with 5 essential questions to propel you towards your health goals this year:

Answer these questions specifically related to your health (but they are just as effective for other areas as well). Hint- it really helps to write the answers down in a journal or on a piece of paper.

1. What are 5+ things you’re proud of from last year?
2. What are 1-3 things you wanted to accomplish last year but didn’t? Why?
3. What worked well for you last year? What didn’t work well for you last year?
4. What do you want to do more of this year? What do you want to do less of this year? 
5. It’s the end of the year and you’re telling a friend how proud you are of what you accomplished. What are you telling them?

These questions will help you proactively uncover potential obstacles and help you reach your goals. Once you’ve answered these questions, let’s make your goal stick this year! 

Here are 3 strategies for making your resolutions or health goals STICK this year:

1. Pick 1. Resolutions are just goals. Having goals is helpful! It gives you a target to hit or direction to head in. Keep it SIMPLE! You can’t possibly focus on a list of health goals (3, 5, or 7) goals at a time. Try 1. Just 1 or maybe one for each major area of your life like 1 personal goal and 1 for work, or 1 health goal, 1 personal goal, and 1 for work or business. Choosing on 1 goal allows you to focus your energy and efforts. For every additional goal you add (right now), you dilute your efforts and if you quit 1, the temptation is to just throw in the towel on all of them. So, what’s your 1 goal/resolution? If you’re having trouble choosing just 1, what could you focus on for the first quarter? You can always focus on other goals or health goals later in the year once you’re well on your way with the first one.
2. Make it actionable. The problem with goals is that they are not actions. Habits are actions repeated daily. The BEST way I know (and practice) to achieve goals is to DO the thing everyday, no matter what. In order to do the thing everyday no matter what, it has to be something you can DO even on the days you’re low in energy, super busy, or don’t feel like it. What is 1 action you can take everyday to get to your 1 goal?
3. Be the person who’s already achieved your 1 goal. In order to fully embrace your goal, you have to BE the person who does the things to achieve it. When you set out to do your action(s) each day, embody who you are wanting to become. You are not a person trying to be ___(insert your goal here), you ARE a person who is ___. Then get on with the action.

Let me walk you through these 3 strategies with an examples of health goals:

1. 1 health goal/resolution for this year is to feel lean, fit, and strong. More specifically, lose fat and gain muscle, reduce total weight by 15 lbs by June 1st.
2. Actions could be: strength train for 30 minutes 3 days per week, walk at least 12,000 steps per day, eat 5+ servings of vegetables per day, eat protein (20-30g) at every meal, cut out sugar and added sweeteners, fast for 14+ hours overnight, eat to 80% full, etc. (All of these WILL help this person reach their goal BUT trying to do them all at once is setting them up to fail. Choose 1 action for now and build on it later.) Let’s do a little combo here and say the action is to eat protein (20-30g) and at least 1 vegetable at every meal. Doable? Absolutely.
3. When this person is prepping meals, they need to BE the person who is lean, fit, and strong. They make and eat meals with protein and veggies with intention. Maybe they start meal planning each week, buying protein foods in bulk and freezing some in small portions, get their partner and family on board, and at the same time stop buying junk, and drinking sugar-filled lattes because they are someone who IS lean, fit, and strong. (See how this works? BE the person. . . =)
4. BONUS: This person has struggled in the past to stick to their goals and habits. Expedite your progress by finding an accountability partner or find a coach. If you’re someone who’s goals just haven’t stuck in the past, maybe it’s time to get some extra support to help you stay on track, hold you accountable to your goals, and give you the expert guidance needed to fast-track your progress. In this example, this person hired a nutrition coach to figure out what they needed to eat to support their body and make progress or if their goals were fitness-focused, maybe they joined a gym with a friend who will hold them accountable or hired a personal trainer with scheduled times to meet.

I love this quote and it applies here 100%:

“What is the simplest way to achieve this result?”

Greg McKeown

Now, I want to hear from you. What is your 1 health goal/resolution for this year? Leave a comment below.