Smoked mussels - have you tried them? It's been a while since I've had mussels (and I'm not sure I've had the smoked variety before), so when I saw them on sale I thought I'd give them a try. Turns out these are pretty delicious. Best thing is that both my kids like them (even the "picky" one). . These have been great for my "snacky" lunches - you know, the ones where you have a bunch of different foods on a plate like crackers, hummus, raw veggies, cheese, etc. . Nutritionally, mussels are great, too. This tin has about the same protein as two eggs and is a fantastic source of iron (both of which are great for my kids). . . . . . . #mussels #smokedmussels #fishfriday #nutrition #health #feedingkids #yycdietitian #yycwellness #yychealth #yycblogger #dietitian #calgarydietitian #snack #lunch #whatsforlunch

Is your weight loss diet getting in the way of your social life? Do you avoid parties or going out with friends in fear of the food that will be there? If so, your diet isn't working for you (even if you are losing weight). . What you eat, or don't eat, shouldn't impact your social life. This type of diet isn't sustainable. Your goal should be eat a balanced diet with lots of variety and not feel deprived. . This post is not to say that you have to eat every food offered in social situations. It's okay to decline foods if you don't want or like them, or if you're not hungry. It's just not healthy to avoid social situations because of the food that will be there. . . . . . . #health #nutrition #dietitian #calgarydietitian #calgary #intuitiveeating #yycdietitian #yycwellness #yychealth #yycblogger #weightloss #diet

I do love soup weather. This homemade Greek Red Lentil soup with Rosemary, lemon and feta cheese is devine. It's perfect for these really cold days we are having in #calgary. . Red lentils cook really quickly so are a great plant-based protein for when you are short on time. I think I made this soup in 30 mins! . My soup is accompanied by a taco (leftover from last night)...because soup + tacos go together, right? If soup and tacos aren't a thing, I think they should be! . . . . #health #nutrition #dietitian #calgarydietitian #yycdietitian #yycwellness #yychealth #yycblogger #familymeals #vegetarian #soupandtacos #lunchtime

Kitchen confession. I don't get bay leaves. To me they don't provide any flavour. I've tried omitting them in dishes that I normally use them in, and notice no difference. . I'm starting to think bay leaves are a joke played on us by the culinary world 🤣...OR regular, supermarket bay leaves are poor quality. . Your thoughts? Do you notice that they enhance flavour or have any flavour at all? . (I'm sure there are some chefs out there just rolling their eye at me right now 😂). . . . . . #cooking #yycdietitian #yycwellness #yychealth #yycblogger #dietitian #calgarydietitian #bayleaves #seriousquestion

Your weight loss diet isn't working if it makes you miserable. Seriously, what you eat shouldn't bring you so much grief. Thinking about what you can and can't eat shouldn't consume your thoughts. Food is just food. It shouldn't take over. If your weight loss diet is making you miserable...then it's not working. Even if you are losing weight. If dieting is sucking all the fun out of life, it's probably time to do something else. Perhaps you need more dietary balance, perhaps you need less rigidity, perhaps you need to allow yourself those foods that really make you happy. You may be surprised what a more balanced and compassionate approach can do for your health. #health #weightloss #diet #calgarydietitian #yycdietitian #calgary #yycwellness #yycblogger #dietitian

Got my hands on a couple dozen farm fresh eggs today! . My family goes through a lot of eggs. Breakfast is often boiled eggs and a high fiber toast or scrambled eggs with veggies like presliced mushrooms, (fresh or frozen) spinach/broccoli, or leftover veggies from the night before. We sometimes will do 'breakfast for dinner' (i.e. eggs for dinner) when we are either short on time or groceries. . If you are worried about eating too many eggs...don't. While the advice use to be that you should limit eggs to 3x per week because of their cholesterol, we now know that the cholesterol in food doesn't influence our body cholesterol. Eggs are a great source of protein and vitamins - don't miss out on this great food for unwarranted fears about cholesterol. . . . . #yycdietitian #yycwellness #yychealth #yycblogger #dietitian #calgarydietitian #calgary #familymeals #familytime #yycmom #eggs #farmfresh #fresheggs #breakfast

It seems to be warming up (compared to the -27 or so earlier today). 😖 It's definitely soup weather, don't you think? . If you are living in a deep freeze too, how are you keeping warm? . . . . #yyc #calgary #calgaryNW #yycdietitian #yychealth #yycblogger #yycwellness #nutrition #soupweather #winter #socold

Your weight loss diet isn't working if it means you have to eat differently than your kids (or whomever you eat with). Eating slightly different meals sometimes can make sense (like when food allergies or intolerances are involved) but for the most part it's best for everyone at the table to be eating the same food. Not only is preparing two meals more work, but it also isn't modeling healthy behaviour. From my experience, consistently eating different meals than your loved ones isn't sustainable. . . . . . #health #nutrition #dietitian #calgarydietitian #calgary #familymeals #familytime #yycmom #yycblogger #yycdietitian #yycwellness #yychealth #yycfamily #healthnotdiets #balancednotclean

Who says you can't have a picnic in -27 degree weather? . . . . #insideplay #coldoutside #yycdietitian #yycwellness #yychealth #yycblogger #dietitian #calgarydietitian #calgary #picnic #iswinteroveryet

Meal planning goes hand in hand with grocery shopping. Once my week's meals are finalized, I write my grocery list. I find having a well organized list makes my shopping more efficient, so I can get my shopping done quickly and without many tears (from the kids I often have to drag along). Writing a list (and sticking to it) helps me stay on budget and not buy a bunch of food that I don't need and that will go to waste. My grocery list always has: 1. A list of my planned meals at the top. I like having a visual of the meals because sometimes I have to make last minute changes depending on what ingredients are available, and I'm going to be honest, there are times when I forget which ingredient goes in which meal. 2. I divide the grocery items into departments. I list like ingredients in groups according to where they are located in the store. This helps me be more efficient with my time. Nobody likes having to zigzag back and forth in the store to find things. 3. If I have seen something on sale in a flyer, I will usually write it down so I know what to look out for. This may be an item that I'm not planning on using in the upcoming week's meal plan but could be such a good deal that it's best to pick it up now. 4. Under the fruits/vegetables (F/V) section, I often just write 'veg' (or veg x 2, 3, etc) if I don't know what type of vegetables I want. This reminds me that I need to get a certain amount of vegetables but leaves me open to decide the veggie when I'm in the store. 5. I write generic reminders like 'lunch stuff' to remind myself to pick up food for school, work or home lunches. Lunches are not planned in my house. Home lunches are usually leftovers but I do like to have a few items around for quick lunches. How do you write your grocery list? What helps you get your grocery shopping done efficiently? #calgarydietitian #yycdietitian #mealplanning #groceryshopping #grocerylist #grocerystore #health #calgary #inglewoodcalgary #dietitian #feedingkdis #healthyfamily #yycblogger #yycwellness