Happy New Year, Nutrition Bytes Subscribers!

The holiday season before the new year typically means special foods, baked goods, and more time spent in the kitchen. I love that food has such a deep cultural significance and can represent so much more than just energy for our body – it can represent nostalgia, comfort, and happiness, just to name a few!

However, sometimes all of this holiday cooking can make me feel a little burned out in the kitchen. To start the new year, I want to share with you some of my favorite minimal-cooking, minimal-prep, fool-proof balanced “back-up” pantry/freezer meals that my family uses on a regular basis.

All of these meals below generally follow the plate method of meal planning to ensure nutritional adequacy, satiety, and balance:

Salmon or Turkey Patty + Bagged Salad Kit + Pre-made Tortellini or Pasta

Ingredients:

Frozen salmon or turkey burger patty Refrigerated packaged tortellini, low-sodium canned beans, or pasta Refrigerated bagged Caesar Salad Kit or salad kit of your choosing

Directions

Cook salmon patty according to package directions (generally, takes ~6 minutes in a skillet). Cook tortellini, pasta, or heat beans if desired according to package directions (~5 minutes on stovetop). Open salad contents and mix together (be mindful of salad dressing portion size). Add cooked patty and tortellini.

**HEALTHY SALAD TIP: To avoid using excess dressing, find a container with a lid. Add all the contents, use half the amount of dressing you normally would, secure the lid on top, and shake, shake, shake!

 
 
Frozen Chicken Nuggets + Teriyaki Sauce + Frozen Vegetables + Instant Rice

Ingredients:

Frozen chicken nuggets (Recommended brand: Just Bare Chicken Nuggets) Frozen vegetable medley (choose plain without any sauces/seasonings) Minute Brown Rice Cups Teriyaki sauce of choice

Directions

Cook chicken nuggets, brown rice cups, and chicken nuggets according to package directions. Add vegetables to a sauté pan and heat. Combine all other ingredients into the pan and heat thoroughly.

Microwave Baked Potato + Plain Greek Yogurt + Ground Beef/Turkey + Cheese

Ingredients:

Small/medium size baking potato (suggested: russet potato) Plain low-fat Greek yogurt Ground beef/ground turkey Cheese

Directions:

Microwave baked potato: Prick a clean and dry baking potato with a fork a few times. Then, place on a microwave-safe plate and heat for about seven minutes. Cook ground beef/ground turkey in a pan and drain/discard the fat drippings. Assemble the potato: Once the potato has cooled, cut open and top with Greek yogurt, ground meat, cheese, and any other desired toppings.

 
 
Black Bean Fajita Skillet Tacos

Ingredients:

No salt added/low Sodium canned black beans Frozen Fajita vegetables Shredded cheese Tortillas Optional: scrambled eggs, pre-cooked frozen sliced chicken breast/chicken nuggets, or store-bought rotisserie chicken

Directions:

Heat fajita vegetables and beans in a skillet. Heat frozen chicken breast or scramble eggs (if using). Place in a tortilla and enjoy!

 
Whole Wheat Toast with Avocado & Pan-Fried Egg

Ingredients:

Whole wheat bread (look for bread with 2-3 g fiber per slice) About ¼ of avocado, sliced Egg, cooked in a skillet as desired

Directions:

Toast bread, slice avocado, and cook egg as desired. Assemble into an open-faced sandwich and enjoy!

Kick off the first quarter of the New Year with a focus on physical wellness. It’s the perfect time to start or step up your game. Wellness Online can help you get and stay on track - one day at a time. Join the Workout Time Challenge Jan. 13 - 19. Schedule your workouts, track your activity, and feel better while earning points towards quarterly drawings!

Get started today!

To receive one-on-one support, schedule a session with one of our Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs). There is never a cost for appointments and sessions can be done over the phone.

Call today to schedule a free session!

Emily Patterson
RDN
Virtual

Alisha Jones
RDN
Ingalls

Sara Foster
RDN
Ingalls

Rebecca Vick
RDN
Newport News

To schedule an appointment at
Newport News, call 757-327-4200.

To schedule an appointment at
Ingalls, call 228-205-7700.

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Q: Should I track calories every day?

A: The short answer: it depends. Depending on your “knowledge” of nutrition, starting to look at food labels can be helpful to begin to understand more about the calorie content of food, but this is where it gets tricky.  Tracking calories and having a running daily total can lead to “robotic” thinking about food. Instead of listening to what your body is telling you about its hunger, fullness, or cravings, when you track calories, your focus shifts more on the numbers.  Plus, when you might even be 10 calories over, that can cause unnecessary anxiety!  Factors that are important for maintaining a healthy eating pattern include way more than just calories – think fiber, protein, vegetables, etc. There is no way to capture all of that in just a simple calorie number.  If you do track calories, I recommend only doing so for a short amount of time to gain a better understanding of your eating patterns.

 For a more personalized approach to tailoring a nutrition plan that fits your lifestyle, preferences, cultural background, and time, schedule a visit with a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist today! 

Tell your friends and coworkers to sign up for Nutrition Bytes at

myquadmed.com/hii/nutritionbytes

 
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