Favorite Recipes from Eight Local Nutritionists
Ever wondered what nutritionists eat? So do we! After all, they are in the business of healthy eating and keeping fit. for a little extra inspiration to fill your own plate with some healthy eats, Here’s what these nutritionists are into at the moment.
1. Colleen Flynn, Nutritional Therapy Practitioner
Nutritional Zest
Favorite Meal: My NZ Nourish Bowl
It’s got it all: protein, healthy fats, loads of veggies, a variety of textures, and lots of color.
Recipe:
Chicken (or protein of choice), roasted veggies, sautéed greens, raw beet sauerkraut, and fresh sliced avocado arranged on a bed of cauli-rice and drizzled with a sweet tahini-lemon dressing.
Nutrition Nugget:
Raw beet kraut is amazing for gut health and—since 90 percent of our immune power is in our guts—this is the perfect food for immunity and flu season!
2. Brenda Gregory, Nutritionist
Energized Wellness
Favorite Meal: Tacos
You simply can’t be Texan and not love tacos—especially the breakfast kind! So, you can imagine the heartbreak I felt when my food sensitivity results came back positive for eggs. After a very real meltdown/tantrum, I got to work in the kitchen to create a void-filling taco that I could eat in the morning. My go-to is this detoxifying, protein-packed, and gluten- and egg-free taco.
Recipe:
Ground turkey, bacon, and kale—all sautéed in olive oil with sea salt, chili powder, ground garlic, cumin, and a touch of smoked paprika. The toppings vary dependent upon what’s in my fridge, but my favorites are red onion, microgreens, fresh cilantro, avocado, and—because dairy is personally not an issue—raw, sharp cheddar. Wrap it all up in Siete grain-free tortillas!
Nutrition Nugget:
Not only are these tacos a yummy, filling way to get the day started, but the protein and fats help to stabilize blood sugar throughout the morning, curbing carb cravings. The kale, microgreens, and onion are wonderful detoxifiers as well!
3. Dr. Lauryn Lax, Functional Medicine Practitioner, Occupational Therapist, Nutritionist
Thrive Wellness & Recovery
Favorite Meal: Avocado Chicken Salad
I love how simple chicken salad is! It makes the perfect refreshing protein lunch and goes with everything—stuffed into a sweet potato, atop a salad, or wrapped into a collard green or coconut flour tortilla. If you add nutritional yeast on top, you can also give it a “cheesy” taste.
Recipe:
Mix together shredded chicken and avocado oil mayo (homemade or Primal Kitchen brand) with add-ins of choice (plantain chips, diced apples or grapes, sliced cashews or pecans, dried cranberries, chopped cucumbers or celery, cilantro, dill, etc.).
Nutrition Nugget:
When choosing your meats, remember not all meats are created equal! The words “natural” and “no antibiotics” means nothing (all meats are “natural” to some degree). Opt for “pastured” or “organic” as much as possible for birds that were raised humanely and healthfully. Lazy chef tip: Buy a pre-made organic rotisserie chicken from Whole Foods. You WILL taste and digest the difference. And one more: Nutritional yeast is a “cheese-like” seasoning packed with B vitamins (essential for energy and metabolism). It is also a great addition for vegan and vegetarians to add to their diets, since they are often deficient in vitamin B12. You can add it to soups, stews, bowls, or veggies.
4. Kristen Files, Nutritional Therapy Practitioner
Hearts for Health
Favorite Meal: Baked Salmon
I prepare the salmon with simple seasonings and a side of soaked quinoa and balsamic asparagus, roasted cabbage and cauliflower rice, or with a fried egg for breakfast. Not only does it taste great and feel fancy, it also boasts healthy fatty acids which are vital for regulating our inflammatory response.
Recipe:
Baked salmon is super easy but most recipes result in dry over cooked fish. The trick to a fabulous fillet is to start with a cold oven. Season your salmon with your favorite spice blend, drizzle with butter or olive oil, place on a cookie sheet, and place in a cold oven. Set oven to 400 degrees, remove salmon after 12-15 minutes (or when it perfectly flakes). Sometimes it will look almost raw, but this is when it tastes the best.
Nutrition Nugget:
Buyer beware: Make sure you are sourcing that salmon well. What is by nature a super food has become a toxin at the hands of big industry. Always purchase wild-caught and fresh. Look for a deep orange-red flesh color. Never buy farm-raised.
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5. Eleni Ottalangana, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
The Healing Roots
Favorite Meal: Basil Cassava Pizza
It is so delicious and replaces any processed pizza option but still offers the same great taste! It is also free of all the main allergens, making it easy to serve everyone! After creating the cassava "crust,” I roast cauliflower, then mix it with nutritional yeast and garlic. This serves as the white sauce. Topped with fresh basil and a drizzle of Con' Olio olive oil.
Recipe:
Topping:
1 head cauliflower, chopped into florets
1 clove garlic
2 T. nutritional yeast
2 tsp. avocado oil
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
Sea salt and pepper
Steps:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a baking dish, mix cauliflower with oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for 20–25 minutes.
3. In a blender, mix cauliflower with garlic, nutritional yeast, and more oil if needed.
4. Transfer ingredients to a small bowl and combine with basil. Set to the side.
Pizza Crust:
1 cup of cassava flour
1 tsp. sea salt
2 T. olive oil
2 T. avocado oil
1/2 cup of water (add more if mixture is dry and crumbling)
Steps:
1. Mix all pizza crust ingredients together, except for avocado oil.
2. Use a rolling pin to smooth out into a thin crust.
3. Heat skillet to medium high heat, then add 2 T. of avocado oil.
4. Transfer dough into hot skillet, cook for about two minutes on each side or until it starts to bubble, then flip.
5. Remove from heat onto a baking sheet.
6. Spread cauliflower and basil topping on the crust. Broil for 2–3 minutes in the oven. Remove from oven, then drizzle with olive oil and cut into pizza slices and serve.
Nutrition Nugget:
Cassava is a root vegetable and also known as a resistant starch. It is rich in fiber, which is beneficial to the balance of a healthy microbiota.
6. Jessica Pearson, Certified Food Coach and Beth Barnett-Boebel, Registered Functional Dietician
Path Nutrition
Favorite Recipe: Garden Hand Rolls
You can make them at home or try them at Koriente. The base of this meal is a rainbow of shredded veggies which provide an excellent source of fiber, vitamin C, potassium, and phytonutrients. We also add protein like salmon, fat from avocado, and steamed rice for added energy.
Recipe:
Pick a protein like salmon, chop avocado, and steam some rice. Enjoy this dish by rolling it all up like a taco in a nori sheet, which is loaded with minerals. We love to dip our rolls in spicy gochujang and sip on nourishing miso soup on the side.
Nutrition Nugget:
One powerhouse vegetable in this dish is the purple cabbage. Purple cabbage has sulfur-containing compounds that are used to neutralize free-radicals that cause damage to our tissues and is a heavy hitter in our liver for our natural detoxification cycles. It also contains a phytonutrient called anthocyanin, which is what makes up the purple color. Anthocyanins have a role in reducing inflammation in the body and in supporting eye health.
7. Shannon Pickering, Autoimmune Coach
Autoimmune Foodie
Favorite Recipe: Nightshade-Free Chili
This meal is paleo- and autoimmune-friendly, plus low in mycotoxins. I love one pot meals that are simple, healthy, fast, and delicious. My Nightshade Free Chili also uses fresh herbs and white pepper to minimize mold toxins.
Recipe:
Ingredients:
1 pound grass-fed ground beef
2 T. beef tallow
1/4 cup oconut aminos
2 T. turmeric powder
Fresh thyme
Fresh oregano
Ground white pepper*
Sea salt
2 bay leaves
2 cups shredded carrots
2 large or 4 small red beets
2 cups water or beef stock
Brown grass-fed ground beef in 2 T. tallow. Sprinkle meat with 1/4 cup coconut aminos and 2 T. dried turmeric. Add fresh thyme and oregano plus two bay leaves. Stir. Sprinkle with sea salt and white pepper*. Stir again. Add carrots and beets and stir. Add water or broth. Cover and simmer on low up to one hour.
*Omit white pepper to be completely nightshade free.
Nutrition Nugget:
Approximately 28 percent of people have genetic susceptibility to mold toxins. Mold toxins are higher in some foods that others. For example, black pepper is high in mold toxins, but ground white pepper is low in mycotoxins. So making this simple switch from black to white pepper will make many people feel better.
8. Carly Pollack, Certified Clinical Nutritionist
Nutritional Wisdom
Favorite Meal: Sesame Noodles
Ingredients:
1 package brown rice or buckwheat noodles
2 T. sesame oil, plus a splash
3½ T. tamari
2 T. Chinese rice vinegar
2 T. Chinese sesame paste
1 T. smooth peanut butter (optional)
1 T. finely grated ginger
2 tsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. chili-garlic paste, or to taste
Half a cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into two-inch sticks
1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts (optional)
Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add noodles and cook until barely tender, about five minutes; they should retain a hint of chewiness. Drain, rinse with cold water, drain again, and toss with a splash of sesame oil.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining two tablespoons of sesame oil, the tamari, rice vinegar, sesame paste, peanut butter, ginger, garlic, and chili-garlic paste.
3. Pour the sauce over the noodles and toss. Transfer to a serving bowl, and garnish with cucumber and peanuts.
Nutrition Nugget:
I love the Eden Select Buckwheat noodles, since they are 100 percent buckwheat and gluten-free. Another trick I often suggest is using half gluten-free noodles, and half veggie noodles (like spiralized zucchini) to get in an extra serving of veggies.
