10 Easy Foodtrainers-Approved Dinners

*Since this was late to post Friday (Blogger down) leaving it up to be sure you have chance to read.


Many of us start the day out strong but then our eating suffers by sundown. I asked our Market Melissa to share some of the information from her “Taming Takeout” Market Foodtraining tours to help us solve the dinner dilemma. Thanks M.

I know how it goes. It’s 7pm and you walk in the door. You are tired, hungry and cranky. What’s for dinner?  That’ll be takeout (again). My clients have been there; I ‘ve been there. It’s a pattern we can all fall into and it isn’t a good one.  While I don’t expect anyone to start dicing, slicing and following a 20-ingredient recipe, making dinner can be quick AND healthy. My 3 “supper secrets” are:

• Make a menu plan-menu sounds complicated but know what you’ll eat each night of the week and shop for missing ingredients.
• Be your own sous chef- chop vegetables on Sunday, do as much advance prep as possible.
• Make extra, I always try and make extra servings when I am cooking so I have leftovers nights during the week when I know I will be working late.

So put away your takeout menu collection and try some of our favorite easy dinners:

1.  Fajita Omelet – we love breakfast for dinner. Sauté peppers and onions in 1 tsp. olive oil. Add in 1-2 omega 3 eggs and top with salsa and/or avocado.
2.  Multipurpose Marinade-  this is a great marinade from Clean Eating magazine. I let chicken breasts, cut into strips, marinate over night for more flavor and it’s ready for a  grill pan as soon as I walk in the door. 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil, 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard, salt and pepper for (4) 4 oz. chicken breasts. Trader Joe’s pre-cooked brown rice is always in my pantry- heat and top with chicken.
3.  Roasted Shrimp Cocktail – I love this simple and quick Ina Garten recipe for roasted shrimp. Serve over dinosaur kale or pre-washed salad greens.
4. Easy Oven Roasted Cod from Rosaberry. Preheat the oven to 400º. Line a baking pan with parchment paper. Season 1.5 pounds cod fillets with salt and pepper and sprinkle with lemon zest (1 tsp). Place the fillets on the parchment paper. In a bowl mix a pint grape tomatoes, ¼ cup pitted calamata olives, 2 tsp oregano, and  1 Tbs olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour the tomato mixture over the cod. Roast 12-15 minutes. Squeeze lemon wedge over cooked fish.
5.  Trader Joe’s Organic Baked Tofu (teriyaki or savory flavor). This is always in my refrigerator to throw over a salad or quinoa for an instant dinner. Quinoa is a staple on my weekly menu. It is one of the quickest cooking whole grains out there, done in 10 minutes.
6. Poached chicken – Simmer organic chicken in low sodium broth for 20 minutes or until cooked through. I like to make several servings to have as leftovers. Enjoy with roasted vegetables or wrap it up in a whole wheat or corn tortilla.
7.  Burger Night -  I love anything Applegate Farms especially their organic turkey burgers . For a Vegetarian option, my go to veggie burger is Sunshine Burgers (I like the falafel flavor) Both can be kept in the freezer and pulled out right before cooking. They are great on their own, topped with avocado, hummus or salsa or with a side of Alexia sweet potato fries. 
8. Organic Bistro meals – I am not a huge proponent of frozen meals, but they are good to have in a pinch. This line is the best one out there in terms of sodium content and the lack of preservatives. All ingredients are “real food.” My kind of ingredient list. The Wild Alaskan Salmon is a favorite.  
9. Pasta – I like using brown rice or quinoa pasta. Cook pasta according to package directions. Sauté your veggie of choice in garlic, olive oil and red pepper flakes (optional). Zucchini, asparagus & tomatoes, mushrooms, broccoli or kale are some of my favorites. Top pasta with veggies and fresh herbs (flat leaf parsley or basil work for any dish). Think more veggies and less pasta. Total time is less than 20 minutes. 
10. Portobello Pizza – Lauren told me about this one from the Swanky Dietitian and it has been in my rotation ever since. Super easy and helps satisfy my ever-present pizza cravings.                                                                                                                                      Are you a victim of the take out monster on weekdays? What are your go-to easy dinners? And what are your time-saving tips? To learn more about Melissa’s Market Foodtraining tours click here.

Are you an underachiever?

I know, here we are not even a week into this full-of-potential New Year and I come out with a bummer title like that. I’m not here to burst your motivated bubble; my intentions are good. You see, I was in a session on Monday with a client I’ve known for some time. We were setting goals for the year ahead and I was reviewing her food journal. This client is an exercise hater but we’ve made progress in that department. She has worked out with a trainer and managed to get into a routine where she does something about 3 days a week. As I looked over her exercise total,  I saw that she had done 2 25-minute workouts and one for 30 minutes. Few would argue that this is better than nothing.  I looked asked my client if 35 could be the new 25? She said, “it probably could, I just get to 25 minutes and feel I’ve done enough, I have the time though.”

You may call it settling into a routine but I think there are places for all of us where we consistently underachieve. There are certain yoga poses I just don’t do. Some of them I am incapable of going into without serious bodily harm. Others, I don’t do because I never do them. Occasionally I attempt a non-Lauren pose and I am surprised.  Aside from fitness, this same mentality apply to eating. How often you resort to take out when you have ingredients at home you could technically cook? Or do you have a snack after dinner simply because you always have a snack after dinner? Maybe you’re not hungry on a particular day; if you’re on autopilot you may not even notice this.

So while we’re setting lofty goals (did I really say I was writing a book?), think of the details too. Take a minute to file the papers on your desk rather than shuffling them or bring your lunch to work when there are leftovers, stretch after your run, you get it. There’s a difference between cutting yourself a break here and there and consistently copping out. OK having said all this, I should probably start to file and run more than a few miles at a time.

What areas do you see yourself underachieving? Would you call it underachieving?

Will I ever be able to do a headstand in yoga class?

Soup Season

While I love a good gazpacho in the middle of the summer, this time of year seems like the real soup season. Soup is fantastic on a raw, wintry day but it’s also good for weight loss efforts. Barbara Rolls’ Volumetrics research showed that when we eat soup as part of a meal, we tend to eat less. This has to due with the high water content of soup.  When choosing soup, out of the house, tomato-based, bean or broth based soups are good choices.  As if soups are “dairy free”, I find this is more strategic than asking if a soup contains cream and stick to those selections. To control sodium, stick to small sized soups and pair your soup with whole grain crackers, a side salad or fruit. I asked the writers behind some of my favorite blogs and sites for their soup selections around town or when not making their own.

Sara Reistad-Long, Svelte Gourmand

Sara and Camille's site Svelte Gourmand is one of my favorite blogs. They discuss recent research and recipes all in a tone that smart but never preachy.

I'm a big fan of Corbet & Conley's lentil and split pea soups. They're well spiced (i.e. you might get a bay leaf in your take-out container...feels very fresh). They're also rich, though. For lighter varieties, I tend to rely on Whole Foods. The flavorings are weaker, so I usually spice them up with a little sea salt, fresh ground pepper, and a splash of tabasco. A shake of tarragon can add a fun and unusual twist to anything chicken-based. 

Camille Noe Pagan, Svelte Gourmand

Off the top of my head, I love Pacific Natural Foods organic tomato soup. I grew up on Campbell's tomato soup, so it's a comfort food for me. The PNF version is similar in terms of taste, but is organic, and while not perfect, is at least made with cane syrup (instead of HFCS, which is most of the other tomato soups I've checked out--even so-called "healthy" versions), and is about 100 calories a serving. My toddler loves it, too.

Pamela Wenberg, City Baby

I've met Pamela almost nine years ago after I had Myles. She was running her new moms luncheons and I was seeking any information I could get my hands on (always loved research). She is the woman behind the City Baby books (or baby bibles) and site.

My favorite places for soup are: Corner Cafe (90th and Madison and 92nd and 3rd) and Soup Stop. I love the Broccoli soup at Corner and the Yellow Lentil at Soup Stop but I also like the Black Bean.

Melissa Gerstein, Moms in the City

Melissa is on the NYC show Moms in the City where 3 moms debate parenting issues, city life and current events and also writes a blog. I worked with Melissa on an episode of Moms in the City, we met through a friend at The Race for the Cure. Melissa sent the following suggestions:

Josie's Carrot Ginger and Artie's Matzoh Ball are my 2 NYC faves.

Lauren Johnston, Running Dialogue 

I believe Lauren and I met on Twitter, is that possible? We read each others blogs and I invited Lauren to a talk I was giving for runners. She recently  completed the NYC marathon and blogged about the whole experience.

I eat soup all winter!  There are two I really enjoy in my neighborhood (Prospect Heights).

Lentil soup from Zaytoons (it’s the thick kind, yellow lentils)

 Vegetarian Black bean soup from Cheryl’s Global Soul: 

My favorite take away soups are by far the selections at Hampton Chutney. They have carrot, sweet potato, multiple types of dal, spinach soups and they're all spicy and flavorful. The best part is the gluten-free cheese dosa that comes can with it.

What are your favorite soups in your area? Why do you like them? What comes with them? Do you eat it (the bread, crackers etc.)?