Robyn Spurr

Personal Health and Weight Loss Coaching For Women

Nutrition

By

These Parsnips are Delicious!

Back when I was beginning my weight loss journey, I would stumble upon health articles spewing “nonsense” like, once you start eating a healthy diet, you’ll no longer crave junk food.

Really? My thoughts at the time were something like…

“You’re a wacky health nut, nobody actually craves that stuff.”

or

“Seriously, you must have some mutant health food loving gene or something.”

Well, I’m going to share some news with you. Once you get used to eating REAL food and eliminate the processed crap for long enough, you really DO stop craving the junk. Seriously!

Now, I am not a girl who was raised on health food. Most of the veggies I consumed as a kid came from a can, usually green beans or creamed corn. In my teens and 20’s my diet looked something like: pizza, pasta, ice cream, french fries, nachos, those cheese filled pretzel things and beer.

Yesterday, after cooking up a batch of Roasted Root Veggies, the following words came out of my mouth:

“These parsnips are delicious!”

My hubby immediately started laughing and said, “those are four words you just don’t hear very often.” He’s right. But they WERE delicious.

So here’s the deal Chickadees, healthy food CAN be delicious! One of the assignments I do with my Weight Loss Coaching clients is to have them identify 10 healthy meals that they would enjoy eating. Guess what? They come up with 10 and usually keep on going.

I’ll be posting a video of me whipping up a batch of roasted veggies in the coming weeks, but until then, check out this recipe from nutiva.com and give veggies a chance.

 

By

“Husband Approved” Veggie & Goat Cheese Quinoa Patties

veggiequinoapatties

Think quinoa is a “girlie” food – think again. My hubby couldn’t get enough of these quinoa patties. Must be the goat cheese.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups cooked quinoa
  • 1 carrot, shredded or finely diced
  • 3 green onions, finely diced
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon thyme
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs or panko
  • 3 oz softened goat cheese
  • 1-2 tablespoons avocado oil (feel free to use olive oil if you don’t have avocado)
  • sliced avocado (for garnish)
  • your favorite hummus

Instructions:

1. In a medium bowl combine the first 5 ingredients (quinoa, carrot, green onion, salt, pepper) and mix well.

2. Stir in the beaten eggs, bread crumbs and goat cheese until well blended.

3. Form into patties about 1 inch thick (I got about 8)

4. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add patties. I can usually fit about four at a time.

5. Cook for ~8 minutes, or until the bottom is golden. Flip and cook on the other side until golden (~5 or 6 minutes)

6. Remove onto a paper towel to absorb excess oil.

7. Heat another tablespoon of oil and cook the remainder of the patties.

8. Top with a dollop of hummus and some sliced avocado or your garnish of choice.

*Inspired by this recipe over at Seaweed & Sassafras.

Robyn Spurr is a Certified Health Coach, Weight Loss Coach, Personal Trainer and founder of Chickadee Weight Loss. She helps women reach their healthy, natural weight and stay there without all the diet craziness.

For more information on Weight Loss Coaching, click here.

By

Read This Along to “I Will Survive”

Oh yes I did…

silly_singing_food_acrylic_cut_out-p153652805870496902env34_400

At first, I was afraid, I was petrified

Kept thinking, I could never live without Kentucky Fried

But then I spent so many nights thinking, how you did me wrong

And I grew strong and I learned how to get along

 

And so I’m back and I’m in shape

I just drive by now in my car, with a smile upon my face

I should have done it long ago

I should have started eating clean

If I’d known for just one second how good it feels to be fit and lean

 

Go on now, go, walk out the door, just turn around now

‘Cause you’re not welcome anymore

Weren’t you the one, who tried to tempt me with large fries

Did you think I’d crumble? Did you think I’d lay down and die?

 

Oh, no, not I, I will survive

Oh, as long as I love myself first, I know I’ll thrive and shine

I’ve got all my life to live, I’ve got all my love to give

And I’ll survive, I will survive, hey, hey

 

It took all the strength I had not to fall apart

Kept trying hard to resist the cookies, chips and apple tarts

And I spent, oh, so many nights just feeling sorry for myself

I used to cry but now I hold my head up high

 

And you see me, somebody new

I’m not that chained up little person still stuffing my face with you

And so you felt like dropping in and just expect me to be free

But now I’m saving all my loving for some food that’s loving me

 

Go on now, go, walk out the door, just turn around now

‘Cause you’re not welcome anymore

Weren’t you the one, who tried to tempt me with large fries

Did you think I’d crumble? Did you think I’d lay down and die?

 

Oh, no, not I, I will survive

Oh, as long as I love myself first, I know I’ll thrive and shine

I’ve got all my life to live, I’ve got all my love to give

And I’ll survive, I will survive, I will survive

 

By

6 Healthy and Delicious Yogurt Toppings

Have you looked at the nutrition label on your yogurt lately? Some brands of yogurt have more sugar than a Coke.

This is why I always recommend plain Greek yogurt to my clients. Now, plain Greek yogurt can be a little um, plain. Particularly if your taste buds are used to the sweetened stuff. But have no fear – simply add a few drops of stevia and a fun topping or two and you’ll forget all about your blended Strawberry Cheesecake Yogurt with granola.

Lactose in milk and yogurt is actually a sugar, so all products will contain some naturally-occurring sugar. For example, plain Fage 2% Greek yogurt has no added sugar, yet a 7-ounce container has about 8 grams of naturally-occurring sugar in the form of lactose. Compare that to Yoplait Key Lime 2X Protein Greek Yogurt, which has 20g in a 6-ounce container.

Using fresh fruit, nuts and seeds not only cuts down on sugar, but adds fiber and nutrients – resulting in a healthy, delicious and satisfying snack.

Below are a few of my favorite combinations to help jazz up that plain yogurt. It may take a little more effort than popping off the top, but it’s well worth it – and your body will thank you.

black forest

hawaiian escape

banana split

nuttykiwi3

peach cobbler

elvis

My sweet Hope, enjoying a post photo shoot treat.

IMG_2738