Courtney the RDN

Slow Cooker Meatballs with Blueberry Sriracha Sauce: Servings : 4 Prep Time : 10 minutes Cook Time : 3 hours Ingredients: 1/3 cup brown sugar 2 tbsp soy sauce 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar 2 tbsp sriracha hot sauce 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tsp sesame oil 2 tbsp cornstarch 1 cup fresh  blueberries 1 package (1 lb) frozen meatballs 2 green onions, thinly sliced 4 tsp toasted sesame seeds Instructions: Combine brown sugar, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, sriracha, garlic, sesame oil, cornstarch, and blueberries in 4-quart slow cooker. Stir in meatballs. Cover and cook on High setting for 3 to 4 hours, or until meatballs are tender and heated through and sauce has thickened. Sprinkle with green onions and sesame seeds before serving. Nutritional Value: Calories 500; Total Fat 33g;Saturated Fat 13g; Sodium 1340mg; Total Carbohydrates 33g; Dietary Fiber 3g; Total Sugars 18g; Added Sugars 13g; Protein 18g; Calcium 88mg; Iron 3mg; Potassium 117mg; V

    Chocolate Almond Blueberry Smoothie Bowl: 1 serving Ingredients 1/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, divided 1/2 cup almond milk 1/2 ripe avocado, pitted and peeled 1/2 frozen banana 6-8 ice cubes 2 scoops bariatric advantage high protein meal replacement (chocolate) 2 tbs. almond butter 1 tsp agave syrup 2 tbs. shaved dark chocolate 2 tbs. chopped toasted almonds 2tbs. chia seeds Instructions 1.     In a blender, purée blueberries, almond milk, avocado, bananas, ice cubes, protein powder, almond butter and agave syrup until smooth. 2.     Top bowl with remaining blueberries, dark chocolate, almonds and chia seeds. Nutritional Value Calories  100; Total Fat 6g;Saturated Fat 1g; Sodium 30mg; Total Carbohydrates 12g; Dietary Fiber 4g; Total Sugars 5g; Added Sugars 2g; Protein 30g; Calcium 99mg; Iron 1mg; Potassium 196mg; Vitamin A 16mcg; Vitamin C 5mg recipe adapted from blueberrycouncil.com

Blueberry Farro Salad: Servings : 4 Ingredients Farro Salad: 1 cup farro 3 cups water Kosher salt and black pepper 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined 1 container (5 ounces) baby kale blend or other salad greens 1 cup blueberries 1 ½ cup cooked beets, cut into quarters 2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese 2 tablespoons toasted pecans Lemon Dressing: 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon maple syrup 2 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Kosher salt and black pepper Directions Farro Salad: Place the farro, 3 cups water and a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain the farro and set aside. Heat a grill pan over medium high heat and spray with cooking spray. Season the shrimp with a pinch of salt and pepper and add them to the grill. Cook about 3 minutes on each side until opaque. Remove from grill. To assemble the salad, toss the c

We will be doing 10 days and 10 recipes of dishes, drinks, and desserts that are all about BLUEBERRIES!!! Ingredients 1 cup of blueberries (fresh or frozen) 8 oz unsweetened coconut milk  2 scoops Bariatric Advantage High Protein Meal Replacement (Vanilla) ½ banana 2 tablespoons of peanut butter 1 cups of spinach 1 teaspoon of chia seeds 4-6 ice cubes Directions: Add everything to a blender and press go! Blend until smooth, serve, and ENJOY! Blueberries are high in antioxidants and promote heart health. They are a sweet and healthy super fruit! Keep checking in for our 10 Days of BLUEBERRIES! Calories 200; Total Fat 23g; Saturated Fat 8g; Sodium 200mg; Total Carbohydrates 36g; Dietary Fiber 9g; Total Sugars 10g; Added Sugars 2g; Protein 30g; Vitamin D 3mcg; Calcium 527mg; Iron 3mg; Potassium 674mg; Vitamin A 137mcg; Vitamin C 27mg this recipe is adapted from www.blueberrycouncil.org

Scallops and Asparagus for Two: I often choose recipes that include one item to be cooked in the oven and other on the stove. This prevents me from being overwhelmed by cooking too many items at once. I also like to choose two recipes that use similar ingredients. This way, the entire item is used rather than having a leftover ingredient. The following recipe is literally what I made for dinner last night, the proof is on my Instagram story :-) I paired my scallops and asparagus together. If your partner you are cooking for would like a carbohydrate with their meal, I am including a side dish in this recipe.   Ingredients: About 8 scallops 3 garlic cloves 1/4 cup butter olive oil 1 bunch of asparagus salt pepper nutmeg lemon 1/2 cup egg noddles Directions:   1. Preheat the oven broiler. 2. Put a pot of water to boiled- add a pinch of salt. 3. Cut the bottoms off the asparagus and lay flat on a baking sheet. 4. Drizzle aspa

Bun-Less Turkey Burgers: Serves: 4 Ingredients: 1 lb. ground turkey 1 tsp onion powder 1 tsp paprika 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper 1/2 tsp coriander Pinch of cayenne 2 green onions, chopped 1 tomato, sliced 2 cups fresh spinach or arugula 1 avocado, sliced Directions: Add the ground turkey, onion powder, paprika, salt, pepper, coriander, cayenne, and green onions to a large bowl and stir to combine. Use your hands to form into burger patties. Heat the grill to medium-high heat and cook the burgers for 5-6 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Serve the burgers over sliced tomato, spinach, and avocado. Nutritional Value: Serving size:1 Calories:265, Carbohydrates: 7.8 g, Fat: 16.4 g,Sugar: 1.5 g Protein: 24.4 g Fiber: 4.8 g * Feel Free to sub the bed of lettuce for a lettuce wrap, cloud bread buns, or an avocado bun( whole avocado, cut in half used as a bun). *Adopted from p

As bariatric surgery patients you need to remember that your body now needs a minimum of 60 grams of protein a day to stay healthy. Try these easy ways to increase your protein intake today! 1.  Eat Your Protein First: When eating any meal, eat protein first, especially before you move on to your vegetables. Eating protein first helps you feel full and keeps your blood sugar and insulin levels lower. 2. Snack on Cheese and Nuts: Snacking through out the day is a great opportunity to get extra protein.  Cheese and Nuts are great sources of protein and will help your body to feel full and energized between meals. 1oz. of Cheddar cheese has 7 grams of protein and 1 oz of Almonds contains 6 grams of protein between the two you are working with 13 grams of protein in just one snack. 3. Replace Cereal, Toast, or Bagels with Eggs: Swapping cereal and other high carb breakfast items for eggs can help you to feel full and helps you consume less calories. 1

Rainbow Protein Bowl: INGREDIENTS: 1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese 1/4 cup your favorite mixed nuts( this recipe has pumpkin seed, almonds, and sunflower seeds) 1/2  a banana 1/4 cup sliced strawberries 1/2 a kiwi, sliced 1/4 cup of Blueberry 2 tps Chia Seeds Optional: 1/4 cup of cantaloupe (chopped) and 1 tsp. cinnamon. Directions: 1. Line the bottom of the bowl with cottage cheese leaving about 1 tbs for topping. 2. Start left to right adding in fruits, break up with granola or nuts. 3. Add cottage cheese, chia seeds, and cinnamon. Tip: Eat your proteins first ( chia seeds, cottage cheese, and mixed nuts) to ensure that you get full from protein before anything else.

Meaty Mushroom Chili: Servings: 8 Ingredients: 1lbs ground Italian sausage 1 lbs. ground beef 1 cup chopped onion 1lbs. Fresh mushrooms, sliced 1 can(46oz.) v 8 juice  1 can (6oz) tomato paste 1tsp. Sugar 1tsp.salt 1 tsp.garlic powder 1 tsp. dried oregano 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce 1/2 tsp. Dried basil 1/2 tsp. Pepper Optional topping: sour cream Directions: In a large skillet, cook the sausage, beef, and onion over a medium heat until the meat is no longer pink. Drain Stir in mushrooms, V8 juice, tomato paste and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat , cover and simmer for 1 hr. Top with sour cream ;if desired.  Serve. And enjoy!