How to Survive Thanksgiving with your Tofurkey

By Hailey King

Ever thought about quitting meat, cold turkey? I tried it and it wasn’t as hard as I thought it was going to be.

At the start of my dietetic internship, as I was moving into my new apartment with two other interns, they dropped the V word on me. They told me that they were both VEGETARIANS….. and guess what we had for dinner that night? Vegetarian curry with huge chucks of tofu and eggplant. Dessert was popcorn tossed in nutritional yeast. It was a bit of a shock at first, the curry was great as long as you could navigate past the islands of floating tofu and eggplant and the popcorn, well that was unique. So that night I started my three-week journey of becoming a vegetarian.

Week One:

The first few days were easy because we had left over curry to pack for lunch, and I didn’t need to think much about what I was going to have for dinner since my roommates took charge of cooking that first week. Then at the end of the week I had to make dinner and the pressure was on. I decided to make a sofritas bowls like the ones you can get from Chipotle. This application was actually amazing! Rather than leaving the tofu in large chunks I decided to scramble them resulting in smaller pieces and a far better texture.

Week Two:

Towards the middle of the second week I was starting to crave bacon, breakfast sausage, roasted chicken and a juicy Big Mac. I haven’t even eaten at McDonald’s in three years! As a result of a vegetarian diet, I was craving the fattiest animal proteins and those cravings continued into the third week.

Week Three:

The cravings finally subsided slowly half way through the week. At the completion of my third week I could walk through the grocery store without even wanting to stop by the meat section. That Friday I made an amazing vegetarian gumbo without the tradition bacon and the andouille sausage the depth of flavor I was able to create with tofu was incredible.

After completing my three-week trial of become a vegetarian I decide that it was not for me. Every now and then I would like to indulge in an animal based protein. In many ways, I would consider myself a flexitarian. For everyone who doesn’t know what a flexitarian is, it’s somebody who eats mainly a plant based diet and occasionally have a small portion of animal protein.  I would high recommend everyone to try being a vegetarian for at least a week. You will be able to learn so much about not only yourself, but also how to creatively cook different vegetables in a tasteful way.  After being a vegetarian for a short while I have a better understanding of the trails and tributes of being a vegetarian and overcoming the challenges of eating out.

 Headed into the holiday season many people have asked my roommates and myself how we are going to survive without eating the turkey. The answer to that is simple. Eat all of the sides, but if you’re worried about if there was bacon fat or chicken stock used in making those sides, then you can always bring your own sides and your own tofurkey.

What the heck is a Tofurkey? 

It is a meat substitute in the form of a loaf or a casserole of vegetarian protein, usually made from tofu (soybean protein) or seitan (wheat protein) with a stuffing made from grains or bread, flavored broth with herbs and spices.

You can find them in the frozen section of many grocery stores. They only cost $8.99 and they have a very similar texture to other animal protein, but it is completely vegetarian. They are also very easy to cook. Let the tofurkey thaw out in the refrigerator, as it will generally take anywhere from 1-2days to be thoroughly thawed. Preheat the oven to 350F and bake the tofurkey for 45 minutes.

While the tofurkey is baking you can make the vegetarian mushroom gravy. In a medium sized sauce pan, sauce thinly sliced mushrooms, 2 cups, over medium heat in olive oil. once the mushrooms are cooked, about 5 minutes, add the seasoning packet that came with the tofurkey and then mix in two cups of water. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes or cook to the desired thickness you like your gravy. Enjoy!

If becoming a vegetarian for even a week is too scary for you then you can always give Meatless Mondays a try. For more information about Meatless Monday visit the following website:  http://www.meatlessmonday.com

A New Thanksgiving Tradition

By Lauren Gallen

Even though I can’t believe it’s already November, I’m counting down the days to my favorite holiday! It’s almost THANKSGIVING, you guys! And don’t worry. Even though it may be expected that as a future Registered Dietitian, I write one of those “how to avoid overeating at the holidays” posts, I wouldn’t do that to you.  As I said, Thanksgiving is my FAVORITE – and Thanksgiving is about food.

It’s also a time for sharing moments and making memories with friends, family and loved ones – for indulging in good food, drink and, most importantly, company. Not only am I okay with that, but I encourage it.  We all need to take moments to reflect on the things that fulfill us; those things that we’re grateful for. And food is more than fuel. It’s a way for us to communicate, show our love, experience our community, and nurture our relationships.

So, indulge we shall – but only for a day or two – because, you see, as much as I believe in the power of connection through food, I also believe in eating well. And let’s get real, heating up those same Thanksgiving left overs day after day, is one big snooze. Let’s shake things up a bit. I’ve compiled a few recipes that utilize traditional holiday dishes and allow us all to eat healthfully at the same time. Each recipe creates 4 servings and is less than 400 calories per serving.

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Let’s start with the bird. This recipe for white turkey chili from Feast Magazine is great because it’s warm, hearty, and comes in at about 300 calories per serving. It’s also high in protein and fiber, along with many vitamins and minerals (including several B vitamins, vitamin C and zinc). Feel free to leave out the jalapeno if you’re not a fan of spicy foods.

White Turkey Chili

• 2 cups cannellini beans, cooked, drained and rinsed, divided
• 1 8-oz can green chiles, divided
• 3 cups turkey or vegetable broth, divided
• 3 cups shredded turkey
• 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
• 1 medium white onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 jalapeño, diced
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp chile powder
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped (for garnish)
• 1 lime, sliced into four wedges (for garnish
• shredded Monterey Jack cheese (for garnish)

Preparation | In the bowl of a food processor, add half of beans and green chiles and 1 cup broth; purée until smooth. In a slow cooker set to high heat, add bean purée and all remaining ingredients except garnishes. Cook for 4 hours, stirring occasionally. Divide chili into four serving bowls and top with fresh cilantro and cheese. Serve with lime wedges to squeeze over top of chili.
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If your family prefers ham at your holiday table, consider this Food Network fried rice recipe, which is low in fat, and high in fiber, vitamin A, and iron, and uses some of those left over veggies, too.

Ham and Veggie Fried Rice

• 8 oz ham, chopped
• 2 cups green beans
• 1 cups sweet potatoes
• 4 cups cooked rice
• 4 fried eggs
• Soy sauce

Preparation| Stir-fry chopped cooked beans and sweet potatoes in a drizzle of olive oil, then add cooked rice, and toss until coated and warm. Fold in leftover ham, and add a splash of soy sauce. Serve topped with a fried egg.
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Stuffing is extremely versatile and can be used in many ways including frittatas, waffles and stuffed peppers. For those who want to try something a bit different, I’d recommend this Feast Magazine take on Shakshuka, a dish of eggs poached in a tomato sauce.

Stuffing Shakshuka

• 1½ cups stuffing
• ½ cup crushed tomatoes
• 4 eggs
• pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper
• fresh herbs

Preparation | Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease 4 small ramekins or muffin tins. Divide stuffing and tomatoes equally into ramekins. Crack 1 egg over top of each. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and herbs. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until eggs are baked to your taste. Serve.
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Sweet potatoes casserole is one of my favorites and we inevitably have tons of leftovers at my house, so a creative way to use them would be welcomed with open arms. I’m looking forward to trying this soup recipe this year because it combines some of my favorite flavors and will keep me warm when the weather turns chilly.

Curried Sweet Potato Soup

• 4 cups sweet potatoes
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• ½ cup chopped onion
• 4 oz coconut milk
• 4 Tbsp curry paste

Preparation | Simmer leftover sweet potatoes with onions, curry paste and vegetable broth for 20 minutes. Puree the mixture until smooth using an immersion blender or food processor. Return to pot and add coconut milk. Simmer for 10 minutes and serve.
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These are just a few of the many recipes out there showcasing Thanksgiving left overs in a creative, delicious way that promotes nourishment and health. Maybe we can each create a tradition of trying to find a new dish that the whole family will love!

So this year, go ahead. Enjoy yourself. Give up the guilt. Take some time to reconnect with those around you, reminisce, and recharge. And then use that energy to embrace your sense of adventure, empty out the refrigerator and embark again on the journey of living your healthiest life through food. (Future) Dietitian’s orders.

Beekeeping for Beginners

By: Emily Hovick

Honeybees

Believe it or not, you have a bee to thank for every one in three bites of food you eat. Honey bees perform about 80 percent of all pollination worldwide. Although grains are primarily pollinated by wind, 70 out of the top 100 food crops (which supply about 90 percent of the world’s food) are pollinated by bees. Unfortunately, the bee population has been on decline. Industrial agriculture, parasites/pathogens as well as climate change have all been blamed for this epidemic. Many campaigns have formed because to bring awareness to the decline in bees. Some have taken it a step further and started keeping bees, such as me! This post is going to give you all the details you need to start yourself.

What you’ll need

Smoker – Any size will do but the buzz on the streets is that the larger ones are easier to keep lit.

Veil – You are going to need some sort of protective garments like a veil and a jacket. You probably do not need the full suit.

Hive tool – Any flat bar will work, or a flat head screw driver if you are on a budget but if you can afford it, the Italian Hive tool is the one to buy. It is well crafted for most any beekeeping task.

Bee brush – No, this isn’t for grooming the bees!

Top Feeder – A 32 oz. mason jar with holes poked in the cap that fits into the hole drilled into the hive’s cover, into which syrup (2 parts water and 1 part sugar) is poured. They syrup gives them the energy to build the wax honeycomb

Spray bottle – Fill it with syrup. Do not reuse an older spray bottle if it has been used with other chemicals. Bees are very sensitive.

Queen catcher – This makes catching the queen a lot easier. No one wants a ticked off queen bee!

Bee hives – Now the one place you don’t want to skimp on is hive boxes. Get a few, at least three, because you never know when you are going ot need an extra one. But when you do, you need it immediately and not a moment later. Having a few on hand will save you a lot of grief in those moments.

Bottom board – This is a wooden stand on which the hive rests. Set the bottom board on bricks or concreted blocks to keep it off the ground.

Mail order bees

Obtaining bees is a lot easier than you would think. I would start by checking local bee associations and Craigslist in your area. Beekeeping enthusiasts sometimes come across swarms they are willing to sell. The only negative with this is the season as it is a lot easier to start a hive in the spring.

If you choose to order bees, 3 pounds is usually a good amount. For a few dollars extra, you can get the queen bee marked. This is a good idea as it will save you time finding her if you are an amateur. Since they will come in the mail (yes, in the mail) you should really notify your local post office.

There are three types of bees: the queen, the worker, and the drone.

Queen bee – The queen bee’s only purpose is to lay eggs. This is seriously all she does. (Fun fact: during the height of laying season, the queen can lay around 1000 eggs a day!)

Worker bee – Worker bees are sterile female bees. As their name implies, they work.

Drone bee - Drone bees are male bees. Their sole purpose is to mate with the queen. A drone bee will die after mating. He is also not allowed in the hive come winter. Ouch!

Managing the hives

Once initial setup of the hives is complete, management is a breeze. Bees require little to no care. The hives should be checked on every now and then to make sure it is still healthy. You will want to make sure that the queen bee is still laying eggs, the hive is clean of dead bees and intruders like mites, and that your bees have enough honey stores. The first winter is the hardest on the hive. Let the bees keep their honey to survive the winter and plan on harvesting some liquid gold the following year!

https://www.epa.gov/pollinator-protection/colony-collapse-disorder

http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/sustainable-agriculture/save-the-bees/

https://a.wattpad.com/cover/61887487-352-k448451.jpg

http://www.survival-manual.com/img/drone-queen-worker.png

Time Management Tips for a Dietetic Internship

By: Lauren Flieg

 

My name is Lauren Flieg and I am currently a dietetic intern in Saint Louis University’s dietetic internship and master’s program. SLU’s internship is more than I could have asked for and I have truly enjoyed my experience so far, but the program is very rigorous. It requires many hours of work on top of rotations and class time. It is necessary to stay organized and on top of your game to successfully complete the internship/master’s program while being able to enjoy it as well. Therefore, I thought I would share some time management tips for a dietetic internship.

Buy a Planner!

This is a must. With having crazy busy schedules, it can be easy to forget an assignment or task that needs to be completed. After buying the planner, go through your class syllabus and write down dates of all the homework assignments and tests. Then go through your rotation schedule and make notes of pre-work that needs to be done before each rotation and a timeline of when you are going to finish everything else on your rotation checklist. Also, note how long it will take you to drive to your rotation sites. I have been at a hospital that was 20 minutes from my house and at another that took me 1 ½ hours to get there. Driving may take up a big chunk of your day, which can interfere with task completion if not planned properly! Take the time to look at your schedule every night so you can start the next day knowing what goals your focus should be on. Just remember, you know you best; therefore, set your planner with goals that are attainable to you. 

 

Develop a Routine

Since there is so much going on at once throughout the internship (while still trying to have a social life outside of the internship) a routine is very helpful. Getting a planner can help you with this! Routines can promote structure, build good habits, and decrease stress. This can encourage organization and in itself be a time management trick!

The Pomodoro Technique

This technique is something that I found very helpful when I am having trouble completing tasks or procrastination has taking over. This was brought to my attention my senior year of undergrad and I wish I would have known about it earlier. The Pomodoro technique promotes breaks so that your full attention can be given when working on homework. The steps include: 

 

1. Decide on a task to complete
2. Set a timer for at least 25 minutes and no more than an hour
3. Work on the task until the timer goes off
4. Take a 5-10-minute short break
5. Repeat 4 times.
6. After the 4^th repetition, take a longer break. (I take 30 minutes to an hour break)

There is even a timer online at https://tomato-timer.com/ that can be used but a cell phone works too. This technique may seem a little silly but honestly, you’d be surprised with the productivity and focus that derives from this method. This also helps with better time management because it aids in determining how long certain tasks will typically take. So, try it out and see if it works for you. If it doesn’t that is okay but if it does, it can be EXTREMELY helpful!

Take a Day Off

Wait, what? I thought this blog was supposed to give me tips to manage my time to help me get things done. Well…Yes that is true, but everyone needs a day off every once in a while. SLU’s program, along with many other dietetic internship programs, requires a lot of attention and focus but constantly going and never taking a break will wear you down. If you are so tired that reading another page of your text book will take the next 20 minutes, then put the book down and take the night off. Go to bed early, watch Netflix, workout, do anything other than school related stuff. Now, this is something that can’t be done every night, but it is necessary every once in a while. Giving your mind a break from working all the time can re-energize the brain and the body.

Download an App

Pretty much everyone these days has a phone, so why not use it to help you stay focused? There a few apps that can aid in staying motivated to complete tasks. If your phone distracts you often during a homework/study session, then the app “forest” is the one for you. This apps motto is “stay focused, be present”. You pick a timeframe to work on a task e.g. 20 minutes, 35 minutes, 1 hour. The goal is to build a forest and while you work, a tree grows. However, every time you use your phone during that time frame, it damages the tree. When you stay focused and allow a tree to finish growing, you gain points which can be used to ‘buy’ different trees and plants to grow. Also, this app shows the total amount of study hours you put in each week. The great thing about Forest is that it is linked with the organization Trees for the Future, which actually helps plant trees in developing countries. 

 

Another app called Todoist can help manage tasks and projects wherever you are! This can act as a planner on the go, keeping track of everything that needs to be done. Todoist aids in organization and reaching goals. The thing I like about this app is that you can send yourself reminders, prioritize tasks in order of importance, and it is free!

These are just 2 of many, so if you think something like this would benefit you, check these out or find one that works for you!

I hope these few tips about time management aids in the success of your dietetic internship! Thanks for reading and good luck!

Sources:

Pomodoro technique: https://www.focusboosterapp.com/the-pomodoro-technique

Forest app: https://www.forestapp.cc/en/

Todoist app: https://en.todoist.com/

Picture sources:

https://www.iheartplanners.com/2016/02/10/how-to-color-code-your-planner/

http://www.marcellobrivio.com/blog/discovering-the-pomodoro-technique/

https://www.gadgetbytenepal.com/forest-stay-focused-a-unique-app-to-get-you-off-your-phone/