Tag: healthy holiday

Maple Walnut Baked Pears

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During the holidays or on vacation, we often times change up our normal meal/snack pattern because we don’t have as much “structure” to our day. And that’s OK! That’s part of the fun.

However, we encourage our clients to still focus on eating a meal or snack every 3-4 hours to avoid getting overly hungry (a 1-2 on the hunger scale) which can result in either a binge, or overeating at dinner. Snacking is the key to your success this holiday season!

We’ve come up with a festive holiday snack for y’all  that only has five ingredients and is very simple to make. Just put together your ingredients, let it bake, and there you have a delicious Maple Walnut Baked Pear! This also makes a wonderful dessert.

Turn this recipe a breakfast meal by add a ½ Cup of Greek yogurt for extra protein to each serving. Whether you choose to make this recipe as a dessert, snack, or breakfast, we hope you enjoy every bit of its wonderful maple-y goodness! Happy holidays y’all.

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Maple Walnut Baked Pears

Servings: 2-4

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 Pears
  • 1 Teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 Tablespoons walnuts, chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1/4 Cup Greek yogurt, 0% plain

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400℉
  2. Slice your pears in half and spoon out the core where the seeds live and place them on a baking sheet
  3. Add equal amounts of the cinnamon, walnuts, and maple syrup on top of your pear halves.
  4. Bake your pear halves in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the maple syrup starts to bubble and the sides begin to golden
  5. Finally, top each with 1 Tablespoon of Greek yogurt and enjoy!

If you make our Maple Walnut Baked Pears, let us know! Share your creation on Instagram and tag @britanyjonesrd for a chance to be featured on our stories.

-Recipe and photography by Gabriella Childers, Brittany Jones Nutrition Group Intern

 

Maintain Don’t Gain This Holiday Season

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On average, Americans gain between 1-5 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. While this may not seem like a lot, research has shown that those pounds are often never lost, and accumulate over time.

Between the office holiday party, increased amount of sweets laying around and cookie exchange parties – losing weight during the holidays is nearly impossible. Rather than trying to lose weight this holiday season – try to maintain your weight and your healthy habits!

You know that little voice in your head? The one that says “It’s ok! I will eat these cookies now, and I will just set a weight loss goal for my New Year’s Resolution.” Avoid that New Year’s mentality!

Stay focused now and stick with your healthy lifestyle habits to stay on track to your health goals. You have worked so hard to get to where you are – don’t stop now!

5 Maintain Don’t Gain Holiday Tips

  1. Plan Your Meals and Snacks. Staying on track with your health and wellness goals is all about planning, especially when you have a busy schedule. Meal planning is more important than ever during the holidays. Have a holiday party this week? Write it down and plan your healthy meals filled around it. This way you will be able to hop right back on the wagon if you splurge a little at the party.
  2. Implement Your Holiday Exercise Plan. Last month we talked about putting a healthy holiday exercise plan in place, now is the time to implement! Write down your exercise in your planner just like you would a doctor’s appointment. If you have to cancel, be sure to reschedule with yourself.
  3. Don’t save up. Research has shown that those who skip meals throughout the day when they have a big holiday meal or party coming up tend to overeat at that event. Continue to focus on your healthy breakfast, snack and lunch patterns and be sure to listen to your hunger and fullness ques.
  4. Set realistic goals. If you have a sweet tooth, swearing off sweets during the holidays may set you up for failure. Try and come up with a realistic and reasonable goal that you can stick to. Setting a goal to have a sweet treat just twice per week is more reasonable and can fit into a healthy lifestyle.
  5. Get 6-8 hours of sleep. A lack of sleep can weaken your immunity and increase your cravings for those high fat high sugar foods. Set a bedtime, and try to stick it. Also, don’t underestimate the power of a nap!

Want to know more? Set up your FREE 15 minute consultation today!

Healthy For The Holidays

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Healthy For The Holidays

Do you ever feel like you’re stuck in the eye of a hurricane? Back to school came in like a beast, and now you’re stuck in the calm before the storm (Thanksgiving is just 6 weeks away – ah!). Many of us have fallen off the nutrition and fitness wagon in recent months, so why not use the lull before the holiday mayhem to build back your healthy habits?

Check out these 3 easy tips to get you back on the wagon before the holidays:

  1. Start your holiday exercise habit now. Let’s face it – starting an exercise program during the holidays is not all that realistic. Think about where you want to be with your health and wellness on Thanksgiving in 6 weeks and start NOW! Maybe it’s working towards exercising 3 days per week, or maybe it’s running in your local Turkey Trot. Either way, you have 42 days to make it a habit. Ready. Set. Go!
  2. Meal plan like a boss. Once holiday parties start cluttering up your calendar, it is going to be very important to have your meal planning skills down pat. Does planning 21 meals for the week stress you out? Try starting with dinners only and build from there.
  3. Find healthy holiday recipes. If you already know what your holiday plans look like, start looking up and trying out healthy holiday recipes. Vegetable side dishes like green beans and slivered almonds, sautéed carrots, and roasted Brussels sprouts are always a good place to start. Check out the new Blush Nutrition Fall eBook for an awesome healthy apple crumble pie recipe as well!

Want to know more? Ask Brittany about her custom meal planning and nutrition coaching packages to help you reach your goals and stay on track during the holidays!