If you’re looking for an affordable, meatless meal, or you want a break from regular hamburgers, give these burgers a try.
Canned tuna helps you include seafood at least twice a week
Experts suggest that adults eat at least two fish meals weekly, and that pregnant and breastfeeding women consume two to three meals a week. However, you don’t need to be pregnant, breastfeeding, or trying to conceive to enjoy the benefits of these burgers!
My burgers are made with canned tuna, an inexpensive, convenient source of several nutrients, including protein, iodine, and omega-3 fats necessary for an adult’s heart health, and for a baby’s brain development and vision.
Use an empty tuna can to form the burgers so that they are uniform in size and fit on the buns or English muffins.
The tuna burgers should be cooked until golden brown and slightly crispy on the outside.
Pro Tip
Make a double batch of this recipe and freeze half. They are easy to reheat for a quick lunch or dinner.
Wrap cooked, cooled tuna burgers well and date the package. They will last for several months in the freezer. Reheat in the microwave and make the avocado/tomato topping just before serving.
Delicious and nutritious Tuna Burgers With Smashed Avocado and Tomato pack omega-3 fats, fiber, protein, and much more!
Fast food green drinks are fun to sip, especially around St. Patrick’s day, but they are usually overly sweet and low on nutrition. If you’re looking for a healthier beverage, this no added sugar shamrock shake is for you.
This delicious drink supplies one and a half servings of fruits and vegetables, nine grams of fiber, calcium, heart-healthy fat, and much more, and it gets some of its vibrant color from matcha.
What is matcha?
Matcha is ground green tea that’s typically used to make a hot beverage. As a powder, matcha is potent and a little goes a long way in terms of flavor and color.
Does matcha have health benefits?
Matcha and other green tea contains antioxidants that may fight cancer. Drinking green tea on a regular basis is linked to lower blood pressure and lower levels of LDL, or bad, cholesterol in the blood.
However, there’s not much research on matcha itself. Even though matcha is a type of green tea, experts aren’t sure that it has the same effects as other green tea on health.
Does matcha have caffeine?
Matcha contains caffeine, but relatively low levels. As a result, this no added sugar shamrock shake provides a gentle energy lift, rather than a jolt.
I use McCormick Gourmet Organic Matcha Green Tea with Ginger Seasonings*. It supplies about 4 milligrams of caffeine per serving, which is the same amount of caffeine as 12 ounces of decaffeinated coffee.
When you make the smoothie with regular matcha, the caffeine content is about 50 milligrams, which is still far less than coffee. For example, 16 ounces of Starbucks coffee has 330 milligrams caffeine.
I hope you enjoy this better-for-you drink that you can make with a soy beverage so that it’s vegan, or with dairy milk. It’s your choice!
Just thinking about what to eat to lose weight can be overwhelming. The good news is that you don’t have to try so hard! These three delicious no-diet tips for weight loss will put you on track for easier weight control, and you won’t feel deprived.
Breakfast is an opportunity to include the nutrients you need. The energy it provides helps to jump-start the body and brain after sleep.
I talk here about how studies suggest that eating the morning meal does not guarantee better weight control, and it may seem like I am contradicting myself by suggesting breakfast. However, the research about breakfast and weight loss is inconclusive.
You may skip breakfast because you’re not hungry in the morning. Maybe you’re not hungry in the morning because you ate too much before going to bed. Eating more regularly throughout the day, starting in the morning, may prevent overeating at night and may decrease your calorie intake overall.
Many people don’t like traditional “breakfast” foods. Not a problem. Any food eaten in the morning counts as breakfast. Your A.M. meal just needs to be balanced and nutritious and include enough protein, found in foods such as dairy, eggs, and beans.
You don’t have to eat breakfast all at once. It’s OK to divide up the morning into two smaller meals.
No-Diet Tip #2: Switch to whole grains
I wrote about a study that showed swapping whole grains for the refined kind burns calories and boosts metabolism. What a gift! You eat delicious whole grains, and you burn calories!
This No-Added Sugar Fruit and Nut Quick Bread is packed with whole grains and nuts. Get the recipe here.
It’s easier than you think to include more whole grains in your eating plan.
For example, instead of white bread, have whole grain. Enjoy oatmeal for breakfast in place of a highly refined cereal. Experiment with whole grains such as freekeh or farro. Munch on popcorn instead of chips.
No-Diet Tip #3: Include nuts for better health
Studies show that nuts often have fewer calories than what’s on the Nutrient Facts label. That’s good reason to include them as snacks, and in other ways.
Research has found that whole roasted almonds have 25% fewer calories than what is listed on food labels; walnuts supply 21% fewer calories; and pistachios also contain fewer calories than what the label says. It stands to reason the same goes for peanuts, too.
Skip the chips, cookies, and candy. Reach for delicious and nutritious nuts!
One ounce of nuts is an excellent substitution for the same amount of snack chips, pretzels, or crackers.
In addition to having fewer calories, nuts provide protein, heart-healthy fat, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. Phytonutrients are powerful plant compounds that protect your cells.
Include nuts in salads, homemade trail mix, and in smoothies.
Bottom line: No-diet weight loss tips
Simple changes can help you to lose weight and keep it off. Making a few small tweaks to your eating plan promotes eating satisfaction. In addition, including more healthy food choices in your diet provides you with the nutrients you need to support health.
For the most part, dietitians practice what they preach. However, nobody eats perfectly all the time, not even the experts dishing out dietary advice, including yours truly. (Shocker!) I thought it would be fun to read about dietitans’ eating downfalls, since they love to eat and are just as busy as everyone else. I can relate to each and every one of these!
I wish I had a few less potato chips in my life! I love a good potato chip.
Those salty little fried potato slices are so darn good and somehow make their way onto my plate on a very regular basis, especially when I am eating a sandwich.
I don’t feel I have to give up all the chips in my life, but I know fried salty foods are probably not the best for my heart health. I do try to switch it up and add popcorn, baked tortilla chips or reduced fat potato chips to reduce my fat intake in an effort to be a little more healthy.
Because I associate chips with eating sandwiches, I find I am less inclined to eat them when I have a salad or leftovers at meal time, so including these other meals helps lower my chip intake too.
My 90 year-old mom loved a good potato chip…so I am hopeful that I can enjoy a long life while still enjoying my beloved potato chips…at least occasionally!
I’m the fastest eater and I’m always leaning over my counter quickly eating between clients or before driving my kids around in the evening. I am not a mindful eater and I know it’s something I really need to improve. Much easier said than done for a very busy working mom. However, I am trying to eat at the table more, put away my phone and avoid distractions.
Small changes are my goal. I’m really trying to practice what I preach to my clients every day!
Having spent the better part of my career counseling athletes, I am the first one to say that hydration never takes a vacation. But what we preach doesn’t always translate to what we reach for. And, I admit I don’t get a perfect score for my pour.
I am doing a lot of writing these days and don’t work up a sweat. In addition, I hate to be interrupted when ideas are flowing to have to get going to the bathroom. However, I am committing to hydrating better throughout the day through the number of glasses of liquid, watery foods, and more fruits and vegetables.
In the last year or so I noticed that my “one” glass of wine while cooking dinner turned into one glass while cooking, then topping it off a little if the recipe takes a little longer and then topping that off as I went to the table to eat dinner with my family. I’m a dietitian, not a mathematician but even I know my “one” has quickly turned into 1++.
I’ve made a concerted effort this year to let “one” glass be one glass. While health experts (and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans) agree that one glass for women and two for men can be a part of a healthy diet, night after night of more than that means extra calories that I don’t need.
I started the New Year with this new commitment to cut back on my 1++ glass of wine and have already noticed improvements in sleep. That’s a bonus I wasn’t expecting, but am definitely enjoying!
Jessica Levinson, MS, RDN, CDN, Culinary Nutrition Expert and founder of Nutritioulicious:
One of my worst habits is eating in front of the TV, especially at night after dinner. I have a major sweet tooth, and when I’m busy during the day it doesn’t hit me, but as soon as I sit down to relax the pantry calls my name!
Eating too much at night can lead to weight gain when I take in more calories than I burn. And it leaves me feeling full before bed, which can interfere with my sleep. I often wake up bloated and less hungry for breakfast, which is such an important meal.
Some of the ways I’m trying to break the habit are to brush my teeth after dinner so I am not tempted to eat again. Also, I watch TV in bed instead of in my living room. I also don’t keep the pantry fully stocked with treats.
I love making chocolate chip cookies but am that person who could be fine just eating the dough. I often nibble on dough while making and baking cookies and by the time the cookies are out of the oven, I’ve already eaten the equivalent of my share of cookies.
After thinking this through (also after a belly ache or two), I have decided that I do love the cookies the most. So, I try to talk myself before even starting the cookie making process. I remind me that I really want to be able to enjoy the warm, baked cookies, and the dough isn’t at worth it.
I want to be more conscious of what I’m eating while making cookies instead of mindlessly picking at the dough.
Melissa Joy Dobbins, MS, RDN, CDE, The Guilt-Free RD, www.SoundBitesRD.com (blog and podcast):
I wish I had better breakfast habits. I grew up eating a healthy breakfast every day, but now that I’m a mom, I’m more focused on the morning rush instead of feeding myself. I find I’m not very hungry and tend to grab a little something that is more of a snack or a treat than “breakfast” like a cookie or a piece of fruit. I wish I could enjoy Greek yogurt with high fiber cereal and berries – something that provides the fiber, calcium and nutrients I need to start the day off right.
After work, I am famished, so that after-work/before-dinner time frame is my Achilles heel! I rummage through my fridge and pantry for things to snack on, whether it’s healthy or not. Sometimes, I eat way too many chips and salsa, a few too many cheese sticks, or leftover pizza to satisfy my craving. So, even knowing that eating all of this food before dinner is ruining my appetite for the healthy meal I am about to cook, I just can’t help myself.
To avoid this, I’m working on planning ahead and (more consistently) have foods like jicama sticks, sliced fruit and/or red pepper strips available to snack on before dinner gets started!
When I worked in an office building, I was the poster child of staying hydrated via water daily. I’d take several breaks from my cubicle to fill my water bottle up at the water cooler (cliche but true.) Since working at home, I struggle to do the same!
My home office is on the second floor and I guess there’s just a mental block with me having to walk all downstairs to refill my glass. And, when I do, I get distracted with a chore in the kitchen and forget to bring the glass back up! But I really want to work on this as when I drink at least 8 glasses a day, I feel so much better.
Jen Haugen, RDN, LD, Author of The Mom’s Guide to a Nourishing Garden, and blogger at jenhaugen.com:
My one habit I am working on kicking is not planning meals. I go in and out of phases with this and my weeks go SO much better when I meal plan!
To work on this, I am creating 5-10 freezer meals each month to have ready to go right in the freezer for fast meals. I’ve also set a reminder on my phone for Sunday afternoons to take 10 minutes to put together a menu plan for the week, and I include my family on that so it’s not just what I want to eat 🙂 Taking just 10 minutes to plan creates more satisfying, stress-free meals!
As a working mom in constant motion, I find myself mindlessly eating the first thing I can grab when I feel hunger strike. That may mean a spoon of peanut butter from the jar to my mouth while making a lunch. Or swinging into a gas station to grab an energy bar for “lunch” between meetings.
The main lessons learned from this habit–weight gain, exposing my children to bad habits, and never feeling full and satisfied. My solution of late is to have healthier options prepped and packed. This means I do a little more work on Sunday afternoon chopping fruit, putting a serving of nuts in a baggie or boiling a dozen eggs. When hunger strikes, I have a healthy option ready to eat.
In Conclusion: My Dietary Downfall
‘And now, for my true confession as part of this episode of dietitians’ eating downfalls: I love chocolate and must have it every day after dinner.
There’s no problem with chocolate. My issue is portion control. I have tried portion-controlled chocolate goodies, such as 100-calorie fudge bars. I would eat one of them, but then I would still eat the chocolate, too!
I’ve been battling chocolate urges for decades now, and I am pretty sure that trying to outsmart them is useless, and a waste of energy. Oh, well, I think this is one flaw I’ll just have to live with!
Hi, I'm a registered dietitian, writer, recipe developer, and mother of three who specializes in food and nutrition communications and believes in progress, not perfection. If you're interested in easier ways to live a healthier life, you're in the right place. Welcome!
Hi, I'm a registered dietitian, writer, recipe developer, and mother of three who specializes in food and nutrition communications and believes in progress, not perfection. If you're interested in easier ways to live a healthier life, you're in the right place. Welcome!