Being a dietitian is my second career. During my first career, I felt as though I wasn’t making a difference in the world and I wanted to help people. I’ve always had a passion for food since I grew up in a household with two parents who are food scientists. As I was researching careers combining helping others and including something food-related, I came across the dietetics field. I instantly knew this was the right path for me. I immediately moved forward to get a Bachelor’s degree in dietetics, apply for an internship, and complete a Master’s to become a dietitian. I love every moment of this job and am so thankful to be on this path in life.
As a sports dietitian, what tips do you give athletes who are looking to pursue a plant-based diet?
First of all, we discuss fueling needs to determine how many grams of carbohydrates and protein are needed to fuel before, during, and after the specific sport. Next, we’ll discuss food choices to meet those needs, such as what foods can provide the clients with the necessary carbohydrates and protein. Ensuring that the client is staying fueled and nourished is important. Having a list of plant-based foods that provide carbs and protein is very beneficial to the athlete so they know how to optimize their performance and recovery using those specific foods. There are a ton of plant-based options and athletes can easily reach their macronutrient and micronutrient needs.
What is the inspiration behind your blog, Family. Food. Fiesta.?
I grew up in a house where we had family dinners every night of the week. I’m so thankful to have had that time with my parents and brother to talk and share the days’ events. After becoming a dietitian, I was seeing more and more clients in my private practice that never ate with their families or watched TV while eating. So much research indicates that if you eat as a family at the table with no TV, the risk of childhood obesity can be reduced, people can develop better eating habits, and families can build better relationships with one another. In addition, studies have suggested that when kids help cook or prep food, they are more likely to eat the food they make and try new dishes. With that said, I do a lot of kid cooking videos where kids teach others how to make after school snacks or easy meals. The idea of getting people together and bringing back the basics of home-cooked family meals was the driving force behind the blog, Family. Food. Fiesta. (party). Here’s a link to my ABOUT page with more details about the family dinner movement: Cooking with Love and Loving to Eat.
What is your own personal nutrition philosophy?
I love all food. I’m so thankful to not have any food allergies or intolerances. However, if someone suffers from a food allergy or intolerance, I’m definitely an advocate for NOT eating that specific food. I will accommodate all food preferences and needs from gluten-free to vegan to FODMAPS and more. With that said, since I do love all food, I don’t demonize any one food because I’ve never found a food that was particularly “evil.” At our home, we practice the “flexitarian” lifestyle where we cook mainly lacto-ovo vegetarian with some seafood. And we will eat meat on occasion but it’s not that often. For me, being flexible is easier, especially when going to friends’ houses or restaurants.
What are your best tips for eating a more plant-based diet?
Focus on eating the colors of the rainbow as often as possible. If every meal has some form of color, you’re getting your fill of fruits and vegetables which provide vitamins, minerals, and nutrients to optimize your health and wellness. Another fabulous benefit of eating a plant-based diet is all the fiber you get which fills you up and helps with bowel movements. Another quick tip: remember to add in some beans or edamame for fiber, nutrients, and protein.
If I opened your refrigerator and pantry doors, what foods might I find there?
Our staples in our fridge include various seasonal fruits and vegetables. I’m lucky to live near a farmer’s market, which I go to every Sunday and Wednesday. We always have Greek yogurt, cheese, milk, eggs, and sliced bread, too. Greek yogurt will be in our breakfast or for a snack. Eggs can be eaten in any meal from breakfast tacos to dinner frittatas. Sliced bread is generally used for sandwiches or avocado toast (so thankful to live in California with delicious and affordable avocados). Chia seeds, hemp seeds, and ground flaxmeal are there to add to smoothies or yogurt. The rest are condiments, white wine, and champagne. The cupboards have rice (white, brown, and black – I like them all in different dishes), dried beans (adzuki, mung, garbanzo, black), tomato paste, tomato sauce, nuts (many varieties for snacks), dried fruit (for snacks), canned sardines, and canned tuna.
What are some of your favorite, go-to plant-based meals that help nourish you?
We do a lot of batch cooking so it’s easy to grab-n-go during the week. Some of my favorite batch-cooked meals include: Rainbow Vegetable Chili (Vegan) When we need a quick meal that night, we’ll make: Vegetarian Sushi with Miso Soup (see below) It’s actually VERY easy to make sushi! We’ve had a lot of sushi parties before. The recipe gives you 15 grams of protein from each serving. I’m also very excited to introduce my latest cookbook: 25 Anti-Aging Smoothies for Revitalizing, Glowing Skin. All the smoothies are gluten-free, soy-free, vegan, and full of protein to provide a complete meal in one drink.
Do you have any favorite food traditions?
My favorite food traditions include having a family meal. My mom is 100% Croatian and has a huge family. We get together quite often and enjoy some type of grilled seafood with a ton of grilled vegetables, Croatian sauerkraut, a green salad, and fresh, homemade bread. Getting everyone together, cooking in the kitchen, and eating food made from scratch where you put the love into each bite is awesome and I cherish those moments.
I love sushi. And I love to make it at home. It’s extremely cheap and easy. I tend to make vegetarian rolls so I don’t have to worry about where to buy the fish or if it’s fresh. You can use any type of ingredients inside. This sushi has tofu, cucumber, and carrots. Sometimes I’ll add avocado. Sushi seems very daunting and scary to make. However, it’s actually pretty simple and it’s fun to roll up. My husband and I get into rolling contests to see who can make the tightest roll. This is a great interactive dinner and everyone can be involved. As long as you prep the ingredients, you can have fun making the rolls together.
Ingredients
Scale
Sushi Ingredients:
1 cup medium or short-grain rice, uncooked (short grain is better to use. It will make it stickier)
2 cups water
2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoon soy sauce, gluten-free
6 Nori seaweed wraps
1 carrot, peeled and sliced julienne style in long, thin strips
1 cucumber, peeled and sliced julienne style in long, thin strips
½ container of tofu lite, cut into long, thin strips, julienne style
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ginger, shredded
Sesame seeds for garnish
Miso Soup Ingredients:
3 tablespoon miso paste
4 cups water
½ container tofu lite, chopped into small squares
2 green onions, finely chopped
Soy sauce, gluten-free, to taste
2 cups Edamame (to eat on the side with sushi & miso soup)
Instructions
SUSHI:
Marinate the tofu with 2 Tbsp of the soy sauce, garlic, and ginger.
Make the rice in a rice cooker. OR if using stove top, boil 2 cups water in a medium pot. Add the rice and reduce to medium-low heat. Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes.
Remove rice from rice cooker or pot and place in a large bowl. Use a fork to fluff it.
Add vinegar and 1 Tbsp soy sauce. Mix together. This is your sticky rice. The vinegar will make the rice stickier. Let the rice cool. At this time, you can peel and slice the carrot & cucumber.
Lay out 1 piece of nori seaweed. Place the rice in a long line down the middle of the seaweed sheet the horizontal way (long way). Leave room at the top and bottom to roll up the sushi.
Put 1-2 strips of the carrot, 1 strip of cucumber, and 1 strip of marinated tofu in the middle of the rice. Start to roll up the sushi. You can use a mat if you have one. If you don’t just keep on rolling it up.
Use a little bit of water and slide your finger down the seaweed to get it damp. The water will act like a seal and close your sushi roll just like licking an envelope shut. Using a sharp knife, cut the sushi into smaller rolls.
1 seaweed roll can feed 1 person! Serve with soy sauce.
MISO SOUP:
Boil water. Reduce heat to medium. Whisk miso paste in water. Add tofu and green onions. Serve warm.
COMBINE:
Serve the sushi & miso soup with a ½ cup edamame. You can steam the edamame on the stove or cook in a little water in the microwave to warm it up. Add some salt when it’s done cooking.
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