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Whole Foods Diet Expert and Best Selling Author

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About Kellie

Kellie focuses on real food weight loss - no supplements, boxed foods, or nutrition bars. Kellie's philosophy is that due to bio-individuality (each one of us is different) most diets will work for some people and not for others so it's important to understand our own body and it's needs in order to lose weight effectively, safely, and permanently. Read More →

January 23, 2021 by Kellie Leave a Comment

Buckwheat Cereal

buckwheat cereal
Creamy Buckwheat Cereal

Healthy Breakfast

Buckwheat is your new health food.  Cereal can be a healthy breakfast – but not the sugar-laden kind.  Healthy cereals can be found in your grocery store though.  Almost everyone now knows the health benefits of oatmeal.  But eating oatmeal every day can get boring.  Time to mix it up!

Three of my favorite healthy breakfast cereal staples are amaranth, quinoa, and buckwheat.  Don’t get concerned – buckwheat doesn’t actually have any wheat in it and it’s not related to wheat; so it’s great for gluten-free folks.  But, I get that the name is pretty confusing.

Today – let’s focus on buckwheat.

Buckwheat – What is it?

Buckwheat is commonly called a pseudocereals – just like quinoa and amaranth.  It’s not a grain and it doesn’t grow on grasses.  Buckwheat – as well as all pseudocereals are actually seeds.  It is actually processed into a number of foods like tea, flour and noodles.  People think of it as a grain because it is usually used in the same fashion as grains . . . but, I swear it’s actually a seed. Buckwheat groats are the raw kernels with their shells removed.  They are used in much the same way as rice and other grains.  If toasted, buckwheat is known as “kasha” and becomes one of the few alkalizing “grains”.  Toasting it helps create a nutty flavor.

A bit of grinding/chopping either raw or kasha grouts helps make the creamy buckwheat cereal of today’s recipe.  If you like a hardier cereal (think grapenuts) use twice as much water as buckwheat and a touch of sea salt, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for approximately 20 minutes. Add some fresh fruit, nuts, and milk alternative for a super breakfast.

buckwheat grouts
buckwheat grouts

Health Benefits

Buckwheat is low (to medium) on the glycemic index, which measures how quickly a food raises the blood sugar.

It provides more antioxidants than most other grains.  Rutin, a bioflavonoid found in buckwheat, strengthens capillaries and blood vessels, reduces blood pressure, and increases circulation in the hands and feet.  It is a powerful antioxidant against damage from free radicals and a very good source of manganese.

It has a fair amount of insoluble fiber, which your body cannot digest and is fermented by gut bacteria in the colon.  I know that doesn’t sound so amazing, but it really is.  This improves gut health and is great for your colon.

It isn’t super high in protein but has a well-balanced amino acid profile so the protein is very high quality.

It is richer in minerals than many common grains and the minerals are very well absorbed because of a relative low level of phytic acid.  You can make it even lower by soaking it (which also means us use less water when cooking it).

 

Creamy vs Grouts

There’s more healthy benefits to eating the grouts but they can also be a pretty big first step for people transitioning to a healthy breakfast cereal.  So, creamy buckwheat may be a better first step.  Yes, it’s a bit more processed but no more than oatmeal.  Personally, I like Bob’s Red Mill Organic Creamy Buckwheat Cereal because it uses the raw grouts.  Of course, you can always chop or grind your own grouts too.  But, I think Bob’s is a good starting step.  Plus, here I’ve added in some fun textures and flavors that will help you enjoy this healthy breakfast.

Enjoy!

 

Creamy Buckwheat Cereal

Ingredients:

  • ¼ cup creamy buckwheat cereal or coarsely ground grouts
  • 1 T chia seeds
  • ¾ cup milk or milk alternative
  • 2 t almond butter
  • 2/3 of an apple
  • ½ t ground ginger
  • ½ t cinnamon
  • Pinch of ground nutmeg
  • Pinch of ground cloves

Directions:

  1. Cook creamy buckwheat according to directions. Include the recommended amount of salt.
  2. While the cereal simmers, pulse apple and almond butter in a food processor until a chunky consistency.
  3. Combine cooked cereal with chia seeds and milk or milk alternative.
  4. Fold the apple mixture into the buckwheat.
  5. Mix in spices.
  6. Delicious both warm and cold.

Top with dried fruit or chopped nuts if desired.

Filed Under: Breakfast, Recipes Tagged With: buckwheat, creamy buckwheat, healthy breakfast, healthy cereals

December 17, 2020 by Kellie Leave a Comment

Taco Meatball Soup

Healthy Soups
Taco Meatball Soup

Healthy Soups

I know, Taco Meatball Soup is a weird name, but in truth, I really don’t know what else to call this hearty soup recipes.  It’s got all the delicious ingredients of tacos but with fun bite sized meatballs in a soup!  Everyone’s happy!

If you’re in a hurry you can even just use ground beef and skip the meatballs . . . although truthful, it’s just not as much fun that way.  It’s really worth the extra time to make the meatballs.  Then just saute a few items, bring to a boil, let it cook for 20 minutes, and serve.  It’s hearty soups made healthy soups and fun along the way.

Healthy Soups – Hearty Soups

I have to be honest, I eat soup year round.  I love it!  It’s a staple of my life.  But, I realize as the weather turns toward the cooler seasons more people begin to think of soups.  In case you want to expand your healthy soups recipes, try Curried Winter Squash Soup,  Salmon Chowder, or find lots of healthy soups recipes in my Cleanse and Detoxify Your Body: 28 days to better healthy using nutrient dense whole foods book and program.

One secret for Taco Meatball Soup

taco meatball soup meatballs
small, bite-sized meatballs

This recipe is super easy and you can add or subtract ingredients depending on what you have leftover in the refrigerator or freezer.  Just like I do with tacos.  You can make your own tortilla chips or buy a bag.  You can make make your own salsa or buy a jar.  Whatever works for your busy life.

I know I said in the beginning you could skip the meatballs, and yes you can.  But, the one secret that really makes this healthy soup stand out, is the meatballs.  Remember to use the best grass fed beef you can afford; the health advantages are numerous.

But, since they’re going to be in the soup (and not highlighted like in spaghetti) they don’t have to be perfectly sized.  Make them small, no more than an inch in diameter.  Then you only partially cook them – just enough so they hold their shape – and finish them in the soup.  It makes for a much faster dinner.  Plus the little bite sized meatballs are perfect on a tortilla chip or in a spoon.  You don’t want people to have to cut the meatballs . . . this is a hearty soup recipe, but not that hearty!

Taco Meatball Soup Recipe

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup uncooked rice, divided
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 3 T fresh parsley, chopped
  • ½ t chili powder
  • ½ t dried oregano
  • ¼ t sea salt
  • ¼ t fresh ground black pepper
  • 1 T ghee
  • ½ cup onion, chopped
  • ½ cup celery, thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup carrot, thinly sliced
  • 1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
  • 2/3 cup bottled salsa
  • 2 14-ounce cans of chicken broth
  • ½ cup frozen whole kernel corn
  • 2 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 20 tortilla chips

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Chop onion and mince garlic.  Allow to rest for 5-10 minutes.
  2. Combine ¼ cup rice, ground beef, and spices (through pepper) in a bowl.  Shape mixture into 24 1-inch meatballs.
  3. Place on a broiler pan and bake for 10 minutes.
  4. Heat ghee in a large pot over medium high heat.  Add onion, celery and carrot.  Sauté 4 minutes or until tender.
  5. Add garlic and sauté for another minute.
  6. Add salsa and broth; bring to a boil.
  7. Add remaining ¼ cup rice and the meatballs.  Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until the rice is tender and meatballs are fully cooked.
  8. Stir in corn and cook another minute or until heated through.
  9. Spoon into bowls.  Sprinkle with cheese and tortilla strips.

Serves 6-8

 

 

 

Filed Under: Blog, Main Course, Recipes Tagged With: healthy soups, hearty soup recipes, meatball, meatballs, soup

December 9, 2020 by Kellie Leave a Comment

Free Virtual Health Retreat 12/15/20

Free Virtual Health Retreat

10 International Health & Nutrition Experts Share All . . .

Join me for this FREE Virtual Event Tuesday, December 15th!

I want you to meet one of my friends who is another mom, wife and transforms Life coaching as certified nutritional therapist.

Her name is Astrid Schiller, and she is the founder of the NutriHealth Products Inc. in Canada.

As a mom of 3 young healthy children and a wife, Astrid encounters challenges in figuring out how to improve her own family’s and patient’s health while preparing the children’s school snacks & lunches every day.

She didn’t start out thinking she could become a nutritional therapist but decades ago, she was sick, overweight and doctors told her she wouldn’t be able to become a mother! She started researching healthier solutions and her interest in food became a passion. She lost weight, was able to focus, increased her energy and got healthy.

Today she is a mom of 3 healthy young children and a wife, spending her time with her active young children while being genuinely coaching her patients’ holistic approach to health.

She creates customized nutritional programs based on her patients’ individual needs to reduce inflammation, brain fog, weight and menopausal symptoms to increase their confidence and overall wellbeing.

So, she has decided to take on a research project to learn what has changed in people’s lifestyle during these unprecedented times.

She found out that many parents:

  • Feeling left alone and isolated with their health & weight issues.
  • Losing hope and dreams to fit into their “old” clothes.
  • Getting overwhelmed with all the information out there, not knowing which food items to eat to reduce their pain, weight, etc.
  • Forgetting the basic steps that could immediately improve their daily wellbeing

Coaching men and women to become healthier and be present for their kids & families in the future, and unifying people together to HELP EACH OTHER is her calling and brings Astrid her fulfillment and purpose. She encourages everyone to empower each other using simple strategies to improve their wellbeing, and at the same time not have to sacrifice too much to achieve our goals.

This research project has turned into an interview series, where she interviews this coming Tuesday December 15th, 2020 10 Health and Nutrition Experts (including me!).

Free Virtual Health Retreat

The FREE Event is called: From Dieting To Opportunities: How to improve immune repose and detox while reducing inflammation, weight and belly fat!

I have a complimentary ticket for you to attend. You can register using this link >> www.FromDietingToOpportunities.com


Just so you know, you will be able to watch from your home, office, or anywhere on the go.

It is for specifically for men & women who want to get back into health – or their desired shape – but are challenged with the priorities that come with being a busy-working dad or mom while juggling the responsibilities and desires to be a great parent.

Live Interviews All Day

Here’s what is going to be covered in the LIVE INTERVIEWS:

  • How to break old habits and beliefs that are keeping moms & dads from creating the healthy stability they want, while being active with & for their kids;
  • How to NOT lose yourself in the journey of building a healthy active lifestyle so you don’t fall back into the shadow of the woman or man you used to be.
  • What to do when you are feeling stretched thin, and how to do it in a way that you won’t drop the ball;
  • How to cook healthy recipes so you can spend more time with your family;
  • Actionable strategies that are WORKING RIGHT NOW which any parent can implement to quickly improve health;
  • Improve Your immune response by taking care of your gut
  • Learn how the Gut “communicates” with the Brain
  • What has to be done to improve bone density
  • Listen to your inner voice and get inspired
  • Connect and receive personal information on Autism & ADD recovery
  • Create a vision for your life, and finally step into the healing process!

These interviews are REAL, short and to the point CONVERSATIONS with moms & dads who became international health and nutrition experts!

SO, let me ask you this: What would it be worth to you to be able to sit at the same table amongst internationally known speakers—to find out WHAT are the latest scientific data, WHAT are the food items they are using (or not) and, HOW they are doing it?

For me it is PRICELESS, which is why I will not only be a speaker, but I’ll be attending, too.

Register for Free Virtual Health Retreat

Register here with your complimentary ticket to listen in. >> Access to the FREE Virtual Retreat

 

P.S. In case you are wondering who the speakers are, here are just a handful of speakers you will hear from: Prof. Dr. E. Mayer, Dr. John Jaquish, Jenny Breen, Greg Amundson, of course ME, and many more!

That’s just a handful. You can find out who the rest of them are right here >> FREE Retreat

 

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: free, health, healthy, retreat, virtual, Weight loss

November 10, 2020 by Kellie Leave a Comment

Turkey Breast Seasoning OR Roasted Vegetables Seasoning – Healthy Holiday Foods!

Healthy Holiday Foods
Healthy Holiday Foods

Healthy Turkey Rub Recipe

Healthy Holiday Foods don’t have to be boring!  I know some people love to spend all day in the kitchen when it comes to the holidays . . . I’m just not one of those people.  Even on special occasions I’m still a cook that likes fast and easy.  Luckily this seasoning only takes about five minutes.  And, this herb rub is not only super quick to make, it also does double duty.  It can be used as a turkey rub recipe or a roasted vegetables seasoning.  Make one batch and add it to both foods.

I grew up with the whole basting the bird concept – lots of butter rubbed on the turkey and then the butter and turkey fat religiously moved from the drippings pan every hour and lathered onto the turkey.  Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against butter, but over the years, more and more of my family have needed to monitor the amount of added fats they eat.  So, this turkey rub recipe has become a staple in our house.  Plus, in truth, don’t tell my mother, but I actually like the taste of these healthy holiday foods better.

Fresh or Dried for Healthy Holiday Foods

Right around the end of October frost begins to hit our area.  Which means it’s time to cut back all the herbs and hope they’ll survive the winter and give us fresh new herbs come next Spring.  We dry the herbs for future use.  Sometimes I dry them as full pieces and sometimes I’ll make this type of herb rub and dry the combination (same with the herbs for Italian Dressing).  I love that dried herbs can be put in a clean jar and stored for up to a year!  Obviously the flavor of the herbs degrades over time so try to use them as soon possible for the best taste.

When ever possible though, I love adding fresh flavors to our foods.  This turkey rub recipe is perfect for making healthy holiday foods.  Using the fresh herbs gives a beautiful flavor that I think is better than any butter basted turkey.  I’m sure there are people that would disagree with me but I challenge you to try it . . . this seasoning really does add so much flavor.

Using the Seasoning

Dried or fresh there’s a couple different ways to use this herb rub for turkey breast seasoning.  If you have a skinless breast you can just rub into onto the meat.  If you have a full turkey or a breast with the skin still attached, I recommend gently lifting the skin from the meat (but don’t remove the skin all together).  Cover the meat with the rub, including the breast and legs of a full turkey, then replace the skin to keep the herbs in place and the moisture in the bird.  So, the herbs are between the meat and the skin.

When using this recipe for roasted vegetables seasoning, toss the vegetables with the herb rub until the seasoning is evenly distributed among the vegetables.  I like this herb rub on pretty much any type of vegetable.  Here’s a video if you need more ideas.

Mix Up the Ingredients

I’m giving you my basic recipe here but feel free to mix it up depending on what you are cooking.  With turkey I use more sage than rosemary.  With vegetables I use more rosemary than sage.  When roasting a chicken I sometimes use tarragon instead of sage.  With lamb I add mint.  If I’m pairing with a tomato sauce I use marjoram instead of sage.  There isn’t any one size fits all – it depends on what your family likes.

Also, this basic recipe uses Herbamare and white pepper.  First, Herbamare isn’t essential you could use good old sea salt.  I just like the additional dried flavors of celery, leek, cress, onion, chives, parsley, lovage, garlic, basil, marjoram, rosemary, thyme and kelp.  Most larger grocery stores now carry it or you can buy it online.  Second, sometimes I use black pepper and sometimes I use white pepper (one time I used tri-colored peppercorns).  The decision mostly depends on how “spicy” I want the outcome.  White pepper has a tendency to be a bit spicier than traditional black pepper.  Sometimes it’s also a visual.  I don’t like seeing black flecks on chicken or turkey but they disappear into lamb.  Again, use whatever you think your family will like best.

Herb Rub Ingredients:

  • 2 bunches of fresh sage
  • 1 bunch fresh rosemary
  • 8 garlic cloves
  • 1 tablespoon Herbamare
  • Ground white pepper

Directions:

  1. Remove leaves from sage and rosemary stalks.  In a small food processor, pulse herbs, garlic, Herbamare, and white pepper until pretty fine.
  2. Use fresh or allow to dry.  If drying, store in tightly sealed jar for up to a year.

Video:

If you’re more of a visual learning, here is the video on making this recipe.

Filed Under: Blog, Main Course, Recipes Tagged With: healthy holiday foods, herb rub, roasted vegetables seasoning, turkey breast seasoning, turkey rub recipe

October 22, 2020 by Kellie 2 Comments

Stuffed Fig

Healthy Appetizer
Stuffed Fig

Healthy Appetizer

Stuffed fig for the win!  A friend gave me a giant bowl of figs from her backyard tree the other day.  They were so sweet, I actually couldn’t believe it.  Obviously some fig jam was in order.  But, I still had quite a few figs left over.  I decided that this amazing sweetness needed a touch of savory and started working on a sweet and savory stuffed figs healthy appetizer.  With just a bit of work I think I’ve come up with a new family favorite and an easy dish to take to holiday parties in the future.

Healthy Appetizer Prep
Healthy Appetizer Prep

A few notes for stuffed fig ingredients:

There’s really not much to this stuffed fig recipe – figs and soft cheese in a savory meat wrap.

Personally, we found we liked the smaller figs best as they made perfect bite size morsels.  If you have the larger figs you can cut them in half and stuff them like a boat.  Learn about figs if you’re going shopping for them.

We tried a couple different kinds of cheese; just what we had in the refrigerator.  Soft cheeses worked better than hard.  Creamier cheeses “mixed” into the soft sweet fig meat the best.  Once I did a little research (yes, after I finished the stuffed fig recipe), I noticed many other recipes use goat cheese.  Personally, I think any mild, soft cheese would taste fine.

Finally, I had pancetta and proscuitto.  Since I wanted to bake the figs, pancetta seemed to work better but either is fine.  You could also choose not to bake the stuffed figs, especially if they are super ripe, and just wrap them in proscuitto.  This works great for various fruits; try Watermelon Appetizer.  Any thin cured meat would be fine.  Just something to give a salty, savory addition to the sweet fig and the creamy cheese.  Gosh, just writing this makes we want to go grab a few to munch on!

Prepping Stuffed Fig

Remember to remove the stem of the fresh fig.  If it’s a small fig just cut a bit of the seeds from the core and you can stuff cheese in the hole.  With a medium sized fig you can score the top of the fig in an “X” and then stuff cheese in the hole.  Using a larger fig you may need to cut the fig in half from stem to bottom, remove a bit of the core, stuff the cheese in the hole, wrap the meat around and bake cheese size up.

Stuffed fig

Cut the pancetta vertically for the smaller figs and horizontally for the larger stuffed figs.

Stuffed fig wrap

If you aren’t baking the stuffed fig then wrap it so people can see the cheese in top.

Stuffed fig exposedWhen baking the stuffed fig then wrapping it depends on the type of cheese you choose.  With a cheese that will melt easily and therefore possibly run out of the fit, then fully encase the stuffed fig with the meat (see below).  If the cheese is a slower to melt type of cheese, then you can leave the cheese exposed or just cover a bit (see the very first picture in the blog).

Stuffed fig wrapped

Finally, place on a parchment covered baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes at 400 degrees.  Or until the meat is crispy.

Stuffed fig cooked

Enjoy a delicious, healthy appetizer of stuffed figs.

Stuffed Fig Appetizer Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 20 small to medium figs
  • 3 oz soft cheese
  • 4 oz pancetta

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. With a paring knife cut the stem from the fig.  Cut a small “core” in the fig or “score” the top in an X.
  3. Gently “stuff” a small piece of cheese inside the fig.
  4. Cut pancetta pieces in half and wrap a ½ piece around the fig.
  5. Place figs on prepared baking sheet.
  6. Bake for 10-15 minutes until pancetta is crispy.

Filed Under: Appetizers, Blog Tagged With: fig, healthy appetizer, Recipe, stuffed fig, sweet and savory

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Kellie Hill Nutrition

Buckwheat Cereal

healthy breakfast

Taco Meatball Soup

Healthy Soups

Free Virtual Health Retreat 12/15/20

Turkey Breast Seasoning OR Roasted Vegetables Seasoning – Healthy Holiday Foods!

Stuffed Fig

Healthy Appetizer

Connect

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DISCLAIMER: The content shared on this site is for informational and educational purposes only. Statements/products discussed have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent any disease or illness. Please consult your health care practitioner before making changes to your current diet or before beginning any herbal or vitamin supplement regimen or exercise program. Although Kellie Hill is a certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, the author(s) at The Right Plan are not licensed medical professionals, nor do they claim to be. They are not here to diagnose or provide medical advice to any reader.Affiliate Disclosure • Terms and Conditions© 2021 The Right Plan Nutrition Counseling & Kellie Hill Nutrition • Custom Web Design by Paradux Media Group