dialysis & kidney disease

Chocolate Glazed Baked Chocolate Donuts (& a donut pan GIVEAWAY!) + Weekly Menu

January 21, 2012 by Nicole, RD · 171 Comments

Oh, hi. Yes, I’ve been sleeping in…and attending to very important matters like feeding my donut obsessed self these nearly guilt-free Chocolate Glazed Baked Chocolate Donuts. At 93 calories a piece, there’s no denying they will be the best spent calories of the day.

Week one on the job was great. I really, really love my new position thus far. Everyone is so nice and I feel like I am going to develop my skills as a dietitian. Not only will I be making the recommendations for IV vitamin D (a drug called Zemplar) in an effort to keep my patient’s bones healthy, but I will get to learn about IDPN (IV nutrition for dialysis patients so they are getting nutrition while they run treatment three days a week). This is all very exciting stuff in my little nutrition world.

And I’m excited, too, about all things going on with this here, the blog (P.S. preventionrd.com will be getting a “face-lift” come February!). January has been a booming month, and I think I can attribute that to the healthy goals people set come the new year. Despite the cold, snowy, I-just-wanna-snuggle-on-the-couch-and-read-a-good-book weather, this time of year is filled with good intentions to eat well and be a healthier, happier you.

I think that’s a great goal any time of year…but there’s something very motivating about having so many people working towards the very same goals, at the very same time.

People, we are so in this together.

I have “seen” new faces on Facebook (I’m lovin’ it). I’ve had the chance to check out new healthy cooking and living blogs from the comments and emails you’ve sent my way, or tweeted my direction. And more than ever, I feel that those coming to my little corner of the web are actually trying and loving the food that I prepare, photograph, and post about. For me, it doesn’t get any better than that — so, thank you.

Chocolate Glazed Baked Chocolate Donuts adapted from Milk & Honey and Stephanie Cooks

Donuts:
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1/2 cup almond milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp canola oil
3 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce

Chocolate Glaze:
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 tsp canola oil
1 Tbsp corn syrup
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and coat a donut pan liberally with cooking spray.

Stir together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add the egg, milk, vanilla, oil, and applesauce; stir together for 1 minute.

Fill each cavity in the pan 1/2 of the way full with batter. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes or until the donuts spring back when lightly touched. Cool completely.

Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl. Add the corn syrup and oil and microwave in 20 second increments, stirring in between. Stir in the vanilla. Dunk each donut into the glaze and allow to set. Yield: 14 donuts.

Nutrition Information (per donut): 93 calories; 3.4 g. fat; 15 mg. cholesterol; 157 mg. sodium; 15.2 g. carbohydrate; 1.9 g. fiber; 1.1 g. protein

Result: Oh my yum! I slimmed down this recipes bunches and it was still delicious! The glaze makes it. These come together quickly and are good for several days afterwards. Is there anything better than a chocolate glazed chocolate donut…for under 100 calories a piece? Nah.

Before I get to the good stuff, here’s a weekly menu…

Weekly Menu: January 21st – 26th

Saturday: Southwestern Pizza with Black Beans and Corn
Sunday: Vegetarian Thai Quinoa Chili
Monday: Healthy Lasagna
Tuesday: leftovers…I
Wednesday: Slow Cooker Chicken with Corn and Poblanos
Thursday: leftovers…I teach.

Since I’m in a great mood today and feel far too selfish to post yet another donut recipe while so few of you own a donut pan (seriously, you NEED one)…let’s have a little GIVEAWAY!

Leave a comment on this post letting me know which of the following donut recipes you’d be most likely to try if you won a donut pan! I will draw ONE winner at random tomorrow evening, 10pm EST.

Orange-Glazed Blueberry Doughnuts
“Healthy” Baked Chocolate Chip Donuts
Baked Eggnog Donuts
Pumpkin Spice Donuts with a Chocolate Glaze
Baked Apple Cinnamon Doughnuts

Be well,

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Filed Under: 100 calories or less, dialysis & kidney disease, dietitians, guilt-free, kid-friendly, recipe, reduced-calorie, snack, Uncategorized, weekly menu, weight loss ·

Meyer Lemon Ricotta Pancakes {Classy Protein Pancakes}

January 19, 2012 by Nicole, RD · 20 Comments

I think I would like to rename these “classy protein pancakes”. For roughly 300 calories, you get a stack of pancakes (okay, 3…) and nearly 13 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber.

Unlike your average flapjack, these are dense, but not dry. They’re filling but not heavy (in case that makes sense to anyone other than myself).

Between the Meyer lemons I spotted and snatched up and the leftover low-fat ricotta I needed to use up, magic was made in these pancakes. I even went as far as to take the advice of Joanne and serve these Meyer Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with a dollop of lemon curd.

As a first-timer to lemon curd, let me be the first to warn you that lemon curd is highly addictive. It can be found in the baking aisle of your local grocer. And while not low in calories, a little bit goes a long way and it really is…incredible.

These pancakes are not only a unique and refreshing flavor and consistency, but they’re a bit different to make. The batter is extremely thick — just use the back of your spoon to spread the batter into 4-inch-ish pancakes. They don’t have to be perfect — they won’t last long and people will soon be oogling over the taste…not the appearance!

Put the eggs and Greek yogurt aside for this fun, classy protein-packed pancake breakfast. I assure you, you’re in for a treat!

Meyer Lemon Ricotta Pancakes adapted from Desserts For Breakfast and Eats Well With Others

4 egg whites
4 egg yolks
12 oz (1 1/3 cup) low-fat ricotta
1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp (Meyer) lemon zest, freshly grated
6 oz (1 1/4 cup) whole wheat pastry flour

Directions:

In a mixer, on medium high speed, whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Remove egg whites to a separate bowl.

In the now empty stand mixer bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, ricotta, sugar, and lemon zest. Mix in the flour and whisk to combine.

Whisk in about 1/4th of the egg whites into the yolk/ricotta mixture. Fold in the remaining egg whites. Batter will be thick; continue to find in egg whites until batter is consistent throughout.

Heat a skillet over medium heat, spray with cooking spray, and cook pancakes (Note: you will need to use the back of a spoon to spread batter — it will be too thick to spread itself). Or, cook pancakes on an electric griddle. Serve topped with lemon curd and blueberries, or toppings of choice. Yield: 12 pancakes, about 4-inches each (4 servings, 3 pancakes each).

Nutrition Information (per 3 pancakes): 307 calories; 8.5 g. fat; 235 mg. cholesterol; 138 mg. sodium; 37 g. carbohydrate; 3.8 g. fiber; 12.8 g. protein

Result: I can almost guarantee you haven’t had a pancake with more balance of carbohydrate, protein, and fat…or with this dense and moist consistency with tons of fruity, sweet lemon flavor. Eggs, low-fat ricotta, and whole wheat pastry flour…all wholesome, healthy ingredients. You’ll never revert back to your pancakes with protein powder again! Enjoy!

Thank you all for the kind words about my new position. While some things have changed, my role as a renal dietitian is the same. Unlike my previous clinic, my new clinics are using electronic medical records (EMR) which is a huge learning curve for me! The staff are absolutely amazing and I got to meet with a few of the patients today to do a few assessments and they were welcoming and warm. Their labs need some improvement, so I hope to help with that!

The nurse practitioner I’ll be working closely with is BEYOND impressive. She is truly incredible and I can’t wait to learn from her and build a great rapport so that I can continue to play a very active role in my patient’s treatment.

Since my new clinics run treatments on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I will typically (after mid-March) be teaching on Tuesdays and Thursdays (though this quarter I teach Mondays and Wednesdays so I’ll be hopping over to campus from about 10 to 1 on those days…crazy, I know). My own husband has no idea what days I’m at what clinic and when I teach my various classes. It all gets very confusing…especially since my schedule changes every quarter with teaching.

But for today, a little self-pampering after my workout (and classy protein pancakes!) and before teaching

Be well,

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Filed Under: 300 calories or less, dialysis & kidney disease, exercise, fiber, fruits and vegetables, guilt-free, quick meals, recipe, Uncategorized ·

Mega Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies {Vegan}

January 17, 2012 by Nicole, RD · 23 Comments

Let me reminisce on how fabulous yesterday was.

I woke up just after 8am — which is sleeping in for me. Much needed after a late night hockey game on Sunday (I got home at 1am!! Insane!). I made a latte and checked my email. I decided to run errands with Lily which resulted in an unnecessary but oh-so-lovely Tim Hortons visit where I got a coffee and Lily got a Timbit (a plain donut hole for those unfamiliar with the glory that is Tim Hortons).

Unlike Lily, I had no trouble passing up the Timbits.

I had Carrot Cake Cookies for breakfast. They were soft and sweet and healthy. I’m glad there’s more for breakfast on-the-go today…being my first day at the new job and all.

What I love most about these cookies is all the ground flaxseed that’s in them. Ground flaxseed is an ingredient I always have stocked in my fridge but rarely find a use for, much less in substantial quantities.

While it’s true that flaxseed is relatively high in calories (60 calories in 2 tablespoons), it is also packed with nutrition…most notably the omega-3 fatty acids and fiber. While we tend to get our weekly recommended intake of omega 3′s from salmon and seafood, I love the fact that these cookies sneak omega-3′s into breakfast…or a snack.

Mega Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies adapted from Oh She Glows and 101 Cookbooks

1/2 cup pecans, chopped
3/4 cup ground flax
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/3 cup raisins
1 cup carrots (about 3), finely grated
3 Tbsp coconut oil
1/2 cup pure maple syrup (honey or agave will work, too)
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 F and toast the pecans for 7-8 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the batter. In a large bowl, mix together the flax, flour, oats, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and raisins.

Grate the carrots using the finest grate. In a smaller bowl, melt the coconut oil in the microwave for about 45-60 seconds. Now add in the maple syrup, carrots, applesauce, and vanilla. Stir well.

Remove pecans from the oven and add to the dry ingredients. Increase oven temp to 350 F.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well. The dough will be thick.

With a spoon, scoop 12 cookies onto a lined baking sheet (they don’t spread much so you can put them an inch apart). Bake for 14-15 minutes and allow to cool on baking sheet. Yield: 12 big breakfast cookies.

Nutrition Information (per cookie): 195 calories; 9.6 g. fat; 0 mg. cholesterol; 89 mg. sodium; 25.8 g. carbohydrate; 4.3 g. fiber; 2.5 g. protein

Result: These are delicious! They are best the day they’re made, but will keep up to 5 days in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. They have great flavor from the maple syrup, flax, raisins, and coconut oil. These are vegan and kid-friendly, too! Quick to make and perfect for breakfasts and snacks on busy days. Enjoy!

The rest of yesterday was spent working out, making dinner, grading papers, creating exams, reading the 400+ posts in my Google Reader, updating my Recipe Index…and…finally adding my Food Philosophy page!

I was able to be so productive because this girl, apparently, likes to sleep and sunbathe in front of the sliding glass door all day!