new & improved

It’s finally here!

(Note: Before I get too far, I want to warn you/ask for your patience up front… While the blog is up and going, I’m still tweaking some of the categories and playing ‘catch-up’ with all the blogs I’ve been meaning to write for like, a year. Right now, some of the categories are still empty… If you’re an email subscriber and you happen to get a bunch of new posts in one afternoon, don’t panic! I promise not to blow up your inbox every day—my plan is to blog a few times a week, max. Also, I’m still ‘improving’ my iPhone photography skills, so bear with me as I try out some editing apps and such. Recommendations welcome!)

Now, back to the NEW BLOG!

I’ve been mentally planning/designing/dreaming of re-vamping the blog for more than a year now. Once graduation (almost a year ago!) was getting closer, I realized I wanted to take the blog in a more nutrition-related direction.

And then school was over. And we went to France. And I took on three year’s worth of landscaping in like three months.

So, the blog’s been on the back burner for about a year. I recently gave myself a deadline to finish (April), and I put the pedal to the medal. (And got a lot of help from my neighbor—thanks Beth!)

First of all, the blog has a new name. My first domain, thefrozenpineapple, will always hold a special place in my heart. It’s where I started, and it was very personal. You can find highlights in the ‘frozenpineapple favorites’ category, under the ‘More’ category.

Second, the blog looks a lot different. It was time for a new look, and I’m so grateful my friend—who is a web designer—was willing to help a girl out. I love it.

Perhaps the biggest change is the navigation…in that the blog actually HAS SOME. The blog re-vamp was especially complicated because I hadn’t properly categorized any of my past posts! Thankfully, reorganizing them was a pleasant trip down memory lane and a chance to do some purging. Here’s a bit about the new categories:

Recipes: I love trying new recipes! Find them categorized by meal (Breakfast & Breads, Mains, Sides and Sweets), and other blog-worthy eats are under #fabfood.

Nutrition: This includes past school-related posts (read the final ‘how to become an RD’ post here), random nutrition-related posts, my take on the latest trends (Book Reviews) and Meal-Planning, which is a simple way to remove the stress from healthy eating.

Fitness: I love to work out! Don’t get me wrong—I didn’t always love exercise; in fact, I was a couch-potato kid who liked to read more than anything else. However, I’ve learned to love exercise and hope you do, too. I teach body conditioning and cycle on Wednesdays at our local YMCA (#workoutwednesdays), and I’ll share some of the workouts I try—both in and out of the gym—with you here (@thegym), as well as some of my runs and races (I ❤ running).

More: There is so much more to my life than just food and exercise that it’s hard not to include it on the blog. My husband and I love to travel, whether it’s across the pond or just a weekend with friends in Ohio (Travel); we’re EPIC house project-ers (Home & Garden); and I love sharing (Things I LOVE) with others.

In Print: My first passion is writing, and I’m working on breaking into the (terrifying/impossible/scary/crazy hard work) world of freelance. <Gasp.> One day. Check out this category for things I’ve written, including my Buffalo News Refresh blog posts.

Lastly, I’m truly glad you’re here–thanks for stopping by!

Buffalo News Refresh Blog – March 2016

Make your child’s Easter treats healthy and fun

by: Holly R. Layer

With Easter – and those baskets – fast approaching, I thought I’d offer some alternatives to candy and chocolate in the interest of promoting healthier choices. It’s OK to grab a bag of jellybeans and a Cadbury Egg while you’re at the store picking up all these fun ideas. After all, Easter comes but once a year. But make sure your child’s basket isn’t a sugar rush.

First, kudos to whoever came up with dying eggs at Easter. Not only is it a fun pastime to enjoy with your kids, hard-boiled eggs are packed with nutrition. One egg packs 12 grams of protein, 10 percent of both your daily vitamin D and B-12 needs, all for only 78 calories.

Because eggs don’t have carbohydrates – unlike yogurt, which has both carbs and protein – they’re an excellent source of protein if you’re going low-carb or pairing them with toast or pancakes in the morning.

Secondly, be aware of added sugars this time of year. Candy for Easter baskets is on sale at every store, and even I fall victim. In fact, I have bowls of jellybeans and chocolate eggs sitting out in the dining room right now. … That may not have been the wisest choice.

Small splurges aside, did you know that a medium McDonald’s Shamrock Shake costs you 660 calories and has a whopping 93 grams of sugar? That equates to approximately 23 teaspoons, or almost ½ cup, of sugar in one beverage. Even the 19 grams of protein (from the vanilla ice cream) doesn’t justify that kind of splurge.

Still craving that minty green drink? Make your own! Blend ½ cup plain Greek yogurt, 1 scoop vanilla protein powder, half an avocado, 1 handful spinach, one to two drops mint extract and a splash of milk for a healthier version. Top with whipped cream and a cherry if you’d like!

FILL YOUR KID’S EASTER BASKET THE HEALTHY WAY

Better-for-you goodies: Reach for items that aren’t 100 percent sugar, such as trail mix or nuts. Opt for small, individually wrapped pieces of dark chocolate, rather than large bars or eggs. Limit your child’s candy haul by portioning small amounts of sweets into a few plastic eggs, instead of giving them the entire bag.

Non-food items: Fill plastic eggs with small toys, like stickers, Legos, bubbles, art supplies or even loose change. Consider giving each child a portion of puzzle pieces so they can put it together as a group later.

Special surprises: Instead of a giant chocolate bunny as the centerpiece of the basket, put something more lasting inside, like a kite, a book, or seed packets for planting. Plastic eggs could hold clues for a treasure hunt.

Happy Easter!

Holly R. Layer, of East Aurora, is a registered dietitian who provides nutritional counseling to students at SUNY Buffalo State and teaches cycle and fitness classes at the Southtowns YMCA. She loves running, reading, fine stationery, colorful kitchen gadgets and ALL things food-related. An avid cook and baker, you can find her in the kitchen most days whipping up something yummy. Too bad her husband, Andrew, an East Aurora native, is the pickiest man alive! You can also find her writings at thehealthypineapple.com.

Buffalo News Refresh Blog – February 2016

Sunday meal planning can make a week’s worth of healthy choices

by: Holly R. Layer

When the going gets tough, the tough get going.

One of the biggest challenges to eating real, healthy food is a busy schedule. Unfortunately, we’re all busier than ever, and the healthy food in your fridge isn’t going to prep itself. If you’re hitting the drive-thru more often than you should, perhaps it’s time for you to embrace the art of meal planning.

Basically, meal planning is simply preparing your meals ahead of time, once a week. It can be as many meals as you want, as basic or as gourmet as you want. For example, if you work full-time outside the home, it might be helpful to prepare your breakfast, lunch, a snack and even some dinners. For others, it might just be packing all your lunches, or prepping all your dinners.

When I went back to school, I found I was spending almost an hour each night packing my breakfast, lunch and snacks for the next day. I finally started meal planning, and it’s relieved so much stress and given me back so much time. Instead of spending an hour each night, I spend a couple hours on a Sunday afternoon doing everything once. I still do it, even though I’m home more now.

First, meal planning begins with the PLAN. Plan out your meals. This could look like two egg muffins, toast and an orange for breakfast; a large salad for lunch; an apple and a cheese stick for a snack; and chili with salad and cornbread for dinner. Do that for every day. It’s helpful to repeat or alternate meals, to keep it simple. For example, you could have the same breakfast and snack every day, and alternate lunches. Consider using leftovers as part of your meal plan, as well. Be sure to ask yourself if the meal you’re planning matches where you’re going to eat it – you don’t want to get stuck eating cold lasagna in your car because you don’t have a microwave.

Next, decide what day works best for you to spend about three hours in the kitchen. Ideally, that would be Sunday afternoon or evening, if your meals are designed for Monday through Friday. Be sure to have gone to the grocery store and start with a clean kitchen with clean tools and lots of containers.

Finally, start with the recipe that takes the longest to prepare. Using the example above, get your egg muffins in the oven and the chili cooking on the stove first, and then gather your apples and cheese sticks together in the fridge for easy access. Wash your salad ingredients and chop veggies for the week and put in containers for lunches. Make sure you also have enough salad for dinner, as well. Once the egg muffins are done, pop in the cornbread. Peel all your oranges and put them in containers or baggies. Be sure to follow food safety rules and keep cold things in the fridge for as long as possible before taking them out, and chill items quickly.

Meal planning will relieve stress, save you time and money, and ensure you eat the healthy food you buy each week. Your meals can be as basic (simply assembling items like yogurts, fruit, veggies, nuts) or as gourmet (muffins, soups, stir-frys) as you’d like.

Now, eating healthy food is as easy opening the fridge each morning!

Holly R. Layer is a registered dietitian who lives in East Aurora. She provides nutritional counseling to students at SUNY Buffalo State, and teaches cycle and fitness classes at the Southtowns YMCA. She loves running, reading, fine stationery, colorful kitchen gadgets and ALL things food-related. An avid cook and baker, you can find her in the kitchen most days whipping up something yummy. Too bad her husband, Andrew (an East Aurora native) is the pickiest man alive! In addition to writing for the Refresh Buffalo Blog, you can find her at thehealthypineapple.com.