Dietitian | Nutritionist

18 June, 2013 by Claire | Leave a comment

I’ve spent the last year explaining my education and career goals. I guess I kind of asked for it with the whole being-a-senior-in-college-who-writes-a-blog-called-The-Slender-Student thing. Whenever asked, I tell people I am a liberal arts and nutrition major. The next question, without fail, is if I plan to become a nutritionist. I follow with my (now memorized) spiel about the difference between nutritionists and dietitians, and that in just one short year (!!!) I’ll become a registered dietitian… Assuming everything goes according to plan.

This article by the Washington Post does a much better job than either my liberal arts or nutrition side can do to explain the distinction between the two titles, as well as what a dietitian can do for you in terms of weight loss/maintenance (keep in mind they can do much more beyond this, especially if you have specific diet concerns related to a medical condition or specific dietary restrictions).

P.S. I know it’s summer and you probably don’t want to read a news piece. No worries, my normal college student side has thrown together a cheat sheet for you:

If you have any questions about studying nutrition or seeing a registered dietitian, feel free to leave a comment! I’m obv pretty into talking about this stuff.

Meatless Monday: Lemon Parmesan Kale Salad

17 June, 2013 by Claire | Leave a comment

I’ve been standing on a sack lunch soapbox for a couple weeks now. I feel like it’s a pretty surefire way to slender down. Yeah, it might take a little more prep and planning than it does to stand in line at the campus Chik-Fil-A, but if you’re not willing to put forth that extra bit of effort, then you must not be that serious about making changes for your health.

Ooh, it’s like I’m getting all Jillian Michaels on you or something.

Despite my tough love, I do want to make this as easy as possible. That’s why I wrote Slender Essentials: Sack Lunch, which contains links to all of my portable meal gear, as well as Take It To Go, a post with sample meals and a grocery list.

Use today’s recipe to keep on keepin’ on with your slender lunch packing. I made this kale salad Sunday night and then divvied it up between my lunches last Monday through Thursday. Having a nutritious side dish ready to go really helped me out when I was spending my time online shopping instead of studying for my accounting and nutrition exams. Time management, y’all!

ingredients:
1 bunch of kale
3 T chopped onion
2 T minced garlic
1 T olive oil
juice of one lemon
2 T shredded parmesan cheese

directions:
1. Thoroughly rinse and dry your kale. Chop into bite size pieces and place in a large bowl.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together your onion, minced garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and parmesan cheese.
3. Pour the dressing over the kale and massage with your hands for a minute or two until the leaves are slightly wilted.
4. Refrigerate for at least an hour before eating to allow the kale to absorb the flavor.

Recipe inspired by CookSmarts.

Zucchini Hummus

12 June, 2013 by Claire | Leave a comment

Last weekend, my younger sister came to visit me in Austin and I was seriously excited to show her what life is like as a college student. You know, hours on your friends’ couch, staying up late, three trips to the grocery store in two days.

K, so maybe that last part is my own idiosyncrasy, but Julia still tagged along because she’s great. She even humored me by loyally standing with the cart, waiting for my deli turkey to be sliced, while I went to go get hummus. And by “went to go get hummus,” I mean, picked up every tub in every available brand to look at the nutrition information and ingredients.

If you’re keeping a tally of weird things I do, I give you full permission (and, in fact, advise you) to stop reading once you hit double digits.

Anyway, eventually Julia came over, turkey in hand, to see what was taking so long. At that point I threw in the towel. I decided that if I can’t get a hummus made with olive oil and real ingredients for under 60 calories per serving, then I’m going on strike. Hummus buying strike. The best part about my boycott? I got to go home, brainstorm a recipe, and then go to the grocery store again.

Yeah, I rock at college.

ingredients:
1 zucchini
1/3 C low sodium canned chickpeas (drain excess liquid)
3 T tahini
2 T minced garlic (or 2-3 cloves)
2 T lemon juice
1 T olive oil
salt, to taste

directions:
1. Dice the zucchini into 1/2″ square pieces.
2. In a food processor or blender, combine all of the ingredients and blend until smooth.
3. Serve with carrots, celery, or pretzels for dipping! Or try adding a bit of red wine vinegar to thin it out and use it for salad dressing.

Recipe inspired by DailyCandy.

Slender Style: Kickin’ It

12 June, 2013 by Claire | Leave a comment

one: Nike Free TR III Printed ($100)
two: Nike Roshe Run ($70)
three: Nike Air Max 1 ND Liberty ($125)
four: Nike FlyKnit Lunar1+ ($160)
five: Nike Roshe Run Woven ($100)
six: Nike Roshe Run Premium Liberty iD ($130)

I’m believe that you can tell a lot by a person by the shoes they wear. I meet someone, forget their name, remember their shoes, and feel like their chosen pair has given me some deep insight into their being. Probably not my best quality but, hey, it is what it is. And while it used to be that this vehicle for self expression was limited to the shoes one wears to the mall, bar, or beach, thanks to some eye-catching new designs, I’m able to read too far into one’s footwear in the gym, too!

After being in the city for a week and then coming back to campus in Austin, I’ve seen some pretty enviable kicks. And since I’m apparently a masochist, I decided to spend some QT on Nike’s website, checking out all the insane styles despite the fact that I just bought a new pair of (boring…oops) running shoes and know better than to drop a Benj on an unnecessary pair. Do you understand how much self control it takes to not indulge in that custom floral lavender pair?

So much that I probably deserve a new pair of shoes…

Tropical Chia Seed Pudding

11 June, 2013 by Claire | 3 Comments

I’m a grocery store professional. I’m in, I grab my staples, and I’m out. Unfortunately, this impressive level of efficiency has lent itself to my becoming a serial produce purchaser. Check my fridge at any time and you’re sure to find apples, berries, and not much else in the way of fruit.

Lately, though, I’ve been setting aside a little extra time to peruse what’s been offered up by the changing seasons. Call me inspired or driven by culinary boredom, but things have gotten preeeeetty interesting in The Slender Student mini fridge.

Intrigued? Well then check out the little something I threw together with a couple of my more exotic recent finds. This pudding is so simple and versatile, and it’s as easy to make one serving as it is to make ten. It’s low calorie enough that you might be tempted to do just that.

Top this treat with kiwi, mango, or any other fruit that suits your fancy. And if you want to suit your fanciest of fancies, go with this chocolate peanut butter variation.

Tropical Chia Seed Pudding | The Slender Student Tropical Chia Seed Pudding
Calories: 120 | Fat: 6.0 g (Sat Fat: 0.0 g) | Carbohydrate: 10.4 g | Protein: 3.1 g

ingredients:
1 T chia seeds
3/4 C unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t vanilla extract
1/4 C chopped mango
1/2 kiwi, sliced

directions:
1. In a small bowl, combine the chia seeds, almond milk, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Stir until all of the ingredients are evenly distributed.
2. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, though typically like leaving mine in the fridge overnight.
3. Top the thickened pudding with your fresh mango and kiwi; enjoy!