Amy Sonnenberg, Author at Designed For You Nutrition

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So far Amy Sonnenberg has created 351 blog entries.

6 06, 2022

Easy Caprese

By Amy Sonnenberg|2022-06-06T13:28:03-04:00June 6th, 2022|Blog, Salad|2 Comments

This may be a repeat recipe for some regular readers; however, I chose to share it again since it is so good! I recently started making it again after a long winter season without fresh basil. I was pleasantly surprised that once again this super simple recipe met each and every one of my expectations. One, it is healthy. Two, it really is easy. And, three, it is delicious!

A traditional Caprese salad involves making a balsamic vinegar reduction on the stovetop and once thickened, allowed to cool. Sliced tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and fresh basil leaves are layered onto a platter. Balsamic reduction is drizzled over platter. Guests serve themselves to a large and somewhat awkward serving. All in all, this really isn’t that difficult. But what if there was a way to make it even easier?

Enter my recipe…no vinegar on the stove, no fancy layering on a platter, no cutting salad on your plate, just a big bowl of bite-sized deliciousness!

Easy Caprese Recipe

2 containers cherry tomatoes, halved
1 container mini bocconcini cheese balls, drained of extra liquid
1 tbsp rich, high quality balsamic vinegar (hint: if you live in Elmira, this should be easy to find)
¼ – ½ c Fresh basil, chopped
Dash of sea salt

Combine tomatoes, cheese, basil & sea salt into a serving bowl. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar just before serving. Voilà – easy prep, easy serving and everyone is raving about the fantastic salad you made.

Note: If you don’t care for bocconcini cheese, or have trouble finding it, there are great substitutes. Traditionally, this salad is made with Italian buffalo mozzarella cheese. It is delicious, but will require a trip to an Italian grocery store. If you have the time and want a little adventure, I highly recommend the trip into town. While you are there, pick up some focaccia, olives and cannoli. If you want to keep this recipe easy, cubed old cheddar is a great option.

Photo by Grooveland Designs on Unsplash

30 05, 2022

Food for Better Mood

By Amy Sonnenberg|2022-05-30T11:45:35-04:00May 30th, 2022|Blog, Misc|0 Comments

The food you eat can have a direct impact on your overall mood. There are a few reasons for this. First of all, think about how you feel when you are really hungry. Are you able to concentrate? How is your patience level? There is a reason why the term, ‘hangry,’ has become so popular. As defined by Oxford Languages, hangry means to be, “bad tempered or irritable as a result of hunger.” Eating regularly and paying attention to hunger cues will instantly help improve your mood.

Additionally, the types of food we eat also plays an important role in the way we feel and interact with others. Ensure you are eating real foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains and good quality meats, eggs and/or plant-based sources of protein. Meals and snacks are best when balanced leading to steady blood sugar levels. When we just eat a handful of soda crackers, it fills us for brief period of time, but before long we will feel those hunger pangs once again and cue, hangry all over again.

Reduce your caffeine intake. Is your mood suffering from lack of sleep? Caffeine can impair our ability to sleep well. Start by eliminating afternoon caffeine. The obvious culprits are coffee, tea and some sodas. Chocolate can sometimes even contribute to sleep issues.

Eat more brain food such as raw almonds & walnuts, salmon, avocado, olive oil & other sources of healthy fats. Dark chocolate is also known to release feel good chemicals in the brain.

Fermented foods are rich in probiotics which promotes gut health. Up to 90% of serotonin, a neurotransmitter which contributes to happy feelings is created in the gut. Supporting the health of you gut, supports the health of your brain. Sources of probiotics include plain yogurt, raw sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha & miso.

Keeping these tips and tricks in mind will help support your overall mood. Not only is this helpful for you, your friends and family will thank you.

Photo by Lidya Nada on Unsplash

25 05, 2022

Rhubarb Mango Muffins

By Amy Sonnenberg|2022-05-25T09:17:06-04:00May 25th, 2022|Blog, Breakfast, Snack|0 Comments

Rhubarb is one of the first flavours of spring that our gardens gift us with. In addition to welcoming us to the season, rhubarb is also a good source of fibre, vitamin K, vitamin C, calcium, potassium and magnesium.

While I do love the combination of rhubarb and strawberries, I wanted to think outside of the box and experiment a little. So, what happens when you take the tropical sweet flavour of mango and pair it with the pucker producing flavours of rhubarb? Something magical and delicious!

Rhubarb Mango Muffins

1 cup rolled oats
1 1/3 c gluten-free or spelt flour
3/4 c raw sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/3 c unsweetened coconut
3/4 c milk or unsweetened dairy alternative (oat, almond)
1/2 c coconut oil, melted
2 c rhubarb, finely chopped
1 medium mango, peeled & diced

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line your muffin tin with paper liners if you need to.

Note: I have a stoneware muffin pan that requires no greasing or paper liners. I’ve been using the same pan for at least 10 years and I love it! It does take some time to season the pan, but it is time well spent.

In a large bowl, combine oats, flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon & coconut. Mix ingredients until they are evenly distributed. Prepare rhubarb & mango and add to oat mixture. Stir in fruit so that it is also evenly distributed. Melt coconut oil and set aside. Add milk and vanilla to the dry ingredients and stir. Now add the melted coconut oil and stir. If the batter seems too thick, add ¼ c milk until you get a cake like batter consistency. Divide the batter into 12 muffin cups. Bake for 35 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Enjoy!

Photo by Slashio Photography on Unsplash

16 05, 2022

Victoria Day Chicken Burger BBQ

By Amy Sonnenberg|2022-05-16T16:14:03-04:00May 16th, 2022|Blog, Entree|0 Comments

In a few short days we will get to kick off the season of BBQ’s, camping, cottages and trips to the beach! I am here for all of it after what has felt like a very long winter. While I do enjoy the cozy fare of hibernation food, I am thrilled to welcome the lighter flavours of the season by putting BBQ options into regular rotation once again.

One of our family’s favourite ways to enjoy the grill is with homemade burgers. While we do like a variety of burgers, the recipe that rises to the top are these chicken burgers. The unique pairing of celery, green apples and caramelized onions adds a little extra pizzaz to your plate.

This recipe does take a little more effort than your average burger, but is absolutely worth the effort! Consider doubling the recipe and freeze patties to use later.

Chicken Burgers

1 lb ground chicken (turkey works too, but we prefer chicken)
3 granny smith apples, peeled & finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 egg
Oatmeal to hold mixture together – usually about ¼ cup.
2 tbsp Lime juice
½ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp ground pepper
5-10 dashes of Worcestershire sauce

Sauté apple, onion & celery. Set aside and cool before mixing into meat. *Note: To save time, I will often sauté these ingredients the evening before while making dinner. This allows plenty of time for the mixture to cool in the fridge overnight and speeds up the process on the night we want to actually make the burgers.

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Mixture will be moist and a little sticky at first. The patties will hold together much better if you refrigerate the patties for ½ hour before grilling. This recipe will make about 4-6 patties depending on size. Serve on thin whole grain buns with tomato slices, lettuce, sprouts & hummus.

Happy Victoria Day Weekend!

Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash

9 05, 2022

Kids in the Garden

By Amy Sonnenberg|2022-05-09T10:05:10-04:00May 9th, 2022|Blog, Misc|0 Comments

Kids and gardens – as a mom and a nutritionist, I love when these two forces of nature come together. Talking to kids about food and how it grows is one of the best ways we can teach our children to have an appreciation for real food.

Real food grows on a tree, in the garden, grazes in a field or swims in the ocean. Real food is not often found in boxes or packages. It is up to us to teach our children how to tell the difference. One of the best ways to teach this important lesson is to grow some food as a family.
You don’t even need to have an actual garden plot in the backyard to be able to have your own harvest. Many people grow their produce on balconies or decks in large pots and boxes with much success.

Neat things happen in dirt. Starting when my children were about three years old, one of their ‘jobs’ was to look for worms as we prepared the soil for planting. They were fascinated by worms. We would collect them in pails and watch them wiggle. There, they began learning about the importance of earthworms to the health of our garden and how to be kind to other living creatures. After the worm exploration, the boys would take turns planting the seeds, row by row. Each day after planting, there was much anticipation to run out to the garden and check to see if anything had grown yet. Here they began learning about how our seeds needed water and sun to grow. As the plants began to mature and produce tomatoes, peas and beans, the boys learned what real food tastes like and to value the work that goes into helping plants grow. They also learned patience by discovering what tomatoes taste like when we don’t wait long enough for them to fully ripen!

I encourage you to give gardening a try with your family. Some of the easiest things to grow are cherry tomatoes and peas if you are just starting out. The time commitment is minimal and the plants are fairly easy to maintain. Happy gardening!

Photo by Jonathan Kemper on Unsplash

2 05, 2022

Mother’s Day – French Toast Casserole

By Amy Sonnenberg|2022-05-02T10:37:39-04:00May 2nd, 2022|Blog, Breakfast|0 Comments

Mother’s Day is just around the corner. As a mama myself, I know that one of the biggest ways to my heart is when my family prepares me a meal. My personal favourite is breakfast in bed. Whether you are also hoping for breakfast in bed, or are planning a brunch with extended family, this dish is sure to please. It is quick and easy with minimal prep. In fact, you do most of the work the night before and just need to pop it in the oven in the morning.

French Toast Casserole

1 loaf sourdough, French bread, or any other type of crusty bread, cubed (gluten free bread works well too)
8 large eggs
3 c milk or unsweetened dairy alternative (you may need a little more – check in the morning)
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
¼ tsp nutmeg and cinnamon

Cube bread and place into a buttered casserole dish. Mix the rest of the ingredients and pour over bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, preheat oven to 350 F. Peek at the bread before baking, if it seems too dry, add another ½ – 1 c milk. You want the bread squishy, but not floating in liquid. Bake for 40 minutes. With 10 minutes left to bake, lightly drizzly with more maple syrup and sprinkle with additional cinnamon.

Top with plain Greek yogurt, fresh fruit, maple syrup and pecans and you’ve got yourself a wonderful meal.

Photo by freestocks on Unsplash

27 04, 2022

Hit the Reset Button on Sweets

By Amy Sonnenberg|2022-04-27T01:17:43-04:00April 27th, 2022|Blog, Misc|0 Comments

I think we can agree that after Christmas, Valentine’s Day and then Easter, our taste buds have had quite the little sugary adventure. Spring is the perfect time to hit the reset button on sweets. But before we get too far down that rabbit hole – see what I did there? There are a few things I want you to hear first.

Unfortunately, diet culture has taught us to treat food as good or bad and allow it to be a reflection of who we are. Eating salad doesn’t make you a good person, just as eating cake can’t possibly make you a bad person. All food is worthy to be enjoyed, do not allow guilt to creep in and steal your joy.

Now that we have that out of the way, let’s get on to resetting those tastebuds.

Celebrate food you want to eat more instead of focusing on the things you are trying to eat less of. Anticipating fresh produce like strawberries or snap peas is way better than pining for cookies, chips or candy.
Read labels. Many unsuspecting packaged foods such as pasta sauce & canned soup have sugar added. Commit to leaving those items in the grocery store and opt for the brands that leave sugar out of their recipes.
Dilute juice with plain or sparkling water. One cup of juice, even if 100% fruit juice contains a lot of sugar. Juice provides us the sweet of the fruit without any of the fibre. In time, you can even train your tastebuds to enjoy plain or fruit infused water.

Photo by Mae Mu on Unsplash

11 04, 2022

Variation of An Easter Egg Hunt

By Amy Sonnenberg|2022-04-11T11:24:00-04:00April 11th, 2022|Blog, Snack|0 Comments

Easter is a special time in our house. While we do take time to reflect and appreciate the significance of the holiday, let’s be honest, the Easter basket / egg hunt is a pretty exciting part of the festivities! So what does the Easter Bunny bring to our house?

My boys do have a few Easter sweet treats that they look forward to and I do think it’s important to allow these in moderation. The more I say no to treats, the more alluring they become. Allowing them to have the opportunity to indulge and practice self-regulation is an important life skill that takes trial and error to get right. That being said, I try to focus on non-candy things to add to my kid’s baskets.

When the kids were little, all it took was a container of bubbles, a bit of sidewalk chalk and plastic eggs to keep them happy. With kids that are a little older now, it can be a little more difficult to join in the fun without relying on candy.

A few things I’ve learned over the years:

• It can be challenging to remember that Easter is not Christmas 2.0. As is true with most holidays, we are encouraged to spend, spend, spend. The amount of money we spend on our child is not a true reflection of our love. The time that we spend with them matters more.
• The hunt is often more exciting than what is in the basket. Use the basket as an opportunity to give your kid’s the things that they already need for the upcoming season.
• It may be an actual crime that mini eggs taste as good as they do!

Here are a few of my favourite things… (Anyone else hear the song in my head?)

Ages: 0-2

• Keep it simple with empty plastic eggs and a basket – enough said.
• If you do want to add a thing or two, board books are a great option.

Ages: 2-4

• empty plastic eggs and a basket
• sidewalk chalk
• bubbles
• crayons, markers
• stickers
• bug catcher
• clothes – new sundress or shorts, sandals, sun hat or ball cap, swimming gear
• snacks from Love Child Organics

Ages: 5+

• sports equipment (ball & glove, bike helmet, skipping ropes, yo-yo, hacky sack) After a long winter, get them excited to spend more time outside again!
• books
• clothes as above
• sunglasses
• seeds to plant – flower or vegetable, gardening gloves & shovels
• sand pail & shovel
• kite

Ages: 10+

• same as above
• gift cards for mini golf, bowlinghttps://www.designedforyounutrition.com/easter-basket-rescue/
• headphones
• music

While it doesn’t hurt to throw in a few chocolate eggs here and there, we are training our kids taste buds. Let’s help them learn how to celebrate special events without making sugary treats the focus.

Do you have more ideas to add to my list? Please comment below and share your thoughts!

Previously posted as Easter Basket Rescue.

4 04, 2022

Sports & Snacks – Creating a Winning Combination

By Amy Sonnenberg|2022-04-04T10:49:47-04:00April 4th, 2022|Blog, Snack|0 Comments

Sports fields are bustling with activity. Soccer balls, nets, baseballs and bats have come out of storage. New cleats have been purchased and lines are painted on the grass.

As a nutritionist and mom, I have a few thoughts about re-fueling during and after the game.

Let’s consider rehydration first. Most often, water is the best source of rehydration. When physical activity has been intense for a period of 60 minutes or more is when your child’s body may need a little more replenishing.

Sports drinks are filled with artificial colours, flavours & sweeteners or refined sugar. Some bottles top out at nearly 9 teaspoons of sugar! The World Health Organization recommends no more that 3-4 teaspoons of sugar daily for a child up to the age of 8. For children 9 and above, we use the adult recommendation which is no more than 6 to 9 teaspoons of sugar daily. The average North American, children included consume 33 teaspoons of sugar every day! With one 591 ml bottle of a commercially prepared sports drink, you are either exceeding or maxing out the daily recommendation. Think it is better to skip the sugar and rely on artificial sweeteners? Think again, the use of these substitutes have been implicated in weight gain, migraines and nausea. Another common question I hear is about chocolate milk. Here is the scoop, 1 cup of chocolate milk has 4.25 teaspoons of refined sugar in it! Again, the younger child has exceeded the recommended amount with just one glass.

Keep it simple & offer water. If you feel that your child requires a sports drink I suggest making your own by diluting 1 part 100% fruit juice with 2 parts water and adding a dash of sea salt. Some athletes use coconut water as well. Instead of chocolate milk, offer a plain glass of milk which has the same amount of protein as chocolate but without any refined sugar. Add in a banana and you’ve got a great snack that is both a source of protein and carbohydrate.

The issue of refueling can get a little complex when training for intense sport is involved. If your child is in this category, it is wise to seek professional counsel to make sure you are on the right track.

Here are my favourite post sport snack tips for rec leagues. Remember to take into account any allergy restrictions on your team. Avoid refined sugars, artificial flavours & colours. After all, most children are heading to bed shortly after getting home. Look for whole food options whenever possible:

• watermelon
• blueberries
• banana & melon kabobs
• strawberries & plain yogurt for dipping
• orange slices
• carrot sticks & hummus
• cucumber slices & cheese
• frozen grapes

Wishing you many happy evenings cheering on your team!

Photo by Connor Coyne on Unsplash

28 03, 2022

Pancakes, Maple Syrup & Berries – Oh My!

By Amy Sonnenberg|2022-03-28T12:51:55-04:00March 28th, 2022|Blog, Breakfast|0 Comments

The Elmira Maple Syrup Festival is just around the corner. While the festivities will once again look different from years past, it is still something worth celebrating.

Real maple syrup has become a staple in my home. I use it on my homemade pancakes of course, but it is also fantastic as a sweetener in my yogurt, on my oatmeal and in my homemade granola. Did you know you can swap out refined sugar in your baking by using the same amount of syrup that the recipe calls for? Just be sure to reduce the amount of liquid in the recipe by about a half cup.

Maple syrup is rich in antioxidants and is a great source of zinc and manganese. As a nutritionist, I pay attention to where my food comes from and how it got to me. By all accounts, maple syrup is a real food that is locally sourced.

In honour of the festivities, I’m sharing my pancake recipe. I like to top my pancakes with a little plain yogurt, a few berries and drizzle a little syrup on top.

As a mama to a boy with a gluten & dairy sensitivity, we’ve perfected our own recipe for fluffy goodness that skips the gluten & dairy but doesn’t skip out on taste or texture.

While maple syrup is a real food, it is still a sugar and should be used in moderation. My children would like to drown their pancakes in syrup…we are still working on that!

Pancakes – Gluten Free & Dairy Free

1 egg, whisked (or 1 tbsp ground flax seed whisked with 3 tbsp warm water)
1 1/4 c milk (or unsweetened oat or almond beverage)
1 tbsp raw sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
3 tbsp melted coconut oil
1 1/2 c light spelt or gluten free flour
1/4 c ground flax seed
3 tsp baking powder

In a large bowl, combine egg or alternative, milk or alternative, sugar & vanilla. In a smaller bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and ground flax. (For gluten free flour, there are many store-bought versions you can purchase that are ready to use. If you would like to try making your own, pop on over here and find the Gluten Free Flour recipe I use).

Add dry ingredients to wet & mix. Add melted coconut oil to batter & mix. Drop by ladle into hot pan. When pancakes have puffed up and filled with bubbles, flip over and cook through. Try adding blueberries or apples & cinnamon to the batter.

Enjoy with Elmira’s own real maple syrup. Enjoy!

Photo by Tatiana Rodriguez on Unsplash

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