30 Days to a Food Revolution Day 27- The Daily Dietribe

30 Days to a Food Revolution Day 27- The Daily Dietribe Welcome to day 27 of 30 Days to a Food Revolution.  Today’s guest blogger is Iris.   Iris began writing The Daily Dietribe when she first started eating gluten-free over a year ago. In addition to sharing her gluten-free recipes, she writes about her experiences as a weight-loss counselor and her own struggle with weight and binge eating disorder. Iris got her MA in psychology, but then realized she wanted to become a registered dietitian so she could help others find a healthy balance with food. She’s going back to school now to get her MS in nutrition.

Iris’s Recipe: Tuna Burgers


Iris’s Tip: Double your recipes and freeze the leftovers

30 Days to a Food Revolution Day 27- The Daily Dietribe

I was excited when Diane included me in her list of bloggers for this event. Like Diane, I had been watching Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution and, while not surprised by what I saw, I was nonetheless upset by it. I applaud Jamie for trying to make a change in our country’s health, and I know there are many others out there who are trying to do the same thing. But I couldn’t help but feel that it wasn’t enough for me just to watch. One person could start a revolution, but it would take so much more support to carry it on and make lasting changes. That’s why I was so glad when Diane contacted me. She’s keeping Jamie’s message in the forefront, and I’m happy to be a part of that.

As a weight-loss counselor, I work with clients to help them change their food habits. But I see how hard it is for them to make those changes stick. We live in a fast-paced world, and many of us don’t have time to cook dinner every night, much less pack a healthy lunch or have a good breakfast ready in the morning. Fast food joints and carts laden with doughnuts call to us when we haven’t had time to eat before rushing out the door. And this is just assuming you’re cooking for yourself. What if, like one of my clients, you have three kids at home who love McDonald’s, a husband who doesn’t want to eat your new “healthy” food, and you work full-time and go to school part-time? How do you get everything done, cook healthy meals that everyone in your family will like, and still have time to breathe?

30 Days to a Food Revolution Day 27- The Daily Dietribe

The truth is, it’s hard. No matter how many tricks you have up your sleeves, there’s always the temptation to just grab a frozen pizza or pick up take-out on the way home. It’s certainly easier to stop for burgers when your kids are clamoring in the back seat of the car. But a second truth is that finding the time to cook healthy meals for yourself and your family is worth the effort. As my clients will tell you, when they’re eating right, they feel better and have more energy to tackle their plans each day.

I have two tips to share with you to keep you on that healthy path. The first is to make double batches of whatever you’re cooking or baking. Freeze the leftovers in individual meal-sized containers so you can grab a homemade frozen meal on those nights when the idea of cooking makes you want to cry. The second is to make meals that are easily adaptable to different taste buds. I’m sharing my recipe for tuna burgers because it can be made so many different ways. The picture above was what I made for my boyfriend. I added lettuce, tomato, a sprinkling of cheese, and a whole-wheat roll. For myself, I chopped up the burger and added it to a garden salad. And because it’s naturally gluten-free, it could easily be made with a gluten-free roll for friends or family who can’t have gluten.

30 Days to a Food Revolution Day 27- The Daily Dietribe

Tuna Burgers

Ingredients:

2 5-oz. cans tuna in water, drained

1 small sweet onion, diced (approx. 1 cup)

1 large russet potato

1 medium carrot, diced (approx. 1/2 cup)

1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds, chopped

1 cup canned or fresh diced tomatoes (drain off the extra liquid if using canned)

1 egg

1/4 tsp. capers

1/2 tsp. paprika

1/2 tsp. dried basil

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 tsp. sea salt

red pepper flakes to taste

2-3 tsp. olive oil

optional: gluten-free bread crumbs

Directions:

  1. Quarter the potato and put in a pan of cold water. Bring to a boil and cook until easily pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes. Put the cooked potato in a large mixing bowl and mash it with a fork until it’s the consistency of mashed potatoes. Set aside.
  2. Heat a saute pan over medium-low heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil, and once the pan is hot, add the onions. Saute until translucent, about 2-3 minutes.
  3. Add in the carrots, capers, and spices, and saute another 2-3 minutes.
  4. Add the tomatoes and tuna and continue to saute for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  5. Beat an egg into the mashed potatoes. *Add the tuna mix and sunflower seeds and stir until completely mixed.
  6. Add a drizzle of olive oil to your pan as needed. Form burgers with your hands and cook one at a time, about 3-5 minutes on each side.

*These burgers are delicate and I have to be careful when flipping them over. You can add gluten-free breadcrumbs to the mix to hold them together more if you like. I leave it out so that they’re lower in carbs, but that’s just a matter of preference.

Makes 8 burgers

Read more today on The Daily Dietribe.

Don’t forget:

In order to be entered to win one of 7 cookbooks, here’s what you need to do to gather entries into the drawing.  The more you do, the more chances you have to win!

  1. Leave a comment on this blog on as many of the 30 guest food bloggers as you like.  Each comment is an entry.
  2. Sign up for The W.H.O.L.E. Gang newsletter.
  3. Visit that guest blogger’s site and leave a comment there too.
  4. Tweet about this project using both of these in your tweet so I’ll find you  #30days2 #foodrevolution

When the initial 30 days of guest posts are over on June 4th, we’ll pick the winners.

20 Responses to 30 Days to a Food Revolution Day 27- The Daily Dietribe

  1. WordPress › Error

    There has been a critical error on this website.

    Learn more about troubleshooting WordPress.