Nutrition by Nakita

My books are fully open!👇🏼

If you’re looking for:

-Sustainable weight loss strategies
-How to change your habits for long-term success
-Flexible meal planning where you still get to enjoy the foods that make you happy
-An intimate and open coaching setting
..Send me an email or a message to set up a consultation 😊

Email: [email protected]

Creamy high protein avo toast🥑🍞

Why do I love avocados? Not only do they contain healthy fats and taste amazing, but they can be made so versatile in our meals.

So, amp up your avo toast with this creamy, high protein recipe🙌🏼

Ingredients:

-1/2 avocado🥑
-2 heaping tablespoons of plain greek yogurt
-1/4 teaspoon onion powder
-1/2 teaspoon minced garlic (or powdered)
-1/4 teaspoons salt
-pepper to taste
-optional chilly flakes, tomato’s and hot sauce for toppings

That’s it! Mix and mash it all together and spread onto your toast.

Summary of when you’ll be getting from this recipe:

-healthy fats
-protein
-healthy grains
-a delicious meal
-an “mmmm”

❤️

Email me at [email protected] for coaching 😇

Blog re-post from December 20, 2021 (Coach Nakita - Nutrition Specialist)

Christmas Tip: Gym Closures and Being Less Active. Do I Eat Differently?

Whether your gym has shorter hours over the holidays, or you're just too busy with family events, missing workouts can happen a little more usual during this time of the year. So, what about our nutrition? Should it change on the days we don’t hit the gym?

Here’s the thing; on the days we exercise, our body is naturally going to be hungrier because we have expended more calories. The simple answer is, listen to your body a little extra these days because it almost always tells us if we need more or less. Needless to say, you won't be as hungry compared to the days you work out for over an hour. It’s much more simple than we think!

On more specific terms, here are some things you can practice on the days you don’t make it to the gym:

-Hydrate
-Practice portion control
-Keep your body moving in some ways (ie. help your mom clean, walk the dog, etc.)

Here’s what NOT to do:

-Stress about not making it to the gym
-Restrict food
-Say no to Christmas sweets because you didn't hit the gym (trust me, it’s okay)

Above all, I understand why you may feel the pressures of gym closures and knowing you may not be as active over the holidays. However, think about the other side of things like being with your family instead. The gym isn't going anywhere and you are going to crush it once things settle back to normal after the holidays! So, take a deep breath, enjoy every aspect of Christmas, and don’t stress too much about your nutrition on the days you don’t make it to the gym.

I Ate Too Many Christmas Cookies! What Now?

Christmas party season is here! This probably means we will have endless opportunities to eat all the Christmas sweets and Eggnog we want. What happens when we overindulge?

Before anything, food should never make us feel guilty, but we’ve all experienced it. I’ve had food guilt plenty and it’s not a good feeling.

Here’s what we should NOT do:

- Restrict and skip meals the next day

- Do tons of cardio

- Beat ourselves up about what we ate

Here’s what we should do:

- Wake up like you would any other day

- Eat nutritious meals

- Drink your water

- Move your body

- Feel GOOD, think POSITIVE

Most importantly, ask yourself these questions:

Did I enjoy my time eating half the gingerbread house and the m&m path?

Was I happy during the moment?

Did it taste good?

These questions are the most important. It’s still very possible that our body doesn’t feel the best after indulging more than usual. That’s why when we eat certain foods, we have to be aware of the consequences.

Food is more than fuel, calories or macros. It’s used for enjoyment as well. Next time you experience good guilt, think of the positives you gained. Building good and healthy habits includes being OKAY with enjoying foods that may not be perfectly “clean” or packed with nutrients.

We are more than the food we eat! Enjoy the joys of Christmas and appreciate the delicious food that comes with it.

Back to school calls for some easy snacks to pack 🎒

SO, here’s my easy, no sugar added chocolate coconut muffin recipe🥥👋🏼

Ingredients:

-1/2 cup whole wheat flour
-1/4 cup dark cocoa powder
-1/4 teaspoon baking powder
-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
-1 large egg
-1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
-1/4 almond milk
-1/4 cup unsweetened coconut
-handful of dark chocolate chips
-Optional sweetener of choice (I used liquid stevia)

Directions:
-Mix all ingredients together in a bowl
-Bake at 350 for 15 mins⏰
-Top with extra coconut

Easy peasy! 👏🏼

Calling all Performance Training Centre] members!

This Friday, I will be providing free 20 minute sessions for Performance Training Centre Members🏋🏼‍♀️

Where: Performance Training Centre] 📍
When: 1:00 pm-4:00pm

During this quick session, we can discuss goals you’d like to achieve, create a further game plan, or chat about a nutrition topic you’d like to learn more about. Come prepared!

Sign up sheet is at the front desk (Limited times available).

If you are not a member and would like a free 20 minute consultation, email me at [email protected]

Happy Monday!👋🏼

Local spotlight👏🏼

I shared this delivery from .ca with my family and all the meals were a hit!

✔️Nutrient dense
✔️Filling
✔️Variety of options
✔️So tasty

My fav was the Black Bean Fajita Bowl 🔥

Sometimes life gets busy and it can be hard to cook the perfect meal everyday. This is why I love the convenience of fresh, local, on the go meals🤍

Being mindful and stopping when we are full is something that is healthy to practice. However, we’re human with love and joy for food. Sometimes, it’s okay to feel “too” full.

Failure doesn’t exist when it comes to feeding our body. We grow the more we recognize how our body and mind feel in certain situations.

Feeling too full doesn’t meal you failed!!!

Taco night leftovers…to a giant taco salad for lunch👀🌮

I love experimenting with different recipes and always make an effort to create yummy dishes✅

However, I am the queen of throwing the most random things into a bowl and calling it a glamorous meal…

Nothing wrong with enjoying the simplicity & creativity of leftovers🤙🏼

Happy ‘almost’ Friday🥳

Weekly to-do list👇🏼

1. Appreciate something about your food that doesn’t have to do with its nutrients🤍

2. Think about how you feel internally when you eat your meals💭

3. Only eat foods that you love…

Food has other purposes other than it’s health. Recognize all the reasons you choose what you eat. ❤️

Summer BBQ staple! Chunky Greek salad 🥗

Sometimes simple tastes the best…What’s your fav summer food? 🙌🏼

Hi wine lovers 👋🏼🍷

As this post may not apply to everyone, it’s important to know that just like any food or drink, we should never restrict ourselves from the things we love. Here are some facts about alcohol:

Alcohol is not a carbohydrate, fat, or protein. It’s actually a separate macronutrient that contains 7 calories per gram- which is more than carbs and protein, but less than fats. Keep in mind, this is when we have alcohol on its own. If we add soda (sugar = carbs) or have drinks with other substances (beer = malt = carbs) we will have a combination of macronutrients in our drinks.🙌🏼

For healthy adults, moderate alcohol consumption is OKAY and will not hold us back from reaching our goals if we do so consciously. Moderate consumption generally means one drink a day for women, or two drinks a day for men. However, this information is general. We are all different, so this varies in each person. We just need to be conscious on how we are feeling when we drink alcohol, and how it effects our daily living/ lifestyle. 🤸🏼‍♀️

Examples of a single serving of alcohol:

-5 oz of wine 🍷
-355 milliliters of beer 🍺
-1 oz of hard liquor 🥃

In terms of reaching our health and wellness goals: everything in healthy amounts, no matter the food or drink.

CHEEEERRS❤️

Brownie Batter Oats🍫 (High Protein!)

I go through sweet breakfast phases and this is a go-to. The greek yogurt in this recipe makes it creamy AND high protein👌🏼This also takes less than 5 minutes to make.…WIN🏆

Ingredients:

-1/2 cup of quick oats
-1/2 cup of plain or vanilla greek yogurt (add sweetener of choice if you choose to use plain)
-1 tablespoon of cocoa powder
-1 tablespoon of PB🥜(use chocolate PB for an extra chocolatey flavour👀)
-Toppings of choice (chocolate chips make it more amazing)

How-to:

-Microwave/cook as directed
-Let cool and mix in greek yogurt, PB and cocoa powder
-Top with whatever your body wants (very important step❤️)

So dang easy and let me tell you… I scrape the bowl the same way I would with brownie batter😜

discount code: NAKITA10 😘

Happy long weekend!

I hope everyone’s May long is full of coffee, good movies and yummy food🤓

Stay safe👏🏼

Mindful eating🧘🏼‍♀️

One aspect of nutrition I love to talk about is being mindful when you eat and being fully attentive to your food. 🥑

Mindful eating is a form of meditation and focuses on acknowledging your hunger cues, feelings, emotions and sensations when eating.

We meditate to make space for better choices, which relates directly to our food choices as well. ✨

Rven though this concept may take us time to learn, here are some key things to keep in mind:

-Eat when your body tells you to. Your body is smart and knows what’s best for you.

-Eat whole foods. Your mind and body deserve only the best☝🏼

-Enjoy your food! Slow down, and be mindful of the taste, texture, and even where your food comes from. It's important to realize how you actually feel and the sensations/emotions you experience when eating certain foods.

Let’s work TOGETHER with our body and mind, not against it.

Happy long weekend❤️

Vitamin D (the sunshine vitamin☀️)

I think everyone should take a vitamin D supplement. Especially for us Canadians that don’t get to be outside in the sun all year🥶

Vitamin D regulates many functions of our body, but I want to talk about its importance in bone health. To build and maintain healthy bones, our body needs calcium but our body can’t absorb calcium without vitamin D.

We can find vitamin D3 in some fatty fish such as cod liver oil, salmon, and tuna. Other than that, vitamin D isn’t generally found in foods and this is why products like milk or cereal are usually fortified with vitamin D. See a connection? Milk contains calcium and calcium needs vitamin D to get absorbed. This is why eating them together is smart🤓

FYI, most plant-based milks are fortified with calcium and vitamin D, but just to make sure, keep an eye on the ingredients.

If you do take a vitamin D, make sure you’re getting enough calcium at the same time too.

Anyway, I love getting outside and being in sun. Even if it means doing online work in a park☀️🤞🏼🌿

This was the first recipe I posted on my account. I still use this recipe because it’s one of my all time favourites🤍

Vanilla Glazed Protein Donuts🍩

Donut base:

-1.5 cups of pancake mix (I used Kodiak Cakes but is another great option)
-1 scoop of any vanilla protein powder
-Sweetener of choice (ie. stevia, maple syrup, honey, sugar, etc.)- to preferred sweetness
-1 egg (or 1 flax egg/egg replacer)
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-1.5 cups of any milk
-1 teaspoon baking powder

Glaze:

-1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder
-1 teaspoon corn starch
-Splash of milk (until thick consistency)

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350
2. Mix donut base ingredients and put into a donut pan (makes about 6)
3. Bake for 8-10 minutes ⏰
4. Once cooked, dip the donuts in glaze and top with sprinkles or fav toppings 💖✨

What a beautiful weekend we just had! Spending as much time outside as possible, especially in this busy work season🤞🏼

Happy Monday❤️

Local spotlight✨

I love that .go prioritizes local ingredients and all their pre-designed meals are fresh and uniquely made.

There are always going to be weeks when we don’t have as much time to make meals. There are common options such as on the go meals, etc. Yet, to be able to support local AND get all the nutrients in one meal...that’s a win for me and definitely hard to come by!

Ps. the meals are so delicious and full of flavour, my family and I can’t get enough😍

My favourite: Avocado Toast Salad🥑


@ Calgary, Alberta

The way our food looks in our mind, influences the way it tastes. Even the colours of our food can give us different experiences. Like a colourful bowl of vegetables vs a colourless slice of bread. So, eat foods that not only taste good, but also look appealing to the eye. Add some fresh raspberries, coconut, and nut butter to amp up a piece of bread.

This makes food experiences optimal for being mindful, satisfied, and satiated. Colourful souls, deserve colourful fuel😊

Happy Monday!

Vanilla Matcha Protein Muffins (VEGAN🌱)

Yes...fully vegan recipe! If you don’t have have vegan protein powder, traditional whey also works.

I used egg replacer...an egg works too, if you prefer to bake with them😊

Ingredients:

- 1 cup flour (whole wheat or white)
- 1 heaping tsp of any matcha powder or flavouring (I used )
- 1 scoop of vanilla protein (vegan)
- 1 tsp egg replacer (mix with 2 tsp water before adding)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup almond milk or any nut milk
-1/4 cup of honey (more or less for sweetness)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Top with chopped cashews (optional but recommended👌🏼)

Makes about 12 muffins- Bake at 350 for 12 mins ⏰

@ Calgary, Alberta

Pre workout meals...🚴🏼‍♀️

When we exercise, the goal is to feel our best during our workout. No upset stomach, lots of energy, not feeling hungry, etc.

Ideally, we want to fuel our workouts with carbs, which is the body and brains main source of energy. We store carbs in our muscle glycogen and when we exercise, our glycogen stores can get used up. Therefore, it’s important we have an adequate amount of carbs in our system for the best performance. Plus, the harder you work, the more energy (carbs!) your body needs.💪🏼

Because carbs are digested the fastest, our digestive system won’t feel overburdened while exercising in counter to eating a high protein or fat meal beforehand. Foods you should limit before a workout include high fat, high fibre and high protein to ensure no digestive discomfort while working out.

We want to eat 1-4 hours before our workouts. However, everyone is different. I personally like eating 1 hour or less before my workouts😋

Pre workout meal ideas:
-Toast with jam or honey🍞🍯
-Banana and yogurt 🍌
-Oatmeal and fruit 🍓
-Apple, granola, PB 🍏🥜

(Carb dense meals 👆🏼)

Fasted exercise is another popular approach. I personally don’t perform to the same intensity when fasted. Yet, I know tons of people who prefer fasted exercise. Each to their own🤍

& lots of people love taking a pre workout supplement to fuel their workouts. Caffeine activates our nervous system and can certainly benefit our workouts (mentally too). Some don’t feel the need for caffeine and that’s awesome too! I used to love taking pre workout. Yet, a stiff cup of coffee can be just as effective☕️

There are so many types of exercise, so pre workout fuel varies from athlete to athlete. If you have any questions, feel free to DM or email🙌🏼

Easter smiles!🐣

I’m expecting to eat some Reese’s Eggs this weekend and I’m not sorry about it ✌🏼Reminder to allow yourself to eat chocolate when you want some. That way, you won’t feel guilty if you do enjoy chocolate. No guilt here!✋🏼

And sure, dark chocolate is great, has more antioxidants and less sugar than milk. But, I’m a milk chocolate girl and I’m going to feel more satisfied eating milk over dark. Choosing foods that we simply enjoy more, work in our FAVOUR because we feel content afterwards and won’t feel the need for more❤️

Happy Easter🐰

When we start eating a meal, our end goal is to feel satisfied once we finish. If that isn’t the goal, what’s the point of eating?

Feeling satisfied and satiated is a pleasant sensation that confirms we’ve fed our body and our cravings. Sometimes we reach for the fridge after some meals because we still feel hungry… AND THAT’S WHAT WE SHOULD DO!

Our body is smart and tells us what it needs. So, listening to what it wants is so important. Once we’ve reached satiation, we won’t feel the need to eat anymore food.

There are times when we do feel satiated but we’re in a “snacky” mood and that’s also okay once in a while😋

If our body is telling us its hungry, we most likely haven’t given it enough energy or nutrients. The amount we eat and how we feel during a meal can influence when and what we eat next. If we expend more energy from exercise, we will most likely feel hungrier and naturally need more calories/ nutrients💪🏼Drinking the appropriate amount of fluids during the day can also help dictate what our body is telling us.

Making sure we feel satisfied and satiated after a meal will:

-Keep us full longer
-Help cravings later in the day
-Confirm we’ve ate enough
-Make us happy😊

Apple Cinnamon Peanut Butter Bites… using some of my FAV local products❤️

Ingredients:

•¼ of smooth PB🥜
•½ cup of Mountain Maple 🍁
•¼ cup of dark choclate chips
•2 tablespoons of honey🍯
•1 teaspoon of apple pie spice🥧

Simply mix together, roll into balls and refrigerate to keep its shape👐🏼 (these are really good frozen too)

Takes no more than 5 minutes to make🥰

Stoked Oats 15% off discount code: NAKITA10

@ Calgary, Alberta

“Do fats make me fat?”🥴

Common misconception with fats. But here’s the truth:

Fats can make you gain weight
Protein can make you gain weight
Carbs can make you gain weight

BUT

You can lose wright eating fats
You can lose weight eating protein
You can lose weight eating carbs

A caloric deficit will result in weight loss, not eliminated food groups!👏🏼

Here’s what fats DO FOR YOUR BODY….

-Gives us energy🏃🏼‍♀️
-Supplies our body with nutrients💪🏼
-Provides building blocks for cell membranes ❤️
-Helps absorb nutrients 🥦
-Provides satisfaction and satiation (keeps us full longer)🥰

And most importantly, fats make our food taste 1000% better! Am I right?

Don’t be afraid. Eat the peanut butter...😘

Recipe from last summer🌞 missing the banana bread phase of 2020... Plus, I think bananas are my fav thing to bake with because they make our baking extra moist, and sweeter with no added sugars. 👏🏼

Peanut Butter Banana Bread (with protein and no added sugar) 🍌🥜

Ingredients:
-1/2 cup whole wheat flour
-2-3 ripe bananas
-2 rounded tablespoons of PB2
-30 gram scoop of any vanilla whey protein powder
-1 egg
-3 tablespoons of plant based oil or butter
-1 teaspoon cinnamon
-1 tablespoon vanilla extract
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-Stevia🌱(optional for extra sweetness)

Mix ingredients and bake at 350 for 20 minutes⏰

(Top with natural peanut butter for an extra kick😉)

Bookings are open for April🥑💃🏻

I am currently offering 3 types of programs:

1. Weekly goal/ coaching program (8 weeks)

This program is designed to help you change your behavior through goal setting. With this program, we will make easy, sustainable goals that will make the biggest difference in your life. Behavior change and healthy habits is the key to sustainability and consistent healthy habits. We will create goals and meet once a week for 30 minutes to either enhance your goals or make modifications.

2. One-time meal plan/ recipe planning

In this program, we will create a one-time meal plan or help create meaningful recipes that you can take wherever you want! The meal planning/ recipes will depend on your current goals and can be modified afterwards if needed.

3. All-in-one program (8 weeks)

This is the all-in coaching experience. You will receive a maintainable meal plan, recipes, weekly check in’s, nutrition education and access to on-call questions about your health and wellness journey.

No matter which program suits you, there will be NO food restriction, and nothing that will make your journey unsustainable❤️

We can determine what’s best for you during our 30-minute free consultation.

Website link in bio, or email me at [email protected]

The way your food tastes, how much you enjoy it and how it makes you feel is just as important as the nutrients it contains. There’s no point in eating anything you don’t like if you have options.

Taking time for yourself in the kitchen to cook delicious meals is so rewarding❤️

Yet, sometimes it’s hard to make time to do so. Here are some tips that help me feel prepared in the kitchen:

1. Meal prepping the basics such as pre-cooking rice, pasta, veggies, meat etc.🌶We can always change up the combos! This way, the long part is already out of the way☝🏼

2. Get creative with leftovers👏🏼If you have potato’s and chicken for dinner one night, use the same chicken for a stir fry the next day, or mash the potatoes for the following dinner.

3. Learn some tasty one-pot meals🙏🏼 They are easy, time efficient and you can make it your very own with your fav add-ins.

I wont eat a plain piece of chicken or bland brown rice ever again if I don’t have to. Our goal when we eat is to feel satisfied and satiated afterwards. We are much more likely to feel this when we enjoy our food😘

Matcha lovers, where you at?!🍵

Matcha Coconut Energy Balls (no bake) for your mid-week pick me up. There are so easy and literally look me less than 5 minutes😏

Ingredients:
-¼ cup shredded coconut🥥
-¼ cup oats
-3 tablespoons of coconut flour
-1 tablespoon of Match Coconut Blend
-2 tablespoons of coconut oil
-1 tablespoon of almond milk
-2 tablespoons of honey or maple syrup (more or less for sweetness)

Combine, mix up, and make into balls! I also rolled them in extra shredded coconut for texture🙌🏼

Happy mid-week❤️ @ Calgary, Alberta