Stefanie McNamara Nutrition and Wellness Coaching

Chicken and waffle egg bake - what?? This is making for fun and way more interesting breakfasts this week (if it lasts more than a day). Sweet, savory and full or protein by using Kodiak waffles. Instead of chicken nuggets I used chicken cutlets because I had them in the freezer (obviously) and I cut the maple sugar and honey in half. Still delicious- check it out from https://ohsnapmacros.com/chicken-and-waffles-casserole/

Afte the long weekend - back to routine. The same breakfasts, lunches and snacks prepped for in-office work days this week. Then, adding a sensible dinner with more variety and some chocolate (necessary). If you like eating the same simple foods, this approach can work well to stay on track with your nutrition.

Pre-prepped EZ egg bake for breakfasts. You can get very creative with this and use whatever you have on hand. This one was 6 eggs, 2 cups of egg whites, a couple of pieces of ham that needed to be used, and baby spinach - all mixed up with some salt and pepper and baked for about 45 minutes at 350. Took less than 5 minutes to assemble and makes between 4-6 servings. You can do this!

New bench! Loving new gym toys especially in time for a new training block.

Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup! Another winner from but, warning, it is very creamy, so if you like dairy (and you can tolerate it), this one’s for you! For those that can’t, I will try to re-work this one so that it’s still creamy but with less (or without) the dairy. Perhaps coconut milk? I’m open to suggestions.

Trying to shake off this gloomy weather with lots of color, polyphenols and antioxidants! Ground chicken stir fry with red cabbage, shaved Brussel sprouts, baby spinach, garlic, ginger and coconut aminos. 5 minutes to assemble and about 20 to sauté. Also, always a sheet pan of roasted veggies. Hope you can find the sun this week!

Veggie and protein filled lunches this week using leftover butter sauce for dressing. On fire this week - helps me get my water in though!

I tried a new (to me) recipe from - 30 minute spicy Indian butter chicken. And, wow, it was spicy…and rich and creamy at the same time. Try it if you like a lot of spice and if not, cut the cayenne in half. The sauce was a great layer for the protein (chicken, here but you could use other proteins). Served with rice and naan. All those warming and anti-inflammatory spices made for a great winter dinner!

3 minute easy roasted chicken and potatoes - before and after! Whole chicken on top of chopped potatoes and onions. Drizzle with olive oil and fresh lemon juice. Add salt and pepper and fresh herbs if you have them. 400 degree oven for 90 minutes. One dish meal that took only about 3 minutes to assemble. Great meal idea especially for work from home days. You can do this!

It’s this kind of day. Whole organic chicken, onions, garlic, celery and carrots (not even chopped up!). Throw it in a big pot with water and simmer for several hours = homemade chicken soup. Took 2 minutes.

Friday nights in the winter…honestly, I am not sure if I have experienced any specific health benefits from using red light therapy…but, it’s peaceful, so there’s that and peace is good!

Boring yet effective and necessary to maintain my health goals. Basic meal prep can go a very long way - you can do this too!

Getting back to some hard work with this new toy fueled by Christmas carbs. and

These peppermint ice cream sandwiches are so delightful - crispy cookie and subtle mint flavor. 10/10 as a holiday treat.

Let's talk about the Mediterranean Diet! There is a good amount of positive press about the health benefits of the Mediterranean Diet and for pretty good reason.

It’s known to be loaded with healthy monounsaturated fats like olive oil, tree nuts and avocados, along with high levels of omega-3 fatty acids from foods such as fish, walnuts and flax seeds.

Another characteristic of it that I like is that it is not a strict diet; rather general guidelines that are adaptable to fit a variety of health needs. It is nourishing, attainable and sustainable. Most of the foods on the Mediterranean Diet are typically found in most grocery stores. It’s reflective of balance and low to no processed foods.

It can be an easy way to ease into or transition into a more healthful way of eating and to ensure that you are getting adequate nutrition.

Try incorporating some of these foods into your regular diet if you are looking to improve your nutrition.

Minimal food prep this week because the cookies need to be made BUT I did prioritize having breakfast ready to go. Just the oatmeal took about 10 minutes to throw together. The cookies were like 10 hours making breakfast way easier.

Healthy foods can and should include ALL of these macronutrients because they each play a specific and different role in supporting a variety of physiological processes in the body. For my friends in the law profession, we know that a well-placed AND/OR changes the whole meaning of what you are trying to convey. Making a mistake with using AND or OR can be costly. For balancing health we are looking for “AND”!

For example and among other things:

🥩 Protein is needed for muscle growth and maintenance and for the production of enzymes and hormones

🍎 Carbohydrates are needed for glucose to produce energy to fuel activity and physiologic activity in the entire body

🥑 Fats are needed for cell function, brain health, energy needs and hormone production

Yes, there are circumstances where it could make sense to exclude some types of foods, especially if you have a health condition that warrants doing so, but for many people, a balanced diet is be very beneficial and can help avoid nutrient deficiencies. Give balance a try!

New training block day and I finally get to scuff up these sliders that have been laying around for a while - thank you and !

Getting out of my comfort zone this week with the asparagus (because, meh) all in the name of plant diversity to be sure I’m getting all the nutrients I can. Also, all the regular veggies are in here too. Just a little olive oil and spices then roast in the oven at 375 for about 20 minutes. Only takes minutes to throw together. You can do this too!

Last workout in this 8 week training block and I finally progressed to this monster. Check out and if you want learn about what I do! Looking forward to the new training block on Monday!

I received a few questions after last week’s post about avoiding gluten, specifically, looking for a few more details about various gluten-related disorders, to help guide when one might consider eliminating gluten.

First, what is gluten anyway? Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley and other grains, as well as many processed foods, that can cause certain immune system reactions in the body through its interaction in the gut.

Celiac disease is the most serious gluten related disorder because it’s an autoimmune disorder where the reaction to ingesting ANY amounts of gluten can trigger damage to the small intestine. Common signs and symptoms are weight loss, diarrhea and osteoporosis. The only treatment is complete elimination and following a gluten-free diet. There is typically a genetic component to Celiac disease and it is usually diagnosed based on a combination approach looking for the presence several of the following: (1) actual symptoms; (2) positive serum CD IgA autoantibodies; (3) certain genetic markers; (4) visible on biopsy; and (5) favorable response to gluten free diet.

Then, there are actual wheat allergies which cause an immediate allergic reaction after exposure to gluten. Wheat allergies can cause symptoms to appear on the skin, in the gastrointestinal tract and can show up as respiratory issues. Lab tests can confirm wheat allergy through a wheat specific IgE skin-prick test.

If both Celiac disease and wheat allergy are ruled out, then you could have a general gluten-sensitivity or intolerance. Gluten-sensitivity is sometimes deemed a catch-all for signs and symptoms that indicate an inability to tolerate gluten. Gluten sensitivity can trigger intestinal permeability creating an immune response and inflammation.

Because of the effect of gluten on the body in each of these gluten-related disorders, individuals may have, in addition to the other symptoms, nutritional deficiencies, low enzyme activity in the gut, altered metabolism of toxins and an unbalanced gut microbiome.

If you are reacting to consuming gluten, check in with a functional medicine practitioner. Also, I may be able to help with nutrition. Reach out!

Such a gray, rainy here in NJ calls for extra colorful meal prep. This is a simple sauté of ground turkey, onions, garlic, spinach, bok choy and red cabbage (to get in fiber and polyphenols) seasoned with coconut aminos and other anti-inflammatory spices like ginger and curcumin. Turned this into lunches this week over a bed of greens a roasted butternut squash. Covering the rainbow 🌈 - this only took about 15 minutes of prep time (about 20 minutes to sauté) - you can do this too!

Should I be avoiding gluten?🥖

As a lawyer, I have always been taught that for most questions, the answer is, “It depends” and this question is no exception. Whether it would be beneficial to avoid gluten depends on the individual. There is an overwhelming amount of information available advocating for the removal of gluten from the diet, but is it always warranted? There are many reasons why doing so is beneficial for many people, but some people do not appear to have any issues tolerating gluten. Yet others cannot and ingesting even small amounts wreaks havoc on the gastrointestinal system with the potential to lead to lasting damage. The reason may be related to whether you experience any of the 3 general categories of gluten related disorders, each of which can lead to a range of signs and symptoms. Most gluten related disorders encompass Celiac disease, wheat allergy and gluten-sensitivity.

The most serious gluten related disorder is Celiac disease. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder where the reaction to ingesting gluten, even miniscule amounts, can trigger damage to the small intestine. Then, there are wheat allergies which can induce an allergic reaction within minutes to hours after exposure to gluten.

If you don’t have Celiac disease or a wheat allergy but still experience gluten-related symptoms, then you may have general gluten-sensitivity which is sometimes deemed a catch-all for signs and symptoms that indicate an inability to tolerate gluten. Gluten sensitivity may result from undigested gliadin, a toxic protein contained in gluten, that may cause zhonulin (another protein) to be released by the small intestine. This can trigger intestinal permeability (also called leaky gut) allowing food particles to pass through creating an immune response.

Not having GI distress or other symptoms doesn’t always mean that you are not impacted by gluten but it also doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to avoid it completely. If you have signs and symptoms triggered by gluten, check in with your physician and let me know if I can guide you on determining whether removing gluten from your diet can help you feel your best.

Team Oatmeal - bumped up with fiber from psyllium husks and chia seeds. Great start to the day for me.

Our little family tradition: Italian Thanksgiving! It was a great weekend filled with food and family. At our house, homemade lasagna and pastries (especially Napoleans) on special occasions are also healing and restorative. We will catch up on veggies and fiber this week…

Me and my veggies - better together! Starting out the week heavy on the veggies because the end of the week will include more fun stuff so looking to take my “medicine” early and often. You can do this too! This quick prep only took about 10-15 plus roasting time.

Front-loading all the veggies in this week’s prepped lunches. Loving that rainbow!

This beautiful, colorful Smokey Red Lentil soup from is chock full of anti-inflammatory spices, like turmeric, as well as fiber - a great combo. Highly recommend and thanks to my friend, Robin, for sharing the recipe with me!

I saw this sign IRL in a pharmacy…my hope is we can get better.

Apple cider protein donuts from came just in time for Fall. These are a great treat with nutritious ingredients like oat flour, Greek yogurt and protein powder - check it out at https://thebettyrocker.com/apple-cider-protein-donuts/.
Let me know if you try these. I recommend watching the baking time to make sure they don’t over bake. I glazed these with a mix of powdered sugar and almond milk because the protein powder I used is not that sweet, but you can certainly enjoy them plain as well. Try them!