“Eating the right foods is half the part of living a healthy life,” says Jasmyn Walker, a registered and licensed dietitian at Cancer Treatment Centers of America® (CTCA) in Tulsa. She understands the importance of being nutritionally sound and encourages her patients and others to make it a priority.
“It’s important to know what foods are truly healthy and to identify superfoods that help fuel your body. Your health depends on the appropriate balance of nutrients such as protein, veggies, and vitamins.”
Walker offers a few tips to help you stay healthy and well in the new year:
- Plan ahead on meals
- Keep meals simple
- Nourish your body with activity and a healthy lifestyle
Walker has shared some of her favorite recipes below to help you stay healthy and well in the new year.
Easy Baked Salmon
Ingredients:
1-2 Tbsp. butter, melted
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. dried tarragon leaves
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
4 salmon filets (about 4 ounces each)
How-To:
Preheat the oven to 375° F.
In a small bowl, combine the butter, lemon juice, tarragon, and garlic powder. Set aside.
Slightly grease a baking dish or spray with cooking spray. Then place the salmon filets in the dish.
Pour the butter mixture over the salmon. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the fish flakes with a fork.
Serve immediately.
Beet Hummus
Ingredients:
2 cups (1-15 oz. can) garbanzo beans, drained
3 medium beets, peeled
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1-3 cloves fresh garlic, peeled
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. tahini
½ tsp. sea salt
Fresh parsley, for garnish
How-To:
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Rub beets with 1 Tbsp. of the olive oil and wrap with tin foil. Place on baking sheet. Cook beets for about 40 minutes, or until fork tender. Let cool and chop coarsely.
Add all ingredients to a food processor and process until smooth, or until desired consistency is achieved. Taste and adjust seasoning to the desired flavor.
Garnish with parsley.
Cookie Dough Energy Balls
Ingredients:
⅓ cup natural peanut butter
¼ cup honey
1 scoop chocolate or vanilla whey protein powder
3 Tbsp. ground flaxseeds
3 Tbsp. mini dark chocolate chips
3 Tbsp. wheat germ
How-To:
In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients except for the wheat germ. The dough should resemble Play-Doh. Roll into 14 small balls and then roll balls in the wheat germ to coat. Refrigerate overnight for best results.
Tip: If you don’t have any wheat germ, there are plenty of other roll toppings to use. Some options include flaxseeds, chia seeds, cocoa powder, crushed nuts, toasted sunflower seeds, and toasted coconut flakes.
Vary it! Feel free to experiment with other nut butter including almond and cashew. If you don’t want to use dark chocolate chips, consider trying some chopped dried fruit.
