With the sparkle and excitement of the holidays behind us, it’s time to buckle down and stick to those New Year’s resolutions. Eating healthier is a goal many of us set at this time of year, although it’s certainly not an easy one to stick to with subzero temperatures and icy roads between you and the grocery store. But never fear—we have the scoop on how lake-area health and fitness gurus make healthy eating easy all winter long.
Bob Miller
Miller Essential Fitness
Bob Miller, owner of Miller Essential Fitness in Wayzata, has been a personal trainer since 1986. He helps people with everything from meeting weight loss goals to improving strength through weight training. And while exercise is Miller’s bread and butter, so to speak, he says a truly healthy lifestyle also includes knowing how to fuel your body properly.
As his household’s main cook, Miller chalks his healthy eating habits up to routine. He makes sure to cook up a variety of proteins every Sunday so he is prepared with filling, energy-dense meal options throughout the week.
“I make my shopping list on Tuesdays,” he says. “Then I buy groceries and prep them for the week. I’ll cook up some chicken breast or ground turkey and store it in the fridge so I can easily turn it into a healthy meal, even if I’m in a hurry or tired after work.” Then wholesome food becomes as convenient an option as grabbing a bag of chips or a fast food meal for dinner, he says.
Protein shakes are another strategy Miller uses for staying fueled throughout the day. “I keep protein powder around so I can make shakes that pack a punch,” he says. A favorite combination of Miller’s is protein powder and bananas, which provide a combination of protein and carbs during his busy workdays.
While protein is the driving force behind most of Miller’s meals, he also emphasizes the importance of fresh vegetables. “Veggies let you change things up and add different flavors,” he explains. “I always keep several different kinds of vegetables on hand, ready to throw into all kinds of dishes.”
Miller says he often starts the day off with a breakfast bowl made up of whatever protein and vegetables he has on hand, plus an egg. “It’s an easy and flavorful way to make breakfast,” he says. “You just toss, say, last night’s leftover chicken breast, a handful of scallions, and some cooked veggies like peppers and onions into a bowl and top it off with an egg.”
Wraps are another great way to get all the elements of a healthy meal into one tidy package. Fish tacos are a favorite dinner in his household, says Miller. Keeping tortillas on hand also makes it easy to take a chicken and veggie wrap on the go on those especially busy mornings.
Bob Miller’s fridge essentials:
- Eggs
- Various prepared proteins (steak, ground poultry, chicken breast)
- Romaine lettuce
- Onions
- Scallions
- Hot and sweet peppers
- Cucumbers
- Tortillas
- Spinach
Dr. Tricia Hadley
Fusion LifeSpa
Dr. Tricia Hadley is a chiropractor at Fusion LifeSpa, located in Deephaven. Fusion, a combination spa and natural-health clinic, offers services ranging from chiropractic care and traditional Chinese medicine to natural spa and beauty treatments. In addition to her chiropractic work, Hadley is trained in applied kinesiology, acupuncture, cranial-sacral therapy and Mayan abdominal therapy.
“Food definitely plays a role in my treatment,” says Hadley. “Patients’ diets are the foundation of their health.”
When making food choices during the winter months, Hadley says she tends to keep several essential items on hand to ensure healthful options. “I pretty much always have a dark green, like kale or collards,” she says. Other pantry essentials include garlic, apple cider vinegar and blackstrap molasses, all of which have tremendous health benefits.
“Eating healthfully for me, personally, is about taking the seasons into consideration and listening to my body,” she explains. During the winter months, root vegetables such as carrots play a starring role in many of Hadley’s meals. In the summertime, however, she subs in an “above-ground” vegetable such as cauliflower, which is more readily available in the warmer months.
Hadley also keeps several food items around that double as natural remedies during cold season. “I keep dry yellow mustard, cayenne pepper and ground ginger in my bathrooms to use when I’m getting a cold,” she says. “I have two or three herbal tinctures for immune support in my cupboard at all times. I start one of them at the very first sign of getting a cold.”
As for strategies for simplifying healthy eating, Hadley says she relies on the convenience of her crockpot. Prepping in advance and planning for leftovers is key to making sure she has nourishing options on hand even at the end of a busy day at Fusion. Preparing soups and crockpot meals that provide extras for freezing or meals the next day definitely makes healthy eating easier, she says.
Dr. Tricia Hadley’s pantry mainstays:
- Hearty greens, such as kale, collard greens or Swiss chard
- Winter vegetables, such as carrots and other root vegetables
- Apple cider vinegar
- Blackstrap molasses
- Garlic
- Onions
- Dry yellow mustard
- Ground ginger
- Cayenne peppers
- Organic chicken or vegetable broth
Dr. Hadley’s winter vegetable soup
Serves 2-3
For a warm and healthy meal, Dr. Tricia Hadley’s winter vegetable soup never fails to please. This soup is packed with nutrients to help keep you nourished during the harsh winter months.
Ingredients:
- 32 oz. of organic chicken or vegetable broth
- 1/2 a white onion, diced
- 5-6 carrots, peeled and chopped
- Kale, 1 head or 6-7 leaves including stems, washed and chopped (feel free to substitute other greens such as collards or chard for variety)
- Salt and crushed red pepper to taste
Put everything in a large pot. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer just until the carrots are soft. Purée in small batches. Enjoy!
Lisa Bobyak
Living Fully Balanced
Lisa Bobyak runs a health and wellness coaching businesses called Living Fully Balanced, based in Wayzata. She works with a subcontracted psychologist to develop specific personal action plans, and she helps her clients meet their wellness goals through healthy habit changes.
“I’m not a dietitian, and I’m not telling clients how to move their bodies,” Bobyak explains. “My wellness coaching focuses on the psychology of making healthy choices into habits.”
Bobyak stresses that while she offers guidance in terms of diet and exercise, her goal is to help clients create a plan that works for them and train them to understand the process behind making healthy choices.
When Bobyak heads to the grocery store, she makes sure to shop the perimeter of the store—essentially the aisles free of processed foods. “I’m looking for clean, whole foods,” she says. “I’m not counting calories or sugar grams. Generally, I’m looking for foods that are high in protein, high in fiber, with lower carbohydrates and lower sugars.”
Bobyak emphasizes that she shops this way because it is what works best for her body. “Foods high in fiber are satisfying for me,” she says, “and I avoid carbs and sugar because [avoiding them] makes my body feel good.” These things vary for every person, she continues, but the important point is to stick to food that is full of nutrients and likely unprocessed.
Furthermore, Bobyak always tries to combine food groups she knows she needs while snacking or eating. “The general thought for me is that a snack or meal needs a combination of protein, healthy carbohydrates (such as fruit or whole grains) and fiber,” she explains. When her physical needs are met, Bobyak continues, she knows that if she still feels like she needs a snack or treat, she probably isn’t looking for food to fill it.
“If all my physical needs are met by what’s on my plate but I still want to splurge and have that pizza or that chocolate,” she says, “I starting looking for answers in other directions. Maybe I’m tired and need to take a nap. Maybe I need to call a friend or go for a walk.”
During the winter, Bobyak says the key to warm, wholesome meals is planning. “On the weekend, I’ll buy a rotisserie chicken from the store and use it in meals throughout the week as my protein source,” she says. A standard in her kitchen is quinoa with chicken and oven-roasted vegetables—whichever kind she has in the fridge. “That way when I come home on a weeknight and it’s busy, I can put together a bowl of quinoa, chicken, vegetables, and I’ll dress it up however I like.” She may add just salt and pepper, she says, or maybe a splash of balsamic vinegar or extra spices.
Smoothies are also a mainstay in Bobyak’s food routine, especially in the morning. She’ll combine fruit, protein powder, yogurt and some greens, and have an easy, hearty breakfast. “Even in the winter smoothies are a great option,” she says. “You have your protein from the protein powder, some healthy carbs from the fruit, and a big dose of vitamins from greens such as spinach.”
Bobyak says she also keeps a batch of homemade chili on hand, since it’s a simple dish and a way to pack in a lot of vegetables. Her version has everything from onions and zucchini to beans and mushrooms, as well as whatever protein she has on hand. “It could be lean ground beef,” she says, “But I also do ground turkey or even ground tofu.”
In any case, Bobyak says that the key to making healthy eating a habit is purposefully planning. This means thinking through the next day in terms of when you’ll be able to have meals, and bringing healthy snacks along for those in-between times when you know you’ll be needing energy. “Once healthy eating is part of your routine,” she says, “you won’t have to think about it anymore. Building habits saves so much time.”
Lisa Bobyak’s kitchen must-haves:
- Almonds
- Apples
- Bananas
- Fat-free, unsweetened Greek yogurt
- Protein powder (for smoothies)
- Quinoa
- Squash
- Zucchini
- Onion
- Mushroom
- Tomatoes
- Beans
- Protein (chicken, ground beef or turkey, tofu)
Lisa’s Pizza Fix in Six
Serves 2-3
“This pizza is tasty, it’s quick and it’s healthy,” says Lisa Bobyak. “It’s what I call a triple threat in my kitchen.”
Ingredients
- 1 pre-baked pizza crust
- Caramelized onions
- Diced tomatoes
- Goat cheese
- Basil
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake pizza crust for 2 minutes. Top with caramelized onions, diced tomatoes, goat cheese and basil. Return pizza to oven for approximately 4 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
While this combination of toppings is a favorite in Bobyak’s household, you can use your favorite veggies, herbs and proteins.
