LEAFE Nutrition PLLC

What a great day!! Happy RD day to all the amazing RDs and RD2B’s 😍

Today we spent the day advocating for our bill and we received such great support. Working together in groups like this is the best way to create CHANGE!!!

Thank you , our bill Sponsor Representative Montenegro, our two lobbyists Gibson and Jay, and our policy team!🤩🤩

Im still feeling the excitement from last week from doing a TV segment with at 🤩

Eating the rainbow with seasonal produce is such an important topic to cover within March’s National Nutrition Month! ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜💗🤎🤍

Eating a variety of different colors diversifies the nutrients you give your body that can be beneficial for the prevention of chronic disease and cancer, combating inflammation, and supporting your immunity!

Who wouldn’t want those lifelong benefits?? 😍

So, simply start by adding a plant to each of your meals👏🏻 then work your way into adding more colors week by week.

As always, I’m here to help!❤️

Hugs,
Erika

View segment here: https://www.aztv.com/eating-the-rainbow-with-seasonal-produce-with-registered-dietitian-erika-barrera/

Happy World Pasta Day! 🍝😍

The best food day, to me, since it’s my favorite food to eat🥰 Being Italian, pasta is a staple in my dietary regimen and honestly my favorite kind of meals to cook!

Pasta is not only rich in beautiful carbohydrates, but also fiber, protein, and iron! 💪🏼

It’s versatile, for you can make it in sooo many ways. There are also many kinds of pasta which is important to know because the texture adds to the flavor of the dish👏🏻

Never be afraid to eat pasta😭 Just like any other food, you can incorporate pasta into balanced meals. And always remember that all foods have a place at the table❤️

As always, let me know if you have questions!

Happy eating,
❤️Erika

Tofu scrambles are 🔥

Here I sautéed zucchini, onion, mushrooms, and cherry tomatoes and seasoned the scramble with red pepper flakes, garlic salt, paprika, turmeric, and nutritional yeast.

Look at that turmeric color just popping out😍

Pair with toast, tortillas, or over rice!

My partner said, “wow, you can’t even tell it’s tofu!” 😂

What do you add to your tofu scrambles? 👇

Start you day this simple yet delicious Breakfast Bowl!⁠
⁠
1/2 cup cottage cheese⁠
1-2 oz smoked salmon⁠
Pickled red onion⁠
1/4 avocado⁠
Sliced cherry tomatoes⁠
Bread of your choice (here I have an Italian baguette) ⁠
Sprinkle of 'Everything But the Bagel' Seasoning⁠
Pair this bowl with a side of fruit⁠
⁠
You have protein, omega-3 fatty acids, carbs, fiber and flavor! A nutrient-dense bowl to start your day😁⁠
⁠
⁠

Hello! Welcome to my page 🥳🥰😍 I’m glad to have you here!

I’m Erika, the face behind LeafE Nutrition PLLC & the dietitian that helps individuals become more confident in the kitchen to ditch the dieting mindset❤️

As you may see from the page, I love to cook but also love to teach and help people improve their food relationship.

Here are three ways to work with me, but know that if you have ANY questions, you’re more than welcome to contact me❤️

Big hugs,
Erika

Happy Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day🥰

To say I love my profession is an understatement. I am literally SO blessed to be able to work in variety different settings with my credential. Let’s say that I am NEVER bored! & the best part of it all is that I get to meet such amazing people.

I am a registered and also a:
- business owner
- wellness educator
- public policy coordinator
- clinical practitioner

Things happen for a reason—whatever reason it was for me to end up here, I’m glad❤️

❤️

Happy National Nutrition Month!🎉

For the first week of March, I encourage you all to practice gratitude for your body by eating a variety of foods.

Eating a variety of colors and different foods provides your body with many nutrients— vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fiber, carbohydrates, fats— which is very important for the various functions your body has.

A huge part of having this gratitude is having trust towards the food you eat and trust for your body to digest it.

Remember that ALL foods provide nourishment. Eat what you love, can afford, and have access to. And if you have the ability, experiment with new foods to try to expand your food list!

Have questions or need guidance? Ask me!

As always, I’m here to help in anyway❤️

Happy eating👏🏻 # # #, Erika

Soooo let’s say it’s yesterday 10/17 because I embarrassingly forgot to post for National Pasta Day!🫣😂

I love pasta so much. Definitely my favorite food❤️❤️❤️

Pasta—
1) is delicious (to me🤤)
2) there are many varieties
3) it provides your body with energy
4) it’s culturally important especially in Italy
5) pairs with many different flavors and cuisine… it’s a blank canvas!

Here I have spaghetti allá puttanesca— aka the “whores” pasta😂

You simply cook plain tomato sauce with olive oil, garlic, anchovies, kalamata olives, and chili flakes😍 there’s more you can add to make it unique to you, but that’s the base!

Such a flavorful, salt-forward pasta that’s originated in Napoli, Italy❤️ where my family is from.

What’s your favorite pasta? Or how do you cook your puttanesca?

Simple changes in recipes for heart health!❤️❤️

You don’t need to drastically change your diet nor adopt a vegan lifestyle. It’s about simple substitutions in your diet and establishing small goals in your lifestyle such as exercise and stress management activities.

Remember, that everyone’s health is different. More/less changes depend on the person, their chronic disease risk, current heart health, and their lifestyle.

Overall, it’s important to have normal ranges in cholesterol in order to reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease. Dietitians, like me, are able to read your lab results to assess your current health risk! We often use labs as measure to assess trends with a clients behavior changes😀

Have more questions? DM me!❤️❤️

This week in my “Cook Your Way Into Health Program” we are cooking a lemon-herbed chicken with roasted veggies of choice!

I love this simple recipe! It’s so refreshing and flavorful😍

What are your favorite baked chicken dishes?!

A beautiful Monday reminder to eat carbs❤️





Want to start making sourdough bread? Use this recipe to make a starter:
sourdough starter recipe: https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/sourdough-starter-recipe

Happy eating,
❤️Erika

Here are some balanced snack ideas!😊

Balanced snacks typically have 2-3 food groups combined to provide longer satiety and more nutrient variety.

Snacks can also be helpful to help your hunger during busy times in the day! (They definitely help tame my hanger!😂)

Note—if you find yourself snacking too often during the day (2+ snacks/day), it may be a sign you’re not eating enough at meals times or there may be some stressors in your life influencing your eating habits. Ask a dietitian to help guide you❤️

What kind of snacks do you enjoy?

Who here loves salmon as much as I do?!😍

Salmon is filled with omega 3 fatty acids (healthy fat), Vitamin D, Vitamin B12, and other minerals👏🏻

You can make salmon in so many ways which is why it’s one of my favorite filet fishes. This picture shows one of my favorite ways to make salmon!

Recipe:
✨ 1/4 cup low fat mayo
✨ 1/4 tsp Cayenne Peppers
✨ 2 tsp Kinder's Seasonings & Sauces] Seafood Blend
✨ 1 TBSP olive oil

👉👉Mix in a bowl and brush on each raw filet. Bake in oven or air fry for 15-20 minutes until crispy😍

I’ve also used this Mayo Chili sauce for swordfish and shrimp, it’s so versatile! 👏🏻

If you do not have the Kinder’s Seafood Blend, use a even mixture of dried onion, garlic powder, chili pepper, paprika, and lemon pepper.

Let me know if you try this! And as always, happy eating everyone!💋

**this is not a paid brand partnership! I genuinely LOVE Kinder's Seasonings & Sauces] spices😍

Here is a list of kitchen staples to have stocked! Of course, these are more pertinent to me, so you may have your own kitchen staples depending on your culture, family, and food preferences.

These staples are important because they all can come together to make a balanced meal❤️

If you do not have any “fresh” ingredients at home, who cares! Canned and frozen foods are great options to utilize especially when you didn’t have time or money to go grocery shopping.

It’s also important to have ingredients in the kitchen to help you make food such as flour for bread items.

Examples of meals to make from these staples:
✨ Lentils, canned or frozen veggies, bread, and spices: Curried lentils with vegetables and side of toasted bread paired with canned peaches.
✨ Pasta, tomato sauce, frozen vegetable, and frozen shredded chicken: penne pasta Marinara with chicken and side of broccoli paired with canned pineapple.
✨ Canned beans, canned mixed vegetables, olive oil, spices, frozen rice: bean and rice bowl with vegetables paired with canned mixed fruit cup.
✨ Flour, eggs, milk, frozen sausage, frozen berries: homemade pancakes with sausage paired with a berry smoothie.

There are so many more meals I can create examples of. The rule of thumb is to have staples that you can easily utilize into a meal.

As always, get creative and remember that ALL foods serve a purpose on the table ❤️

LETS CHANGE THE LINGO👏🏻

Far too many times do I hear people say processed foods are “bad,” are “unhealthy.”

As you can see, that’s not the case.

Food processing (processed foods) include foods that are :
✨ Washed, chopped, and mixed
✨ Cooked, frozen, and packaged
✨ Pasteurized
✨ Have added ingredients

Processed food examples include fruit cups, canned fish or meat, cured meats, bread, and cheese.

Ultra-processed foods have additional processing that may change the original flavor and/or texture of the original food.

Other examples of ultra-processed foods are packaged snacks, desserts, candy, protein bars, meal replacement shakes, and fruit yogurt.

Overall, it’s important to look at the food item your choosing itself rather than categorizing it into a “processed food” category & avoiding it.

Remember that ALL foods have a place at the table❤️

Baked Brie with homemade chia fig & pistachio jam😍

This is such a great dish to serve as an appetizer! Or like me, to just have in the fridge to eat with breakfast or as a snack.

Chia Fig & Pistachio jam:
✨ 1 cup chopped figs
✨ 1 TBSP sugar or honey
✨ 1/4 cup chia seeds
✨ 1/4 cup pistachios, chopped

1. On the stove top in a small pot or frying pan, place all ingredients with a small splash of water on medium heat. As it begins to slightly bubble, continuously stir the mixture until the chia seeds become gelatinous.
2. Tasting it is encouraged in case you want to add a bit more sugar or honey for extra sweetness! 😊

Baked Brie:
✨ 1 small round wheel of Brie cheese
✨ Chia fig and pistachio jam

1. Preheat oven at 350 degrees F.
2. You can either place the whole wheel in a baking dish or slice the brie in 6ths. I sliced mine so that the fig jam falls in between the cheese.
2. Place the chia fig and pistachio jam on top and in between the cheese slices.
3. Place baking dish inside oven and bake for ~10 minutes or until you see the cheese begin to ooze and the jam begin to toast.
4. Serve with mini toast slices, crackers, or add to a charcuterie board!

*if you’re not a big fan of figs…you can use berries, other jams, or simply just honey! The creation is up to you!😍

Happy cooking!

❤️Erika

Changing your diet by just focusing on the types of foods you eat is a great start towards your health however is only a portion of the big picture.

Example—
➡️ eating just 1 meal per day or instead multiple snacks per day that includes the “health” foods you’re focusing on. Again, great start to making changes, but you’re overall eating too little which may pushback any goals you’re trying to achieve.

This is why fad diets and yo-yo dieting doesn’t work. They only provide a strict list of foods to eat but never teach on day to day eating regimens that work for YOUR body only.

It can overall be overwhelming trying to change so much at one time. That’s why with my clients I first like to focus on their eating regimens and food relationships to create a more sturdy foundation prior to educating on the types of foods they need for their own bodies.

If this pertains to you and you have questions or need more guidance on the next steps, DM me❤️

Let me help you ditch the dieting mindset and become the pilot for your own eating regimen and food choices🥰🤩