Plant-Based Protein Tips
by Jackie Yvonne Sports Nutrition Specialist
Brief Introduction/Tell Us About yourself, Certifications:
I’m Jackie of Jackie Yvonne Nutrition. I’m a Weight loss and Corporate Wellness Consultant. I am an IFPA Sports Nutrition Specialist. Through my business, Jackie Yvonne Nutrition® LLC, I teach healthy eating, weight loss, and wellness to high performing clients to solve the how and why of weight loss while managing busy lifestyles. I’m also a retired school principal and I served as an educator for 20 years. In my free time, I compete in amateur women’s bodybuilding. I was born and raised in Pittsburgh PA, where I still reside. I have two sons and a beautiful infant granddaughter.
How did you become passionate about healthy eating?
In 2010, after spending 10 years of being overweight, I reconnected with my wellness and fitness prior to the birth of my youngest son and I lost 100 pounds naturally and I’ve kept it off. This led to a passion to use my skills and knowledge in nutrition to help women and men improve their relationship with food and how proper nutrition yields desired fitness goals.
If you could persuade people to change three things about their diet during these challenging times, what would they be?
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Start meal prepping and having a schedule of eating times is super important now that we have 24 hour access to our kitchens, especially anyone who is new to working from home.
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Avoid boxed and frozen easy cook foods completely. If there are specific recipes you enjoy that come in a box or in the freezer, grab a cookbook and the ingredients and create the meal on your own to control the nutrients.
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Make sure you are getting a healthy balance of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Neglecting to know these numbers will keep cravings and mindless snacking high.
Most of the world is practicing social distancing and working from home, how important is it to hydrate while doing so?
Hydration is always important, but even more important now as we shape our schedules for working from home. The side effects of dehydration that can impact our work is focus and fatigue. Keep water near your work station and drink throughout the day.
What are 3 at-home x kitchen must haves for people practicing social distancing?
To cut down on my trips to the grocery store, I meal prep and cook in large batches and my top 3 kitchen must haves help me with creativity in the kitchen.
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Slow cooker, rice cooker combo that has multiple cook and prep options for soups and stews in large batches.
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Air fryer - I love making whole chicken roasters in the air fryer and then creating multiple meals.
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Large baking pans to bake or broil veggies and protein options during meal prep.
What are 5 ‘must stock’ foods each of our readers should stock up on from the grocery store during social distancing?
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Continue to purchase fresh produce, but you can cut down on your grocery store visits by purchasing quality frozen veggies, fruits, and meats.
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Rice
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Oatmeal
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Dry lentils
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Seasoning and condiments
What are some ways to boost your immunity amid the coronavirus outbreak?
Consuming fresh fruits and vegetables, staying hydrated and taking multivitamins.
Any at-home detox recipes or secrets?
Eliminating refined sugar and carbohydrates for a week and slowly returning to complex carbohydrates and sugar from fruits.
What is your favorite quarantine snack?
Granny Smith apples and peanut butter!
What’s one simple plant-based dish our readers can recreate at home, less than 30 minutes and eat multiple times throughout the week?
Seitan and lettuce wraps. This is similar to chicken & lettuce wraps you’d get as an appetizer or stand alone lunch at a restaurant. Cook seitan and season to taste. Chop cucumbers, peppers, onions, and tomatoes. Once seitan cools, mix veggies. Add a little lemon or lime juice to taste. Rinse and separate romaine lettuce, scoop seitan and veggie mix and enjoy! A faster option is to substitute the chopped veggies with fresh cilantro salsa.
Plant based living is becoming more and more popular. When eating a mostly plant based / vegetarian diet, are there certain foods to focus on to make sure we’re getting enough nutrients and protein?
Protein! Many of my clients are curious about switching to plant based diets and they’ve tried it on their own but made the mistake of just loading up on carbohydrate sources and not having adequate amounts of protein. While many veggies offer some protein, it’s not enough to fuel an active lifestyle. Pay attention to plant-based protein options to see the ratio of carbs and proteins. Aim for a minimum of 18g of protein per serving or higher.
Speaking of plant based, what are some of the benefits of drinking chlorophyll water / benefits of liquid chlorophyll?
In addition to balancing PH levels, the enzymes from chlorophyll water boosts energy & brain and body function naturally.
What’s one of your favorite organic/natural supplements or vitamins you recommended?
For water retention and bloating, I love Nature’s Way Dandelion Root vegan capsules. What are three things you are most grateful for during these uncertain times?
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Being in a position to help my immunocompromised parents.
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Having a business that is primary online.
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My faith that everything will be ok.
During these uncertain times how do you stay positive? What’s your secret?
I carve out time for myself in the morning to journal and reflect on what I’m thankful for daily. It’s so easy to get bogged down with the news and updates that it’s hard to remember that we still have so much to be thankful for.
Jacqueline Hale
Weight Loss & Corporate Wellness Consultant
Jackie Yvonne Nutrition
