After the holidays are over, it never fails that we have leftover food. Personally, I only like to eat the same meal a couple of times before it just gets boring. So, keep reading to find out ways to revamp your leftovers to prevent food waste and enjoy all of your holiday favorites!

• Get creative with different breakfast omelets and hashes: Cheese, turkey/ham, potatoes, veggies, etc.
• Make wraps and sandwiches with whatever you have on hand. Try toasting them for something different.
• Use leftover meat, veggies and whatever you have in your pantry to make soups, stews, or chili.
• You might have the makings for a Shepherd’s pie or turkey pot pie.
• Try “Thanksgiving Bowls” using rice, mashed/sweet potatoes or any grain you choose, cubed or shredded meat, cheese, cranberry sauce (or whatever you prefer) beans/green beans, potatoes, leftover veggies or salad. The possibilities are endless here!
• Start with pizza dough, then add your holiday favorites for pizza with a twist. This can also be fun for kiddos!
•  Air fry things that typically get soggy to give them back some life and flavor.
• Use leftovers for stuffed sweet potatoes/ loaded baked potatoes

With a little creativity, holiday favorites can be enjoyed in many ways! We hope your families have a fun, cheerful and blessed Thanksgiving. In this month of thanks, Banister Nutrition is grateful for many blessings. We are blessed that because of our wonderful patients and providers, we have celebrated 40 years of excellence this year! 

KR

Planning for a backpacking trip can feel overwhelming at first – where to go, who to go with and when to go! After picking a distance and route, the next big task is planning to fuel your activity.

The first task is determining how many days you will be camping, then planning for three meals and snacks per day. Starting with a high protein breakfast is key to fueling your day. My favorite breakfast on the trail is to start with some warm oatmeal and coffee, followed by a whole wheat bagel with peanut butter and honey.

After packing up camp, I like to have snacks to enjoy while hiking. I like Kind Bars, applesauce squeeze packs, dried fruit, and fruit snacks. Lunches on the trail need to be easy to prepare and suitable for a stuffed backpack! Try pita and tuna wraps, peanut butter sandwiches, or shelf stable cheese with dried meat and a whole wheat tortilla. With views like this, lunch is a treat!

After setting up our camp for the evening and taking our boots off, it’s dinner time! We first make sure we have enough water to drink and for meal prep by using a water filter. I enjoy bringing individually packaged dehydrated meals, as many come in heat-safe containers that eliminate the need to bring pots and pans. Dehydrated meal options have gotten an upgrade in the past decade, and many taste as good as a home-cooked meal without having to worry about spoilage or extra weight.

JM

We’ve been hearing a lot about Vitamin D lately. Did you know that Vitamin D is critical to the body and has numerous health benefits in addition to boosting the immune system? Studies have shown that vitamin D plays a role in bone health and reduces the risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, stroke and more. Keep reading to see more benefits of Vitamin D.

• Vitamin D is essential for calcium absorption and regulation throughout the body.
• It is critical during pregnancy because it helps form the baby’s bones, teeth, kidneys, heart and nervous system.
• Because it is so important for healthy bone and muscle development, deficiencies can lead to rickets and osteomalacia. 
• Vitamin D plays a role in keeping the gut healthy by increasing the healthy bacteria in your gut. This also leads to a stronger immune system.
• Recent studies have also shown that there may be a link between adequate Vitamin D levels and anxiety/depression. We have Vitamin D receptors in the brain that directly affect mood. Some scientists think Vitamin D deficiencies may be related to negative cognition and symptoms of anxiety/depression.

Not surprisingly, Vitamin D deficiencies are more common in people who have less exposure to sunlight. Consider getting your Vitamin D levels checked periodically to ensure optimal health!

Recommended Dietary Allowance:  

2-12 months: 400 IU daily for breast-fed infants

1-70 years: 600 IU

>70 years: 800 IU

*Talk to your  dietitian or doctor before starting any supplements.

KR

Each registered dietitian at BN has a unique story about how they became passionate about
nutrition and why they enjoy their job. Continue reading to get to know the BN team a little
better!

Carol Banister: “I grew up on a farm and spent 12 years in 4-H which provided many
opportunities to learn about food: cooking, baking, gardening, canning, freezing, even helping
my mom clean chickens. Gathering around the family table for meals was central to life. When I
went to Kansas State University, the study of food and nutrition was a natural extension of my
early experiences. Learning in Nutrition Bio-Chem class how a slice of bread turned into glucose
then into ATP for energy was fascinating. I realized my enjoyment of food and fascination with
food chemistry could be applied to bodily health and fitness, so I became a licensed/registered
dietitian. My career has included teaching at the University of Oklahoma, working as a clinical
dietitian at Presbyterian Hospital in OKC, and having my own practice for 40 years, which is the
best gig ever! There is nothing better than coming alongside my patients to provide counsel and
guidance for becoming a healthier version of themselves. When lab values improve, medications
decrease, and weight and physical activity reach healthy levels, patients become transformed,
happier individuals, making this fun and rewarding work for me!”

Lauren Northcutt: “My interest in nutrition initially started for personal reasons. I was a
competitive athlete in school and got injured my senior year. At that time, I started exploring
ways I could support my body in the healing process. Later, when I went to college, I decided to
take my interest and apply it to a degree at OSU. My personal interest quickly became a passion
to apply to helping others. As a private practice Dietitian, I am thankful I am able to use my
passion and knowledge to impact the lives of my patients.”

Autumn Sisneros: “Simply put, food for me is the fuel my body needs to be able to move and
enjoy all the things in life that are meant to be enjoyed — friends, family, and the world around
me. Even more, being able to share my passion and knowledge with others in a way that helps
them to do the same is a privilege that keeps me genuinely excited to come to work every day!”

Adrienne Radcliff Hefner: “I always knew I wanted to work in the healthcare field. When I was
a freshman in college I took a class that featured guest speakers from different areas in
healthcare. One day a dietitian came in to talk about how she helped people understand how to
eat in a way that supported a longer healthier life. I instantly knew that was what I wanted to do
and changed my major from biochemistry to dietetics! I love being a dietitian because I get the
privilege of working with a variety of people who are learning how to better their lives and who
inspire me every day.”

Jessica McCartney: “My interest in dietetics started with exposure to nutrition research by one
of my professors. After several years in labs researching the relationship between phytoestrogens
and cancer, as well as the biology of pre-term birth, I found myself wanting to have a closer
connection to the application of this research to patient care. With this realization, I started
working with a dietitian in a Neonatal ICU and returned to graduate school to pursue a career as
a dietitian. Through my research, I knew that nutrition had an important role in cancer prevention
and infant health. I continue to be fascinated by how many different fields nutrition impacts –
and the list of these continues to grow! I love helping my patients learn more about themselves
and how their choices impact their health and how they feel.”

KR

Looking for some last-minute gift ideas? Well, look no further! I rounded up some great gifts for your family and friends would love! Check out our list of some health and wellness gift ideas.

(These products are not sponsored)

For the Foodies

Snack Subscription Boxes

Universal Yum delivers international snacks right to your doorstep every month. They have created boxes from all over the world from countries like France that included sea salt chocolate to Egypt that had lemon chili chips. If you know someone that is adventurous and likes to try new foods, this would be a great gift! The boxes include sweet and savory snacks with a snack guide that has trivia and fun facts.

I love Samin Nosrat! I got introduced to her by her Netflix show Salt Fat Acid Heat. Her cookbook gives her readers a cooking guideline on how to build great balanced dishes with the baseline of elements of salt, fat, acid, and heat in the dishes (hence the names of her book). My favorite section of the book is dressings, vinaigrettes, and sauces. I am always looking for different dressing to add to my protein sources or salad so I loved how she incorporated a variety of dressings and sauces from different flavor profiles.

Omsom has a variety of East and Southeast Asian starters that combine all the sauces and seasonings all in one package so there’s no need to add additional ingredients. From Spicy Bulgogi to Mala, you can spice up one of your meals by just adding a seasoning packet to protein, and voila you have dinner!

Did you know that cooking on a cast iron skillet can increase the amount of iron that you are consuming? A good cast iron skillet is always a great gift no matter the season. They are great for making just anything. I like to use mine to get a great sear on steak, fish, or burgers. Don’t limit your cast iron skillet to just the stovetop. You can bake all sorts of yummy treats like cobbler or cornbread just make sure to butter those sides!

For the Outdoorsy Ones

Hammocks are nice and convenient because you just need two trees to set up and bam now you have somewhere to sit or lie down! They are awesome for when you go camping or just to have in your car so you can set it up anywhere you would like to relax in nature. Depending on the brand the straps to attach to the trees come separate from the actual hammock. So don’t forget to buy those too! They usually come in two different sizes, single or double.

When going on hikes or camping, I love to bring a portable speaker. This JBL Bluetooth speaker is small and compact so it is super easy to clip on your hydration pack or toss in your bag without adding too much extra bulk.

A travel journal is an excellent gift for those who are adventurous and spend a lot of time traveling (pre and post-covid hopefully). What I like about the Roadtrip journal Letterfolk is that it is passport-sized and it has prompts to fill out to remember your trip.

For the Eco-friendly Ones

Small changes can make a big impact when it comes to being more sustainable and eco-friendly. With more people being more eco-friendly, here are some items to slowly reduce single-use waste. These iteams are a really great way to make a gift bundle for someone that wants to start reducing their waste!

Reusable Bags

Beeswax Wraps

Bento Boxes

Bamboo Utensils and Metal Straw

For the Sporty Ones

Bored with your bodyweight exercises? TRX is a great way to change up your workout routine. What I love about TRX is that you set it up anywhere and you can train every single body part. It’s a great way to engage and strengthen your core strength. You can adjust the bands to make the movement easier or harder depending on what you want to focus on. There is no need to buy extra attachments or weights.

Trust me, the person that gets this gift is going to enjoy this next one. You might even buy one for yourself! Massage guns are the best to get those tough knots out with minimal effort. If aren’t a big fan of being sore either, try using this for a couple of minutes after workouts to relieve your muscle and release that tension.

AN