February has been a busy month for me, but one of my goals is to write more on Vitamin Valentine. This month has been filled with school assignments (I'm working on my master's thesis) and some very exciting (yet nerve-racking) professional developments. I submitted my dietetic internship applications this month and I'm hoping to get accepted into an internship. If you're new to my blog, I've been working on a B.S./M.S. in Nutrition for the past four years in order to become a Registered Dietitian (RD). It's extremely competitive to get into a dietetic internship (DI) and completing the DI is a requirement of the education and training to become an RD, so I'm hoping I match. Nutrition is my passion and I hope to get into an internship in order to gain the knowledge necessary to help people. Registered Dietitians are truly the experts in the nutrition field because of the training and education they receive. I've dreamt of becoming an RD for so long, so wish me luck!
Because I've been so busy lately, I've been finding ways to save time when it comes to preparing healthy food. Sometimes I make a big batch of food and eat the same thing for lunch for a few days during the week, and other times I try to mix it up. Either way, I try to stick with the same formula for making my meals as balanced and colorful as possible. I try to include at least two veggies, a source of protein, and a healthy fat. Sometimes I'll also add some whole grains, but today I skipped that component. For a "side dish" or snack, I usually stick to fruit or a protein bar. Lunch today was so colorful and delicious. It consisted of a purple potato on top of collard greens, ½ a medium avocado, some cherry tomatoes, and a serving of hummus. For my snacks, I had a fruit salad (sliced papaya, kiwi, and pineapple) and a gomacro bar (a vegan protein bar). I also took an apple with me but I decided to save it for another time.

It took me about 10 minutes in total to prepare this. Instead of baking the potato, I put it in the microwave, which saves a lot of time. I love preparing my meals ahead of time like this, especially because when I'm hungry at work it's so tempting to go out and buy something. Do you have any ways to save time or money while staying healthy? Feel free to share below, or connect with me via facebook or instagram @vitaminvalentine
-Jess
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