Cultivate Nutrition

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Australia
Wollongong, NSW
Cultivate Nutrition

Farewell diets, food guilt and the cycle of emotional eating. We want to be the best version of ourselves, for ourselves and our babes.

I empower busy mums to stop yo-yo dieting and nourish their bodies mindfully, so that they can gain more energy, confidence, and cultivate a healthy relationship with food. To feel vibrant, strong and healthy. To set a wonderful example for our children and to be fully present in our lives. By ensuring you are well nourished, nurtured and connected, Cultivate Nutrition supports mothers so they can thrive.

08/12/2022

Before I share my news, I wanted to sincerely thank every client, follower, business buddy and cheerleader of Cultivate Nutrition. I continue to be humbled by the support you have shown my business over the past 3 years, and feel so lucky to have been able to do this work which I love so much 💞

I launched Cultivate Nutrition at the very beginning of my own motherhood journey, with a mission to support mothers in nourishing their bodies by providing sound nutrition support and guidance. Whilst growing my own family, Cultivate Nutrition provided me with the wonderful opportunity and privilege to work while caring for my little ones and to create something for myself. I have learnt so much about business - and myself - over these past three years, it has been an experience I will forever be grateful for.

However, I now feel ready for a change. The business no longer provides the work-life balance it once did and I am ready to step away from the constant hustle of business ownership, so I can be more present in other areas of my life.

This decision means that my books are no longer open to new clients and my last day of consulting will be Wednesday 25 January 2023. For all my current clients, we can discuss what this means for you individually at our next consultation - however you are welcome to call or email me beforehand if you have any questions.

I may return to this space in the future, who knows what's around the corner?! But for now, this decision feels very much aligned with my goals and values ✨

Shortly, I will be taking on a maternity leave cover for the role of Programs & Operations Manager at The Good Foundation, who deliver Jamie Oliver's Ministry of Food cooking programs. If you've followed along for any length of time, you'll know how much of a passionate home cook and advocate of simple, nutritious homecooked meals I am - so you'll have an idea of just how thrilled I am to be embarking on this new role!! 🤗😁 🥰 I am very much looking forward to this new phase and commencing what I am sure will be another opportunity to learn and grow.

Thank you again for being here, it truly has meant the world. Christina x

06/09/2022

DO YOU FIND YOUR SMOOTHIE LEAVES YOU FEELING HUNGRY AGIAN SOON AFTER?

With Spring upon us and warmer weather ahead, smoothies become a popular breakfast or snack choice. After all, they are quick to make and can be conveniently consumed one-handed (an important consideration when you are wrangling babies/ children).

However, often I'll see clients who make a smoothie that doesn't leave them feeling satisfied or satiated for long - often less than if they had a meal. Have you experienced this?

To ensure your smoothies are nourishing and provide long-lasting sustained energy, aim to include food sources of these key nutrients next time you blend one up:⁠
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🍓 PROTEIN - milk (cow or soy milk will provide the highest protein; check the label of your nut/ grain milks), yoghurt, nut butter, rolled oats⁠
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🍓 FIBRE - 1 fruit (eg. frozen berries, banana or mango), 1-2 vegetables (eg. baby spinach, celery, cucumber), rolled oats, oat/ wheat bran⁠
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🍓 HEALTHY FATS eg. LSA, flaxseed meal, chia seeds, h**p seeds, nut butter⁠, avocado
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👇🏼 Let me now, what ingredients do you like to add to your smoothies?

01/09/2022

IS THIS YOU? CAN YOU RELATE? 🤔 🙋🏽‍♀️
You are ready to make some changes to the way you eat and/ or your relationship with food.

You kick things off with great enthusiasm and lots of motivation.

A month or two in, life happens, barriers appear, challenges arise (as inevitably they always do) and you seem to loose steam.

Old habits creep back in and you feel a little flat about the changes you were previously so excited about...

If this resonates with you, here are 6 ways you can create accountability to help keep you on track or re-ignite your inspiration.

1️⃣ BUDDY UP WITH A FRIEND - Being accountable to another person and not wanting to let them down can be a great way to keep yourself motivated too.

2️⃣ SCHEDULE IT - Putting time in you calendar will increase the likelihood of you doing the activity you have planned. You are making a commitment to yourself and telling yourself, "this is important" (which it is!).

3️⃣ TRACK YOUR PROGRESS - Ticking off your goal as “achieved” for the day provides a great sense of achievement and works in a positive feedback loop. I love using my Curation planner (by ) as a tool for both scheduling and tracking progress towards my health goals (not sponsored, I just love it).

4️⃣ HAVE A PLAN B - We all know how life can get in the way, so can you plan ahead for this eg. stocking your freezer with pre-made meals, so if you don't have time to cook dinner you have a nourishing 'plan B' meal ready to go?

5️⃣ WORK WITH A DIETITIAN - like me! There are SOOOO many ways a dietitian can support you in achieving your goals. Clients love our regular review sessions, where we monitor their progress, reflect on what's working and make changes to what's not. Knowing there is some else checking-in regularly is a strong motivator.

6️⃣ CELEBRATE YOUR WINS - Whether they are big or small achievements, they are all important and significant. Plan a reward for when you reach your goals ahead of time so you have it to look forward to, and consider rewards that enhance your mood and wellbeing.

Do you need help keeping accountable to your nutrition and health goals? Send me a DM so we can chat further about this.

25/08/2022

Who doesn't love a little no-prep ? This post is for all the busy mamas who are savoury snack lovers (and perhaps sweet snackers who are looking to change things up too!).

Savoury snacks are a great way to get in a veggie serve or two, (helping us get closer to our daily target of 5 serves). By including simple wholefoods, savoury snacks can also provide the opportunity to boost your intake of other important nutrients (eg. fibre, calcium, protein), whilst stabilising blood glucose levels for sustained energy.

Here are 4 of my favourite low/ no-prep savoury snack combos, perfect for busy mamas:

1️⃣ Wholegrain crackers + hummus

2️⃣ Dry roasted nuts + baby 'qukes' (enjoy straight from the punnet)

3️⃣ Veggie sticks (prep in bulk to save time) + cheese

4️⃣ Roasted chickpeas + cherry tomatoes

Do you have a favourite savoury snack combo? Let me know 👇🏼

22/08/2022

DO YOU FEEL OUT OF CONTROL AROUND FOOD?

Here are 5 reasons that might be contributing to this feeling:

1️⃣ You are not eating enough - Skipping meals, severely restricting your portion sizes or under-eating will leave you feeling constantly hungry. This extreme hunger (eg. 1-2/10 on the hunger fullness scale - check out an earlier post on this for more) will make it difficult to make an intentional food choice leaving you feeling 'out of control'.

2️⃣ You are eating mindlessly or while distracted - Not paying attention to what you are eating, how full you are feeling while you eat and how enjoyable the meal has been can leave you feeling unsatisfied which in turn, can leave you wanting more to eat.

3️⃣ You label foods as 'bad' or 'I can't eat that' - This is one of the quickest ways to make a food seem more desirable. It's human nature, we want what we (tell ourselves we) can't have.

4️⃣ You are telling yourself it's all or nothing - Black & white thinking can leave you feeling like a 'failure' or wanting to 'give up' on your healthy eating intentions when things don't go to plan. For some women, these negative emotions can fuel emotional or binge eating.

5️⃣ You struggle to recognise your natural hunger cues - Years of dieting can force us to ignore our natural hunger and appetite cues. When women stop dieting, they can be unsure when they are physically hungry and/ or what that sensation feels like in their body.

✨ THE GOOD NEWS...Each of these 5 reasons can be overcome, and certainly not with another diet, but with a more sustainable and enjoyable approach to eating well.

I don't see 'getting in control' as the desired goal here (this feels like more diet rules to me), but rather learning how to respond to your appetite and nourish your body in a way that is right for you.

✉️ If you would like to learn more about my approach and how I can support you in becoming a more confident and mindful eater, send me a DM.

19/08/2022

QUICK & EASY DINNER MEAL IDEAS...YES PLEASE!

DIY meals, where everyone creates their own plate or bowl at the table, are a great way to get the whole family involved in dinner - and are my go-to when I'm short on time, as they don't require much prep!

They are also a wonderful way to provide an array of colourful vegetables and salad for everyone to add to their meal.⁠
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Here, we had falafel wraps, with hummus, tabbouli and haloumi. Other DIY-style family meal ideas include:⁠
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🌟 Burritos or tacos - with a mince or black bean chilli, corn kernels, capsicum, tomato, lettuce and shredded cheese⁠
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🌟 Homemade pizzas - with a variety of thinly sliced vegetable toppings (mushrooms, tomato, capsicum, zucchini ⁠
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🌟 Chicken burgers - with sliced tomato, sliced cucumber, grated carrot, beetroot, shredded lettuce⁠
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🌟 BBQ veggie pita pockets - with BBQ'd haloumi, mushrooms, sliced eggplant, sliced capsicum, sliced zucchini ⁠
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Leave me a 💛 if you'd like more quick & easy dinner meal ideas.

12/08/2022

How often have you used the words 'good' or 'bad' to describe certain foods or your own behaviour for having eaten certain foods? ⁠
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These moral judgements around food, which then extend to ourselves for having eaten certain foods, are often relics of past diets and restrictive diet rules. ⁠
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🤔 Notice how they are almost always black and white.⁠
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"You can eat this, but you can't eat that"⁠
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"These foods are allowed, while these foods are forbidden"⁠
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"If you eat these foods, you've broken your diet and failed"⁠
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If you've told yourself, "I can't eat that. I'm trying to be good", firstly I'd encourage you to consider how helpful this is to you - how does they make you feel? Restricted? Deprived? Like a failure if/ when you break these rules?⁠
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If this black and white approach to food no longer serves you well and you are interested in a more inclusive and joyful approach to all foods, I'm so glad you are here! ⁠
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✨ One of the 5 key pillars of my Mindfully Nourished program is 'All foods have a place', where we explore how all foods can fit within a balanced diet. We work to dismantle the idea of 'good' and 'bad' foods, and come up with an individualised plan for you to include and enjoy all foods in a way that is best for you and your goals.⁠
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👉🏼 DM for more info.

08/08/2022

🌟 RECIPE 🌟 VEGAN MEXICAN CHILLI

Are you wanting to eat more legumes & beans, but are unsure how to incorporate them into meals? Well this recipe is for you!

In addition to being a budget-friendly source of plant protein, legumes bring with them a long list of nutrition credentials, are a convenient pantry staple ingredient and don't require any cooking (just drain and rinse well).

Legumes are the hero of my Vegan Mexican Chilli (perfect for ), which appears alongside 9 other freezer-friendly family meals in my e-cookbook - FREE for you to download now https://www.subscribepage.com/freezerfriendlyfamilymeals

Enjoy 💚

05/08/2022

With an influx of new followers (thank you for being here 🙏🏼), I thought I'd share the various ways we can work together so you can finally...

👋🏼 farewell yoyo dieting, food guilt and diet rules

and instead...

🙌🏼 eat in a mindful and intuitive way that nourishes your body and gives you energy, confidence and food freedom!

✨ MINDFULLY NOURISHED PROGRAM - a value-packed 12 week program that gives us the space to dive deep into your nutritional needs, food mindset and relationship with food, to create lasting positive change.

✨ 1:1 ONLINE NUTRITION CONSULTATIONS - evidence-based nutrition support for women's health concerns, along with mindful and intuitive eating skills.

✨ CORPORATE NUTRITION WEBINARS & VIRTUAL COOKING DEMONSTRATIONS - translating the science of nutrition & health into practical terms, for employees and workplaces.

If you would like more information, send me a DM or book your FREE Discovery Call (https://www.halaxy.com/book/mrs-christina-ross/dietitian/538361/492811)

03/08/2022

6 WAYS TO SAVE MONEY BY REPURPOSING LEFTOVERS 💰️ 🤑

As food budgets continue to feel stretched, here are 6 ways to repurpose leftovers and transform them into a dinner meal - saving money, but also minimising food waste. Win win!!
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1️⃣ Tomato-based casseroles and stews make a great pasta sauce (eg. in this photo, I repurposed a slow-cooked beef & veg casserole by serving it with spaghetti).⁠ They also freeze well, so you can save the sauce for another time.
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2️⃣ Leftover coleslaw (no dressing)/ cabbage can form the veggie base of a stirfry.⁠
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3️⃣ Leftover steamed veggies can be chopped finely and made into a fried rice by adding rice, egg & soy sauce.⁠
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4️⃣ Make a buddha bowl with leftover bits and pieces, and tie them all together with a homemade dressing eg. EVOO + balsamic vinegar, yoghurt + tahini + lemon juice, sesame oil + lime juice.⁠
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5️⃣ Leftover roast veg are lovely in a frittata. Add some crumbled feta or dollop over some pesto for extra flavour.⁠
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6️⃣ Thinly slice leftover cooked proteins (eg. grilled chicken, steak, pork fillet, etc) to use in DIY wraps, burritos or homemade pizzas, along with salad or veg.⁠
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I'd love to hear from you too...what are your favourite ways to repurpose leftovers? Share below👇🏼

29/07/2022

As we head into the weekend, here are 5 meal prep ideas you might like to set aside some time for - you don't need to do all 5, just pick one or two.

These practices will give you a head start on some nourishing meals (or components fo meals) for next week 🙌🏼 🙌🏼 Your future self will be so thrilled you did!

1️⃣ PREP A BREAKFAST MEAL - ideas for the cooler weather include baked porridge, breakfast bran muffins or veggie frittata.

2️⃣ COOK A SOUP FOR LUNCHES - batch prep a bit pot of soup, then store or freeze in individual contains for quick and nourishing mid-week lunch options.

3️⃣ ROAST A TRAY OF VEGGIES - check out my earlier post with my tips for roasting veggies. Use these veggies as a meal base for lunchtime buddha bowls or warm salads, or to accompany dinner meals for a quick veggie side.

4️⃣ MAKE A HEALTHY SNACK - think muffins, slices or bliss balls. If you are stuck of ideas, I have a handy e-cookbook, Nourishing Snacks for Busy Families ($19.95), with 12 healthy snack recipes available for purchase in on online store (link in bio).

5️⃣ COOK AHEAD A DINNER MEAL - you'll really be kicking goals if you Monday's dinner meal ready a day early!! Recipes that really improve in flavour after a night in the fridge include curries, casseroles, or stews - all perfect wintery dishes!

So what do you think? Which option will you pick this weekend - let me know below 👇🏼

27/07/2022

RECIPE TO SAVE: SALMON & SOBA NOODLE BOWLS⁠
Here is a simple weeknight dinner that you can have on the table in about 20 minutes. ⁠
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Nutritionally, it provides one of your 2-3 recommended weekly serves of omega-3 rich seafood, along with lots of gut-loving fibre thanks to the green veggies, and slow-release carbs from soba noodles.⁠

Leave me a 💚 if you'd like to see more recipes like this!

Address

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Wollongong, NSW

Telephone

+61422809775

Website

http://www.cultivatenutrition.com.au/

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