Sweet Spot Nutrition

10/11/2025

Further to Tara's comment about freezing pasta sauce in the jar (see my previous post), I thought this was amazing. I never thought of putting all of these things in jars. Could use a lot less freezer bags.

Yes you can safely freeze food in glass jars. Say goodbye to wasteful single-use plastic baggies and wrap and plastic containers too.

09/11/2025

I’d like to say I always make spaghetti sauce from scratch, but sometimes I’m just not that organized. My trick is to make it 50/50 no-salt-added canned tomatoes with the lowest sodium store-bought sauce I could find. (Swipe to see.) Added to browned ground turkey and 1/4 cup lentils and we’re off to a speedy Friday night dinner.

07/11/2025

Made one of my famous bowl bars tonight! Like a salad bar but with a whole grain. Really just an excuse to use up random stuff and please the whole family. Sorry it’s not prettier. I always take these pics when I’m hungry and just want to eat.

From top, clockwise: spinach, edamame from frozen, quinoa cooked in chicken broth, chicken breast fillet from frozen, roasted sweet potato, avocado, potsticker from frozen, roasted chickpeas and roasted bell peppers.

I don’t like roasted chickpeas on their own, but they’re great in a salad or a bowl like this. Kind of like high fibre crouton. Crunch crunch. Drizzled with homemade red wine vinaigrette. I might have gotten a little carried away with ingredients. 😂😋❤️

23/10/2025

Do you know what to eat for heart health but struggle to do it consistently?

Starting next Tuesday I'm offering a 4-part series on making eating changes stick.

It's open to all members of Sweet Spot Kitchen, my community for people who've had heart attacks or are worried about their risk for one. 🫂

See below for what we'll do each week. ⬇️

Learn more and sign up here: https://sweetspotnutrition.ca/join-us-in-the-sweet-spot-kitchen/
___________________________________________

**October 28 - Why Is It So Hard To Change Our Eating Habits?**
First we’ll look at where you are now with respect to heart-healthy eating, whether you even need to change, and if so, exactly what? Then we’ll explore the many factors that might be
driving your eating behaviours.

**November 4 - Our Behaviour Change Toolbox, Part 1**
Armed with insights into your unique eating challenges, we’ll take a tour through evidence-based strategies for staying on track. You’ll make a plan for trying one out, as a no-judgement experiment.

**November 12 - Our Behaviour Change Toolbox, Part 2**
We’ll regroup and discuss how your experiment went. Then we’ll look at another set of
strategies that might help you, and plan for another experiment in change.

**November 18 - Making Healthy Eating Stick**
Again, this session will leave plenty of time for talking about what you tried and what you learned. Then we’ll talk about slips, which are an inevitable part of life, and how to get back on
track.

15/10/2025

Took this to a family member who had a heart attack over the weekend. 😢 Nuts are a great heart-healthy snack! They’re blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar friendly. All of them. Satisfying too. ❤️😋

14/10/2025

Another beautiful Life in Hearts issue is out! Editor and Founder Jackie has outdone herself, sharing her own arduous journey (you won't believe it) and a powerful reflection called "When Life is Not Fair." This is an excerpt. (Honestly, couldn't decide which paragraph to share. It's so good.)

https://lifeinhearts.aflip.in/af6abf5341.html /1

12/10/2025

Ahhh the perfect Thanksgiving table. Is this your style, or do you keep it simple? How do you keep things low-stress at Thanksgiving?

That's one of themes in my latest blog post about a heart-healthy Thanksgiving. (Matching linens and centrepiece not required.)

https://sweetspotnutrition.ca/healthy-thanksgiving/

09/10/2025

Raspberries plus raspberry chia jam. 😍

07/10/2025

This is so great! Fellow Alberta parents... great resource here.

(Edited after I read that the classes are for kids (of all ages!) and teenagers only. Caregivers can join in if the kids need help or support. Teachers are welcome to join as well, but I ask that they keep their cameras off in order to maintain our dynamic of only kids participating in these sessions.)

Zoom link and details:
https://www.dinnerwithjulie.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Kids-cooking-classes-during-Alberta-Teachers-Strike-.pdf?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAafKSz3Qlp4StVb9KoLUKsgMqs4X1zjokJ0XDNuG0mVO5hAezkdAApWEFkHjRQ_aem_JahQn0XYEOCT2p8tL5yWbA

Ok, here’s what we’re gonna do. I’ve set up zoom in my kitchen for the remainder of the Alberta teachers’ strike, and we’re going to have a cooking class every day at 4 PM. These classes are free, no registration required, and suitable for kids and teenagers of all ages.

Parents and caregivers can of course join in if kids need help or support. I’ve had a lot of teachers ask if they can join and I think that’s totally fine, but ask that teachers keep their cameras off in order to maintain the dynamic of an all kids class. (Kids are absolutely not required to have their cameras on! Some choose to, so don’t.)

Some days we’ll bake something, some days we’ll make something for dinner, or maybe both! There will be science and math and reading and life skills and lots of laughs. I’ll post a recipe and/or ingredient list at least a day before so you can have what you need on hand. If accessing ingredients is an issue for any reason, please DM me.

I’ll record them all so anyone can do them on their own at a time that’s more convenient.

There is a link to a PDF with the Zoom link and passcode in my Instagram profile, and also in my stories. It will stay the same every day. We won’t do one on Monday, Thanksgiving day, and I will be away on Friday, October 17. Otherwise, we’ll do this every day until the strike is over.

Let me know if you have any questions. We are starting today with pasta - all you need to have is some flour and eggs. I’ll see you at four!

07/10/2025

According to this paper, loneliness is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). They found that both "Increased loneliness and stable high loneliness are associated with higher CVD risk."

Note to self: Go for walk, eat well, call a friend.

04/10/2025

The trick with heart-healthy fats seems to be to have *more* of them and *less* saturated fat and refined carbs.

For example, swap butter for olive oil when that works. Have avocado toast instead of a fast food breakfast sandwich with sausage. Mixed nuts instead of crackers when you feel snacky.

My fall comfort food collection has several dishes that do just that, and leave you feeling warm and satisfied to boot. https://sweetspotnutrition.ca/heart-healthy-comfort-foods/

("Fall comfort food collection" - do I sound like a fashion designer? 😂)

(Stock photo by David B Townsend on Unsplash.)

30/09/2025

Fantastic collection of heart-healthy lunch ideas here, organized by "lunch style". Think leftovers, bento box snacks, prep ahead, etc. Several recipes for each. 😋❤️

Need lunch ideas to help you energize your afternoon but stuck with what the heck to eat?? This post helps you identify lunch ideas & recipes