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Nutrition Simplified by Sam

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Nutrition Simplified by Sam

Registered Dietitian on a mission to simplify nutrition 🤓🥕🥑

Follow me for sustainable healthy living tips and tricks for yourself and your entire family.

I'm a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist in Arvada, Colorado. I can help with lifestyle habit changes to support the management of medical conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, IBS or other digestive issues, cancer, and gout among others. I can also help with pregnancy and postpartum nutrition and weight management.

09/25/2025

Hi again 👋

If you followed me a way back when, A LOT has changed for me and I’d love to reintroduce myself ☺️

I’m Sam and I now have 2 beautiful kiddos- my daughter, Margo, is 4 and my son, Ronan, is 2. My hubs and 2 doggies are also key family members 😜

We moved to Colorado 3 years ago and love it 🥰

I was diagnosed with IBS in October 2024 after months and months of testing and am still working on managing it (but have some helpful tips 😉)

To be totally honest, this post is WAY out of my comfort zone because I’m not physically where I want my body to be but I share this journey because ever since my last post, my nutrition knowledge has exploded 🤯 Going through 2 very different and difficult pregnancies, 2x postpartum, first hand working through confusing GI symptoms and now managing the intakes of two tiny humans who love to challenge my cooking skills, I feel like a better dietitian ready to help people in all stages of life.

Rebuilding my own body has been a slow and steady process but when I look back at these pictures from a year ago or more, I can see how far I’ve come and know I’m on the right track.

My nutrition philosophy is still the same focusing on nutrient dense and protein rich foods without limiting, restricting, or labeling “bad” foods unless it helps me to manage my IBS 🙃.

My hope now is to share more of what I’ve learned in bite size pieces to help other health curious people learn from someone who’s unbiased (and unsponsored) yet educated in nutrition science! 🍐🎓🤓

07/14/2020

Got extra fruit starting to go bad? We sure did! Our eyes were bigger than our tummies when we purchased fruit galore (lots of summer fruits in season now) so we took one morning and chopped it all up and created freezable smoothie bags in different fruit combos 🍓🍌🍍🍑 When we were ready to use one, I added my favorite (no kickback, just my honest fave) and unsweetened almond milk and voila! Extra points for adding veggies 😁🥬🥕 Bell pepper is a surprisingly refreshing addition! @ Houston Heights

04/07/2020

🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼 Salads don’t have to suck!!!! 🥬🥕🥦

04/02/2020

Bonus Recipe from last night’s Cooking with Sam! Green Eggs and Ham with Sam I am 😁 •
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Original recipe here -> https://recipes.heart.org/en/recipes/green-eggs-and-ham-on-the-go
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My modifications:
1. Don’t use a food scale to measure out 32 oz, measure 4 cups egg whites.
2. Instead of chopping the ham, use the whole slice and create a “cup” using a cupcake tray. Spray some nonstick spray first!!
3. Add in some chopped veggies! 🍅 🥦🥕🧅🥬
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These are a great way to make use of egg whites (easier to find sometimes than eggs!!) and versatile too. Great for having as snacks or as a quick breakfast.

03/25/2020

Jazz up your Veggies (or pretty much any savory food) with this treat of a recipe!

4-ingredient Garlic Miso Butter 🧈 (hint: that’s 3 of the ingredients right there) and FULL CREDIT goes to and for my take on a Coronavirus version of her Spicy Garlic Miso Butter, which happened because I only had a few of the ingredients and it turned out incredible ✨

Recipe (Makes 1 cup): In a small bowl, gently combine 1 stick (4 oz) unsalted butter at room temp (softened), ¼ cup white (shiro) miso, 3 cloves of garlic, and ½ teaspoon freshly ground. Use a spatula to scoop it into a Tupperware container and refrigerate until ready to use!

I added just a tablespoon to an entire tray of roasted veggies and the flavor really came through. Other uses: chicken or fish (we used it on some wild caught flounder last week) or even mixed in with a starch like sweet potato or quinoa. Let me know if you decide to give it a shot!

New to Miso? Miso is Japanese fermented soy with a wonderful salty/umami taste. I could eat it straight from the package no problem. Interestingly, in the U.S., it’s a bit thicker, kind of like a play-doh consistency whereas in the U.K., it’s usually more of a liquid consistency. Still tastes the same though. Miso is plant-based, coming from soy, as I mentioned, and the fermentation part is where a lot of the health benefits come in. Fermented foods are great sources of gut bacteria, or probiotics, that help protect and build up our immune system. Miso is also macro-friendly with 2 teaspoons containing 20 calories, 0g fat, 3g carbs, 1g fiber, 2g sugar, 1g protein BUT 310mg sodium, which is a decent amount of salt (goal is less than 2400mg/day or 1500mg/day if you have high blood pressure). Just make sure you check your salt in the rest of the foods you’re having with it and you should be good.

By pairing this miso in with the butter, garlic and black pepper, you use the same amount as you would butter but we’ve cut down on the fat a little because the miso is sharing in that volume.

Enjoy! 🍽

03/20/2020

Hi Everyone!

It’s been a minute since you guys have heard from me but with all that’s happening, 1. I have some extra free time on my hands and 2. I wanted to weigh in and provide some tips from a nutrition stand-point for how you can maximize your health with limited/minimal/shelf-stable ingredients.

Key things to stock your pantry with (as it’s available because whoa, are the grocery stores wiped out right now):

Proteins (fresh/frozen/canned/deli/pre-cooked, whatever you can get!):
- Chicken
- Turkey
- Beef
- Plant Proteins (beans, tofu, pea protein, Beyond Burgers, etc)
- Greek yogurt
- Canned/pouch/fresh/frozen tuna/salmon and other seafood
- Frozen chicken sausages
- Eggs
- Protein powders

Carbs:
- Fresh/Frozen/Canned Fruits and Vegetables
- Canned or dry beans and lentils
- Quinoa, whole wheat pasta, & sweet potato
- Brown or wild rice
- Oats/oatmeal (look for 4g fiber/serving)

Fats:
- Unsalted organic butter
- Coconut oil
- Extra Virgin olive oil
- Hummus
- Nut butters/nuts and seeds

Other (hopefully) helpful tips:
* If you’re struggling to get some of your favorite items in stock, talk to the staff to find out when they’re going to re-stock and sit tight, it seems like they were hit hard last weekend but intend on fully re-stocking soon.
* Utilize any free delivery services offered from your local grocery stores. Source as much as you can online to limit exposure to others.
When choosing produce, go for the darker/richer color of veggies (purple cabbage vs green cabbage, red bell peppers vs green/yellow bell peppers, black beans vs pinto beans), they often contain greater amounts of polyphenols and antioxidants. Make sure to vary your colors since each provides different varieties of antioxidants.
* Go frozen! it’s arguable that frozen veggies contain more nutrition because they are frozen at peak ripeness. Look for frozen Stir-fry mixes with minimal ingredients, they’re often cheaper too than fresh veggies.
* On the topic of frozen, freeze any leftovers you won’t utilize to minimize waste and to help save money.
* READ LABELS!!! If you’re looking for shelf-stable foods, please, please, please, check through the ingredients list and beware of: partially hydrogenated oils (trans fats in disguise), high fructose corn syrup and other synthetic sugars, monosodium glutamate (MSG, a common preservative), and just check to make sure you can pronounce all the foods in the list. Sugar and salt are most often used to prolong the shelf life of foods.
* Now is as good a time as any to jump on the meal-prep train, especially if you’re working from home, but also to be in control of your own food supply. Roast a couple trays of veggies, boil/sauté/bake your proteins, and utilize an instant pot for bulk carbs to keep things as simple as possible.
* Protect your immune system with micronutrients such as Vitamin C (found in kiwi, oranges, and other citrus fruits), Zinc (found in seafood and other proteins, beans and nuts), and don’t forget to cook often with herbs such as ginger, basil, garlic, and oregano, which also have immune boosting capabilities. Also, mushrooms (different varieties: shiitake, portobello, etc.) can also boost the immune system and maintain that boost whereas vitamin C mostly spikes and then falls.
* Hydrate! I’ve seen some crazy information out there about water flushing viruses, which is NOT true. water cannot flush viruses, HOWEVER, water plays an essential role in the body for allowing our defense mechanisms to preform effectively MEANING staying hydrated is super important to protect ourselves, stay healthy, and bounce back from illness when it hits. Aim to drink ½ your weight in pounds in fluid ounces of water.
* Side Note: Go Local! If you do decide to grab some take-out or partake in a calorie splurge, please consider supporting our local restaurants and businesses as they’re seriously struggling at the moment. Having a splurge from time-to-time when we’re super tuned into our nutrition can help maintain sanity and can actually help break through plateaus when done correctly.
* And lastly, shift your focus. We can choose to see all the negatives of being stuck at home, life changing, etc. or we can focus on the opportunities that are arising because of it- clean out that closet you’ve been meaning to for months, try a new recipe you thought you might like, take on a home repair/decorating project, take the dog for a walk, work on your cardio, call those friends you’ve lost touch with, and join your gym’s online programming. There’s so much we can be doing with our time!
* OH and please wash your hands, pay attention to things you touch when you are in public, and do your part to stop the spread.

It’s a crazy world out there guys! I hope everyone is keeping healthy and taking care of one another. There’s a lot that is out of our control so remember to focus on what you can control!

09/04/2019

Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash 💛.
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So easy you could trust your significant other to do it 😉.

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Check out my IG story to see all the steps but here’s the quick version: 1. Poke the squash all over with a knife or fork to create little vents. 2. Put 1 cup of water and the trivet the instant pot comes with and the squash in the pot and close her on up. 3. Use the manual setting and set to 15 minutes. 4. Use either quick release or natural release once done and allow to cool before cutting (will be painfully hot!). 5. Cut squash in half and de-seed. 6. Voila! Ready to eat 😋.

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Spaghetti Squash can be a game changer when it comes to a pasta swap. 42 calories per cup versus some pastas than can be upwards of 220 calories. Compared with pasta it has a much better macronutrient profile with 1 cup having 10g carbs, 2.2g fiber, 1g protein and 0.5g fat. You also get a little bit of vitamin C, manganese and vitamin B6.

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I recently used this in the American Diabetes Association’s recipe, Spaghetti Squash Ramen Noodle Bowl (google it!) and it was a huge hit in my cooking class at work. I also just love an easy meal of spaghetti squash with a bolognese/other pasta sauce with a touch of Parmesan. 🍝 Enjoy!

05/08/2019

Today we’re talking about the health benefits to lifting weights 🏋🏻‍♀️ (Quick thanks to for the pic 😁)

Despite what you may have heard about CrossFit causing injury, weight training actually prevents injury by building muscle mass and increasing bone density. That means when you do go to pick something up, your muscles are used to the movement and weight and you’re able to safely move that object. Of course, it goes without saying that you absolutely need experienced and competent trainers to advise you on your form and movement so as to not cause injury BUT assuming you have that, adding weight to your workouts can help with:

- Decreasing your risk of osteoporosis and improving bone health.
- Increasing the number of calories you burn throughout the day by increasing your muscle mass and improving body composition.
- Improving heart health through increasing your heart rate during workouts.
- It’s a great and effective way to lower your blood sugars. Activity in general for 15 minutes can help immediately lower high blood sugar readings.
- Decreasing abdominal fat, which also decreases your risk for certain cancers and metabolic syndrome.
- AND it can help you shift your focus towards achieving fitness goals such as increasing your back squat or getting your first pull-up, which can motivate you more to get to the gym and keep going. This also strengthens your mental health by testing your resiliency and releases endorphins to improve your mood.

05/07/2019

Steam, sauté, or microwave 🥦 and other cruciferous veggies with a small amount of water to retain 2x the antioxidants!

Adding a little oil or butter will also help with the absorption of vitamin A, a fat-soluble vitamin, which needs a little bit of fat to help the vitamin absorb. Vitamins D, E, K are fat-soluble too.

Do not boil these veggies! ❌ Boiling destroys the antioxidants and the more over cooked, the less health benefits.

05/01/2019

Freezer Meal Prep!

I’ve been doing some research/experimenting for you guys (and myself) and came across this incredible guide ( https://ifoodreal.com/healthy-freezer-meals/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=pinterest&utm_campaign=tailwind_smartloop&utm_content=smartloop&utm_term=3266176 ) by for 5 freezer meals that you can toss straight into the instant pot/slow cooker for easy healthy weeknight dinners. Some of the meals do require maybe a couple steps before or after cooking but overall the effort is well worth the reward. I love that I now have real un-processed meals (with leftovers) ready whenever I need them, instructions straight on the bag.

She has a great video too that walks you through all the steps and gives some great advice (like make sure that your freezing containers will fit your instant pot/slow cooker when it comes time to cook!). The grocery guide was priceless and made gathering the ingredients easy.

I followed her guide step-by-step (including weighing out the chicken per recipe) and it did take about 2 full hours . Next time will be much faster though because I’ll be more familiar with the recipes, process, etc.

As far as the recipes themselves, 3 have chicken and 2 are vegan:
- Buffalo Chicken Chili
- Green Lentil Curry (vegan)
- Butter Chicken
- Lentil Soup (vegan)
- Chicken Wild Rice Soup

She has a few other freezer meal preps with other recipes but I found this set of recipes most appealing. Let me know if you decide to try them out too!

04/26/2019

Did you know that cooking and chilling pasta reduces the amount of starch you digest reducing total calories? 🤓 This starch acts more like a fiber too lowering the glycemic response and improving digestive health.

Chilling and reheating pasta can actually increase the health benefits reducing the glycemic response even further 🙌🏼

04/22/2019

Fiber is crucial for gut health protecting the body against G.I. disorders and cancers and also to help the gut to function optimally feeding the good bacteria and exercising the smooth muscles of the intestines.

Aim for 25+ grams daily via fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains. Avoid fiber bars not comprised of real foods- they usually only have one type of insoluble fiber that passes straight through you without much benefit and will leave you with a ton of gas 💨😬.

Real foods are complex and will provide the benefits of both soluble and insoluble fiber + water and other micronutrients. Also! Make sure you eat the skin, that’s where most of the fiber resides. 🍎🍐🍠

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My Story

Hi Everyone! Here’s my story: I am Registered Dietitian living in Houston, Texas, having recently moved back after 3 years in Aberdeen, Scotland. I have a naturopathic and holistic food philosophy and have experience in many different areas of nutrition, mainly centered around disease prevention and management, as well as weight management and athletic performance.

I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia. In 2011, I completed my Dietetic Internship through the University of Houston and became accredited through the Commission on Dietetic Registration as a Registered Dietitian.

Since then, I gained clinical, community, and counseling experience through MD Anderson Cancer Center, the Houston Food Bank, Adventures in Wellness-Houston, Wellness Corporate Solutions and Anytime Fitness. I also created my own business while in Aberdeen called Mackinnon Me Healthy and was able to counsel new clients and provide health and athletic performance presentations to Aberdeen University and other local groups.

My nutrition philosophy involves a gradual change in a person’s diet. I don’t expect people to go from fast food to farmers’ markets overnight, so I like to focus on small changes people can commit to and overtime find a healthy diet that you also enjoy eating. There’s nothing worse than cringing at the food you have to eat (but don’t really want to!), so I think it’s important to find what will work for you and your taste preferences.