All Things Nutrition & Wellness with @rach.eatss
Happy Friday everybody!! I’m off to NYC today, so I thought how perfect to publish my interview with Rachel Dickter of @rach.eatss?! Rachel lives in NYC, JUST graduated as a nutrition student and is the Executive Assistant for HelloWellness. I knew I had to have Rachel on the blog to pick her brain on all things nutrition and wellness. If you peak her Instagram feed, you’ll see it’s filled with amazing recipes, tips and tricks for the 20-something wellness loving gal.
Rachel and I chatted her top grocery store tips, her favorite (EASY) recipe that she’s developed – it’s a good one, guys, HelloWellness (duh), her top spots in NYC and more! Read on, you won’t regret it!
Let’s Meet Nutrition Lovin’ @rach.eatss !
Q: Hiii! You’re part of our amazing HelloWellness team, you just completed your undergrad in nutrition, you have the most BEAUTIFUL Instagram feed with mouth watering (and healthy) goodies and you’re living in NYC. Can you share with the readers a bit more about your background and how you got to where you are now?
A: Of course! (and thank you so much!) I have been passionate about healthy eating since I was twelve but at the time I didn’t know much about it, I thought eating fro-yo and 100-cal snack packs was the way to go. Over the years I spent countless hours researching and teaching myself about how to ACTUALLY eat healthy and was so excited to learn about it in college. During my junior year I created “rach.eatss” honestly just because I wanted a hobby besides going to the gym, and my goal was that if I could inspire even one person to eat healthier, I’d be happy. Moving to NYC was a dream of mine that brought so much opportunity! I had no clue it would turn into a little business and I’m so excited to see what’s to come!
What’s @rach.eatss actually eating?!
Q: I have a sneaky feeling that SO MUCH goodness is coming your way! As I mentioned before, your insta feed is PACKED with so many amazing healthy eats and treats. What does a typical day in the life of Rachel look like in regards to eating?
A: Breakfast is ALWAYS my favorite meal of the day. I have my few favorites that I rotate each morning depending on what I’m in the mood for. If I’m in the mood for savory, it’s usually two scrambled organic cage free eggs with kite hill vegan cream cheese on Ezekiel toast (with avocado if I have), and if I’m in the mood for sweet it’s usually smoothie (Packed with alllll the goods) or oatmeal!
Lunch I’m always on the go for, on a good day I have a salad packed ready to go which is usually kale, lots of veggies, and a protein. If I don’t have time to make lunch, I’ll usually buy a salad at work or school but I always go for a spinach or kale base to get those extra nutrients!
Dinner I almost always make myself. I love to sear some salmon or make turkey burgers with butternut squash or Japanese sweet potato fries, and more vegetables like broccoli and asparagus.
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t crave some sweets but I like to satisfy those cravings in a way that’s good for my body, like some dark chocolate (70%+ cacao) or one of my healthy treats like my almond butter cookies you can find on my blog!
Simplicity is Key, & so are SWEETS!
Q: Oh you and me both with the sweets, GF! Those almond butter cookies are to DIE for! One thing I LOVE about all of your recipes that I’ve tried is that they’re super easy, and don’t require a ton of ingredients. Can you share your favorite quick, easy & healthy recipe that you’ve developed?!
A: Thank you!! When trying to inspire others to eat healthy it’s important to show them it doesn’t need to be complicated. My favorite quick healthy recipe is my Chocolate Chip Almond Butter Cookies. ALL it is, is 1 cup creamy almond butter, 1/2 cup date nectar or 3/4 cup coconut sugar, 1 egg, 1/2 tsp baking powder,1 tsp vanilla, and chocolate chips! They’re ready in less than 15 min!
How Does a Nutrition Student Navigate The Grocery Store?!
Q: Amazing! Making these again SO soon. Speaking of cooking, you recently posted about how you navigate the grocery store. What are your top tips for grocery shopping and meal prepping for a girl that’s trying to stay healthy?
A: Yes! I’ve gotten multiple messages from people that are intimidated by grocery stores when it comes to healthy choices. My top tips are to stay as natural as possible!
The bulk of your cart should be fresh organic (if possible, I know it can be pricey) produce. When it comes to packaged goods, stick to as few ingredients as possible, always read the ingredients! If the list is super long and has many words you don’t know, skip it!
Q: ALWAYS trying to stick to the perimeter of the store. BUT, let’s talk collagen (something found in the aisles) – you LOVE it. Why do you love it (benefits) and what’s your fave recipe to make with collagen?
A: I LOVE collagen because I have PERSONALLY seen the insane benefits first hands. Since I incorporated it into my diet (and it’s so easy to because you can literally put it in ANYTHING) my skin has never looked better. My hair grows quicker and thicker than ever and my nails are so strong. Besides for beauty benefits, it helps build stronger bones while also supporting gut health! (extremely important!) I really do put collagen in everything but I love to add it into my healthy pancake recipes!
Nutrition Meets NYC – @rach.eatss faves!
Q: Isn’t it just the best?! When you’re not whipping up something amazing at home, I feel like you’re always as the CUTEST NYC spots. Can you share your favorite ‘must-go’ spots for brunch, dinner & maybe dessert too?!
A: I love exploring new cafes in NYC it’s so so so fun. My absolute must-go spots for brunch are Bluestone Lane (their avo smash is insane) and The Butcher’s Daughter, they’re so cute and delicious! For dinner I love ABCV and for dessert you must try Mike & Daves soft-serve!
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- Brunching at Bluestone Lane NYC!
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- Mike and Daves Nice Cream – Yes Please!
& We Couldn’t NOT Chat About HelloWellness!
Q: Done & done! HelloWellness brought us together, which is one of my favorite things about it – meeting new people and forming genuine connections with girls that have similar interests. What’s your favorite part of being a part of HW?
A: Yes that’s one of my favorite things as well! I have to agree, it has been so amazing to meet so many influencers who I have looked up to on instagram for years that have such incredible stories and information on wellness to share. It also is so much fun to be behind the scenes helping these events become a reality because they bring so many people together and it’s so rewarding to see the community that has formed.
Q: Honestly couldn’t agree more! Another thing I LOVE about HW is that you can learn so much from each event. Just having graduated as a nutrition student, what would you say the most valuable piece of information would be that you learned in school in regards to overall nutrition?
A: I’d say the most valuable information I’ve learned was that it’s not necessarily about calories it’s about the quality of what you put into your body. It’s so much better to eat more calories of whole foods, fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats then low calorie artificial products.
Nutrition Inspiration Comin’ At Ya!
Q: Couldn’t be more accurate – such an amazing piece of knowledge! On the topic of learning from each HW event, who do you look to for inspiration in the wellness space?
A: My favorite influencer is Rachael DeVaux of @rachaelsgoodeats. Not only is she a certified RD so you know she knows what she’s talking about, she’s so real and genuine. I’ve met her in person and thought she was the absolute sweetest! Her page is always my biggest inspo and I love hearing what she has to say! She’s also currently living my ABSOLUTE DREAM of owning my own cafe!
Q: Yes – love her as well! Finally, where can everyone find you and follow you?!
A: You can find me on my instagram @rach.eatss! Always feel free to ask any questions or just DM me to say hello!
That’s all for now, folks! I hope you enjoyed this interview with Rachel, who is a part of our AMAZING HelloWellness team. If you’re a girl who is into wellness but not into one million difficult ingredients – you gotta go follow her now! I’m off to make another loaf of her Lemon Blueberry Bread 😉
Nutritionally Yours 😉
xoxo
Alysia (Purely)Pope
