Blueberry "Cheesecake" Oatmeal
I woke up in the mood for something cold and creamy, so I thought yogurt. But then thought yogurt never fills me up the way a big bowl of oatmeal does. The solution: combination creation.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Directions:
1. Combine above ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well.
2. Cook in microwave for 2 minutes.
3. Stir and enjoy!
The yogurt gave my blueberry oats a creamier taste, but not like soy/hemp milk does. Milk blends right into the mixture, while the yogurt “held its own” and didn’t get lost in the other ingredients. It definitely had a “cheesecake” texture to it, but not nearly as sweet.
News
I am a “nutritionist!” I am now certified by the AFPA (American Fitness Professionals and Associates) to be a Nutrition and Wellness Consultant. I passed the test! With the certification, I can legally counsel, give advice, and work with clients to meet their nutrition and wellness goals.
I considered going back to school to become a registered dietitian, but a lack of science background would have forced me to start from scratch– I’d pretty much have to do another bachelor’s degree. And after considering the financial aspect, I knew becoming a registered dietitian was out of the question. (It was a long, expensive road!) I decided that even though nutrition wouldn’t be my career, it could be my hobby, which is the main motivation for the blog and this certification. I’m proud to have the AFPA certification, but I mostly pursued it for my own personal knowledge.
Fun Run
My sister and I successfully completed the 4.2 mile “Get Your Ya-Ya’s Out on the Charles River” race last night! I finished in 35:49. Not my fastest, but it’s only the first race of the season. Plenty of time to improve! My sister finished around 46:00, and was psyched that she ran her first race! (I was too!)
After the race, there was a BBQ, but the food options weren’t that impressive. There was chicken, but I passed on it, and lots of veggies, but they were the super sodium kind out of a can. I was sort of bummed, but I ate a few beets, carrots, a banana, and 2 plums to refuel. After eating, I enjoyed a Harpoon UFO. Delish! I love summer beers! All in all, a wicked fun night!
Posted by: Tina 22 comments
Posted in: recipe
on May 30th, 2008 at 7:02 am
Hi Tina! Love your blog. I am interested in getting certified as well… for personal use. I looked on the AFPA website but there are so many certification options! Which program did you complete? Was it the Nutrition & Wellness Consultant Certification? I would love to know so I can look into it as well. Thanks!
on May 30th, 2008 at 7:04 am
Now THAT’S a decadent-looking bowl of oatmeal – yum!
CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR CERTIFICATION!!!! Fabulous news, Tina!! :0)
Great race photographs!
on May 30th, 2008 at 7:06 am
congrats, that’s exciting!
on May 30th, 2008 at 7:06 am
Anon,
Yep, I did the Nutrition & Wellness Consultant Certification. It was great! Please let me know if you have any other questions about it.
on May 30th, 2008 at 7:24 am
Congrats Tina!! I am actually going to take that same program this summer – I can’t wait!
Your “cheesecake” oatmeal looks amazing – have a great Friday!
on May 30th, 2008 at 7:54 am
Congrats on the race and the certification!! How exciting!
on May 30th, 2008 at 7:55 am
Congratulations on both the race and certification! I had no idea you were pursuing that.
Breakfast looks delicious!
on May 30th, 2008 at 8:50 am
Ah! Thats great! Congrats on the race too! I was looking at the AFPA cert! How was your experience with it?
on May 30th, 2008 at 9:14 am
Allyson,
My experience was great with the AFPA certification. To be honest, I was surprised that it was so much work. I was thinking “home exam… piece of cake,” but it was actually very time consuming… but nothing more than a regular college course. The materials were exactly what I wanted to learn– basic nutrition and counseling. I highly recommend it!
on May 30th, 2008 at 9:26 am
Félicitations Tina!
That’s great news!
And congrats on the race!
on May 30th, 2008 at 10:06 am
Hi Tina! I love your blog and I am so glad to read about your certification. I do not want to get another Bachelor’s degree (I already have 2) but I was looking for a program so that I could learn more and perhaps start a new career, so thank you for sharing that! How long did it take you to complete?
on May 30th, 2008 at 10:19 am
Great job on the race! And congrats on the certification. I’ve been thinking about getting one too. Was it a lot of work to do when you had so much other stuff going on (working, wedding planning).
on May 30th, 2008 at 10:24 am
Sarah and RER,
The program took me about 3 months to complete. I set aside 2-4 hours each week to get through the work. (I set a schedule for myself to keep me on track). The case study at the end was a little time consuming, but it was very interesting– you got to “practice” what you learned.
on May 30th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
Congratulations!!!
Your oatmeal looks fantastic – what a great idea
I will definitely be making this. I guess it could be breakfast OR dessert.
on May 30th, 2008 at 12:22 pm
congrats on the certification! how will you use it? do you think you’ll pursue a job in the nutrition field? or do some freelance work? just curious
on May 30th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
Congrats on the certification! Like you I do have an interest in nutrition but my BA is in Communications. You definitely have inspired me to think more seriously about getting certified.
on May 30th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
Anne,
I’m not sure how I will use the certification just yet. My initial motivation was just to gain some general knowledge about nutrition and counseling. Hopefully, it will benefit my blog, and I’d love to counsel readers in an informal manner.
on May 30th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
hi Tina! Congrats to the certification! i’m also considering to take it for personal use. How’s the course? online? interactive? or you just have to read and learn?
thanks!
i like your blog a lot! i read it everything and i’ll try your bulgur recipe for breakfast!
on Sep 14th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
Hi Tina,
Like so many others, I am considering certification. Did the course discuss legalities? I notice you have a disclaimer. What are the regulations about what you can recommend as a nutrition counselor vs registered dietician? Thanks for all the great info!
on Sep 14th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
rawlsw,
The course provided a guide for unlicensed practitioners, which was very helpful.
My certification simply states that I have completed a course of study and met criteria set by the AFPA.
A registered dietitian has completed a 4-year college degree in nutrition or dietetics, completed an internship, and passed a registration test by the ADA. (For more info, check out the American Dietetic Association website.)
Hope this helps!
on Aug 10th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
Hello I was looking up the AFPA Nutrition and Wellness Certification online and ran into your Blog. It was very comforting to hear your experience and recommendations for the certification. I have noticed that its been a while since any last posts but just wanted to leave a comment. Nutrition and wellness has become a hobby and interest of mine. I am an indendent distributor for a health and wellness company and for us to get more involved in our community they have developed a guide and training on how to have weight loss challenges. I have been doing challenges for about a year now and absolutely love them. We represent changing your lifestyle on better eating habits but also great products that really work. It has led me to a point where I am wanting to learn more and more, and this really sounded like a great way to learn more about nutrition and counseling!! Have you done anything further with your certification?
on Aug 10th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
independent*