by Kristen Norton | Feb 18, 2026 | Recipes and Meal Ideas
- 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into thick strips
- 1 red pepper chopped
- 2 cups baby spinach roughly chopped
- 1/2 medium yellow onion finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 lemon zested and juiced
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 28 ounces artichoke hearts 2 – 14 oz. cans , drained and quartered
- 1/2 cup parsley chopped
Prep
Preheat oven to 400° F and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish or sheet pan.
Season chicken with salt and pepper, if desired.
Prepare vegetables and lemon according to instructions.
Make
In a large bowl, whisk together garlic, mayonnaise, cheese, oregano, thyme, lemon zest and juice, salt, and pepper.
Stir in the chopped spinach, artichoke hearts, red bell pepper, and onion until fully coated.
Spread the seasoned chicken strips in the prepared baking dish and spoon the creamy vegetable mixture evenly over the chicken, making sure it’s well coated.
Bake uncovered for 25–30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through (internal temp 165°F) and the top is golden and bubbling.
Top with parsley and serve warm.
Optional – For an added protein boost, replace mayonnaise with low-fat cottage cheese. The dish will be a bit tangy.
Nutrition Facts: Calories 446 Total Fat 21g Saturated Fat 5g Cholesterol 117mg Sodium 451mg Total Carbohydrates 21g
Dietary Fiber 9g Total Sugars 3g Protein 45g Calcium 156mg Iron 3mg Potassium 874mg
by Kristen Norton | Feb 11, 2026 | Recipes and Meal Ideas
- 1 cup strawberries fresh, sliced
- 1 tsp honey
- 2 Tbs balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 cup yogurt 2%
Prep
Slice strawberries and place in medium-sized bowl.
Make
Add balsamic vinegar and honey to strawberries and gently toss to combine.
Let strawberries marinate for 30 minutes.
Add strawberries on top of the yogurt and garnish with fresh lemon zest.
Nutrition Facts: Calories 137 Total Fat 3g Saturated Fat 2g Cholesterol 15mg Sodium 45mg
Total Carbohydrates 17g Dietary Fiber 2g Total Sugars 12g Protein 13g Calcium 1269mg Potassium 148mg
by Kristen Norton | Feb 3, 2026 | Recipes and Meal Ideas
Dressing
- 3/4 cup Greek yogurt 2%
- 4 tsp minced garlic
- 4 Tbs lemon juice
- 4 olive oil
- 4 tsp dill
- 1/4 tsp salt and pepper to taste to taste
Layered Salad
- 2 cup brown rice cooked cooked
- 4 cucumbers small, diced
- 2 cup butternut squash roasted
- 2 cup lentils rinsed and drained
- 1 red onion large, sliced
- 1/3 cup walnuts chopped chopped
- 8 oz baby kale
Make
Combine Greek yogurt, lemon juice, minced garlic, olive oil, dill, salt, and pepper. Adjust to taste.
If using a large jar you can whisk in the bottom of the jar. If making individual servings, whisk in a separate bowl and add equally among serving jars.
Prep
Cook brown rice according to directions. You can use frozen pre-cooked brown rice, defrosted according to directions.
Prepare ingredients according to directions. You can use any pre-roasted vegetable in place of the squash.
Make
Add dressing to the bottom of jars.
Divide the dressing evenly among 4 mason jars. Layer with diced cucumber, sliced red onion, cooked brown rice, roasted butternut squash, cooked lentils, walnuts, and top with baby kale.
Seal the jars and refrigerate until ready to serve. Invert into a serving bowl, toss and enjoy!
Nutrition Facts: Calories 536 Total Fat 23g Saturated Fat 3g Cholesterol 6mg Sodium 118mg Total Carbohydrates 69g Dietary Fiber 16g Total Sugars 9g Protein 21g Calcium 630mg Iron 6mg Potassium 1238mg
by Kristen Norton | Jan 20, 2026 | Well Balanced Wisdom
Every day, we’re flooded with novelty from various media outlets.
Ten-second videos. Flashy ads. Emotion-driven headlines.
But what you feed your brain is just as important as what you feed your body.
In today’s loud world, everyone is sharing opinions about what is “healthy.” Ideas and inspiration can be helpful. But it doesn’t take long for all that input to turn into overwhelm and inaction.
So this year, instead of vowing to change yourself, what if you changed your feed?
Your news feed.
Your Instagram feed.
Your email inbox.
Whatever digital platforms you see every day are influencing how you think, eat, and feel. The good news? You get to curate them. You can make them work for you instead of against you.
Here are a few ways to improve your “brain food.”
Follow credible voices
Not all nutrition content is created equal. Filling your feed with evidence-based, compassionate voices can make a big difference.
First, we hope you are following us (@wellbalancednutritionnc), but in addition, below are other professionals for you to consider.
If you want more intuitive eating, non-diet influences
If you want support for specific nutrition needs
For simple, realistic recipe inspiration
Education and Myth Busting:
Simplify your recipe sources
There is no shortage of recipe ideas online. The problem is having too many.
When everything looks good, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, only to default to takeout or snacks. Next time you meal plan, try this. Choose one or two trusted recipe accounts or sites and let the rest go. Less choice often leads to more follow-through. We polled all the Well Balanced Dietitians and here are the top 4 recipe sites:
Food for thought…
Podcasts, posts, and articles should leave you informed and empowered, not pressured or behind.
If certain content makes you feel like you’re constantly doing it wrong, it may be time to unfollow. Look for voices that educate, not ones that rely on fear or urgency to keep your attention.
Small changes to your feed can create big shifts in clarity, confidence, and consistency. And that’s a much more sustainable place to start the year.
Do a 5-minute feed audit today.
Mute or unfollow one account that leaves you feeling confused or behind. Keep or add accounts that are encouraging and helpful.
by Kristen Norton | Jan 20, 2026 | Recipes and Meal Ideas
- 1 large sweet onion chopped
- 2 cup butternut squash chopped or frozen
- 2 cup spinach chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 Tbs ginger shredded
- 1 cup red lentils rinsed
- 1 Tbs olive oil
- 1 Tbs ras el hanout or garam masala
- 2 Tbs miso paste
- 4 cup water 4-5 cups
- 1 1/2 cup tomatoes canned, diced
- salt to taste
- cayenne pepper to taste
Prep
Chop onion, butternut squash, and spinach.
Mince garlic, shred ginger, and rinse and drain lentils.
Make
In a large soup pot, sauté onion and garlic gently in olive oil until soft and fragrant.
Stir in ginger and sauté for a few more minutes.
Add spice mix and miso and stir to coat vegetables.
Add squash, lentils, water, coconut milk, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes until squash and lentils are soft, adding more water if needed to keep vegetables covered.
Stir in spinach just before serving.
Season with salt to taste, adding cayenne for added heat if desired.
Nutrition Facts: Calories 150 Total Fat 3g Sodium 228mg Total Carbohydrates 26g Dietary Fiber 5g
Total Sugars 4g Protein 8g Calcium 68mg Iron 3mg Potassium 479mg
