Black cod, otherwise known as sablefish, comes straight off the boats in the harbor here in the Pacific Northwest. It is incredibly tender, with a silky-smooth texture, and is very high in healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Serve this Mediterranean-inspired black cod recipe with a large green salad and grilled zucchini for a balanced meal.
Serve this antioxidant-rich vegetable stew with your favorite Mediterranean-style main dish! It is delicious served with fish or chicken, or with a large green salad for a plant-based meal.
The combination of the quinoa, millet, and amaranth make this morning porridge especially nutritious and very high in protein. The nutty flavor of the three grains lends some heartiness to your morning meal. Try topping the cereal with toasted pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, or chopped macadamia nuts. Add your favorite fresh or frozen fruit and a splash of non-dairy milk for a nourishing breakfast!
Serve this delicious strawberry salad for a Memorial day or Fourth of July picnic! It pairs well with grilled fish or chicken, or vegetarian burgers! The white balsamic vinegar lends a light, fruity flavor to the salad.
This watermelon salad is incredibly quick to assemble, as all of the ingredients are simply layered together on the serving tray. If you've never tried watermelon with salt and lime, you are in for a treat. This salad is crunchy, fresh, tangy, and sweet. Serve it at your next summer gathering, and it is sure to be devoured in no time!
Functional Nutrition looks at the root causes of disease and addresses them through dietary changes and supplement protocols. What are your symptoms? How well is your digestive system functioning? What are your health goals? Are there any underlying nutritional deficiencies? Do you have a chronic disease that needs to be addressed? There is no one right diet. We take your symptoms, history, test results, and goals and factor everything into a personalized diet and supplement plan that will be manageable for you. Virtual appointments only right now.
Are you confused about what the perfect diet is? Paleo? Vegan? Mediterranean? Vegetarian? Gluten-Free? There is no perfect diet! We each have our own unique dietary needs based upon many factors. Our diets need to be fluid and flexible, and able to evolve with our changing lifestyle needs such as pregnancy, breastfeeding, environmental exposures, health conditions, and stress levels. If you have a specific health condition and need help figuring out which diet or combination of diets to implement, please set up an appointment and we can create a dietary protocol that is specific to your needs.
Do you have a group of people interested in learning how to cook several nourishing recipes for a specific diet? Utilizing Zoom, I teach classes right from my own kitchen. Participants can cook along with me and learn tips and tricks for creating nourishing, healing meals. We will go over foundational cooking techniques for the specific diet protocol you would like to cover, and give participants PDFs of several recipes. The cooking class involves brief email or phone communication prior to setting the class date to determine which recipes to demonstrate.
Cooking nourishing meals from scratch, everyday, is the most powerful way to create long-lasting positive health changes. Knowing what to do is only part of the process. It's in knowing how to do it all where the real magic happens! Cooking nourishing meals is the most foundational health tool there is. Do you have a group of people interested in learning how to cook several nourishing recipes for a specific diet? Utilizing Zoom, I teach classes right from my own kitchen. I demonstrate everything from simple, nourishing lunches with basic ingredients to more complex gluten-free baking techniques. Participants can cook along with me and learn tips and tricks for creating nourishing, healing meals.
Cooking is the foundation of functional nutrition.
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I teach virtual cooking and nutrition classes to groups of 5 to 100 people using Zoom. We will coordinate the class date and how many recipes you would like me to demonstrate. Classes can last from 1 to 2.5 hours, depending on the recipes, and goals of the class. You can choose the recipes you would like me to demonstrate, or, instead, choose the diet and theme, and I will choose the recipes that would be best. We will go over foundational cooking techniques for the specific diet protocol you would like to cover, and give participants PDFs of several recipes.
The cooking class involves brief email or phone communication prior to setting the class date to determine which recipes to demonstrate. I will schedule the class and email you the Zoom class login information once we have all details finalized.
Hi. My name is Alissa Segersten, MS, CN. I have been teaching nutrition and cooking classes since 2004! I have both a Bachelor's degree and Master's degree in Nutrition and have been cooking and creating recipes since I was 10 years old. In 2005, I began writing about nutrition and health and publishing cookbooks to be able to share my nourishing recipes with a larger number of people.
My passion is using food as medicine and helping people upgrade their health through dietary change. When you can experience how to cook incredible, healing recipes, you have the power to create long-lasting positive change within yourself.
The power to create real change starts in your kitchen.
Please contact me for pricing and additional details. In your email, please include your estimated number of participants, specific diet you would like to focus on, specific recipe ideas if you have them, and approximate month and time frame you would like to schedule the class for.
Are you confused about what the perfect diet is? Paleo? Vegan? Mediterranean? Vegetarian? Gluten-Free? There is no perfect diet! We each have our own unique dietary needs based upon many factors. Our diets need to be fluid and flexible, and able to evolve with our changing lifestyle needs such as pregnancy, breastfeeding, environmental exposures, health conditions, stress levels, and the seasons. If you have a specific health condition and need help figuring out which diet or combination of diets to implement, please set up an appointment and we can create a diet plan that is specific to your needs.
A Nourishing Meals® membership is required to utilize our meal planning consultation services.
Health starts in your kitchen.
The fastest way to change your health is to cook from scratch everyday. Nourishing whole foods have thousands of chemicals that stimulate healthy gene expression. We rely on foods to build, repair, and replenish every single cell of our bodies.
Finding a diet that is right for you is all about removing the foods that are hurting you, and adding in the nourishing foods that bring in the vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fats, fibers, and phytonutrients that your body requires.
It is easy to fall back into old habits without a plan in place. If you are just starting a new diet and feeling overwhelmed, then a plan that can help you implement your diet protocol is necessary to success! Meal plans need to be doable for you!
We can help you formulate a plan using a meal planning day, leftover days, and specific cooking days to help you stay on track with your diet and succeed with your health goals. A meal planning appointment can help you get the most out of your Nourishing Meals® membership. A meal planning appointment includes one 30-minute consult plus two 1-week meal plans based on your specific dietary needs.
If you want to change who you are, you need to change what you eat.
30-minute meal planning appointment to create a 2-week meal plan based on your specific dietary needs. Meal plans will be created and emailed after the appointment. A Nourishing Meals® membership is required to utilize this service.
This simple, yet incredibly flavorful Thai-style red lentil soup is the perfect plant-based main dish to serve for dinner on busy weekday evenings! Serve with a pot of brown rice, chopped cilantro, extra coconut milk, and sliced hot chili peppers if desired.
These high-fiber, gluten-free, egg-free muffins make the perfect healthy snack. My children love spreading almond butter or sunflower seed butter over them as they come out of the oven. Pack one in your child's lunchbox or serve as part of a nutrient-dense breakfast.
This gorgeous summer salad is heavy on the kale and light on the quinoa. It makes a lovely side dish or picnic dish to share. Serve quinoa salad for lunch with leftover salmon, chicken, or cooked chickpeas!
The bright and sour flavors of the lime vinaigrette pair perfectly with the cardamom toasted pumpkin seeds, fresh raspberries, and cumin-lime grilled chicken. Whether you are wanting a nourishing recipe to impress your guests or looking to create the perfect summer meal, this salad recipe will keep everyone coming back for more!
This super easy sauce recipe uses fresh cherry tomatoes and heavy cream to create a bright and flavorful pasta dish! I use Jovial gluten-free brown rice pasta, however, any type of pasta will work. For a spicier sauce, add in a finely diced serrano chili pepper when you add the tomatoes. Serve with a large green salad for a balanced vegetarian meal.
This refreshing antioxidant-rich smoothie is easy on the digestive system, using low-FODMAP ingredients and fresh ginger. Enjoy it on a hot summer day! I like to add 2 scoops of magnesium powder to this smoothie in order to get an extra dose of this very important mineral into my children!
This paleo version of huli huli marinade can be used with chicken breasts or thighs. Huli huli chicken is a sweet and sour Hawaiian grilled chicken that typically contains quite a bit of sugar. My version uses fresh pineapple and a touch of maple syrup to create a natural sweetness. Use extra marinade to brush onto sliced zucchini (pictured here) and grill alongside the chicken during the last few minutes of cooking.
Decadent yet nutritious, this recipe will probably become a family favorite. Nobody will ever know that this cake is gluten-free! This cake is best served warm, about 20 to 30 minutes out of the oven. Any leftover cake will stay moist for days from the layer of frosting.
Today I am writing a post to share an incredible recipe with you (one of the most flavorful salad recipes I believe I have created thus far), and open up about some transformations in my life. Some of you have been part of this newsletter since I started it in 2004 and have watched as I have shared photos as our family grew and children went from babies to teenagers! In fact, my oldest daughter is now 21!
Today I am writing a post to share an incredible recipe with you (one of the most flavorful salad recipes I believe I have created thus far), and open up about some transformations in my life. Some of you have been part of this newsletter since I started it in 2004 and have watched as I have shared photos as our family grew and children went from babies to teenagers! In fact, my oldest daughter is now 21!
Serve this high-fiber, prebiotic-rich (rich in nutrients that feed beneficial gut microbes) toasted with avocado slices and broccoli sprouts for a nutrient-dense breakfast or lunch! Add a poached egg, smoked salmon, or a few spoonfuls of homemade hummus for extra protein. After the bread as completely cooled, it can be sliced and frozen in between pieces of parchment paper for longer storage.
This higher-protein, probiotic-rich "ice cream" will leave you feeling energized! Serve it as a healthy dessert after an evening meal or as a nutritious afternoon snack for your children! Mango is my favorite frozen fruit to use in this recipe, but frozen blueberries, strawberries, peaches, or bananas also work. The raw vanilla powder adds a touch of sweetness and a rich vanilla flavor. If you are following the DASH diet, be sure to use low-fat cottage cheese!
This nutrient-dense anti-inflammatory lunch is so easy to put together as long as you have hardboiled eggs and hummus prepared and ready to go in your fridge! Use any vegetables you have on hand, however, the addition of some raw cruciferous vegetables such as kohlrabi and radishes will add extra detoxification and antioxidant support.
Everyone will enjoy these incredibly flavorful nightshade-free fish tacos! They are free of hot peppers, paprika, and tomatoes, which are typically found in traditional taco recipes. Use the serving size adjuster to make a larger batch if you are serving more than 2 to 3 people.
Chia-oat pudding can be eaten for a light breakfast, nutrient-dense snack, or healthy dessert! You can also divide it into a larger number of jars and add fresh sliced fruit before you add the greek yogurt—sliced peaches, strawberries, pitted cherries, or fresh blueberries all work well! I like to use an organic fruit juice sweetened raspberry jam for the topping, but any type of fruit jam will work.
This is a great recipe to make when your garden is overflowing with zucchini! You'll need a clean tea towel to squeeze out the extra water from the zucchini. Serve frittata with a garden lettuce salad for a balanced, nutrient-dense meal!
This grain-free peach cobbler recipe is baked in a cast iron skillet. The heat that is held in the cast iron pan helps the cobbler to cook to perfection, preventing undercooked batter in the center. Pictured here is a mixture of white peaches and yellow peaches. Nectarines, blueberries, and blackberries also work!
This beautiful gluten-free blackberry cake is sweetened with pure maple syrup and has a frosting made out of whipped cream. It is the perfect treat to serve with a summer meal after a day of picking blackberries! Other berries can be substituted; try blueberries, raspberries, or huckleberries!
Spatchcocking (or butterflying) a chicken is a method of removing the backbone and flattening the breastbone. This helps it to cook evenly and much faster! It may feel a little intimidating at first, but it is really quite easy; you just need to make sure you own a very sharp pair of kitchen sheers! Serve chicken with a garden salad and grilled zucchini.
Serve this super flavorful anti-inflammatory basil sauce over roasted chicken, turkey hash, zucchini noodles, or thin it out with a little extra water and use it to dress your favorite green salad!
This nutrient-dense, low-carb hash recipe makes the perfect breakfast, lunch, or dinner! Serve with my Basil-Avocado Sauce (pictured here) for a flavorful, anti-inflammatory meal.
This incredibly refreshing green smoothie is delicious served over ice on a hot summer afternoon. Parsley, which is rich in flavonoids, reduces inflammation in our bodies by turning down inflammatory pathways. These flavonoids also act as antioxidants and stimulate our own cells to ramp up the production of intracellular glutathione—the body's most powerful antioxidant! It also contains three different types of peeled citrus fruits, offering a powerful dose of vitamin C to support collagen production, adrenal health, and immune defense.
This gluten-free and low-oxalate bread is also egg-free! It can be baked into a loaf or a boule. You'll need an enamel-lined cast iron pot for a boule. The bread can be cut into slices and frozen after it is completely cooled. Then just remove a slice and place into a toaster oven when you would like a piece of toast!
I grow two varieties of blackberries in my garden. During the month of July, I always have so many of them! Baking them into cakes and muffins is a great way to incorporate these antioxidant-rich berries into your diet. You can also add fresh blackberries to salads and smoothies! These blackberry muffins are made with nutrient-dense oat flour—a source of prebiotics to feed beneficial gut microbes!
Serve this chicken salad as a light lunch or dinner. It is a great way to use up leftover roasted or grilled chicken! The yogurt dressing can be made with any type of yogurt—dairy or non-dairy!
These prebiotic-rich snacks are perfect for hiking trips or your child's lunchbox. After you have formed them, toss the energy balls in raw cacao powder, ground raw oats, or shredded coconut. You'll need a food processor to make this recipe!
This low-carb dinner is so easy to prepare! Though the cook time may be longer, there is little prep time involved. Serve stuffed spaghetti squash with a green salad for a low-glycemic, nutrient-dense meal! The spaghetti squash boats can also be meal prepped on the weekend. Once they are prepared, store them in your fridge and take 1 to 2 out at a time to bake as needed.
Cucumber salads are incredibly easy to make and so refreshing on a hot summer evening. They pair well with just about any type of main dish or can be served as an afternoon snack! I'm using kyuri cucumbers here, which are seedless and very crisp. They are smaller than English cucumbers so you'll need at least twice as many if you use this variety. Persian cucumbers also work well in this recipe. Look for kyuri cucumbers at your local farmer's market in the summertime.
This superfood salad brings together highly nourishing foods with an exquisite balance of flavors and textures. Beets are high in a nutrient called betaine. This highly important compound can be made in the body from choline, and can also be obtained from foods like beets, shrimp, and crab. Betaine (trimethylglycine) is part of the methylation cycle in the body and can be used to convert homocysteine to methionine. While reducing homocysteine, it also increases levels of SAMe in the body. SAMe is used in hundreds of metabolic reactions!
This quick and easy shrimp recipe is deeply flavored with garlic, butter, and spices. Serve shrimp as an appetizer or main dish along with other Cajun-inspired recipes such as Cajun Red Beans and Quinoa, or for a low-carb meal, serve with Cauliflower Grits and Braised Collard Greens.
Whole sockeye or cocho salmon fillets work best for foil-packet grilling. This method creates incredibly moist and perfectly cooked salmon, without needing to heat up your oven! Add any type of fresh herbs you have on hand—whole thyme sprigs or rosemary springs create a lot of flavor as well. Serve salmon with a green bean salad and your favorite grilled summer vegetables for a balanced meal.
Pecans, Italian plums, coconut sugar, and spices come together beautifully in this grain-free plum crisp! Use any variety of plums you have on hand. Blueberries and blackberries also work! Serve plum crisp warm out of the oven with your favorite vanilla ice cream (dairy or non-dairy).
This detox salad can be meal prepped and stored in your fridge with the dressing on the side. This is a great way to consume more raw vegetables! Onions and garlic are rich sources of thiols, which are organosulfur compounds that support the detoxification of many harmful chemicals, including heavy metals.
