Desiree Nielsen RD

Desiree Nielsen RD www.desireerd.com Registered Dietitian with over a decade of experience in gut health. 3x bestselling cookbook author.

Here to help you love what you eat, with flavourful plant-based recipes that don't take a lot of effort! Desiree practices anti-inflammatory nutrition where whole, unprocessed plant foods are the star of the show. No deprivation, no guilt...just juicy, vibrantly healthy living. Modern nutrition has been lost in a sea of nutrient recommendations. Food is more than the nutrition it provides — it is a vital part of our culture, our celebrations and our lives.

I feel like this Cobb salad doesn't get nearly the love it deserves!! It's got smoky tempeh bacon, a tangy red wine vina...
06/17/2026

I feel like this Cobb salad doesn't get nearly the love it deserves!! It's got smoky tempeh bacon, a tangy red wine vinaigrette and allllll the veggies. Marinate the tempeh in the morning for the best flavour (it's easier than you think!)

https://desireerd.com/vegan-cobb-salad-with-tempeh-bacon/

THE BEST HOT COCOA 🍫⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀I love a good hot chocolate and honestly, I like my homemade version best! Rich and creamy,...
12/01/2020

THE BEST HOT COCOA 🍫
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I love a good hot chocolate and honestly, I like my homemade version best! Rich and creamy, deeply chocolate-y and sweet but not too sweet.
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Here’s how you do it 👩🏻‍🍳
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Gently heat 1 cup of your favourite plant-based mylk. Soy or oat will be creamiest. Almond or cashew will give a lighter texture.
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Then add to a blender along with 1 tablespoon of cocoa (or raw cacao for a boost of anti-inflammatory flavonoids!), 1 tablespoon almond butter, 1-2 teaspoons of maple syrup or a big Medjool date, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla.
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Need to chill out? This recipe will mask the flavour of a half teaspoon of ashwagandha like it’s NBD! 💆🏻‍♀️
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Be sure to save this post for a rainy day. Or everyday. ☔️
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You can find the full recipe on www.desireerd.com if you search ‘hot chocolate’
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Are you into kraut?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Sauerkraut is lacto-fermented cabbage. It’s delicious and super easy to make. You just need ...
11/28/2020

Are you into kraut?
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Sauerkraut is lacto-fermented cabbage. It’s delicious and super easy to make. You just need cabbage, salt and a big jar. 👩🏻‍🍳
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Because it’s made from cabbage, sauerkraut contains sulfur-based phytochemicals such as indole-3-carbinol as well as l-glutamine, an amino acid that supports the integrity of the gut lining.
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Sauerkraut also contains beneficial lactic acid bacteria species such as Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus plantarum BUT how much you’re getting in your kraut is highly variable. (It may not be a lot!)
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I recommend including fermented foods like sauerkraut or miso in your diet daily if you enjoy them! They’re healthy and delicious 😋
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BUUUUT it’s important to know that the therapeutic benefits aren’t well researched...because the internet tends to make outlandish claims about fermented foods ✨
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In fact, in the last five years I could find only one small clinical trial. It looked at pasteurized vs raw kraut in Irritable Bowel Syndrome. 👩🏻‍🔬
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The result? The changes weren’t statistically significant...and may have been due to the vegetable as opposed to the bacteria 🤷🏻‍♀️(PMID: 30256365)
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Why might this be? Dumb luck (it was a small trial) or that the amount of bacteria in kraut isn’t high enough to have a significant effect...which I suspect.
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So enjoy your kraut because it’s nutritious and delicious, not for the probiotic benefits (until the research proves otherwise!).
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Have a Q about fermented foods? Let me know!
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🤓 alert: If you’re looking for a nice primer on fermented foods research, check out a review by that I found while researching the new book - it’s PMID: 31387262
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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ @ Vancouver - Unceeded Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Territory

I haven’t read as much fiction as I usually do because I was writing this year - but also because I watched A LOT of TV ...
11/22/2020

I haven’t read as much fiction as I usually do because I was writing this year - but also because I watched A LOT of TV to distract myself from 2020.

By far and away, my fave novel of the year was The Vanishing Half - and if for some unknown reason you haven’t read Untamed, do it. Absolutely my fave non-fiction title of the year🔥

I am always a bit skeptical of ‘blockbuster’ books but in both these cases they delivered on the hype in a big way.

I really love giving books at the holidays and if you can, support your local bookshop because they really need it. Here in East Van, Iron Dog is an awesome choice - they also carry hint hint 😉

What was your fave book of 2020? I need to start building my to read list! 📚

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It’s FRIDAY...come get your FOOD FACTS! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Okay seriously, who here eats barley? 🙋🏻‍♀️⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀It’s a super underr...
11/21/2020

It’s FRIDAY...come get your FOOD FACTS!
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Okay seriously, who here eats barley? 🙋🏻‍♀️
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It’s a super underrated grain that’s really inexpensive, filling and crazy healthy.
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Barley has a ton of benefits:
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🌾 Packed with phytochemicals like lignans (hormonal health), sterols (heart health) and flavonoids
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🌾 Beta-glucan from barley is thought to help lower cholesterol
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🌾 Barley supports a healthier microbiome, with more beneficial like Lactobacillus as well as increased short chain fatty acid production
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🌾 One cup cooked pearl barley contains 4g fibre, 4g protein, iron + zinc for energy + immunity and plenty of potassium for electrolyte balance. It’s also supportive of blood sugar balance.
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Enough of the sales pitch....let’s get EATING 😋
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🌱 cook up pearl or pot barley like rice in a bit of stock - or try adding some OJ to the water! Easy peasy
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🌱 has a lovely barley risotto - it’s way more filling than rice versions!
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🌱 Try the blood orange-braised cabbage and barley from
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🌱 There is a beautiful (easily veganized) Mediterranean 5-grain salad with sunchokes + beets at
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🌱 Cook a porridge with leftover barley and plant mylk, plus some chopped apricots, grated pear and a healthy dose of cinnamon
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(PMID: 28911532, 27273067, 30396006, 28815303 for all you 🤓)

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