Daily Digestive: Kelsey Nixon

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At the tender age of 29, Kelsey Nixon has a large number of accomplishments to her credit. She was the executive producer and star of her own college cooking show, interned for both Martha Stewart and Food Network, attended culinary school, competed on The Next Food Network Star, served as a private chef, developed recipes for corporate brands and restaurants, and that's not even the half of it.

"I think my parents would tell you that I've been a go-getter ever since I was young, maybe to a fault at times!" the Utah-born Nixon said. "I love setting goals and the sense of satisfaction that comes with accomplishing them. I think that my success has primarily been a lot of hard work and a lot of good luck. I'm terribly blessed and try not to take anything for granted."

Nixon can now add published author to her list of achievements with the recent release of Kitchen Confidence: Essential Recipes and Tips that will Help You Cook Anything — a cookbook packed with indispensible tips, tricks, and recipes for every level of cook.

"The book is filled with recipes that I believe every home cook should have in their back pocket." Nixon explained. "I focus on essential tools and techniques that will encourage the home cook to experiment a little in the kitchen, maybe even begin creating a few of their own signature dishes. I think that whether you're stepping in the kitchen for the first time, or you've been cooking for years, this book is for any home cook that loves to cook and is looking to add a few tried and true recipes into their repertoire."

Kelsey names Ree Drummond, aka "The Pioneer Woman" as her own culinary inspiration.

"I think that she's building an incredible brand by being herself." Nixon said. "Her recipes are authentic and very relatable to so many. I admire the success she's been able to achieve while still raising her kids. Ultimately I look up to her for the way she's been able to reach home cooks and really inspire them."

So how does a girl who grew up in rural Utah get used to living in the bright lights of New York City? 

"I was a small town girl that always had dreams of ending up in the big city, but I can't shake my roots and I don't really have any desire to," she answered. "I like to think that I live with one foot in the big city and one foot in my small town. I love the sense of community that exists where I come from, but the energy and opportunities that you find in a place like New York City are unmatched. I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing today without NYC being a piece of the puzzle.    

The one major adjustment to Kelsey's life has been the arrival of her son Oliver, just over 18 months ago.

"The impact has been drastic!" she exclaimed. "I now frantically work during naps and from 7 p.m. to 12 a.m. Balancing family and work is no joke. I'm still figuring out how to juggle it all and I've got all the respect in the world for anyone else trying to do the same. I also sleep a whole lot less!"

As a practicing Mormon, Kelsey has developed a unique perspective on food.

"My religion was a big part of my upbringing and the culture that surrounds it had a really positive impact on me," she explained. "I learned the benefit of being part of a community, and most importantly, how to be industrious and a hard worker. Small things like not drinking alcohol have never really bothered me or held me back in any way. It's a personal choice that I might make with or without the impact of my religion."

So what's next for Nixon aside from juggling parenthood and her everyday work?

"The 5th season of Kelsey's Essentials is currently airing on Cooking Channel and the show has just joined the Food Network family!" she answered. "I'm also working on a series for Ulive that merges parenting and food: Family Food and First Time Mom."

Clearly, Nixon is no slacker when it comes to her work and home life, but can she still come up trumps when it comes to her everyday eating habits? It's time for Elyse Sosin, RD, to give her feedback.

 

Nixon's Food Log

8:00 a.m. — I love starting my day with a cup of herbal tea sweetened with spoonful of honey. 

8:30 a.m. — I enjoy breakfast with my 18-month-old son before the pace of the day picks up. I primarily work from home unless I'm filming in the studio. Ironically, I find the days at home almost more difficult to balance and manage than the days on set! My son Oliver and I typically enjoy buttered whole wheat toast with a scrambled egg and avocado for breakfast. I like to add a splash of hot sauce over my eggs. 

Then the work/ mommy balance begins. My sister arrives in the mornings and assists me with both work and my son. We begin the workday by discussing social media goals (blog posts, Facebook updates, Twitter,  etc.) and delegate work for the project at hand. Currently it's preparing a dinner for a group of prominent lifestyle and food bloggers that will celebrate the launch of my new cookbook, Kitchen Confidence. 

11:00 a.m. — My son has a mid-morning snack, which is my cue to drink a big glass of sparkling water. I love my soda stream! I also snack on two clementines. 

1:00 p.m. — I make lunch for my sister and son. A go to, "working from home" lunch option is an artichoke and bean salad with tuna, served over a bed of arugula. I can always keep canned cannellini beans, artichoke hearts, and tuna stocked on my pantry shelves. A red onion, celery stalk and some fresh parsley are nice accents as well. A simple dressing of extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, and zest are all the simple salad needs. I season with a little sea salt, cracked black pepper, while having another glass of sparkling water with a healthy squeeze of fresh lemon. 

3:00 p.m. — I begin testing recipes for an upcoming episode I'll be filming and end up sampling a vegetable coconut curry with jasmine rice. I eat about a quarter cup of both when all is said and done after making adjustments. I reserve the rest of the curry for my family to eat for dinner that evening. 

4:30 p.m. — I can't help myself from snacking off my son's afternoon snack plate! I eat about two ounces of cheddar cheese with some red grapes and half a pear. 

7:00 p.m. — I serve the vegetable coconut curry that I tested earlier in the day to my family for dinner, only after making a few additional adjustments. The curry includes coconut milk, potatoes, curry powder, tomatoes, bell peppers, and a serrano chile. The curry is topped with dry roasted peanuts, cilantro, and lime and is served over jasmine rice that I cooked in low-sodium chicken broth. I have another glass of sparkling water with lemon. 

9:00 p.m. — I fulfill a sweet tooth craving with a frozen fruit bar with no added sugar. 

Now the real work begins! I usually work from 9 p.m. until 12 a.m., writing recipes for projects, responding to emails, managing my calendar, and following up on potential opportunities. 

Elyse's recommendations: Kelsey started out with a breakfast that was substantial and perhaps even high in fat, but seems to balance out the day with food that offers a variety of nutrients, textures, and even colors. She eats three meals in addition to her two snacks on this particular day. Whether intentional or not, Kelsey eats reasonable amounts of food throughout the day, so that she never gets too hungry or goes too long without eating. Eating in this style may help Kelsey manage to stay on top of her many work projects and active running around after her toddler. Even after a hard day's work, Kelsey satisfies her "sweet tooth"  by only having a frozen fruit bar without added sugar. Not everyone would be content with just this, but Kelsey seems to be fine.

My thoughts:

• She starts out with a decent sized breakfast — consisting of eggs and toast with butter and avocado. There is a mixture of carbs, protein, and fat present which will help to hold her appetite for some time.  That said, this meal provides a significant amount of fat from egg yolk, butter and avocado.  I would be interested to know other breakfast meals she eats.
• Her 11:00 a.m. snack of choice — clementines — is reasonable. They're convenient to eat, in season, and they supply some fiber, potassium, vitamin C, and they taste great.  It is a light snack but breakfast should have been satisfying and lunch is in two hours.
• Good lunch choice, Kelsey! Her artichoke, bean, and tuna salad will provide fiber and protein. The dressing sounds very tasty and is very healthy if she's simply using sea salt, pepper, olive oil and lemon juice.  Sea salt has a slightly different flavor, color, and texture as compared to regular table salt.  The sodium content of sea salt and regular table salt are approximately the same. Some people are under the impression that sea salt has a low sodium content.
• Her snack at 4:30 p.m. should be very satisfying since most cheese contains a large amount of saturated fat calcium, and protein. She's also having the cheese with fruits — pears and red grapes — so she's getting in some more vitamin C and fiber.
• Kelsey spices it up at dinnertime with a vegetable coconut curry dish. She will get some potassium from the red pepper, tomato, and potato while the dry roasted peanuts provide some protein. Quick trivia fact: did you know peanuts are not nuts but legumes? She also adds fresh pineapple to the dish which is fat free, low in sodium, has no cholesterol, and contains vitamin C. Kelsey serves the curry with jasmine rice (available in white and brown versions). It has a nutty flavor and is gluten-free.  
• Overall, dinner does not provide a large amount of protein, but her protein intake from eggs, cheese, and tuna earlier in the day is more than adequate for her needs.
• Kelsey keeps constantly hydrated throughout the day as she is continually drinking water or herbal tea.
• Exercise — Kelsey's exercise comes from walking in the city and chasing after her toddler. Lots of walking is terrific,  a little stretching and strength training would be suggested.
• Vitamin D may be one nutrient Kelsey may need to increase in her food consumption. Vitamin D promotes calcium absorption amongst many other roles. She's young and wants to keep her bones strong for many years to come. Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin and is naturally present in some foods; e.g. salmon and mackerel. It is also found (in smaller doses) in various types of cheese and egg yolks.  Some foods are fortified (where certain nutrients are added to foods that were not naturally there) with vitamin D — such as orange juice and milk.  She could also take a supplement but it is always best to get the vitamins from food, whenever possible.

Disclaimer – Elyse Sosin, Nutritionist, is not engaged in rendering medical advice that should be obtained from a qualified health professional. Acting on any information provided without consulting a healthcare provider is at the reader's own risk.