One of the things I love about blogging and what I do is meeting some pretty kick-ass people. Marla Murphy and I met a couple years back I believe it was, and she is exactly that…a kick-ass person. Marla is a Registered/Licensed Dietitian and owner of The Blonde Pantry. Something I love about Marla and her approach to food and healthy eating is that she doesn’t believe in restricting yourself. She is ALL about indulging every now and then, all the while still maintaining a healthy lifestyle. She’s not into fad diets and she believes in cheat meals! Marla is a ball of energy, hysterical, and she is such a good cook. If you live in the Houston area, you should check out her meal delivery service and her nutrition consulting services, and if you don’t live in the area, don’t worry – you can still get in on the fun with her shirts and e-guide! Keep on reading to learn how Marla became interested in nutrition, her thoughts on breakfast, her favorite healthy snacks, what she feels about cheat meals, and much more.
Marla Murphy of The Blonde Pantry
When did you first become interested in nutrition and why?
I became really interested in health and nutrition in high school. I was always working out and practicing for cheerleading and then I would come home and basically eat really crappy food that wasn’t doing anything positive for not only my energy levels but the way I looked physically, as well. I remember my junior year of high school thinking there is no way I’m going to be able to maintain 3 hours of working out per day when I am older; I’ve got to figure out how to eat healthy now. Also, cheerleading can make you very aware of your physical appearance at a young age and I was interested in losing weight, but I didn’t want to do it the wrong way. I didn’t want to develop an eating disorder or extremely restrict my intake; I wanted answers. At the time one of the older cheerleaders had just graduated and was going to college for nutrition to become a dietitian (which was the first I had heard about that career) so I did some research and it just clicked that being a dietitian would be a perfect fit for me. I would get to learn everything I wanted to know about health and I would get to help others do the same.
What are your thoughts on all these different types of diets out there (low carb, no carb, no fat, no sugar, Whole30, Atkins, etc etc)?
Honestly, it all works if you commit to it, but the problem I have with these diets is I don’t think anyone can stick to them every single day for the rest of your life and who would want to? One of the best things about the human experience is food and enjoying it with others. I believe in balance and the healthy habits I have today are something I can easily maintain in my later years of life.
I know you’re a firm believer in breakfast being very important – why is that?
I meet clients everyday that have the same problem with not eating breakfast and the conversation always goes something like this: ‘I’m not really hungry when I wake up so I don’t eat breakfast and then for lunch I’ll have a grilled chicken salad and maybe a protein bar or some fruit for a snack, but then by late afternoon or around dinner time I am starving and I end up making bad choices.’ Each one of your meals should fuel the next. Skipping breakfast leaves a huge gap in your nutrient needs for the day so of course your body is starving later on. You then end up over eating and going to bed so of course you aren’t hungry when you wake up. And, thus, the poor eating schedule and cycle continues. The more consistent you can be with staying on a good eating schedule the easier it is to avoid cravings, crashes, and overeating.
Your top 3 healthy snack ideas?
I am pretty basic when it comes to my snacks. I always pair a protein or healthy fat and a carbohydrate. It’s hard to stick to just 3, so here are my top 6:
- Apple or banana with almond or peanut butter
- Bison jerky from Epic with a small piece of fruit or 1/2 cup of berries
- Pesto hummus with sliced vegetables
- The new Larabar mint and chocolate bites (I could live off of these) Note: I could, too!
- I also love making pesto meatballs on Sunday and I will just have 3 or 4 small ones with marinara sauce as a snack.
- Sliced cucumbers with Kite Hill almond cream cheese (its a diary free cream cheese) and if I have it on hand I will top it with 4 oz of smoked salmon. Note: I recently got introduced to Kite Hill almond cream cheese through Marla, and it’s addicting!! SO good.
(As you can tell I love snacks)!
What is your all time favorite recipe?
Wow this is a hard question, but an easy one that I make a lot at home is garlic roasted chicken thighs with whatever vegetables I have in the fridge, which could be brussel sprouts, asparagus and cherry tomatoes in a pesto sauce. If my husband is home then I will make him some brown rice or pasta.
If you weren’t a Registered Dietitian, what would you be?
I would own a bakery!! HA!
What’s your ideal cheat meal?
My favorite cheat meal would have to be hamburger, french fries and a milkshake!
Why do you think cheat meals are a good idea?
I think it depends on the individual and how they view cheat meals. For me, I have a very positive mindset with food at this point in my life so cheat meals to me are fun and something I look forward to. I can enjoy that hamburger and then get right back to my healthy lifestyle without too much derailing or negative feelings associated with ‘cheat meals’. When I am starting out with a client we talk about what a cheat meal should look like and ‘safe’ places/restaurants they can go in the beginning of making changes so they are in control of what their cheat meals look like.
What is your life ‘motto?’
‘Have courage and be kind’ – Cinderella
What is something no one would ever expect to learn about you?
This is a tough one because I tend to be an open book with everyone I meet, but I love adventure! ‘Yes’ might be my favorite word, and I will try anything. ‘Why not?’ could be another life motto for me.
Thanks, Marla!
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See past interviews here.
If you or someone you know would be a good fit for this series, reach out to me. I’d love to hear from you!