Really Good Guacamole
For this Recipe ReDux back-to-school lunch bites themed post, I want to introduce my intern, Megan. Going back to school, i.e. college in Megan’s case, requires the right mix of passion and fun, and a lot of great food. Learn a little about why she decided to pursue nutrition and try her favorite guacamole recipe!
Here’s Megan’s story: As a junior in high school, I was taking a careers class and we were given an assignment to research a career of interest to us. Having no idea what I wanted to do, my teacher suggested that I research dietetics. Never did I think that 5 years later I would be declaring my major in dietetics. Dietetics is a lot of chemistry and I asked myself, “How in the world would I get through college chemistry when I had to drop out of high school chemistry?”I came to find out, my high school careers teacher knew me better than I knew myself. I grew up, built some self-confidence, and realized that I am capable and smart enough.
I have always had a passion for food. I love to cook, garden, and if I could travel around the world sampling different foods, I would. Health is also of huge importance to me. In my earlier years of college, I would find myself googling how the foods I ate was beneficial to my health. I had a desire to learn what happened to food after I ate it, and I wanted to know how I could maximize my health through what I was eating.
On a more personal note, I also have issues with food. I have struggled with binge eating in the past. I often times found myself eating to the point that I was uncomfortable on a regular basis. I would eat dinner and then continue to snack all night even though I wasn’t hungry. This led to feelings of guilt. I am a runner, so I could totally get away with it and still be skinny, but it wasn’t necessarily good for me. I have friends and family members who have similar feelings and issues. One of the things that I would like to do as a dietitian is help people with similar issues, develop a better relationship with food.
I would love to one day work in a clinic doing outpatient work. I have job shadowed a couple of dietitians who work in outpatient and I loved seeing the different personalities of the patients. I loved listening to how and what they eat, their struggles and motivations, and everything else they had to say.
I am going into my senior year of school and then I have to do an internship before I can take the national exam to become an RD. I look forward to seeing where these next two years take me and what route I go with dietetics. There are so many possibilities.
Here is a favorite recipe of mine that my brother shared with me. I was never a fan of guacamole until I tried homemade guacamole. I like it extra spicy so I use two Serrano chilies instead of one.
Really Good Guacamole
Ingredients
- 1 avocados
- ½ red onion
- 1-2 Serrano chilies, minced
- 2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- A dash of black pepper
- ½ ripe tomato, seeded and pulp removed
Instructions
- Mash the avocado. Add onions, chilies, cilantro, lime juice, salt, and black pepper. Add tomatoes right before serving.
- Note: To keep fresh, place saran wrap on top and punch it down on the guacamole so that the two are touching, leaving no air in the container.