Kristen Spang, MS RDN LD
A few of my go-to favorites
These are the things I actually find myself recommending over and over, whether we're working on getting more protein in, making meal prep less of a chore, or just making the kitchen a little easier to work in. Nothing here is a miracle product. They're just tools that make the everyday stuff more doable.
Kitchen & Meal Prep
The stuff that makes cooking at home less of a projectHonestly the single most useful thing you can own if you're learning portions. Flat, wipeable, about twenty-five dollars, and you only need it for a little while before your eye catches up.
Glass over plastic for anything you're reheating. These actually seal, which matters if a container is riding in a bag all morning.
Plenty of blender for smoothies without spending Vitamix money. If you blend every single day and want to buy once, the Vitamix Explorian is the step up.
About fifteen dollars and they'll outlast most of your kitchen. Two of these plus a tray of vegetables and a protein is most of a week's dinners.
For the nights you're not going to cook a real dinner but still want something better than takeout. The six-quart actually fits enough for two people.
For portioning out soups, sauces, and chili. The fill lines make them a decent portion lesson on their own, and leftovers stop feeling like leftovers.
Protein & Snacks
For when getting enough protein is the hard partThird-party tested, which is what I actually care about with any powder. Worth knowing that only the Double Rich Chocolate and Vanilla Ice Cream carry the NSF Certified for Sport mark, so that's what this link points to.
A solid option if dairy doesn't sit well with you, and one of the few plant powders that's NSF Certified for Sport. It blends better than it shakes, so give it a real blender.
Not a replacement for meals, but useful in a bag or a desk drawer when the alternative is skipping food altogether. I picked this one because it's third-party tested, which most of the bars people ask me about aren't.
Unglamorous, but it's the difference between drinking your shake and finding it in your car three days later. Treat it as a consumable and replace it when it starts holding smell.
Hydration
Simple, but it's usually the first thing we fixGet one you actually like carrying. The spout lets you sip or chug, and the best water bottle really is just the boring one that ends up on your desk every day.
About 300mg of sodium per tablet, which is a sane everyday amount for most people. If you're training long in the heat or sweating heavily, something like LMNT runs closer to 1000mg — useful in that situation, too much as a daily habit, and not the right call if you're watching sodium for blood pressure or kidney reasons.
Supplements
Only where there's a real gap — food first, always. No links here yet; I'm sourcing these somewhere I can verify the product.One of the few most people genuinely benefit from, especially if you're indoors most of the day. Worth getting a level checked before you guess at a dose.
If you're not eating fatty fish a couple times a week, this is a reasonable gap to fill. Look for third-party tested for purity and freshness.
One of the most studied supplements there is, and it's cheap. Plain monohydrate is all you need — no fancy version required.
A bridge, not a fix. Helpful while we work on getting more fiber from actual food, not a reason to stop trying.
Movement
A few things that make it easier to stay consistentThe set physical therapists actually hand out, with graded resistance so you can move up as you get stronger. Latex, so skip these if you have an allergy.
If you're building a home setup, one pair replaces a whole rack and covers five to fifty-two pounds. Not cheap, but it's the last set most people buy.
My own guides & tools
Coming soon — meal planning tools and resources I'm putting together.
Want to work together?
I see clients through Nourish, which means most insurance plans cover it — often at no cost to you. If you're not sure whether that includes you, just ask.