by kelsey | Feb 22, 2012 | Diet, Weight Management
As I stated in my last post, it took us a full day to travel from Vegas to Phoenix with our stops at the Hoover Dam and Grand Canyon. It was a great day and awesome experience to see these two places, but it did mean that we were eating in the car…which is always a challenge. To help you when you travel, here are some healthy road trip snacks:
- Raw veggies such as baby carrots, broccoli, etc
- Fresh fruit such as an apple or banana that’s easy to eat in the car
- Trail Mix–just be sure to watch the portions as calories can add up quickly
- Low fat cheese and whole grain crackers
- Sandwich’s with whole grain bread, lean meat, and great veggies
- Almonds, walnuts, or soy nuts
- Whole grain granola bars
The key is packing your snacks before hand to avoid running to a gas station or through a fast food drive thru. Foods to stay away from are all of the tempting, high calorie, high fat foods you find in the convenience stores such as packaged cookies, candy bars, chips, etc. The calories can add up really fast and may not satisfy you as they are typically higher fat and fast acting sugar foods. Including whole grains (fiber rich foods) and lean proteins in your snacks will help provide satiety and satisfaction.
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Jan 26, 2012 | Diet, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Our society is always on the run and in a hurry and many are missing out on one of the most important meals of the day: breakfast! If you’re in a hurry and don’t have time for breakfast in the morning, there are still ways you can get some good nutrition to start your day off on the right foot.
First off, you’re going to want to consider calories. Usually we recommend meals have about 300-400 calories. The Nutri-Grain bar in the picture only has about 130 calories. So if that’s all you have for breakfast, you’re most likely going to be hungry again in a few hours. In addition to calories, you’ll want to consider the type of grain. The more fiber a product has, the better as it will provide satiety in addition to many other benefits (heart health, digestive health, etc). Your choice should have at least 2-3 grams of fiber and lower amounts of sugars. The next item on the label you should look at is protein. Choices with high protein will again provide satiety and stay with you longer.
There are many choices of complete nutrition that you could try such as a meal replacement drink like Ensure, Boost, or even a homemade smoothie. You could also try nutrition bars such as the Powerbars, Luna, Clif, etc. Another option would be to incorporate a few items. An example would be a whole grain granola bar, yogurt, and banana. All quick and easy to eat but supplying your body with a great source of nutrition. You could also try oatmeal in a to-go container and eat on your way to work. There are many options to get that most important meal of the day in, it just may take a little planning to begin with! Next time you grocery shop, explore the aisles and take time to read labels to help you start your day off right!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Jan 25, 2012 | Diet, Weight Management
Everyone’s eating habits are a little different from each other’s. Personally I make efforts to follow a well rounded or balanced diet and am very conscious about my eating habits. Now this is probably partly due to the fact that I am a dietitian and have chosen nutrition as my career, but it’s always because I am very passionate about nutrition and want to feed my body with optimal fuel every day! I was discussing “normal” eating habits with a patient recently and I came across some defitinitions by one of the experts in the field, dietitian Ellyn Satter. I wanted to share this with you as it really gives some food for thought as we examine our eating habits.
What is Normal Eating?
- Normal eating is going to the table hungry and eating until you are satisfied.
- Normal eating is being able to give some thought to your food selection so you get nutritious food, but not being so wary and restrictive that you miss out on enjoyable food.
- It is leaving some cookies on the plate because you know you can have some again tomorrow, or it is eating more now because they taste so wonderful.
- Normal eating is trusting your body to make up for your mistakes in eating.
- Normal eating takes up some of your time and attention, but keeps its place as only one important area of your life
You can explore the article at:
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/26/what-is-normal-eating/
Or visit Ellyn’s site at : http://www.ellynsatter.com
As you work to improve your diet think about these concepts and work at incorporating them into your eating habits and thought process! Mindful eating is an excellent concept and promotes life long healthy eating habits.
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Jan 24, 2012 | Weight Management, Wellness/Health
A new study published in the International Journal of Obesity indicated those children with an overweight father and a healthy-weight mother are more at risk for overweight or obesity. Those children who had a healthy weight father and an overweight mother did not significantly predict that child would be overweight/obese. This study also indicated those children with both parents being overweight have increased chances of becoming overweight themselves, compared to a child who has both parents who are at a healthy weight.
This study did not only indicate the important role a father has in the development of their child’s weight status, but also the relationship between parents and their children in relation to their weight. I thought this study was interesting to share with you as it truly shows how impacting parent’s habits and their lifestyle can be on their child.
In efforts to prevent obesity, it’s very important for parents to instill healthy habits in their children at a young age. The saying practice what you preach means a great deal with this relationship. Parents often get after their child to eat their vegetables, drink their milk, etc, however the parent should be practicing these habits as well! In addition, it’s important for the whole family to work on healthy habits together. Planning meals and snacks together based on the fundamentals of MyPlate is a good experience for the child to learn more about healthy eating. In addition to nutrition, it’s very important to encourage regular activity. Dr. Dan is an excellent example of a how a Dad can be a great role model to his kids in this area!
I included one of my favorite pictures of my niece Kate at the Children’s Museum in Brookings. Her parents have done a great job teaching her about eating healthy as she skipped all of the junk foods in the mock store and filled up her cart with fresh fruits and veggies. At age 3, she has a good start to a long and healthy life!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Jan 19, 2012 | Diet, Food, Weight Management
Carbohydrates tend to get a bad rap in relation to weight management. A popular question I get when I discuss weight loss strategies with my patients is if they should cut out the carbs and choose more protein. As you probably know, there are always fads in nutrition and sometimes the USDA’s MyPlate gets criticized because it doesn’t got along with that fad. MyPlate’s recommendations have been heavily researched for many, many years and science has proven that this balance is what keeps our body functioning at its highest abilities. 1/4 of your plate should be grains and we recommend at least half of your day’s intake be from whole grains over the white grains. There is a great deal of biochemistry that backs this recommendation, but more basically put, the reason why is that our brain and central nervous system depend on adequate carbohydrates for energy. Proteins and fats can be used for energy when there is not sufficient carbohydrate intake, however if this is done long term, it puts a great deal of stress on the body as the processes to convert proteins and fats into energy are not as efficient. An insufficient intake of carbohydrates long term can lead to significant issues with the kidneys, liver, and other major organs and can even result in death due to ketosis. Carbohydrates do have a purpose in our diet and a moderate intake is essential for fueling our body with energy as well as weight management. Carbohydrates are mainly found in grains, but they are also found in some beans and lentils, fruits, dairy products, and a few starchy vegetables. You have heard me discuss it before, but again…moderation is key!!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Jan 18, 2012 | Food, Weight Management
Meal planning is a great tool for eating healthy. By planning your week (or even month) menu, you will be less apt to run through the drive through or grab a food choice that is quick and convenient. Those quick choices are usually higher in fat, calories, carbs, and sodium, thus making them a not so ideal option for you. Meal planning is one of my goals for this year as I was falling into a bad habit of getting home from work, not having anything ready or prepared and then scrambling to make something quick. Since the new year, I have made an effort to sit down for a few minutes every weekend to look at my schedule and see what the week ahead will bring. I then take a look at some of my cookbooks and decide a few options for the week. Batch cooking is another tool that works well with meal planning. An example of this is baking a couple chicken breasts or browning a pound or two of hamburger and using that in a few different dishes throughout the week. Meal planning will not only result in healthier eating, it will result in less stress as you won’t be scrambling to figure out what to make! Give it a try!
-Kelsey
