National Nutrition Month: Tip #30

I saved the best tip for last...do the best you can. Often we put unrealistic expectations and pressure on ourselves to eat perfect. What is perfect anyway? There is NO perfect way to eat, only what works best for you. Striving for perfection will leave you feeling defeated and feeling defeated will make you want to give up. One meal or snack will not do you in, it is feeling guilty about that meal or snack that will lead to a downhill spiral. Enjoy food! Enjoy eating! Just take responsibility for those food selections 90% of the time.

The only person in the way of you succeeding is yourself. YOU CAN DO THIS! You just have to believe you can. So who believes they can? I want to hear it!!!

I have enjoyed posting tips this month and I hope you have enjoyed reading them. I might just pop in every now and again!

Emily Fonnesbeck RD,CD

National Nutrition Month: Tip #29

Having trouble drinking water? Put a lemon in it and drink it through a straw. For someone reason that makes it seem more fun :).

Emily Fonnesbeck RD,CD

National Nutrition Month: Tip #28

A great way to "mind the plate" (1/2 fruits and vegetables, 1/4 whole grain, and 1/4 lean protein) when eating out is to share an entree and order a side salad. This will allow you to control the portion of the meat and grain while adding volume with a salad. Often women want to share a meal while their husbands, boyfriends or partners do not. The men in your life that may need or want more calories could order an appetizer for themselves as well. This may even save you money!

Use this idea at home as well. It is often easy to overeat if the people we are eating with need more food than we do. It is important to realize that we all have different calorie needs. Base your choices on YOUR needs.

Emily Fonnesbeck RD,CD

National Nutrition Month: Tip #27

I lOVE roasted vegetables. I am convinced you could roast any vegetable and it would taste amazing. All I do is heat the oven to 400 degrees while I chop up asparagus, carrots, green beans, zucchini, squash, sweet potatoes, turnips, mushrooms, tomatoes...anything! I coat them in a little bit of olive oil and pepper (you could experiment with any seasoning though!) and cook them until they are fork tender. The cooking time will vary depending on the vegetable.

This is a fantastic way to cook vegetables. It requires no water so no nutrients are leached out and the cooking time is faster allowing the vegetables to retain more of their vitamins and minerals.

What vegetables do you like to roast?

Emily Fonnesbeck RD,CD

National Nutrition Month: Tip #26

Sign up for a fruit and vegetable co-op or CSA (click here to find one near you). The benefits to doing this include: local produce and helping the local economy, healthier produce given that it doesn't ripen on a truck, forced to eat a variety that is in season and is often cheaper than buying produce at the grocery store, especially if you buy organic.

On my last pick-up I received all this for $16.50:

• 2 heads of cabbage
• 2 bunches of red leaf lettuce
• 2 bunches of spinach
• 6 cucumbers
• 6 zucchini
• 2 bunches of asparagus
• 2 bunches of bananas
• 2 small clamshells of blueberries
• 1 large container strawberries
• 10 apples (braeburn)
• 10 minneolas

And the best part? It all tasted fresh and wonderful! Who says eating healthy can't taste good or be affordable?

Emily Fonnesbeck RD,CD

National Nutrition Month: Tip #25

Did you know that frozen fruits and vegetables are just as nutritious as fresh? In fact, they may be healthier, depending on how long fresh produce sits in your crisper. The longer it sits, the more nutrients it loses. Frozen produce is frozen at the peak of freshness. It is also convenient and eliminates waste making is somewhat more economical. So keep your freezer stocked!

Emily Fonnesbeck RD,CD

National Nutrition Month: Tip #24

Let’s face it. The last thing you want to do after a long day at work is cook dinner. You're tired and hungry and the drive-through at McDonald’s looks too inviting to pass up. This is where a slow cooker comes in handy! With a little prep in the morning, you could come home to dinner waiting for you. In the winter I love putting soups on low all day. One of the easiest things I do is put chicken in the slow cooker and cover it with salsa. That’s it! When I get home I just chop some lettuce, bell peppers, tomatoes, heat up some beans, chop an avocado, and I have a taco salad!

Emily Fonnesbeck RD,CD

National Nutrition Month: Tip #23

Try this for breakfast: Overnight muesli! Before I go to bed, I mix about ½ cup rolled oats (uncooked) into about 1 cup plain non-fat greek yogurt. As it sits in the fridge, the oats get soft, chewy and thick. In the morning I add milled flax seed and fruit; grapes, pears or berries being my favorite but apples, bananas, pineapple, peaches or plums would be tasty too.

For those of you that are in a rush in the morning, this breakfast comes together so quickly. It would be easy to grab on your way out the door and eat at work. It is packed with protein and fiber to keep you full and satisfied throughout the morning.

Emily Fonnesbeck RD,CD

National Nutrition Month: Tip #22

Eat breakfast!!! People who don’t eat breakfast are 4.5 times more likely to be overweight than those who do. In fact, some research suggests that people who start their day with a 610 calorie breakfast actually eat less calories overall. That is a big breakfast! But the take home message is to move up those calories rather than eating your biggest meal right before you sit on the couch or go to bed. You need those calories to fuel your day, not your night.

If your not hungry for breakfast, you could be eating too much too late at night the night before. You also need to get into the habit of eating breakfast before you will be hungry for it.

Stay tuned for my favorite breakfast!

Emily Fonnesbeck RD,CD

National Nutrition Month: Tip #21

Go veg. Try to make two lunches and at least one dinner each week vegetarian. This will help you cut back on animal products while increasing plant proteins. Plant based foods are low in calories and rich in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and fiber, all of which Americans don’t get nearly enough of. Most animal products can be high in saturated fat, cholesterol and calories. Try adding more beans, legumes, soy products, nuts and seeds to your meals. Even eggs, dairy products and fish can be good alternatives to eating meat and poultry all the time. If nothing else, at least try to eat less than 6 ounces of red meat per week due to the very strong link between red meat consumption and increased risk for certain types of cancers.

Emily Fonnesbeck RD,CD

National Nutrition Month: Tip #20

When it comes to fats, make some simple swap outs. Some items for every day use that can replace unhealthy fats are:

For butter or margarine:

1. Canola Harvest

2. Olivio

3. Land O Lakes olive oil or canola oil spreads

4. Smart Balance, Benecol or Promise

For mayonnaise:

1. Canola or olive oil based mayonnaise

2. Vegenaise

3. Nayonaise

For vegetable oil:

1. Canola oil

2. Olive oil

3. Enova oil

For shortening or lard

1. Butter

2. Smart Balance/Butter blend (what I use for baking - sticks found by the butter)

Emily Fonnesbeck RD,CD

National Nutrition Month: Tip #19

When eating out at a Mexican restaurant, order corn tortillas rather than flour tortillas. Even if they have whole wheat flour tortillas, traditionally they are made with lard while corn tortillas don't use any fat. This makes corn tortillas MUCH lower in calories. They are also smaller which will help too.

Now just make sure those corn tortillas aren't cut in triangles and fried!

Emily Fonnesbeck RD,CD

National Nutrition Month: Tip #18

When baking, try substituting applesauce for oil. The substitution is cup for cup, so if the recipe calls for 1/2 cup of oil, use a 1/2 cup of applesauce. I have tried this in quick breads, cakes, waffles and some cookies that call for oil. Even my picky eaters don't notice a difference.

To give you some perspective, 1/2 cup of applesauce is 50 calories while a 1/2 cup of oil is 950. You will save close to 900 calories per recipe by making this substitution. It doesn't work for butter though, so be warned.

Anyone tried this?

Emily Fonnesbeck RD,CD

National Nutrition Month: Tip #17

When choosing oils, canola oil or olive oil will be the most heart healthy. But it will be better to cook with canola oil and leave olive oil raw. This is because canola oil has a very high smoke point and can be heated to a much higher temperature. Olive oil is very fragile and will smoke very quickly at even low temperatures which may disrupt the healthy fats. So bake, saute or cook with canola oil and use olive oil in salad dressings or hummus.

Emily Fonnesbeck RD,CD

National Nutrition Month: Tip #16

When making smoothies, add spinach! It will change the color to green, but you won't notice it is there. The best way to cover up the grassy taste is to use a ripe banana, rather than berries or other fruits that aren't as sweet. My favorite combo is a banana, milk and spinach. Simple, but very satisfying! This is such a great way to sneak in a vegetable.

Have any of you tried this? Speak up and back me up on this one....

Also, another way to make smoothies more satisfying (since I typically don't like drinking calories) is to add 1/4-1/2 cup uncooked oats. It will add a natural sweetness and mild texture. Try it!

Emily Fonnesbeck RD,CD

National Nutrition Month: Tip #15

In talking to guests about breakfast, I do find that many like oatmeal. This is great! Oatmeal is a whole grain, full of soluble fiber, low in calories and very satisfying. Typically guests will cook it in water and pair it with fruit. But if we think about balanced meals containing carbohydrates and protein, we are lacking a protein. A solution: add an egg white to the oats and water and cook it as usual. This will not only add protein, but will make the oatmeal very light, fluffy and more voluminous. My favorite toppings are peanut butter and banana. Yumm!

Emily Fonnesbeck RD,CD

National Nutrition Month: Tip #14

This one is for you parents out there who have picky eaters like I do. Always put a fruit or a vegetable on their plate. Ideally they choose what fruit or vegetable they want (making it more likely they eat it) but even if not, choose for them and make sure something is on their plate. They can decide if they will eat it or not, but make fruits and vegetables a habit at a young age. Who knows, maybe they will surprise you someday!

Emily Fonnesbeck RD,CD

National Nutrition Month: Tip #13

Try Greek yogurt! It is thicker, richer and higher in protein than regular yogurt. It is also higher quality and much less tangy, which makes it more satisfying. In fact, most people can eat non fat plain greek yogurt when they dislike regular non fat plain yogurt. Because the yogurt has been strained, it is much less tangy. You can buy sweetened greek yogurts, which are usually lower in sugar than regular sweetened yogurts, but typically plain greek yogurt is very palatable and lower in calories.

The running joke at my house when I eat Greek yogurt is, "Look! Mom's eating lard again!". It is THAT thick.

Emily Fonnesbeck RD,CD

National Nutrition Month: Tip #12

Today's tip comes from my 4 year old. I asked him what my tip should be and he said, "Don't eat candy all the time".

He brings up a good point! While candy is yummy, it isn't the healthiest choice. But if you really like candy, or cookies or cake...I wouldn't tell you to give it up. If I never let my 4 year old eat candy, he would be like a caged animal that would come unleashed at friend's or grandparent's houses. So while we need some moderate constraint in our food selections to make sure we are living a healthy lifestyle, never say never to food. It will lead to uncontrollable cravings and possible overeating. Be realistic with your weaknesses, but don't make food forbidden.

Emily Fonnesbeck RD,CD

National Nutrition Month: Tip #11

Like pizza? Try this. Use whole wheat pitas, sandwich thins (like we do at The Resort), or a prepared whole wheat crust. You could even ask a local bread store (like Great Harvest) if you could purchase whole wheat dough which you could roll out and cook yourself. Top with tomato sauce, lots of veggies and reduced fat cheese. This will help you kick the craving without ordering out.

Emily Fonnesbeck RD,CD

National Nutrition Month: Tip #10

I have an easy way to get a lean protein on the table on a busy week night. The technique is called poaching. Place fish fillets, chicken breasts, or turkey cutlets in a shallow pan. Pour chicken broth or vegetable broth over the meat until it is covered half way. For fish, I like to top with lemon juice and dill, for poultry I use lemon juice and poultry seasoning. Bake at 350 degrees. The fish may be done as soon as 10-15 minutes while poultry may take longer (20-30 minutes) depending on thickness. You can experiment with different seasonings but the end result will be fast, flavorful and moist. Enjoy!

Emily Fonnesbeck RD,CD

National Nutrition Month: Tip #9

People like cheese. Fair statement right? The problem is that is usually adds extra calories. I don't believe you have to give it up, but to save you the extra calories, only use it for your protein source. So if you already have a protein (meat, eggs, nuts...) then you don't need the cheese. It is all about a balance, right?

I also prefer buying portion controlled cheese such as string cheese, shredded cheese (that you could measure), slices, Laughing Cow wedges or Babybell. I have even seen pre-portioned brie cheese (at Costco if you are interested). Ultimately these will help you control the amount and calories.

In other news, today is National Registered Dietitian Day. So hug an RD today!

Emily Fonnesbeck RD,CD

National Nutrition Month: Tip #8

Ditch the white flour. It is doing nothing for you nutritionally and may be an appetite stimulant. Actually, white flour and refined carbohydrates are why all carbohydrates get labeled as "bad". It is easy to overeat them, therefore leading to excess calories. When guests tell me they are "addicted" to carbs and therefore feel they shouldn't have them at all, the case is usually that they aren't focusing on the right types of carbohydrates. Really, it is an issue of quality. Whole grains are satisfying and an important part of a healthy meal plan. Remember to make 1/4 of your plate a whole grain, being a 1/2 to 1 cup serving.

Emily Fonnesbeck RD,CD

National Nutrition Month: Tip #7

When eating healthy, food can become redundant and boring. To keep you on track, try new foods! Pick out a new fruit or vegetable each time you shop and look for a new recipe on how to prepare it. Find a specialty foods store or ethnic foods store to browse. Pick out a new whole grain and use it anywhere you would use brown rice or whole wheat pasta. Instead of just chicken and turkey, try different types of fish or even a pork tenderloin. Make food fun!

Emily Fonnesbeck RD,CD

National Nutrition Month: Tip #6

Diets high in sodium may raise blood pressure and increase risk for heart disease and strokes. Ideally sodium intake should be no more than 2400 mg. One teaspoon of salt is 2300 mg of sodium. Can you see why salting your foods could be contributing to too much sodium?

To reduce sodium intake, ditch the salt shaker. For a while, foods may taste a bit more bland but your taste buds WILL readjust. Just hang in there. Also, look for lower sodium packaged foods. A good rule of thumb: if there are more mg of sodium than there are calories, the food is high in sodium. If there is less sodium than calories, the food is low in sodium. Just balance high sodium choices with lower sodium choices.

Emily Fonnesbeck RD,CD

National Nutrition Month: Tip #5

Want to hear my favorite quick, healthy and balanced snack? Take a small sweet potato, pop it in the microwave for 3 minutes on each side, and top with almond butter. Yummmmmm! Don't knock it till you try it! It will even help you sneak in a vegetable :).

Emily Fonnesbeck RD,CD

National Nutrition Month: Tip #4

Try to eat a fruit or vegetable at each meal or snack. This will increase the volume, fiber and satisfaction of your meals without adding many calories. They are also nutritional powerhouses! Your body will be getting nutrition it needs even though you are eating less calories.

Fruits and vegetables are not the food groups to limit. You have bigger things to worry about. I think it is interesting that people eat half a banana for breakfast but then have a big bowl of ice cream before bed. The banana isn't the problem! And, contrary to popular belief, you can't make a wrong choice with a fruit or a vegetable. Bananas, carrots, tomatoes, cherries, apples...they are all great! In fact, try to get a variety since they all have unique nutritional characteristics.

Emily Fonnesbeck RD,CD

National Nutrition Month: Tip #3

I've said it once, I will say it again. Make 1/2 your plate fruits and vegetables, 1/4 whole grain and 1/4 lean protein. I can't say it enough. Make sure to balance your meals and eat consistently. You will feel so much more satisfied!

So if your plate should look this way, then your shopping cart should as well! Make sure half of your cart is filled with fruits and vegetables, while whole grains and lean proteins make up the rest. Make your environment work for you!

Emily Fonnesbeck RD,CD

National Nutrition Month: Tip #2

If you can't grow it, don't eat it. When is the last time you grew high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, or hydrogenated fats? Read your ingredient lists and be sure that they are made of natural ingredients. Top items to avoid:

1. High Fructose Corn Syrup

2. Partially Hydrogenated Oil

3. Any sugar or syrup listed as the first ingredient

4. Enriched or bleached flours

5. MSG

6. Artificial colors

7. Artificial sweeteners (aspartame, sucralose, splenda...)

8. Palm oil

Emily Fonnesbeck RD,CD

National Nutrition Month: Tip #1

When presented with a choice, always choose the least processed option. For example, when standing in front of the vending machine, you may see peanut butter crackers, candy bars, pop, pretzels and nuts. Of these, I would choose the nuts. Granted, if from a package, they will probably be salted and roasted but I bet the ingredient list is much shorter than any of the other options. Ideally, packaged products should have 5 ingredients or less. If an apple is available in the vending machine, even better. You know they haven't done much to that!

Emily Fonnesbeck RD,CD

National Nutrition Month

March is National Nutrition Month sponsored by the American Dietetic Association. This year's theme is "Nutrition From the Ground Up". I LOVE this theme. This is most definitely something I believe in and preach often at The Resort. We need to return to whole foods. Forget the packaged, processed junk! Instead focus on how food was intended to be eaten.

So to celebrate National Nutrition Month, I will be posting daily healthy eating tips. Some tips you may have heard me say before, but I only repeat myself if it is important :). I hope you look forward to celebrating nutrition this month!

Emily Fonnesbeck RD,CD