Deciding What To Eat

Part of my job as a dietitian is to help people choose foods that will help them to lose weight, maintain their weight or just be healthier. People often expect that because I am a dietitian I must eat nothing but tofu and vegetables. They are surprised when they see me eat pizza or a burger. I think I eat pretty normally but I do try to choose healthy foods. Lists of which foods to choose can be found all over the Internet, in magazines and in books. Instead of making list of do's and don'ts, I am going to go through my thought process for how I decide what I will eat.


I try to follow the basic dietary advice offered by the FDA, USDA, and most of the top experts in the nutrition field. I focus on fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean meats and low or non-fat dairy products. When a food falls into this group, I limit myself only by taste. If I do not like papaya, I am not going to force myself to it eat just because it is filled with vitamins and minerals. There are plenty of other fruits out there that I love that are just as good for me.


Sure, I would like to lose a couple pounds (wouldn't everyone?) but I have been at this weight for years and have accepted it as a normal weight for me. My main focus is maintaining weight. I think of calories the same way I look at my monthly budget. I have a set income for the month which I need to budget to pay the bills and have money left over for "extras". Calories are the same. I can eat a certain amount of calories per day. I need to budget those calories so that I do not go in debt (gain weight) and, hopefully, have some left over for a treat. I do not count calories as I know about how much food I can eat in a day without weight gain. If my pants start getting too tight or the scale starts creeping up, I start watching what I eat more closely. I do highly recommend calorie counting for those trying to lose weight so that you can see how much you can eat and still lose weight.


For breakfast, I try to eat something healthy. This way I know that even if I make bad food choices the rest of the day, I started the day off right. I typically eat whole grain cereal and skim or 1% milk.


Seldom do I make it to lunch without a snack. Again, I try to make it healthy. At work, I try to keep low fat cheese sticks, yogurt, granola bars and fresh fruit. All of these are healthy, conveniently packaged and inexpensive.


During the week, I often go to the DFAC for lunch. Since I seldom cook meat at home, I usually will get meat, poultry or fish. In deciding which entree, I look at what type of meat it is and how it is cooked. I try to stay away from meat I know is high in fat or anything that has been fried. Sometimes, I skip it altogether and get a grilled cheese. I usually skip the starches because I do not like what they are offering, not because of carbs. I try to choose at least two vegetables. If I do not like the vegetables offered, I will make myself a small salad at the salad bar or get a mayo-free pre-made salad. I also love when they have cut-up fresh fruit. If the DFAC is offering brownies or cookies, I'll get those also. They are the only desserts I will spend my calories on. Basically, my lunch is protein, at least 2 vegetables and fresh fruit.


For dinner, I try to look at what I ate during the day. Did I have protein at lunch? If not, I need to eat some meat, poultry, fish, or beans. Did I have at least two different vegetables at lunch? Even if I did have two vegetables, I try to add at least one more for dinner. Did I have any fruit during the day? No? Than my dessert is fruit. Did I limit my non-healthy food (chocolate) during the day? Yes? Then I can have some chocolate for dessert.


In review, I try to get my day started right by eating a healthy breakfast. Next, I try to choose healthy snacks and lunch. For dinner, I look at what I ate earlier and try to fill in any missing gaps. Making meals for a whole family is not always this simple. Dinner cannot be a fill-in-the-gap for each individual. You might be cooking all night to do that! You can just assume each person did not get enough of one of the food groups. Try to incorporate as many different food groups as possible in your dinner meal. For instance, a dinner that includes chicken, green beans, and rice with a fruit dessert covers 4 food groups.

Starting to eat healthy does take a bit of planning and it may not be perfect for a while. As with everything, a bit of practice will make planning meals much easier.