Excellent care, close to home

Welcome to my blog! I'm Jean Weiler, Registered Dietitian and Nutrition Services Manager, Hudson Hospital & Clinics.

March celebrates National Nutrition Month.  This year's theme is "Eat Right, Your Way, Every Day," encourages personalized healthy eating styles* and recognizes that food preferences, lifestyle, cultural and ethnic traditions and health concerns all impact individual food choices. Registered dietitians play a critical role in helping people eat right, their way, every day.

 Let’s start with what makes up a “Healthy Diet." The Dietary Guidelines for Americans describe a healthy diet as one that:

• Emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products;
• Includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts; and
• Is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars

The number one priority for everyone is to eat vegetables and fruit every day.  How much is enough? The recommendations are: 4-5 cups each day.

While eating enough vegetables and fruit tops the list, using portion control and smart tactics is a key to eating and feeling healthy.  Enjoy all foods you love and eat less. 

Here are a number of different practices you can begin incorporating to help you “eat less” every day.

• Eat the vegetable and fruit salads, ask yourself, "Is it really a vegetable or fruit salad?”  Most of us are familiar with the notorious “Snicker Bar Salad” which is a salad in name only.
• Try some of whatever you like and only try it once
• Minimize liquid calories. Soda and alcoholic beverages are high in calories and have little effect on quenching your appetite. 
• What about those great family meals? Some of same practices apply:
  • Include the vegetables served
  • Sample all the food you like, once only.
  • Share a dessert
  • Again, minimize the liquid calories

Share your healthy every-day eating ideas with us. Send us your comments at info@hudsonhospital.org or join the conversation on Facebook.

Hudson Hospital & Clinics website and social media does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.  See additional disclaimer information.

Categories: General