Non-elimination diet - Wellness by Wendy

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The main reason I decided to become a registered dietitian is because I love food so much, and I believe the power of food can change lives. This can be anything from learning what plan can help you gain/lose weight to learning where to go if you need food assistance. I find so much joy each day in finding new-to-me foods and adopting new techniques to prepare familiar foods. I have a deep interest in the way food affects our minds, bodies and souls. My mission as a future dietitian is to guide others in finding harmony with food and providing them tools they need to have a successful relationship with food.

One myth I know exists is that dietitians are the “food police” and this couldn’t be further from the truth (at least of the dietitians I know). We probably love food more than you- we have made it our life’s work. I know every one has a different approach, but I don’t believe that dietitians who put foods on a “good” or “bad” list have your best interest at heart! We’ve all heard it- everything in moderation.

So, back in August I came across an article on the Women’s Health website that interested me. It was a list of 30 foods “nutritionists never eat”. The title interested me first because I do find that people always want to know what nutritionists are eating, when really the focus should be on the client! I decided to go through the list and pull out 5 items I think I can offer a solution for instead of writing them off.

Flavored instant oatmeal: likely anything flavored is going to contain added sugar and sodium, and breakfast foods are notorious for added sugar.

Still eat it: sift the oats before putting them in the liquid, shaking off excess sugar and sodium.

Boxed vegetable pasta: they look healthy because some are green-colored, but the dietitian is correct in saying that it is a minimal benefit.

Still eat it: add a vegetable of the same color as each color found in the pasta and fill half your plate with the vegetables. Is your pasta green and orange? Serve with broccoli and carrots.

Pretzels: pretzels are a refined carbohydrate, like many of our favorite snacks. We can’t cut out snacks, right?

Still eat it: portion out your serving (according to the nutrition facts label) and don’t just eat pretzels! Add fruit or low-fat cheese to decrease the spike in blood sugar.

Fat-free salad dressing: it’s important to know how to read the nutrition facts label to look out for unnecessary additives, but if salad dressing is your downfall (some people use up to ¼ cup), then fat-free might be the way to go.

Still eat it: throw a healthy fat onto your salad, such as avocado, nuts or seeds. This will also help the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins and will save you many calories had you chosen a full-fat dressing.

Light mayo: The same reason as the fat-free salad dressing. It’s not often that the mayo is the only fat-containing item in a meal, so it’s fine to go light. It’s not always true that lower fat varieties have added sugar, and if they do it might be minimal.

Still eat it: pick a variety with no added sugar or minimal added sugar.

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