nutrition Archives - Page 2 of 9

The Perfect Picnic

Sunny weather is here again! And what's more perfect for picnics? With picnics in mind, we thought we'd write some helpful hints on ways to keep picnics fun, simple, and healthy. Remember back to our "Building A Healthy Salad" article, we used the Plate Method as a starting point for building a great salad. Many of those same principles, plus the tips in this article, can be used to plan for The Perfect Picnic! To review, the plate method encourages filling at least half of your plate with non-starchy vegetables, a quarter of it with lean protein and the remainder with whole grains and fruits. Stay Ahead of Dehydration with Water, Fruits and Vegetables It's always important to ensure adequate hydration, especially with any increase in physical activity. While packing our food for the day, we might accidentally forget to [...]

Tags: corporate wellness, easy meals, fruits and vegetables, healthy eating, nutrition, picnic, summertime, water|

Ditch the Diets

The dieting industry is a multi-billion dollar industry for a reason. The reason you keep seeing all of these new trendy diets hitting the market is because diets don’t work! Millions of Americans attempt to lose weight each year by purchasing diet pills, meal plans, and other various dieting programs. Only to fail miserably. The truth is, it's not your fault. For years we have been taking the wrong approach, restriction is not the answer. Psychologically, dietary restraint can lead to greater reactivity to food cues, increased cravings, and indulgence. This, in-turn can cause overeating and binge eating. Biologically, dieting can lead to unhealthy changes in body composition, hormonal changes, reduced bone density, menstrual disturbances, and lower resting energy expenditure. The smartest decision you can make is to ditch the dieting and restriction mentality. Instead, incorporate healthy foods into [...]

Tags: corporate wellness, diet, dietetic internship, dietitian, HAES, health at every size, healthy eating, intuitive eating, lifestyle change, nutrition|

Building a Healthy Salad

Salads are the image of "health food". When we think "I'm going to eat healthily", we often default to salads. Although, when we don't build a well-balanced salad, we might end up overeating at snacks or later meals. The salad could be loaded with salt and fat and we feel as sluggish as if we had consumed a burger! In between these two extremes is a salad that will help us sustain energy, without yearning for more or feeling too tired to keep moving. This can be a great option if we make a great plan! As fresh vegetable season is around the corner, here is a guide for creating optimal salad combinations. Plate Method: this encourages a balanced meal with lean proteins, dairy/non-dairy alternatives, vegetables/fruits, grains, and heart-healthy fats. Salads incorporating most, or all, of these in recommended [...]

Tags: clean eating, corporate wellness, nutrition, recipe, salad, vegetable|

Fact or Fiction: Debunking Nutrition Myths

Myth: You can’t get enough protein unless you consume meat. False. Protein is in a variety of foods besides meat and poultry including nuts, peanut butter, beans, lentils, quinoa, eggs, soy (tofu, edamame, and soy milk), and dairy products (milk, cottage cheese, and Greek yogurt). While you are planning your meals for the week, think of ways that you can add plant-based protein sources to your favorite dishes. For example, instead of adding chicken to your salad, use no sodium-added garbanzo beans. Not only will the beans add protein, but they are also a good source of fiber, which can help with weight management. Myth: Fruit is too high in sugar so I should avoid it. False. There are two types of sugar: natural sugar and added sugar. Fruit contains natural sugar as well as many beneficial nutrients like fiber, [...]

Tags: clean eating, corporate wellness, nutrition, nutrition fads, nutrition myths|

Nutrition and Heart Health

Be Kind to Your Heart: Supporting Your Heart Through Nutrition Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. The good news is that creating healthy habits can decrease your chance of developing heart disease. There are so many ways to be proactive in taking care of your heart health such as exercising, managing stress, reducing sodium intake, switching to healthy fats, and increasing your soluble fiber intake. Reminder: Don’t overwhelm yourself with lifestyle changes. Reflect on your habits. What is one thing that you would like to work on? Eating more vegetables? Going for consistent walks? Set yourself up for long-term success by making one or two achievable lifestyle changes. If you try to make too many changes at once, you have a higher chance of not meeting your goals. Let’s look at how nutrition [...]

Tags: corporate welllness, fiber, heart health, nutrition|

Heart Healthy Grocery Shopping

Use the tips below to create a heart-healthy grocery shopping list. Produce Choose a variety of fresh fruits and veggies No sodium added or low sodium canned beans & veggies Plain frozen veggies and fruit No sugar added dried fruit (raisins) Grains Plain brown rice, quinoa, or whole-wheat pasta Lower added sugar cereal (Total, plain Cheerios, Wheaties, etc.) and oats Protein Meats with loin or round in the name like pork tenderloin Salmon and tuna (look for canned tuna packed in water) Reduced sodium chicken or turkey deli meats 90% lean ground beef Skinless chicken and turkey Ground chicken or turkey No sodium added canned beans and lentils Fats Olive, canola, avocado oil Lightly salted or unsalted nuts Peanut butter, cashew butter, sunflower butter, etc. Avocado Dairy/dairy alternatives Reduced fat milk Reduced fat cottage cheese and cheese Reduced added sugar [...]

Tags: corporate welllness, grocery, heart health, nutrition|

Winter Produce

Does your New Year’s resolution include eating more fruits and vegetables? Produce has many health benefits but unfortunately, most people are not meeting the recommended five servings of fruits and veggies each day. In fact, research has found that, “just 1 in 10 adults meet the federal fruit or vegetable recommendations.” Not only are fruits and vegetables delicious but having a balanced diet that includes a variety of fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers. Fruits and vegetables can be enjoyed all year round. Winter offers a variety of in=-season fruits and veggies including apples, bananas, carrots, celery, collard greens, cabbage, pears, oranges, winter squash, etc. In-season fruits and vegetables are usually more affordable and make great additions to meals and snacks. Winter Produce Highlights Cabbage Choose cabbages that are firm with [...]

Tags: corporate wellness, fruit, fruits and vegetables, nutrition, produce, vegetables, veggies|

Holiday Eating

Holidays are all about food and traditions like baking grandma’s famous pie recipe with your kids each year. It is ok to indulge in your favorite holiday treats but try to be mindful of your portion sizes during holiday celebrations. Use the tips below to set you up for success this holiday season. Tricks to use while at the party Volunteer to bring a salad or fruit platter to the party. Bringing an appetizer or entrée allows you to have access to a nutritious choice. Have a small snack before going to a holiday party. If you arrive to a party feeling hungry, you may have oversized portions during the meal. How do I build a heathy snack? Combine two food groups together to create a nutritious and filling snack. For example, a great choice would be an apple with [...]

Tags: corporate welllness, healthy holidays, nutrition|

5 Tips for Managing School and Your Stress

A new school year is a busy and exciting time for students of any age. However, all that excitement can bring a lot of extra stress. Settling back into a routine can be a breath of fresh air after the summer break, but between changes in schedules, homework, tests, and day-to-day responsibilities, life can start to feel overwhelming quickly. We’re going to explore five different ways that can help you manage stress this school year. Stay Organized Nothing makes stress levels spike like losing an assignment or completely forgetting about a test. Clutter of the mind or physical clutter around you can leave you with your wheels spinning, unsure of what to do next. Even if you don’t consider organization one of your strong suits, there are several easy habits you can incorporate to keep your school responsibilities in [...]

Tags: back to school, energy, meditation, nutrition, organization, sleep, stress|

Building a Balanced Lunchbox

Steps to Build a Healthy Lunchbox When filling up your children’s lunch box, make sure to include a variety of different foods. Half of their lunch should consist of fruits and vegetables, a quarter should be protein, and a quarter should be whole grains. It is important for children to consume a variety of nutrients because they play an important role in growth and development. Follow these 5 easy steps to build your child a balanced lunch! Tips and tricks to get your kids to eat their packed lunch: Get them involved! Encourage your kids to get involved with the planning and preparing of their school lunches. Teach them the importance of nutrition while making it fun and interactive! Write a note! Slip a handwritten note into their lunchbox. These notes can be a picture, story, memory, silly joke, or [...]

Tags: bento box, clean eating, corporate wellness, eating clean, lunch, lunch time, lunchbox, lunchtime, nutrition, sack lunch|