Five ways to convert a picky eater

I was a picky eater growing up. Enjoyed my meat and potatoes, loved pasta and bread. I limited the fruits I would eat and even more so the vegetables I would eat.  Then I grew up.

Part of my evolution in eating is because I am a dietitian and I have to eat what I preach! A lot also had to do with the positive influence of family, friends, and an openness to try new things.  When I mention tofu or fish to some of my clients, they cringe. Tofu was not in my vocabulary growing up and fish, my parents never forced me to eat. Just the smell was enough to make me sick! But in time, under my own circumstances, I have learned to incorporate these foods and many others into my own fridge and lifestyle.

Here are 5 ways to convert the picky eater in you. 

1.    Mix it up with what you love. I learned to eat vegetables through pizza, rice and minestrone. I enjoyed carbohydrates so if vegetables were diced and covered in mozzarella, tossed into a stir-fry or incorporated into a soup, I was more likely to try it…and like it.

2. Start small.  The first time I cooked fish I avoided the fresh fish department and instead purchased a simple, frozen salmon, available in 4 x100g servings. I baked one serving as suggested in the oven and thought, “It’s not so bad” once I tried it. So I tried it a few more times. I moved onto rainbow trout, and enjoyed that even more.  I went from eating no fish, to some fish.

3.     Eat in company. I will never forget as a child, and neither will my mother, when we were sitting as guests at the host’s table in Italy, and when offered an afternoon snack my mom replied on my behalf “don’t bother, she does not eat that” only to see me eat the entire serving. Sometimes the pressure of being with others encourages us to try new foods. You may find out you like it or not, either way, be open to trying new foods.

4.     Look for simple recipes.  If you are unsure how to use a new ingredient search out recipes until you find one that is simple enough for you to try, at least once.

5.     If at first you don’t succeed, try try again...and in different ways.  I prefer baked carrots to raw, unless shredded in a salad. I prefer spinach in a salad than in a soup. Try preparing foods in a variety of ways until you find a way best suited to you and your family’s tastes.  

How to Combat Obesity

I was listening to the conversation on the Arlene Bynon show entitled Fighting Obesity in Canada, while driving home from work this afternoon. The conversation started by suggesting a majority of Canadians surveyed want the Government to take more action in managing childhood obesity. There was also discussion about whether the term obesity should even be used between doctor and patient. I found the conversation interesting and compelling and if I had the phone number handy, I would have placed a call.

In this blog I’m going to share with you some of my thoughts on obesity and the Government’s role in reducing the obesity rates in Canada. I hope you will join me in the conversation.

•           I believe once someone commits to nutrition counselling for healthier eating and/or weight loss it is irrelevant whether the person is defined as overweight or obese
•      I believe there is more value in speaking about the health benefits associated with improved eating habits and weight loss
•      My (short-term) target weight loss is typically 10% of total body weight, regardless of starting weight or BMI (body mass index). This amount of weight loss would be significant in lowering risk of developing heart disease, diabetes or high blood pressure (to name a few).
•      Parents have to take responsibility for their children’s’ health and realize the eating habits and food choices parents are making for themselves and the family will directly impact the children’s eating behaviours and health outcome.
•      The Government can assist by placing pressure on the food industry to produce “healthier foods” by reducing the amount of trans fat, sodium, sugar, antibiotics and pesticides etc. that are used in growing or producing foods as well as encourage marketers to avoid targeting children for non-nutritious foods

Here is an example of a Canadian government initiative to reduce the sodium intake of Canadians.

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/nutrition/sodium/sodium-intake-apport-reduction/strateg/index-eng.php

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•      The individual Canadian must commit to reducing the amount of processed food in their diet and focus on including more home cooked meals, with fresh, locally grown and produced foods.

You can start by visiting http://www.dietitians.ca/search.aspxsearchtext=home+cooked+meals&searchmode=allwords

• An individual can get assistance in adapting healthier eating into their lifestyle by enlisting the services of a registered dietitian

Find a registered dietitian in your area by visiting http://www.dietitians.ca/Find-A-Dietitian.aspx

Must Have Foods In Your Daily Diet

This year's final edition of Nutrition Action Health Letter arrived in the mail. The cover story "Eat Smart: Which foods are good for what" inspired me to write this blog and share with you what I aim to teach all my clients - to incorporate a variety of foods into their diet. Variety and moderation are the two fundamentals in achieving health through nutrition.

Here are 4 categories of Must Have Foods that you want to incorporate into your daily diet.

1. Oils - Oils from corn, sunflower, olive or canola, nuts and fatty fish are important to lower cholesterol levels. Canada's Food Guide recommends 2-3 tbsp of unsaturated fat each day. Limit nuts to 1/4 cup. Aim for fish 1-2 times per week.

2. Colourful Vegetables - Dark leafy greens (spinach, kale, collards, Swiss chard), and deep orange vegetables (butternut squash, sweet potatoes) offer protection against some cancers, blood pressure and eye health. Vegetables should be a part of every dinner and raw vegetables make a great mid-day snack.

3. Low-fat Dairy Products - Skim milk, yogurt, and low-fat cheese can offer the benefit of calcium, vitamin D and potassium which may lower the risk of developing certain cancers i.e. colon, and lowering blood pressure. Top your All Bran Buds with skim milk or a serving of low-fat yogurt at breakfast or as a mid-day snack.

4. Beans - Lentils, chick peas, kidney beans etc. are high in fibre which is effective in lowering cholesterol, lowering blood pressure and helping you stay "regular". Aim for at least one vegetarian meal per week that includes a serving (3/4 cup) of beans.

I'd love to hear your strategies and share your recipes that include these Must Have Foods!

Inspiration sourced from: http://www.cspinet.org/nah/ 

How do I manage holiday eating?

If “sweets” is your weakness, look out because chocolate and candy are everywhere and next week “trick or treat” leftovers will be creeping into your office lunchroom, shared desk space or kitchen cupboard.

If you’ve eaten 4 of those “bite-size” treats you possibly ate the equivalent of an entire chocolate bar or 240 calories, 12g of fat, and 24g sugar. Have I spoiled your fun yet?

Consider this blog my “treat” to you, to help you enjoy the pleasures of what Halloween and the upcoming Holiday season brings, without  “tricking” you into two months of gluttonous eating and ending your year off with 5lbs of extra seating!

Halloween Tips

1. Buy treats for distribution that you DO NOT like.  If you crave chocolate, buy candy, if you crave candy, by chips, prefer salty snacks, then buy sweets.

2. Consider an alternative treat this year such as stickers or pencils.

3. Do not keep leftovers. Distribute all treats to the trick or treaters. 

4. Allow yourself to enjoy 1 or 2 treats on Halloween Day. 

   (Smarties snack pack has 45 calories and 1.5g fat, Areo has 40 calories and 2g fat)

Holiday Tips

1. Review your holiday calendar in advance. Many people’s calendars are filling up with annual functions, parties, and potlucks.  Aim to schedule one event per week, maximum. 

2. Limit eating out other than at these scheduled events.

3. This time of year make an effort to bring a homemade healthy lunch to work.

4. Increase your consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables.  

5. Increase your water consumption.

Ingredients to avoid in processed foods

Occasionally, clients will bring in packaging of a food product to get my opinion on whether it is a good food choice. Recently, a client brought to me the label for Fibre 1 chewy bar. The first thing I did was start reading the ingredient listing out loud.

glucose-fructose, inulin fibre, sugar, whole grain oats, puffed wheat, high maltose corn syrup...


and the list goes on, 37 ingredients in total.


Ingredients in Canada are listed from the highest concentration to the lowest concentration. So the first few ingredients can be very telling. In this case, three of the first six ingredients are types of sugar. Needless to say, I suggested she avoid these bars as a snack option.


Here are 3 more ingredients you may want to avoid when purchasing packaged foods.

1.  partially hydrogenated oils - these oils are responsible for creating trans fats, the worst type of fat, the one that may increase your bad cholesterol levels and contribute to heart disease

2. sodium nitrates - these additives are commonly found in deli meats, hot dogs, and bacon. They may have a carcinogenic effect, which means cancer-causing.

3. enriched wheat flour - refers to wheat that has been stripped of its natural goodness and then "enriched" with nutrients after the fact; generally less fibre content that its whole-wheat or whole grain counterparts

When shopping, look for products that contain whole grains, unsaturated fats such as sunflower or canola oil, and additional fibre sources such as ground flax seed.

Can I eat healthy while traveling this summer?

I recently returned from a weekend getaway to the Lewiston NY/Niagara region and faced the challenge of "healthy" eating while traveling. Eating while traveling presents a number of challenges including a change in eating pattern, availability in food and variety of food. Variables such as traveling by car or plane, visiting a city or cottage country and traveling alone or in a group also influences what your food choices may be.

Here are a few suggestions to help you maximize healthy eating and minimize the symptoms of unhealthy eating (such as constipation, diarrhea, bloating) while enjoying your travels this summer.

1. Make breakfast a healthy start by choosing foods containing fibre and that are low in fat. Start with a fibre containing cereal such as Cheerios, Bran Flakes, Bran Buds (if available). You can pack your own instant oatmeal and use the hot water available for tea to make yourself cereal. Corn flakes are typically available at breakfast buffets but offer little in terms of fibre. Not a cereal fan? Opt for whole wheat toast with peanut butter. Yogurt and fresh fruit are typically available and make healthy choices. Avoid the scrambled eggs (may contain butter, cream) and bacon which are high in fat and low in fibre. Make sure to include a glass of water with your meal.

2. Snacking between meals is less typical when traveling as portion sizes at meals tend to be larger, therefore keeping you feeling full for a longer period of time. If you tend to eat two larger meals (breakfast and dinner) and opt to skip lunch, then grab a second piece of fresh fruit from the breakfast bar and hold on to it as a mid-day snack later that day.

3. Keep lunch light. Generally speaking, when we talk about healthy eating we speak about having a large breakfast, moderate sized lunch and smaller dinner meal. When traveling I find dinner tends to be the largest meal as it is the most common time to sit, unwind and enjoy a nice meal. Order only an entree, choosing salad as your side, and skip appetizers, dessert and alcohol (these items are likely to present themselves at dinner).

4. Be menu savvy at dinner.  If the server places bread on the table, ask he or she to take it back to the kitchen. If you opt to eat the bread (avoid ordering an appetizer). Share (1) appetizer and (1) dessert. Order wine by the glass (not the bottle) and beer by the bottle (not the pint - if possible).   Enjoy your meal without being afraid to leave some behind on your plate. Listen to your body and stop eating when you are full.


5.  Drink plenty of water. Keep a water bottle with you as you would when at home or work to ensure you are keeping hydrated throughout the day. Typically people stop for a "drink" (cocktail or beer), sweetened beverages such as iced tea or a coffee. These beverages can be dehydrating and leave you feeling parched on a hot summer's day (not to mention the extra calories you consume with these beverages). Ask the server to provide you with a glass of water at each meal. In our experience, unsweetened iced tea was also available at each restaurant.

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Is there such thing as healthy frozen food?

In an ideal life we would have time to prepare homemade meals from scratch. In a realistic world we know that is not always the case. Whether pressed for time or short on groceries, the convenience of frozen food serves a purpose in our lives at one point or another.

Convenience foods (CF) can save you time and money, compared to the alternative of eating out. CF can be chosen to be relatively "healthy"as long you know what to look for. Here are my picks of frozen options for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

1. Breakfast: Nature's Path Organic Flax Waffles Plus

1 serving (2 waffles) provides 200kcal, 8g fat (1 g of omega-3), 330mg sodium and 5g fibre
 
Make this a balanced breakfast by adding 1/2 cup of fresh or frozen berries and 1 boiled egg
(eggs can be boiled in advance and refrigerated to use as a grab and go option) 

2. Lunch: Healthy Choice Gourmet Steamers Sweet Sesame Chicken (with long grain rice & vegetables)

1 serving (1 package) provides 340kcal, 6g fat, 330mg sodium, 5g fibre, 1 serving vegetable


Make this a completely balanced lunch by adding a serving of yogurt.

Although you may be tempted to try the other varieties, I recommend purchasing those that contain less than 10g fat and less than 500mg sodium per serving.

3. Dinner: High Liner Pan Sear Select Wild Pacific Salmon Mediterranean
 
1 serving (1 fillet) provides 220kcal, 10 fat (1.5 omega 3), 390mg sodium

Make this a balanced dinner by adding 1-cup of fresh or frozen vegetables and 1/2 cup whole-wheat couscous.