nutrition tips for the time starved

by Dorothy Humm, MBA, RD, CDE, CDN

Listening to all the diet “experts” and trying to do the right thing? Marion Nestle, PhD, MPH, of New York University says it simply: “Eat less. Exercise more.”

Sounds simple, but very difficult for those of us who live in a harried world full of deadlines and responsibilities. We grab what we can, when we can, and where we can. People who are counseled and coached by an experienced registered dietitian (RD) often find it saves time and effort in their quest to enjoy healthful eating. Here are a few tips from these professionals:

1. Christine Filardo, MS, RD, director for the Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH), a nonprofit consumer education group, offers this tip: substitute popcorn for candy and chips when mindlessly eating in front of the TV. She adds, “You don’t have to be a gourmet cook to eat healthfully. A couple of chicken breasts and sliced up sweet potatoes can be roasted in the oven. You can stir fry a bag of leafy vegetables with some garlic and oil.”

2. Make only one or two changes at a time. We don’t have to abandon all the foods we love. For example: buy healthy ingredients for a couple of meals when at the supermarket. Think about what you like: Crunchy? Soft? Squishy? High flavor? Pretty? Think about the visual and sensual things that are a part of your comfort foods. Then, on your way home from work, visualize how you will use those items when you get home.

3. Do you get hungry mid-day and the vending machine knows your name? Consider using plastic snack bags for portions of nuts, dried fruits, or low-fat whole grain crackers. Pre-proportion the whole box of crackers when you bring it home from the store and put the bags back in the box. Now you’re ready for snacks at home, at work, on the run, or traveling.

4. David Grotto, RD, LDN, and Cynthia Sass, MPH, MA, RD, LDN, offer strategies for timesavers to reduce a woman’s stress level. “Give up the role as ‘Food Cop’ for your loved one.” When you nag, and say “you shouldn’t be eating that” or in some way police what your partner eats, you will increase your stress level and they may retaliate by being even more likely to choose quick fixes high in fat, sugar, sodium, or calories and low in essential nutrients.

5. Workaholics, frequent travelers, super moms and dads, take note. Do you need to find a couple of extra hours in the day? Consider buying pre-prepared sandwiches – or make your own on the weekend, for a week in advance, and freeze them. Do the fresh fruits and veggies you buy go bad on the counter or refrigerator? Consider buying small amounts of pre-washed and cut up fruits and vegetables. You are much more likely to eat them rather than throw them away (thus saving money in the long run). Throw veggies into dried or canned soups to make the soup more like Mama used to make.

Make time to seek out a qualified nutrition professional to help you save time in the long run. You’ll gain a lifetime toolbox full of health-risk reducing tips and actions and learn strategies for applying the confusing nutrition information we see and hear daily.

About the Author Dorothy Humm is the owner of The Preferred Nutritionist Organization. She can be contacted at (585) 637-5430 or email dothumm@pnorg.com.