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Author: Amanda Cain I always cringe a little on the inside whenever I have to throw away food. Especially if it’s a mostly full container that seems like it was perfectly fine yesterday, but it’s actually been there over a week. The holidays seem to compound things in this department as food is a core feature in many traditions. Thankfully I’ve learned a few strategies since I first started cooking to minimize food waste. #1 – Meal Planning It’s my first go-to for combatting food waste. Take spinach for example. I love it, but it seems to go bad so quickly. My solution? I plan to use it in several meals throughout the week. Put it in salads, on sandwiches, in pasta, in omelets, you name it. If I plan it in, I’m less likely to end up with a box of wilted spinach at the end of the week. #2 – Reuse ingredients. Yesterday’s grilled chicken breasts can be tonight’s chicken tacos. Today’s raw veggie sticks can be the base for tomorrow’s vegetable soup. Leftovers don’t have to be mundane – start with more “whole” food items, then try chopping or slicing leftovers to put in soups, casseroles, or different dishes.
#3 – Check expiration dates.
Milk is a big one for me. I don’t go through it very quickly, so I opt for organic simply because it’s processed in a way that gives it a longer shelf life and later expiration date. With foods already in the fridge, prioritize foods likeliest to go bad first. Choose fresh produce and earlier expiration dates first, and incorporate more frozen foods later in the week. #4 – Freeze it. If I make a large batch of a recipe, and don’t anticipate using it up within the week, I’ll freeze part of it for later meals. Soups and stews typically freeze and reheat pretty well. This also works for some ingredients you may not use all of – such as meats, vegetables like broccoli or peas, etc. #5 – Make your own stock. Feeling ambitious? Make your own stock! Don't throw away the ends of vegetables, seeds and pits, and other leftover parts that didn't end up in the main dish. Put them in a bag in your freezer, and when you’re ready, boil the contents for several hours. Strain the contents, and you’ve got your own stock! The same can go with meat bones, for making your own broth. #6 – Composting. Still have food waste? (Let’s be honest, we all have some.) Consider composting, especially if you like to garden or even just have indoor plants! Really, all you need is some kind of container with holes. (Here’s 35 awesome ideas from the blog DIY & Crafts to get you started!) Toss your food scraps, coffee grounds, then leave it outside and let nature do its thing. It’s a quick, eco-friendly way to give your plants some added nutrients!
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"How to pack the healthiest school lunch, according to nutritionists" by Samantha Cassetty of NBC.
Note that any press we are associated with may have their own opinions that do not align exactly with our philosophies, and any comments from Nutrition Rites are to shed positive light on the benefits of well-balanced nutrition. A NUTRITIOUS LUNCH 3 WAYSDietitians Cheyenne Richards, MBA, RDN, LD and Kayla Fitzgerald, RDN, LD give you multiple ways to hit several food groups—including plenty of fresh produce—in one lunch box. “The variety helps fuel daily activity and adds fiber which has many benefits,” they say. Keep in mind that these lunches may be best suited for elementary-aged children, but upping the serving size would make them appropriate for older kids. And if your child often turns up her nose at your lunch offerings, take note: “Picky eaters will love these meals as they are diverse, yet not overwhelming and there are plenty of finger foods,” they say. For the full article visit: https://www.nbcnews.com/better/pop-culture/how-pack-healthiest-school-lunch-according-nutritionists-ncna905421 "How to Avoid a Post-Thanksgiving Hangover" by Hirstina Byrnes of 24/7 Wall Street features comments from your dietitian, Kayla Fitzgerald. Note that any press we are associated with may have their own opinions that do not align exactly with our philosophies, and any comments from Nutrition Rites are to shed positive light on the benefits of well-balanced nutrition. Tip: “Instead of trying to make the foods we eat on special occasions healthier, we like to focus more on eating well on all the other days of the year and allowing yourself to enjoy your traditional holiday meals without feeling guilty,” Kayla Fitzgerald, a registered dietitian and nutritionist at Nutrition Rites, a nutrition counseling center in Charleston, South Carolina, said.
For the full article visit: https://247wallst.com/special-report/2018/11/02/how-to-avoid-a-post-thanksgiving-food-hangover/ I love my crock pot. I love it so much that I haven't even made myself get an Instapot yet, and that's saying a lot! Some of the perks of a slow cooker include time saving (e.g., dump and go or prep ahead), cost reducing (e.g., tenderizes less expensive cuts of meat) and health boosting (e.g., homemade vs. takeout) benefits. Some of my favorite recipes: Tip: Brighten up your meal with a fresh side salad of the same flavor profile (e.g., a Southwest salad would be nice with the taco soup). If you're a seasoned pro and want to up your game, check out this great article by @Today for some great tips on maximizing the benefits of your slow cooker. Frankly, I'm usually too busy to even sear the chicken thighs before I dump them in! That's the best thing about the slow cooker...it's ability to be so forgiving. Have a 2-qt crock pot? Get it out of the cabinets and put it to use one of these ways:
We love this time of year just as much as the next person...except that we love it more! Back-to-school for dietitians means we get to use our knowledge base and creativity to the max. Back-to-school is also a time where we get, at least for a couple weeks, constant satisfaction as we help others tackle lunch packing. Check out some of our quick tips below.  Show some love to a few different food groups in your lunch. This will help to fuel your body for the rest of the work or school day. To the left, we have fruits + veggies + protein + grains. Even the lunches pictured are incredibly simple (which is a tip in-itself), it is key to:
Another key: Commit to dividing your container. Whether you invest in something like an OmieBox (keeps colds cold or hots hot) or go simple like we did with our Tupperware and silicone cupcake molds, having multiple sections gears your brain towards adding those varied food groups. There's something about the combination of the different food groups that not only makes the meal visually appealing, but that also aids in digestion and other positive metabolic benefits.  Overall, the meal should also be pretty satisfying. Enjoy!   Adding a new dietitian to the team is a wonderful thing for our clients! Here's a bit more on RDN Kayla Fitzgerald, Q&A style.
1. How did you get into dietetics?
I did some grueling product testing this weekend just for you. Here are my thoughts on these trendy "fit wines." (This one caught my eye through a Whole Foods email ad campaign.)  First of all, I don't drink wine to be "fit." So...the concept in itself is kind of lost on me. More so, the runner on the label is kind of a turn off. For me, I don't necessarily want to be reminded of the gym while I'm enjoying my glass of Chardonnay. For you, though, I went through with this experiment and tried it anyways. The results...I kind of liked the wine. It is not very "full bodied," which I prefer, so I would not buy it again for the purpose of enjoying a glass of wine. All in all, I figured I'd be giving this product a thumbs down. However, on further thought, there are some real pros to this brand. #1: Fit Vine wines are lower in sulfites (they are filtered out). Many of my clients decrease headaches, migraines, acne, bloating, and more by watching their sulfite intake. #2: I would almost never make a drink like a Sangria (they are super high in sugar and I prefer to eat vs. drink my calories). Because this particular Chardonnay was so light (and about 30 calories per 5oz less than traditional wines), it would be an awesome ingredient to a wine spritzer or Sangria (like in this recipe from Emma Chapman). Enjoy! (responsibly, of course) PROS:
One thing almost every client and I discuss is the importance of sitting down to a completely built plate each time they eat. I explain how just the act of seeing a complete meal can have an effect on how satisfying it can be. This piece of advice isn't just from gut instinct (although, when I take my own advice, it works). It stems from research that indicates how both hunger and the feeling of being satisfied are linked to our perceptions of our meals. Here's the example the study gives:
References
 Tim Church has over 20 years of experience in the fitness and health industry. Besides traveling the world to educate other personal trainers, he also actively coaches a variety of clientele (e.g., from locals like you and me to celebs who make Charleston one of their routine destinations).
Tim has offered to help me add a little variety to the information I "dish" out to you. His ingredient of choice is physical activity. The recipe for the day is called FITTE. Frequency, Intensity, Time, Type, Enjoyment. Tim's best advice is to make the "F" and the "E" the foundation of your routine. If you enjoy the exercise, the frequency is more likely to be established. Everything else falls into place (between the F and the E). Tim talks my language. "It's like a good chili," he says. "Once you get the base, each cook can add their own spice and variety." This is what makes it feel personalized. On enjoyment: Start with what you're good at first. Go to the low hanging fruit. Start with your strengths. For some, power is key. For others, slow and steady might be the ticket. Also, start with people you enjoy. This is tried and true advice. When someone is waiting on you, you're more apt to show up. On frequency: Tim's rule is to start with more than 50% of the days of the week. This means 4 days. If this number of days bogs you down, don't sweat (hehe). Short durations are okay (as little as 15 minutes per day can make a difference). Heck, once you talk yourself into 15 minutes, 30 minutes blows by. One key to frequency is having a 10 minute back up routine on hand for the days that just seem to absolutely turn upside down. This is just like having that back up Larabar or almonds in your bag in case you get stuck and need that nutrition. Even if you're a seasoned athlete and are making it to the gym, there are those days when you're fatigued or bored and need this advice. Enjoyment and frequency. Start there. Keep it simple and go. Tim is locally based so give him a call if you need a jump start. You can find him at www.mostfitlife.com. Regardless of what percentage of New Year's resolutions stick, at least they get us thinking. Sometimes they even get us talking and doing new things that can lead to healthier and happier habits. Thinking in terms of habits can dramatically improve your chances of achieving results.
At our home, "We believe that clear thinking leads to good decisions, that good decisions lead to the right habits, that the right habits lead to character, and that character becomes destiny." A quote by Lord Acton, which I learned about in grad school. When the purpose of the goal is clear, good decisions are made, and long term patterns of behaviors are achieved - this is when you will see results. Previously, I've work on kicking bad habits. In particular...diet soda. I tried unmercifully for years (yes, years!) to kick this particularly detrimental behavior. It wasn't until I could clearly think about and understand the reason or purpose of the goal that I was able to commit to removing diet sodas from my diet. The best thing I did was ask myself, "Why is this so hard?" At first, I would just contribute the challenge to how "addicting" diet sodas were said to be. While I did apply some of the rules of addiction therapy, it still wasn't enough. Finally, I realized that the actual, physical prevalence of sodas and their coinciding advertising were the things that fed my behavior the most. I mean, there is a Coke on the end of every grocery store isle, at every check out (even at Marshall's for crying out loud), and you can even order cases on Amazon Prime. Don't forget about commercials, billboards and friends' habits. I literally could not get away from the one thing I didn't want. This was it for me...the "ah ha!" I was being manipulated by these large soda companies to not only consume their products, but to consume more and more of them by thinking that the products were "a part of my life." Once I understood this, I was able to look at my habit from a whole new perspective. I could say "no" to these big corporations. My experience reminds me often of the anti-tobacco commercials, where cigarettes dominate the main protagonists' lives. Of course, I also applied other behaviors that I would naturally recommend as part of nutrition counseling for my own clients (e.g., replacing soda with an alternative). In my case, when the purpose of the goal was clear, decisions to remove barriers were made, and long term patterns of behaviors were achieved - this is when I saw results. At first, I counted each day a success, then months and now years. This is what healthy living is about - making positive changes that last a lifetime. Just thinking about new, healthier goals is good. Start somewhere! What's on my New Year's list for this year? I'll keep you posted. |
AuthorCheyenne is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist located in the Charleston, SC area. Archives
November 2018
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