Guest blog: what peeves the nutritionista?
Welcome Heather again from Trials of Training as my guest blogger today! I have always pondered with the notion of becoming a nutritionist b/c I love all things health related and this great runner is doing exactly that!
So, Sassy asked me an interesting question. ”What are daily or regular occurrences that you see in society that make the nutritionista in you want to scream or help someone out immediately?”
Oh, Sass. Where do I start?!
There’s definitely an inner-‘Nutrionista’ (ha, I love that term) that has a Very strong voice sometimes. I’ll try to steer clear of the things you can (probably) safely assume bother any Dietitian – like a Big Mac Value meal, or something like that. These are a few of the ‘bigger’ things that I just don’t get……
100 calorie snack-packs. The IDEA is good (portion control), but you’ll Never find one of these in my shopping cart. The majority of them are cookies (that are a real stretch from the original product, in my opinion. Oreos, with no cream?! psh) or crackers, providing basically zero nutritional value. And honestly – who feels snack-satisfied after eating a handful of non-Oreo Oreos from a little package??? No protein, no fat, no vitamins/minerals……Not worth your money.
Progresso Soups that are scored as a “0” on the Weight-Watchers scale. I’ve only tried these once, and seen way too many commercials. I wasn’t impressed. It’s basically a can of broth. I won’t say this is “unhealthy”, but personally I got nothing from this. I didn’t feel full, I didn’t feel like I had a good “meal”, and I didn’t feel like it was worth my $1.50. This goes back to the same point – why eat something that really doesn’t taste great and doesn’t hit that “satisfaction” factor?
Nutrisystem (weight loss program) – This idea probably seems great in theory; you don’t have to cook, you pick out what you want, somebody delivers food to your door…....sure, I see the appeal. But personally, I love grocery shopping and cooking! I love looking through grocery ads to see what’s on sale, browsing aisles for fun new things to try, buying seasonal fruits and vegetables, grabbing random spices/herbs to try with a new dish, etc! So, where’s the fun and creativity in this “System”?! How good can these frozen foods actually taste on a daily basis?! And what happens when you stop getting meals delivered to you and start back at square 1??? Nope. Not a fan of this.
Slimfast shakes – Even before I studied nutrition, I was baffled by these drinks. Yes, they are low in fat, have some protein, are fortified with nutrients left and right, and are “only” 220 calories. Awesome. Would I really rather drink a shake than eat real food?! Are people so worried about dieting that they choose this in place of enjoying something equally as nutritious (i.e. an actual meal)?! Ugh. I don’t get it.
Are you seeing a pattern?? Hm, I could probably go on with this list of products/ideas, but that could get old.
Basically, I think it’s important to enjoy what you eat. Food can taste Awesome and be healthy. “Dieting” all too often leads to a bad relationship with food – thinking you can’t enjoy things you want, being fearful of calories, and consuming ‘empty calories’.
Alright, that’s my speil. Like everything else – there’s not one way to “eat right”. People enjoy different foods, have different lifestyles, and should know what works for them!
On that note – I am absolutely in Love with these two web sites, and could browse them for hourssss when I’m hit with a sudden cooking and/or baking ambition!
www.cookinglight.com
www.kraftfoods.com
So, Sassy asked me an interesting question. ”What are daily or regular occurrences that you see in society that make the nutritionista in you want to scream or help someone out immediately?”
Oh, Sass. Where do I start?!
There’s definitely an inner-‘Nutrionista’ (ha, I love that term) that has a Very strong voice sometimes. I’ll try to steer clear of the things you can (probably) safely assume bother any Dietitian – like a Big Mac Value meal, or something like that. These are a few of the ‘bigger’ things that I just don’t get……
100 calorie snack-packs. The IDEA is good (portion control), but you’ll Never find one of these in my shopping cart. The majority of them are cookies (that are a real stretch from the original product, in my opinion. Oreos, with no cream?! psh) or crackers, providing basically zero nutritional value. And honestly – who feels snack-satisfied after eating a handful of non-Oreo Oreos from a little package??? No protein, no fat, no vitamins/minerals……Not worth your money.
Progresso Soups that are scored as a “0” on the Weight-Watchers scale. I’ve only tried these once, and seen way too many commercials. I wasn’t impressed. It’s basically a can of broth. I won’t say this is “unhealthy”, but personally I got nothing from this. I didn’t feel full, I didn’t feel like I had a good “meal”, and I didn’t feel like it was worth my $1.50. This goes back to the same point – why eat something that really doesn’t taste great and doesn’t hit that “satisfaction” factor?
Nutrisystem (weight loss program) – This idea probably seems great in theory; you don’t have to cook, you pick out what you want, somebody delivers food to your door…....sure, I see the appeal. But personally, I love grocery shopping and cooking! I love looking through grocery ads to see what’s on sale, browsing aisles for fun new things to try, buying seasonal fruits and vegetables, grabbing random spices/herbs to try with a new dish, etc! So, where’s the fun and creativity in this “System”?! How good can these frozen foods actually taste on a daily basis?! And what happens when you stop getting meals delivered to you and start back at square 1??? Nope. Not a fan of this.
Slimfast shakes – Even before I studied nutrition, I was baffled by these drinks. Yes, they are low in fat, have some protein, are fortified with nutrients left and right, and are “only” 220 calories. Awesome. Would I really rather drink a shake than eat real food?! Are people so worried about dieting that they choose this in place of enjoying something equally as nutritious (i.e. an actual meal)?! Ugh. I don’t get it.
Are you seeing a pattern?? Hm, I could probably go on with this list of products/ideas, but that could get old.
Basically, I think it’s important to enjoy what you eat. Food can taste Awesome and be healthy. “Dieting” all too often leads to a bad relationship with food – thinking you can’t enjoy things you want, being fearful of calories, and consuming ‘empty calories’.
Alright, that’s my speil. Like everything else – there’s not one way to “eat right”. People enjoy different foods, have different lifestyles, and should know what works for them!
On that note – I am absolutely in Love with these two web sites, and could browse them for hourssss when I’m hit with a sudden cooking and/or baking ambition!
www.cookinglight.com
www.kraftfoods.com
Comments
I try to avoid those 100 calorie snack packs, they're just not satisfying so I feel like it's a waste of 100 calories anyways!