A Dietitian's Plate

If a dietitian came to your house for dinner, would it make you a little nervous? Would you worry whether the meal you prepared was nutritious enough? I'm pretty sure this happens most times I eat at other people's houses for dinner and I'm SORRY! For the record, if I ever come to your house for dinner, don't be nervous. I eat real food and I don't judge. No worries.

On to real food....

So what does a dietitian eat for dinner? Sure, I can spout all the "eat this, not that" mumbo jumbo, but what does a dietitian actually eat? Even though I believe that all foods fit into a healthy diet, there are certain foods I chose to eat regularly and others I save for special occasions. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy sweets and junk foods like the best of them, but if I eat them everyday, two things happen: 1) my thighs expand and 2) I don't get enough vitamins and minerals. No good. 

This is what I ate for dinner tonight: 4 oz baked talapia in lemon-garlic sauce, 2/3 cup apple-walnut rice pilaf and 1 cup steamed broccoli. Yes, I measure. I do this so I don't get halfway through my dinner and think "hmmm, how much did I just eat?" and then continue to eat 2 more helpings.

Since I know my portions, I can just estimate most of the time, but occasionally I still pull out the measuring cups. Measuring your food (or simply paying attention to how much you're eating) is helpful to bring awareness to how much food you're consuming and how much your body actually needs. It also allows you to slow down, savor your food and enjoy your meal.

Also, I dish out food for my husband, my son and I in the kitchen. By not having extra food sitting on the dinner table, it prevents reaching for seconds if we're really not hungry. Plus, it helps us connect with each other and pay attention to our internal signals of satiation (the feeling of fullness). Because your body needs time to start digesting food to realize it's "full", try to wait about 15 minutes after eating before going back for more.

Happy and healthy eating!