Ask the RD | October
Our registered dietitian, Jamie, offers answers to nutrition-related questions you — our community — has submitted over the past month.
The information shared within this blog is meant for informational purposes only and should not be received as medical advice.
If you have a question to submit, please click the button and watch for a response the following month. Before submitting a question, we invite you to visit the main page for Ask the RD and enter a keyword into the search box — your question may already be answered!
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Snacks are your friend! That’s right, most of us need snacks to help our bodies make it to our next meal without feeling completely starving. The trick with snacks is to make sure that you are making healthy and balanced choices to best fuel your body and keep you feeling satisfied. My goal is to incorporate a fiber food (think a fruit, veggie, or whole grain) with some protein or healthy fat (such as nuts, seeds, eggs, dairy) for the most lasting snacks. A few of my go-to snacks include:
Nuts, nut bar, or nut butter with a piece of fruit
Hard-boiled egg or string cheese with whole grain crackers
Hummus with veggie sticks
Trail mix
Protein energy balls with a piece of fruit
Greek yogurt topped with berries and granola
Cottage cheese topped with fresh tomatoes and sunflower seeds
Whole grain English muffin with avocado. Add a pop of flavor: everything bagel seasoning or chili flakes
Whole grain toast or rice cake topped with almond or peanut butter and sliced banana
Tuna salad with whole grain crackers
Bean and cheese roll up. Whole grain tortilla, low sodium refried beans and a sprinkle of cheese.
Previous related Ask the RD posts:
September 2024 answered, “Do you have any recommended low-cost, healthy snacks ideas for kids?”
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Ask your primary care provider to prescribe you a glucometer so you can monitor your blood sugar at home and to refer you to a local dietitian or diabetes education program. Dietitians and certified diabetes educators are wonderful resources when it comes to helping you understand and manage your pre-diabetes or diabetes. Even better, glucometers and nutrition counseling for pre-diabetes and diabetes are often covered by your health insurance!
The American Diabetes Association is a great resource. If you are a Providence patient, you can also review the diabetes services available in your area.
Previous related Ask the RD posts:
September 2024 answered, “Can you offer guidance on budget-friendly, low-sugar foods for someone at-risk or living with diabetes?”
June 2024 answered, “Is sourdough bread good for diabetics?”
May 2024 answered, “Can you give examples of lean proteins to maintain healthy blood sugar levels?”
March 2024 answered, “What is your best nutritional advice for lowering your A1C levels and combatting diabetes? Are there food swaps or tips you recommend?”
December 2023 answered, “What are your suggestions for helping people reduce cravings for high sugar and unhealthy fat foods?” and “When baking are there sweetener or non-sugar alternatives you recommend?”
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The Daily Values (DVs, %DV) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Some nutrients we want to get more of, while others we want to limit, to meet our body’s needs and to promote overall health.
You can utilize the %DV information provided on food labels to help determine the quality of the food products you are consuming.
5% DV or less of a nutrient (per serving) is considered low.
20% DV or more of a nutrient (per serving) is considered high.
Generally, we want to choose foods that are higher in fiber, vitamin D, calcium, iron, and potassium, and lower in saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars. For more specific nutrient amount recommendations you can refer to the FDA, keeping in mind that some values may vary depending on your age, gender, and medical conditions.
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The Nutrition Facts label holds a lot of information, and it is easy to feel overwhelmed when trying to make sense of it all. I discourage trying to count everything on the label and instead recommend focusing on one or two key pieces at a time that will make the biggest impact on your individual health goals. For example:
If you are working on weight loss and caloric reduction, focus on portion size, calorie amounts, and overall macronutrient balance. Eat the right amounts of carbs, protein, and fat.
If you are healing from a surgery/illness or trying to get stronger, focus on protein.
For people with high blood pressure, heart failure, or kidney disease, the focus should be sodium.
For diabetes management, choose foods lower in added sugars and higher in fiber.
For heart health and cholesterol control, limiting saturated fat and increasing fiber intake are good places to start.
Beyond the Nutrition Facts panel, remember that the ingredient list also holds valuable information. Reviewing the ingredient list can help us better understand what is in our foods. Generally, prioritizing fresh/whole foods and quality food products with shorter ingredient lists is recommended.
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Dining out can be very tricky! We know that restaurant meals tend to be higher in calories and often loaded with hidden fat and sodium. A few ways to enjoy the occasional restaurant meal while not spoiling your healthy eating efforts include:
Eat smaller portions. This is a great place to start, as we know most restaurants offer large portions that give us more food and more calories than we really need. To combat this issue, try:
Ordering a lunch portion or even a kid-sized portion.
Split an entree with your dining partner or asking for a to-go box when your food is served so you can portion off some of your meal before you even start eating.
Remember to follow the Healthy Plate method by aiming to make half of your meal as veggie, one quarter of your meal as lean protein, and one quarter of your meal as carbohydrate/starch.
Be mindful. We often feel the need to clean our plates, especially when eating out, so focus on eating mindfully. Eat slowly, savor each bite, and practice checking in with your body frequently to avoid overeating.
Minimize empty calories. That might mean taking it easy on the breadbasket, chips, appetizers, sugary beverages, and desserts. Though tempting, these menu options typically offer little nutrition and contribute excess calories. Start by drinking a glass of water,if you're hungry order a side salad to hold you over until your entree arrives. Choose to share a dessert with those at the table.
Look out for added sodium. Restaurant foods are typically very high in salt and other forms of added sodium. A few things that can help:
Select restaurants offering made-to-order menu items. This way you can modify your order by asking for no added salt, sauces on the side, or skipping the cheese.
Limit heavily salted foods such as condiments (soy sauce, BBQ sauce, ketchup, dressings, gravies, sauces, marinades, etc.), pickles, olives, processed meats (bacon, cold cuts), and cheeses.
Choose unprocessed meats, fresh fruit or vegetable sides, and simple flavor additions like herbs, spices, oil and vinegar, or lemon juice.
Choose heart healthy foods that are lower in saturated and trans fats. Avoid deep fat fried foods and limit fatty cuts of meat, cheese, creamy sauces and dressings. Instead order lean cuts of meat (think sirloin steak instead of the ribeye), chicken, fish, or vegetarian menu options like beans, lentils or tofu. Look for healthy cooking methods that typically use less fat such as baked, grilled, roasted, or steamed menu items. Use cheesy, creamy items sparingly by ordering on the side or choosing a healthier fat alternative in their place. Skip the cheese, add avocado on your burger or tacos; choose a vinaigrette dressing instead of creamy dressing.
Up the fiber by choosing more whole grain options when available. Think brown rice instead of white rice, a whole grain bun over white, or corn tortillas instead of flour. Load up on other fiber-rich foods like veggies, fruits, beans and lentils.
Seek out healthier fare. Start by choosing restaurants that have more healthy food items available on their menus. Know before you go by looking up their nutritional information online to help you make a more informed decision when it is time to order.
Jamie Libera, RD, LD, CCTD, is a clinical dietitian within the Providence health system. She works closely with the heart programs in offering consultations for heart failure patients, cardiac rehab patients, and serves as the nutrition consultant for Basecamp Prevention + Wellness. Jamie offers monthly nutrition-based classes and a monthly heart-healthy recipe as part of Basecamp’s free community programming.