Nutrition Tips for JM Families
- Teach your children about healthy, nutrient-dense foods, Dr. Lenore Hodges* said. The more aware they are of what nutrients they need and what foods are good sources of different nutrients, the more likely they will avoid empty calories.
- Have the whole family buy into the nutrition plan. All foods can fit into your plan, said Dr. Hodges-you just need to find a way to make them work by adjusting your diet in other ways, such as reducing portion size.
- “Pay attention to what you’re eating,” she said. People tend to speed through eating and then realize they’re about to eat their last bite of the cheesecake they’ve been craving. That’s when there’s a tendency to reach for more. Savor each bite and enjoy the flavors.
- Choose whole and organic foods when you can. These can be more expensive, and there are arguments as to which foods really merit buying organic over conventional. Do your homework and find out which foods you should choose to buy organic.
- Read the labels. It sounds simple, but labels aren’t as straightforward as you might think. For instance, the Food and Drug Administration permits manufacturers to label foods that have less than half a gram of trans fat per serving as zero grams per serving. Study the ingredients for “partially hydrogenated oils,” a source of trans fat.
- Avoid sodas and other products with high fructose corn syrup, suggests one TMA bulletin board user. These empty calories add up quickly.
* Lenore S. Hodges, PhD, LD, RD, works as a nutrition counselor at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Orlando. She is currently a self-employed dietician, working with an online education company associated with the Florida Hospital College of Health Sciences. Dr. Hodges spoke to JM families and TMA members at the Annual Conference in Orlando.