I often start my nutrition classes by saying, “Don’t worry I am not the food police.”  I want people to enjoy all types of food!  I asked dietitians from across Nebraska, “If you could give one message regarding food and nutrition, what would it be?”  I was impressed and inspired by everyone’s responses.  Their messages convey the importance of enjoying food and simplify the definition of healthy eating.   

My message may not be as well spoken as those listed below but I believe that eating nutritiously doesn’t have to be hard.  There are many misconceptions about what “healthy” eating really means.  Have your cake and eat it too, “all foods fit.” 

Thank you Nebraska dietitians for all of your input! 

Eat Smart

• Try to focus on the foods that have a purpose and actually do the body good and help nourish the body.
• Eat to live!  Smart food choices make a difference for a lifetime.

Enjoy Food

• Enjoy the varieties of tastes, textures, aromas and colors of food daily as well as the experience of eating.
• Enjoy food.
• Slow down and enjoy every bit.
• That food and nutrition are the same thing.  I think as RD’s we lose site of the fact that we can tell people what to eat, but if it doesn’t taste good–why eat it.

Balance

• Variety is the spice of life.
• Weight gain or loss boils down to total calories in verses total calories out/burned.
• Moderation, not elimination.
• Anything can fit in a healthy lifestyle if ingested in moderation. 
• Moderation and variety.
• Everything in moderation with a balance and variety of foods.
• Calories, calories, calories.

More Matters

• Eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
• Limit processed foods.

Keep it Simple

• Nutrition doesn’t have to be complicated- go back to the basics and you can’t go wrong!

See what other dietitians across the United States are saying. 
Happy Registered Dietitian’s Day, March 10, 2010!

Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak, MS, RD – Can Dietitians Have Real I.M.P.A.C.T?
Beyond Prenatals (Debra) -Vitamin D in Pregnancy and Beyond
Sandra Meyerowitz, MPH, RD, LD – Changes Worth Making Take Time
Carrie Miller – What Nebraska Dietitians Are Saying
National Dairy Council- Nutrient-rich foods build a healthy diet
Janel Ovrut MS RD LDN – My Top Tips for Registered Dietitian Day!
Heather Pierce, MS, RD, CDE – Enjoy Food
Robin Plotkin, RD, LD – Give a Kid a Fish, Feed Him for a Day. Teach a Kid to Fish, Feed Him for Life
Elizabeth Rahavi, RD – The Art of Nutrition Messaging
Shelley A. Rael, MS RD LD – Food Is LIFE, Nutrition is HEALTHY Life
Kerry Robinson, RD – A Food Safety Message with IMPACT
Marianne Smith-Edge, MS, RD – RDs are the Premiere Food and Health Communicators
Kris Sollid, RD – Unintended Consequences of Simple Messaging
Angie Tillman, RD, CDE, LDN- Take Time to Care for Yourself