Dietitian's - do we deserve a special day...

So today is National Dietitian’s Day. Apparently this is a whole day dedicated to recognising and acknowledging awesome Accredited Practising Dietitians. But do we really deserve it?

YEP I think we do.

Food, nutrition and eating is complex and emotive. We eat for many MANY different reasons. The obvious include (but are not limited to) eating for health, enjoyment, culture, religion and to celebrate. We also eat differently day-to-day depending on a range of physical, environmental, psychological and societal reasons. 

Think about the many reasons you may eat. Think about how this may differ each day. 

If you consider the many reasons why we eat, you can respect that there is no one-size fits all approach when it come to eating for health. Unfortunately we live in a world where ‘freedom of speech’ via online forums is socially (and legally) accepted. This means there is now an abundance of nutrition information available EVERYWHERE. This may sound like a good thing, and for most of the time it is - think about all of the qualified food and nutrition bloggers featured on storehouse. However, with an abundance of information and the ability to talk to the masses via online platforms, has come more unbalanced and inaccurate OPINIONS around food and nutrition. Much of this information has lead to many people believing that they MUST eat a certain way or cut out certain foods or nutrients. This hasn't been helpful. At all. 

In my job as a dietitian I am seeing more and more people totally confused about what to eat. More and more people being afraid of certain foods and eating patterns. More and more people forming unhealthy relationships with food, increasing their risk of disordered eating. People are more confused that ever - this CANNOT be healthy.

Much of this confusion has stemmed from  society and online experts who want us to demonise specific nutrients and foods, and label our approaches to eating. BUT this is not the answer to eating for health - no, not at all. 

As a dietitian I strive to help people find their own PERSONAL healthy balance, and most importantly, help them build healthy relationships with food so they can eat for both health and enjoyment. A very challenging task these days...so yeah I think we deserve a day of recognition. What do you think?

Knowing my dietitian friends well, they are probably all celebrating with colleagues over a coffee and some cake….YEP dietitian's eat cake because all foods have a place in a healthy balance.

Check out the rest of this website for online and face-to-face nutrition services available or email me at kerryn@thewholesomeco.com.au if you would like to talk to me about your personal food and nutrition project or goals.

HAPPY DIETITIAN’S DAY!

Going meatfree

You may have already heard about the Meatless (or Meat Free) Monday movement. It is becoming increasingly popular across the globe with many households now swapping meat for legumes, tofu or eggs for their Monday eats.

More and more households are pledging to go meat free each Monday, including my own. In fact, my husband and I often enjoy more meat-free meals in a week compared with meaty meals.

There are many reasons why I enjoy (and my husband has learnt to enjoy) more meat free meals.

First of all when it comes to red meat I don’t particularly favour it and I don’t believe we need too much in our diets. This is because a higher red meat intake, whether the processed or unprocessed type, has been linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes risk, cardiovascular disease and bowel cancer. It looks like the risk is particularly high for people who regularly consume processed meats such as hot dogs, bacon, sausages and salamis.

If you consume red meat more than three times weekly, you can replace it with poultry, fish (particularly the oily type) or other seafood, but why not make it a vegetarian meal and make it a Monday ritual!

Another reason why I just love meat free meals is the way it can really bump up your veggie count to the recommended five serves a day.

Having more meat free days can also increase your longevity through the prevention of chronic conditions (such as cardiovascular disease, some cancers and type 2 diabetes) and this approach to eating can also reduce your carbon footprint, something our future generations will thank us for.

How and what...

You may be reluctant to dedicate just one day a week to meat free eating - maybe due to the unknown?

Not knowing how to put a meat free meal together and not knowing what to substitute meat for. These are the most common barriers to meat free eating. To ensure a good source of protein and essential nutrients such as iron, zinc and B12 in your meal you can substitute meat for 2 eggs, one cup of legumes, 170g of tofu or 30g of nuts – EASY!

Often these meat free meals are very quick and easy to prepare, another reason why I love them so much. Some of my favourite balanced veggie meals include:

• Vegetable stir-fry with noodles and cashew nuts
• Roast vegetable and quinoa frittata
• Capsicums stuffed with kidney beans, vegetables and rice
• Vegetable stir-fry with with firm tofu and soba noodles
• Spiced chickpea patties with salad and Greek yoghurt
• Chunky vegetable and cannellini bean soup
• Vegetarian Chilli con carne with chickpeas, kidney beans, capsicum and zucchini instead of meat
• Vegetarian lasagna with ricotta cheese instead of white sauce.

Legumes – the good and the windy

My favourite meat substitutes without a doubt are legumes.

A food that serves so many purposes but does not appear on our plates enough.  There are so many health benefits of these little delights as they boast a variety of vitamins and minerals and are a great source of protein, healthy fats and low GI carbohydrates. They can also bulk up our meals and give us more bang for our buck when we look at the cost for nutritional benefit.

A dish featuring legumes can also be one that is quick and convenient for busy people.

Of course legumes have the reputation to make us a little windy, but some professional organisations also claim that having legumes more regularly in your diet can reduce this somewhat displeasing effect. I’m still waiting for my husband’s body to adapt …

What is a legume?

Think lentils, baked beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, butter beans, cannellini beans and pinto beans just to name a few.

They come canned or dried, so choose whatever you prefer. If you opt for canned (which gets extra points for convenience) just rinse them with water before you use them.

Prove them all wrong!

Your friends and family will tell you that they don’t like legumes, so prove them wrong! They are a blank canvas for so many different flavours, just be creative and don’t hold back on adding herbs and spices to make them more appealing.

Take the challenge to show your housemates, friends and families that legumes can be a tasty and enjoyable eat.

I hope this article has inspired you to consider devoting one day a week to meat free eating. You may be pleasantly surprised by the taste and diversity of these meals and the way your body responds.