Getting solid nutrition advice is important to weight loss, and general health. I spoke with Dr. Jen Lambert, D.O., of Ozarks Healthcare to get some advice about what to eat, what not to eat, and whether or not certain types of fruits and vegetables are healthier than others. Fresh and frozen vegetables are best, but canned are also acceptable; just keep an eye on the sodium level.
Awareness of diet is a good starting point, particularly on foods eaten in between meals as snacks, Lambert says. Prior to keeping a food diary on an app, I was in some denial about what and how much I was eating throughout the day.
Sometimes when I was congratulating myself on eating well I would think back on the day and remember a donut I had at work after I already had breakfast, and then a few fun size candy bars during the day, and a soda during the afternoon. A frosted donut, six fun size Milky Way bars (I’m being brutally honest here), and a 12 ounce can of Coke amount to 860 calories that have pretty much zero nutritional value. Giving those empty calories up five days a week equals 4,300 calories, enough to easily lose a pound provided I don’t replace those calories and maintain the same activity level.
Lambert also suggested that I could probably reduce my daily calories down to 1,500 to 1,600, given my height and age. I am still processing that bit of information.
Reducing calories from processed, pre-packaged foods and eliminating soda are the top pieces of advice Lambert has for everyone, with breaking the soda habit being the most important. “Soda is a huge thing people are doing every day. It becomes ingrained.”
“Processed and pre-packaged foods are usually high in sodium and fat,” she added, “and typically very little value.”
Increasing fresh fruits and vegetables are the way to go when improving nutrition, and are filling without added empty calories, but be aware that some are better than others. A sweet potato, for example, has more nutritional value than a red or russet potato that is high in starches that convert quickly to sugar in the body, and can be a problem for diabetics trying to control blood sugar, Lambert says.
Another vegetable I grew up believing was healthy is iceberg lettuce, but now I know it’s pretty much just water with a negligible amount of vitamins and minerals. Lambert suggests making salads with bagged mixes containing Romaine, red leaf or green leaf lettuces for better nutrition, and add a protein to make a complete meal.
Potatoes, corn, carrots and green beans were the basic vegetables I and many others grew up on in the Ozarks, but trying new things in order to add variety is worthwhile nutritionally, Lambert says. Kale, for example, gets a bad rap for being unpalatable, but I have found I like it in soups and may someday have the nerve to try it raw. I have always liked Brussels sprouts, but have learned to like them without being drenched in cheese sauce, and for taste I realized I prefer spinach as a base for a salad instead of iceberg lettuce.
As far as fruits go, Lambert says unsweetened berries are what she would recommend, being high in antioxidants. Even after adding vegetables and fruits, she tells her patients to supplement their diet with a multi-vitamin that is targeted by age, because the average diet is deficient in quality and the vitamins and minerals found in fruits and vegetables can be inconsistent.
She also emphasized planning ahead and not getting overwhelmed by huge changes. “Don’t get bogged down with doing it perfectly, but make small changes you can maintain” she tells her patients. “Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.”
