The Junk Food Nutritionist

There are multiple reasons you might want to meal plan. Planning meals in advance can help you make a grocery list. Having a meal plan can help make week nights easier. When you come home from work, no need to spend time debating, "What am I having for dinner?" If you plan ahead, you can even start prepping the meal ahead on the weekend or whenever you have spare time. A meal plan is not the same as a diet plan. It's not about counting calories or other nutrients. It's simply about planning ahead. As such, the guidelines I am about to share are general, healthy habits & are not intended for any specific medical condition. If you have a condition, like kidney disease, diabetes, or Crohn's Disease, you may want to work with a dietitian or other healthcare professional to learn about the appropriate dietary habits for your condition. Step 1: Consider any constraints.  Before you actually start picking out the food for you meal, determine if there are any factors...

A lot of times vegetarians don't get enough protein. Certainly, there are some who don't. I've heard of vegetarians who just eat white pasta or just eat potato chips. But, if you eat a variety of foods, you can get enough protein on a plant-based diet. I will show you a day of eating in my life as a vegetarian and a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist.   First, I want to remind you that the portions I've listed below are only there so I can show you how much protein is in what amount of the product. I don't usually go around measuring my food and you don't need to either. Also, those portion sizes may not be the size you eat and that's okay. I'm not presenting this as a strict meal plan for you to follow. I'm just trying to show you it's possible to get enough protein. So, what is "enough protein"?  Well, that will depend on your body. RDNs usually use a minimum of 0.8 grams protein per kilogram body weight. People with certain c...

Yesterday, we discussed things to think about before deciding to avoid added sugar for your New Year's Resolution. Today, I present a sample meal plan taken from my own life. Breakfast: Banana and oatmeal cooked in milk, vanilla, ground flaxseed and cinnamon Tip: Flavored oatmeal packets contain sugar, but you can easily and quickly make your own flavored oatmeal by adding extracts, spices, fruit, etc.) Another Breakfast Idea: I have been making no-sugar-added scones for years without any sugar substitues! It's flour, baking powder, butter, and your choice of mix-ins. The scone pictured above was made with cinnamon and raisins, but you can use other dried fruits, other spices, nuts, extracts, flavored oils, cacao nibs, anything.