Losing weight and keeping it off doesn’t require any magic or secret potions, but rather balance and consistency. That’s a fact that hasn’t changed for decades. What has changed, though, is how and what we’ve been eating. Although certain principles of healthy eating — such as being sure to eat your veggies and not overdoing portions — are evergreen, emerging science has even changed the diets of many nutrition professionals over the years.
[See: The 10 Best Diets for Healthy Eating.]
To better understand these shifts, I asked several colleagues to reflect on how they have changed the foods they serve themselves and their families over the past 10 years. Here’s what I found:
1. We’re finding fat.
Fat phobia is finally becoming a fear of the past. Mandy Enright, a registered dietitian who created a nutrition blog for couples, Nutrition Nuptials, remembers when that wasn’t the case. “Like most Americans, I was obsessed with the fat content of my foods,” she recalls, noting how she used to carefully review every nutrition label in search for mostly low- or non-fat salad dressings, cheese and snacks. “I would only put vinegar on my salads, I’d bypass anything with oil and, of course, I wouldn’t touch nuts or peanut butter because they were ‘fattening,'” Enright says. And she was not alone.
Amy Gorin, a registered dietitian and owner of Amy Gorin Nutrition, used to eat fat-free yogurt, milk and cheese — until she discovered that the fat-containing versions were so much more satisfying. After researching the topic, she realized that there may be health benefits to consuming this type of dairy aside from its taste, like its potential to reduce abdominal obesity.
Lauren Harris-Pincus, a registered dietitian and owner of Nutrition Starring You, also bought into the non-fat craze of the 1990s, but she found she was always hungry and wound up eating a lot of foods not only low in fat, but also low in nutrients. Since significantly increasing her intake of seeds like chia, hemp, pumpkin, sunflower and flax, Harris-Pincus now eats “much tastier meals” with fewer refined carbs and more heart-healthy fats and fiber, she says.
Elizabeth Shaw, the registered dietitian behind Shaw’s Simple Swaps, not only changed the way she faces fats, but she changed her husband’s perspective, too. “We were never huge avocado or nut users when we first met, but now we incorporate those healthy unsaturated fats as a source of nutrition and fuel, especially after my husband’s long training days,” Shaw says. As they’ve learned, such fats are a rich source of calories necessary after intense workouts, and they also reduce inflammation and help boost post-workout recovery.
2. We’re embracing variety.
Jessica Levings, a registered dietitian who owns Balanced Pantry, used to be a “routine eater,” as she calls it. Her husband even knew what they were having for dinner just based on the day of the week. But after starting a family, her meal planning took a new direction. “I didn’t want to shortchange my family, so instead of buying the same old things at the grocery store and making the same meals every week, we went to farmers markets together and picked foods we’d never tried,” Levings says. Then, they looked up recipes that featured the new ingredients.
Levings has the right idea. Whether you’re at a farmers market or grocery store, try buying at least one new ingredient each visit to rev up your routine and prevent mealtime ruts. Your kids may just catch on. “I can only hope these memories will help shape what my daughters pass down to their own children one day,” Levings says.
3. We’re getting picky about packages.
Chere Bork, a registered dietitian and owner of Savor Your Life Today, Inc., enjoys and appreciates the flavor and health qualities of “foods without wrappers,” she says. Her family’s favorite meal used to be a can of tomato soup over a round steak in the crockpot, but now they find fresher, less highly-processed options more appealing.
Food packaging has also become a concern for registered dietitian Nancy Clark, who wrote “Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook.” As a result, Clark has been buying less packaged food and is cooking more in bulk in order to make room for leftovers — or, as she calls it, “planned-overs.”
Jennifer O’Donnell-Giles, a registered dietitian and owner of Active Nutrition LLC, has made an effort to feed her family more fresh fruits and veggies by making them accessible. Instead of raiding the pantry after school, her kids now reach for chopped produce because it’s convenient. They’re fortunate to grow up in a time when it’s more acceptable to order a salad or smoothie, O’Donnell-Giles adds. “There seemed to be a stigma surrounding eating healthy; it felt snobbish or elitist to do so,” she remembers. “Now … it’s more commonplace and even envied.”
4. We’re picking plants.
Lots of us were raised as meat eaters, yet many nutrition pros have moved meat from the middle of the dish to the side, making plant proteins their meals’ stars. Registered dietitian Sharon Palmer, author of “Plant-Powered for Life: Eat Your Way to Lasting Health With 52 Simple Steps & 125 Delicious Recipes,” is one of them. “As I became more acquainted with the impact that our diet choices have on the planet, I became more interested in eating more plants and less animal foods,” she says. What’s more, research continues to underscore the connection between plant-based diets and health.
Janice Newell Bissex, a registered dietitian, cookbook author and co-host of the “Cooking with the Moms” radio podcast, is also being more selective about what proteins she chooses. “Since I love pulses and 2016 is the “International Year of Pulses,” I enjoy experimenting with new ways of cooking and eating beans, lentils, chickpeas and dry peas,” she says, noting that pulses are a good source of fiber, which helps feed the beneficial bacteria in the gut. They’re also affordable and sustainably grown. As she puts it, pulses are “nutritious seeds for a sustainable future.”
[See: 7 Reasons to Choose a Plant-Based Diet.]
5. We count more than calories.
Compared to years past, Lara Felton, the head of nutrition for ShopWell, worries less about calories and values food enjoyment more. For example, she finds pleasure and satisfaction in a square or two of dark chocolate. “Never chew dark chocolate; it’s best eaten when it’s allowed to slowly melt in your mouth,” she learned on a chocolate tasting tour. Mindful eating has become a hot topic over the past few years for good reason: Loving what you’re eating (in small portions) also helps you love how you look and feel.
Elizabeth Ward, a registered dietitian and owner of Better is the New Perfect, says she no longer wastes calories, despite exercising at least five days a week. “Because my calorie needs have decreased with age, I eat nutrient-rich foods about 95 percent of the time, including more protein to maintain muscle mass and only whole grains — with the exception of the sugar in my coffee and some sweets,” she says. One thing that hasn’t changed for Ward? She still manages to fit in a small dessert every day.
6. We go with our guts.
“Each day, I eat plain kefir or yogurt with numerous ‘live active cultures’ to enhance gut health,” says Jo Ann Hattner, a registered dietitian and author of ” Gut Insight.” With gut health as a primary focus for her and her family, Hattner now cooks with olive oil when she sautés garlic, onions and shallots — all prebiotic foods to feed gut microbes.
7. We stick with science.
Current science tends to guide the diet of Jill Weisenberger, a registered dietitian and author of “The Overworked Person’s Guide to Better Nutrition.” “Although I’m still an omnivore and I eat most types of foods, the majority of my protein these days comes from vegetables, fish and dairy,” she says. She particularly enjoys vegetarian proteins like split pea soup, red lentil stew, bean salads and black bean burgers. She also takes advantage of an increasingly available variety of whole grains, such as wheat berries, farro and quinoa, as well as more herbs and spices.
Science has also prompted Weisenberger to eat more protein at breakfast. “Studies suggest that a moderate amount of protein at each of our three meals leads to a more favorable body composition than the same total amount of protein eaten in only one or two meals,” she explains. Examples of protein-rich and fast dishes include low-fat cottage cheese, hard-boiled eggs, nonfat milk and tofu.
[See: High-Protein Breakfast Ideas.]
8. We’re setting examples.
Over the past 10 years, Jen Haugen, a registered dietitian and author of “The Mom’s Guide to a Nourishing Garden,” has found herself increasingly yearning for connection with her children. “I’m cooking with my kids intentionally and helping them learn where their food is coming from, whether it’s a beef farmer growing beef for our steak or our garden that’s growing our peas and lettuce,” she says. Haugen aims for these “intentional conversations,” as she calls them, that lead to more mindful eating habits and to celebrating the people who grow our food.
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8 Ways Nutritionists Have Changed Their Diets Over the Past 10 Years originally appeared on usnews.com
