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Nutrition Makeover
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Three families open their cupboards and get expert advice on making mealtimes healthier
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By Beth Howard
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REMEDY Summer 2006
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You try to eat healthfully. But, face it: Something—time, cost, plain old temptation—often gets in the way. So how would a nutritionist rate your kitchen’s contents? Three families braved the scrutiny of Dawn Jackson Blatner, a registered dietician with the Northwestern Memorial Hospital Wellness Institute in Chicago and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. They inventoried virtually every consumable in their homes and answered her questions about how and what they eat. Here’s how the families fared.
Mom Carolyn, Dad Craig and their two kids, 5 and 2. Carolyn is a stay-at-home mom; Craig is a residential building project superintendent.
Best Buys
Spinach, soy milk, sunflower seeds, black beans, purple cabbage, light ranch dressing, canola oil, tofu, carrot sticks, organic fat-free milk
Worst Buys
Chocolate mint–chip cookie dough, orange soda, blueberry toaster tarts, cake mix, corn syrup, butter, frozen buttermilk waffles, ginger thins, vegetable boullion
What they’re doing right
The Comeaus eat most meals at home and do a great job of combining lean proteins (cod fillets, tofu, legumes) with vegetables. They limit their use of convenience and processed foods and buy fresh, organic foods when funds allow.
Where they need help
“As a family, our greatest weakness is our sweet tooth,” Carolyn confesses. “And Craig and I have a weakness for everyday chocolate—Reese’s and 3 Musketeers.”
NUTRITION MAKEOVER
The first step, Blatner says, is for the family to “increase the proportion of whole grains—switching to whole-wheat pasta from refined white pasta and to whole-wheat waffles from the buttermilk waffles. They have frozen pizzas in their freezer, but it would be so easy to make their own healthier ones with a store-bought whole-wheat crust and the good veggies they already have on hand.” She also recommends more fruit and portion-controlled sweets like low-calorie fudge bars or pudding pops to satisfy the family’s sweet needs.
Mom Alison and her 12 year-old daughter. Alison is an attorney and writer.
Best Buys
Yams, soy milk, kiwi fruit, dried Great Northern beans, flaxseed oil, instant whole-grain brown rice, salsa, red leaf lettuce, mangoes, green apples
Worst Buys
Muffin mixes, mac ‘n’ cheese in a box, super-sweetened cereal, solid vegetable oil, turtle cookies, ramen noodles, superrich vanilla ice cream, chocolate drink, mayonnaise
What they’re doing right
They almost always have breakfast. Plus, for lunch they frequently make a big batch of homemade minestrone soup packed with squash, orzo, potatoes, eggplant, cannelloni beans, white onions, etc. Mom has at least three cups of green tea a day.
Where they need help
“I counted 16 different types of crackers and 7 different muffin mixes,” Blatner says. These are okay in moderation, but they’re generally high in calories and fat, especially in unhealthy saturated and trans fats. Alison and Sarah eat in three days a week, but often rely on white pasta. “I also noticed some packets of ramen noodles,” Blatner says. “They’re fried and high in fat, and the flavor packet is loaded with sodium.” Adds Alison: “My food weakness is chocolate.”
NUTRITION MAKEOVER: They need to get rid of many items and restock with healthier choices— replace morning muffins with whole-grain frozen waffles and switch to whole-grain crackers and lowfat popcorn. For their chocolate treats they can try Cocoa Via bars, which are heart-smart dark-chocolate bars in small-portion sizes.
Anne and Tim and their three kids, ages 10, 6 and 4 with their live-in au pair. Anne owns a communications firm and Tim is a drug information specialist.
Best Buys
Black beans, apples, grapefruits, clementine oranges, carrots, spinach, grapes, tomatoes, salmon, turkey steaks
Worst Buys
Toaster tarts, chocolate spread, frozen potato pancakes, frozen cookie dough, frozen hash-brown casserole, hamburger, biscuit dough, butter, hot dogs, fried rice
What they’re doing right
“The Connors have a good stock of lean meats (skinless chicken strips, turkey steaks, shellfish) and fruit,” says Blatner. “There are kid-friendly clementines sitting out on the counter, and other easily accessible healthy snack options in the fridge.” Adds Anne, “We have a farm, and in the summer we go and pick all the wild black raspberries we can find.”
Where they need help
The Connors often rely on takeout and convenience foods, and they buy a lot of precooked meals, including breakfast casseroles and quiches that are heated up in the oven or on the stove. Such foods are often full of fat and sodium, Blatner cautions.
NUTRITION MAKEOVER: The family needs to try quick, homemade meals. “In the time they spend waiting for Chinese takeout, they could take a frozen ‘meal in a bag,’ add shrimp or lean meat, and eat it with instant brown rice,” says Blatner. “Dinner could be served in ten minutes.” For healthier breakfasts, they can have egg whites with pre-shredded potatoes and veggies.
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