Top Nutrition Lessons of 2012

Top Nutrition Lessons of 2012 from InspiredRD.com

This morning I had the pleasure of doing a live nutrition segment on a local show called The Morning Scramble.  I had a blast!  The hosts, crew and staff were all incredibly warm and inviting.  I felt right at home.

Top Nutrition Lessons of 2012 from InspiredRD.com

As well as everything went, I didn’t get to share all of the great information I had planned.  So I thought I would share it here!

Top Nutrition Lessons of 2012 from InspiredRD.com

#1. READ FOOD LABELS: Here’s an interesting statistic: women who read food labels weigh nearly 9 pounds less than women who don’t.  So what should you look for?  First of all, make sure to turn that box around.  Front of package labeling can be misleading (case in point, the bright shiny label on the Kellogs box above).

 

Top Nutrition Trends of 2012 from InspiredRD.com

Look first at the nutrition information label and focus in on these three things: Type of fats (more mono- and poly-unsaturated fats, less saturated fats, no trans fats), Fiber (more is better), Sugar (as little as possible).

Next, look at the ingredient list.  Is it a mile long and contains words you could never pronounce?  Put it back on the shelf.  Look for a short ingredient list with recognizable words and no artificial colors, sweeteners or flavors.  Also keep an eye out for the words “partially hydrogenated”.  Food companies can legally put “zero grams trans fats” on the label if there is less than 0.5g per serving.  If you see “partially hydrogenated” on the ingredient list, you are still getting some trans fats in that food.

#2. HAVE BREAKFAST:  Do you eat breakfast every morning?  Here’s why it’s important.  People who skip breakfast are more likely to consume more sweetsmore soft drinks, and less fruits and vegetables.  Breakfast skippers also tend to weigh more than breakfast eaters.

Quick & Easy Oatmeal Pancake from InspiredRD.com

I know, I know, you don’t have time for breakfast.  Well, here are two quick ideas that will get your metabolism going.  They are packed with protein and healthy fats and will keep you full all morning long.

#3. FILL UP ON FIBER:  Another thing we learned in 2012 is that if you want to lose weight in the new year, fiber is your new best friend.  Not only is fiber good for your heart, but it helps you stay full longer.

Top Nutrition Trends of 2012 from InspiredRD.com

All this fiber talk might have you tempted to buy “high fiber” bars and supplements, but I would encourage you to fill up on natural fibers first.  Beans, legumes, fruits and vegetables.  On the show this morning, I had a plate full of high-fiber produce including swiss chard, broccoli, pears, raspberries, and California raisins.  I also had a trio of grains, showing that you can get more fiber in the same amount of time that it takes to make white rice.  If brown rice intimidates you because of the cooking time, try quick-cooking barley (not gluten-free) or quinoa for a fiber boost with dinner.

#4. GET OVER YOUR FEAR OF FAT:  A low-fat diet is so 90’s!  In fact, a new study just came out that compares a low-fat diet, low-carb diet and low-glycemic diet for sustained weight loss.  The low-fat diet was the worst of the three and is practically a guaranteed way to regain lost pounds.

Top Nutrition Lessons of 2012 from InspiredRD.com

The low-glycemic diet was the best of the three, boosting metabolism and keeping the heart healthy.  Low-glycemic foods are foods that don’t spike our blood sugar and are naturally high in fiber, protein and healthy fats.  Find examples of low-glycemic foods on this shopping list.  The examples I had on the morning show were green olives, Justin’s almond butter, KIND bars, avocado, and a homemade trail mix with almonds, coconut flakes, golden raisins and Erewhon Organic Buckwheat & Hemp cereal.

So there you have it, the top nutrition lessons of 2012.  What did you learn about nutrition last year?

  • janetha January 7, 2013 at 12:08 pm

    All superb tips! Great post!

  • Robin January 7, 2013 at 12:23 pm

    Is there going to be a link to the segment? I couldn’t find it on their website.

    • inspiredrd January 7, 2013 at 5:06 pm

      Robin, unfortunately they don’t provide links to their segments.

  • Renea January 8, 2013 at 9:54 am

    This is valuable and simple info, love this post. Definitely something I can share in my nutrition classes! Thanks 🙂

  • Karen W January 8, 2013 at 7:06 pm

    I was so happy to come across this list! I am quite health conscious and always looking for new *AND EASY* ways to drop some weight. I have printed our your nutrition lessons for my wall! You better believe I will start eyeing those food labels more after reading that statistic. My other big lesson for 2012 has been gluten-free cooking. I have quite a few friends who are gluten intolerant and have opened my eyes to the world of gluten free cooking and I am always looking for new recipes and products to buy! I would highly recommend the website http://www.ninacucina.com/. I recently purchased her book, Nina Cucina: Your Healthy Gourmet and I have become addicted to gluten free recipes! I am not a great cook but I found this book (and website) so informative and so easy to follow. For every single recipe the author, Nina Pucillo, gives the nutritional value of each dish and step-by-step instructions on how to prepare the dish. All of the dishes featured in the book are totally gluten-free and Nina has included many recipes that are dairy-free too! Thanks for sharing! I hope my suggestion helps too! 🙂

  • Eat Clean in 2013 January 9, 2013 at 8:39 am

    […] Monday, I talked about four nutrition lessons from 2012.  I hope they inspired your healthy eating journey enough that you are ready to make a few […]

  • Stephanie January 9, 2013 at 11:19 pm

    Excellent tips! Are we able to view the TV segment somewhere? I’d love to see it!

    P.S. We do eat breakfast every day, but I *know* we need to try to add more variety. Our current menu typically is Kashi cold cereal, Ancient Grains granola (from Costco!), toast, or fresh fruit.

  • Darren@KetoDietPlans January 10, 2013 at 8:14 pm

    All good tips! Especially getting over the fear of fats haha. I still hate myself for wasting all my time going on low fat diets back when i didn’t get it.

    • inspiredrd January 11, 2013 at 8:43 pm

      Don’t beat yourself up, everyone was doing it because all the medical experts were pushing it!