Um…no. So very not true.
What is true is that we generally eat well. We try to eat the way we teach our clients to eat. And in my case, that has gotten easier with time. As I learn more, and teach more, the messages have become ingrained; it’s hard to tell other people over and again all the easy ways they can change their own habits for the better without at least some of those habits sticking with you!
So when it comes to eating the unhealthy stuff, we do the same negotiating that we preach. Everything in moderation. Strategy number one for me is to set limits on the unhealthy stuff. Personally, I try not to have more than one “treat” a day. So if I know I’m going out and there’s likely to be dessert, I’ll make sure stick with just healthy stuff during the day.
Dietitians know our own triggers and temptations. I know that I’m great at not buying stuff, but once it’s in the house, I’m horrible at keeping away. So, you generally won’t find cookies or cakes at my place. BUT, if we’ve had company over or we’ve gone a little wild on the household baking, then I know I’ll be eating dessert every day until it’s gone. That’s were I have to refer back to strategy one!
Almost as an aside, kids will survive without junk food quite well. I have 2 kids, aged 8 and 5, and they know that dessert is reserved for special occasions (eg. having company or visits with the grandparents). The rest of the time, for them a “treat” or “junk” is anything that doesn’t make it into a food group. My daughter’s favourite treat is a small bowl of Goldfish crackers. My son prefers chocolate chip granola bars. I know there’s far worse out there, but this stuff makes them happy. It’s only my parents and in-laws who think the kids are being deprived of everything tasty!Little kids don’t need a huge amount of calories a day, but they still need to get all their vitamins and minerals…to do it all on so few calories, there really isn’t a lot of wiggle room for junk.
Dietitians also do our best to have delicious healthy foods on hand, so when we want a treat, it doesn’t have to actually be bad. A couple of my favourite foods are parfaits (some greek yogurt with fresh berries and a touch of honey and granola) and fresh apple slices with peanut butter. Mmmmmmm. Yummy. Who needs a cookie if you’ve developed a taste for something so good for you?
And finally, we spend so much time counselling others on eating only when hungry, that it’s natural for us, too, to monitor our hunger level frequently. Before I consider an unhealthy snack, I ask my self why I want it. Am I hungry? Am I bored? Is it possible I might simply be thirsty? Or have I decided that I’ve been good the rest of the day, and now I just want it.
Dietitians are people, too. And we love food just as much (if not more!) than anyone else. We’re just uniquely positioned as the experts in eating healthy, (we certainly talk about it a lot!) so much so that it seems that’s all we do. If you’re interested in eating just as healthfully, contact your local dietitian. He or she will be more than pleased to getting you on the path to eating healthy, too!
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