BONNIE TAUB-DIX, MA, RD: Registered dietitians customize meal plans to the patient's particular individual needs. So not only do we have to look at what they like to eat, but we have to look at what time of day they eat. You know, someone who works on a night shift may need a totally different meal plan than someone who works days. Does this person eat in restaurants all the time? Do they eat at home all the time? Do they like to cook? Do they only eat out and order in?
I think that before seeing a dietitian, you might want to ask yourself, "Well, what are my eating habits like? Do I stand eating in front of the refrigerator? Am I eating in my car most of the time? Do I eat off my kid's plates? What kind of food am I making for my family? I'm so confused in the supermarket, how do I know how to read a label?"
Some people do very well with one visit with a dietitian, others may go to a dietitian for years. It doesn't mean that they're not learning anything, but eating is very personal.
ANNOUNCER: So what makes a diet healthy?
BONNIE TAUB-DIX, MA, RD: Good eating habits are habits where you eat until you're full, learning when your stomach is full. Good eating habits has to do with eating a variety of foods in your diet, having whole grain fruits and vegetables, eating lean sources of protein where the fat is trimmed having good sources of calcium in your diet and dairy products that are low in fat, having lots and lots of fruits and vegetables, and keeping your diet low in saturated fat.
ANNOUNCER: So if "we are what we eat" it might be time to take steps towards a healthier diet.
BONNIE TAUB-DIX, MA, RD: The most important point that I could leave you with is that your diet should be balanced. There's no one miracle cure food. There's no one food that's going to cause you to become obese. There's no one food that's keeping you too thin. I think that it's important to realize that foods work in concert with each other and this also needs to be in concert with your home life and your emotional well-being.
