What I Learned from a McConnell Heart Health Center Dietician – Kristin Marks’ Story

Ever wonder what a dietician would say about your grocery list? Are you making the healthiest choices for your family? What should you be looking for when reading those nutrition labels?

NBC4 reporter Ellie Merritt went shopping with a local mom blogger, Kristin Marks, and Jennifer Burton, a McConnell Heart Health Center dietician, to find out the answers to all of those questions. Kristin shares what she learned on that trip.

My most prized possession is my children. Every day I think about how to keep them healthy, and a major part of keeping them healthy is choosing foods that offer lots of nutrition. I had the opportunity to hand my weekly grocery list over to McConnell Heart Health Center Dietician Jennifer Burton to find out the down and dirty about the best foods to feed my kids, what should be organic, and what to look for in labels. The information she shared was informative and helpful.

Let me start by stating I was terrified she’d red mark my whole list and ask how my children were surviving, but instead I was enlightened by the fact that I don’t do too badly. Burton was very clear that when feeding children parents need to be mindful of making good choices, but sometimes fruit snacks or Cocoa Pebbles are okay. The key to eating healthfully is balance.

As we perused the produce, canned food, and bread aisles, Burton shared food tips that will help me with all my future grocery trips. Firstly, don’t take the children, and go to a supermarket with a Starbucks…just joking. All kidding aside, here’s the suggestions I gleaned most important:

1. Choose organic for the following: thin-skinned fruits, all leafy vegetables and vegetables/fruits you’d eat with the skin on. Try to buy only organic meats.
2. The darker the better when choosing greens (my kids love kale chips and I add vitamin packed spinach to smoothies without detection).
3. Add color to every meal. Burton said children and adults should be eating four and a half cups of fruit and veggies every day.
4. Don’t forget to buy frozen veggies and fruit. Eat perishables at the beginning of the week and finish the week with frozen foods.
5. Recommended daily intake of sodium is1500 milligrams. Look closely at labels on pre-made canned soups, boxed meals, and salad dressings.
6. When eating grains, cereals, and pastas, choose items higher in fiber and/or protein. Three grams of fiber or higher is a good choice.
7. When choosing cereal, get the healthiest choice and add your sweetener at home. That way if you/your child likes your morning bowl a bit sweeter, you have control over how much goes in. Or add dried or fresh fruit for sweetness.
8. In regards to baby food, making your own is the very best. Wash food well, cook meats well, and utilize the blender or food processor. Store pureed food in the freezer in ice cube trays. Don’t be afraid to mix vegetables and pureed meats together.
9. Whole grains are the best choice.

If you follow her advice, when you make your meal plan you’ll notice you’ll be cooking with nutritional whole foods. Foods higher in protein and fiber keep you full and satisfied longer. But, don’t fret over that treat of ice cream or a candy bar…just try to balance it in every now and again.

Kristin Marks is married with two children, resides in Columbus, Ohio and blogs at Columbus Mom. She has vowed to try a new fruit or vegetable each week.

Tags | Columbus moms, healthy eating tips, McConnell Heart Health Center, nutrition tips