nosh magazine (issue 3) | Page 3

Expert, Alexandria Hoare shares her tips to help you eat like a nutritionist. s a dietitian I absolutely love food and I love eating plenty of fresh and wholesome food that contributes to all areas of my health and wellbeing. The following are some tips that really work for me to keep my eating on track and to help me to stay healthy, energetic and ready to take on the day! A Enjoy balanced meals I like to have a well balanced diet that nourishes and fuels my body appropriately. To do this I like to balance my meals by having half my meal as vegetables or salad, a quarter of my meal as lean protein and the other quarter made up of carbohydrates. I also add some healthy fats to each meal with my favourites being extra virgin olive oil, flaxseed oil, avocado, nuts and seeds, olives and cheese. Breakfast is an exception when I replace the vegetables with fruit. By doing this I feel like my body is being provided with the wide variety of nutrients, vitamins and minerals it needs. I find it is a simple yet effective approach to a healthy diet without the need to restrict any foods. Have healthy snacks on hand I try to be prepared for when the munchies hit! I always carry in my handbag and shove in my desk drawer some healthy snacks to keep hunger at bay. I know that if I don’t have snacks handy I will grab the first thing that I can get a hold of which might not always be the best choice. Some of my favourite portable snacks include fruit, vegetables sticks, nuts, wholegrain crackers with peanut butter or tuna and if I can keep them cool I like to have yoghurt and cottage cheese. Ensure no food is off limits I love food and there is nothing that I won’t eat! I believe in eating food for health, nourishment and fuel but also eating for pleasure, enjoyment and to socialise. Some nosh magazine EAT LIKE A NUTRITIONIST of my meals I will eat because I know they will be good for my health, some meals I eat purely for pleasure and some meals will fall into both categories! But I try to find a balance between the two. This allows me to enjoy all food without any restriction, without the need to label food as “good” or “bad” and without the need to feel guilty about eating any certain food. Plan your meals I always spend time on a Sunday to prep meals for the week ahead. This will include going to the supermarket to buy the groceries I need for the week and then prepping some lunches by chopping up veggies, making salads, cooking up a big batch of grains (usually quinoa, rice or barley) and getting my snacks ready to take to work. I find this works really well for me as it gives me more time in the evening after work to relax and spend time with my family and friends. N Alexandria Hoare, APD Learn more about Alexandria: website | profile Alexandria is a Melbourne-based Accredited Practicing Dietitian (APD) and nutritionist, with a Bachelor of Health Science and a Master of Dietetics at Deakin University. She is the founder of The Dietitian’s Pantry (thedietitianspantry.com) and she believes in eating a diet that contributes to all areas of health, happiness and wellbeing. For example, broccoli makes her healthy, cheese makes her happy and dining out with her beautiful family and friends is great for her wellbeing! Alexandria promotes a well balanced approach to nutrition and truly believes in “everything in moderation”. Click here to learn more about Alexandria. www.n4foodandhealth.com 3