This month I am trying out "Plan to Eat" - a menu planning website that allows you to input your own recipes and plan your meals by the day/week/month. My first thoughts were, "This is awesome! I can plan my menu AND it will give me a shopping list of all the foods I need! Grocery shopping just got to much easier and efficient! YES!" My second thoughts were, "Wait, where are all the foods to choose from?"
So it seems you add your own recipes... yea, ALL of them. There is nothing already in the data base. Want grilled chicken? Add a recipe for that. Want a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? Make a recipe for that too. Want an apple? Ok, you get the idea... So this first part is a little time consuming. You can't plan a day of meals if there are no foods to choose from. When you add a recipe, you can be as detailed as you want, or not. It allows you to add the prep time, ingredients, servings, calories, other nutritional information, and more. They also have a "Recipe Clipper" - this will add a recipe for you, you just have to go the website where you found it. For me, I want to keep an eye on calories. So I am looking up the nutritional information for each recipe by using My Recipe (a tool created by the USDA that calculates nutrition information for recipes) and for individual foods by using Food-A-Pedia (a database of nutrition information also created by the USDA). Links to these tools can be found at the end of this article. After all the recipes are saved, planning the menu is pretty simple. You just click the recipe and drag it to the day you want it. This part is super easy and fun! Probably my favorite part. The grocery list is put together, and ta-da! Now you are ready for the grocery store! Plan to Eat: www.PlanToEat.com My Recipe: www.supertracker.usda.gov/myrecipe.aspx Food-A-Pedia: www.supertracker.usda.gov/foodapedia.aspx
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Earlier this week, I shared an article on Facebook from The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics called, "Orthorexia: An Obsession with Eating Pure." Click the link to the article below to read it. It got A LOT of interest, so I am sharing more of my thoughts on the subject here. I originally shared the article because it reminded me of people I have met and worked with. So many times people are so hard on themselves for not eating "perfectly" 24/7. They can find something "wrong" or "unhealthy" with just about any food. Salmon has too much fat, avocados have too much fat, or bananas have too much sugar. Nothing is ever good enough, even if it comes straight from nature.
When we begin to make changes to our normal routine and to our diet, moderation is so important. Do you ever feel like when it comes to eating healthy, you feel like it is "all or nothing?" It shouldn't have to be that way! I encourage people to focus on making one small change at a time, gradual changes, not eliminating everything out of their diet all at once. This is about making lifestyle changes, not a quick fix, and it takes time to create new habits. Sometimes we can get a little too caught up with eating what our idea of "clean" or "pure" is, and it can actually turn into an obsession. Now, I am not referring to the individual who is trying to lower their cholesterol or blood pressure, and who are following a strict diet for medical reasons. These individuals need to follow a specific diet to save their life! Every little bit counts for them. So is it possible to eat too healthy? In my opinion, it becomes a problem when it begins to interfere with your life, your relationships, and even your health. Orthorexia can almost look like Anorexia in a way, when people are cutting out so many foods from their diet that there is almost nothing left for them to eat. That is when eating "healthy" can actually be hurting your health. I am all about LIFESTYLE changes, and I think everything should have balance, but use moderation. It isn't about being "perfect," it is about living a happy and healthy life! Read the article here: Orthorexia: An Obsession with Eating Pure - The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Did you know that you can SAVE MONEY and get BETTER QUALITY produce just by getting your fruits and vegetables when they are in season? Well, if you already knew that, do you know which fruits and vegetables are in season right now? Use the chart below to help you put together your grocery list, and visit a local farmers market this weekend! Stay tuned: I will be sharing recipe ideas to help you create seasonally inspired meals!
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Debbie Scheidler, MS, RDNMaking nutrition fun and simple. Get your own personalized consultation! ArchivesCategories |
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