Nutrition: The Dietary Consultation
Talking to a dietitian when you are in your 80s is different than it was when you were a teenager or even a mature adult. Back then most of us were more interested in weight loss than about eating for the health of it. Silly us. If we had paid more attention then, we might be in better shape now. After years of one diet after the other, it is confusing to be at the other end of the spectrum.
After a lifetime of dietary issues the same concerns exist. We are either overweight, underweight, or are trying to adjust to a “special” diet. Problems are compounded by limited budgets, poor appetites, and not feeling motivated to spend time in the kitchen.
An appointment with a registered dietitian was interesting to say the least. Finding out that I need a high-calorie high-protein diet wasn’t surprising but figuring out what and when to eat is hard.
After a lifetime of eyeballing everything that wasn’t fat free, lite, or sugar free with suspicion, it is hard to embrace whole milk, Greek Yogurt, whole milk cottage cheese. protein bars, butter and the like.
Strategies discussed: Plan to eat 3 meals and 3 snacks a day. Experiment with timing meals to find when you have a larger appetite (like never). Carry snacks with you so you are prepared to eat every 2 to 3 hours, even if you are not hungry.
Is it too late to take nutrition seriously? When our children were young, we cooked healthy foods that they hated, but we practiced what we preached and ate the leftovers. Now, cooking for one or two doesn’t have much appeal. Just looking at the number the servings in the infamous food pyramid, or whatever other system is in vogue, is overwhelming. Can anyone really eat that much?
This is day two. I made it till noon when I had to admit to my daughter that I had consumed 3 snacks but hadn’t had anything that qualified as a “meal.” What qualifies as a meal anyway? Does it have to include all of the items on one of the aforementioned programs? It threw me off when the dietitian told me that an English Muffin did not qualify as “breakfast.” Any ideas? Suggestions would be appreciated.
Leave a Reply