EAT LIKE A
nosh magazine
DIETITIAN
Accredited Practising Dietitian Melanie
McGrice shares her expert tips on how to
eat like a dietitian.
art of the reason I became a
dietitian is because I have a passion
for food – how it grows, what it does for
our body and how flavours are produced.
The truth is, everything about food
fascinates me and, as a result, I had a pretty
healthy diet even before becoming a
dietitian. But, over the last 15 years I’ve
learned a few tricks along the way, so here
are some of the key changes that I’ve made,
in a bid to be the healthiest person I can be.
P
1. Learn to love low fat milk
I’ve changed to low fat milk. Growing
up on a dairy farm, I was adamant that I
was never going to drink “watered
down” milk. That was until I learned
how the benefits really do make it
worthwhile. Firstly, although full cream
milk has only three to four per cent fat,
which is very low when compared to
cheese (which has about 30 per cent fat)
or cream (which contains around 45 per
cent fat), a 250ml glass of milk contains
approximately 8 to 10 grams of fat.
Swapping to low fat milk has about half
of the fat, and half of the kilojoules of
full cream milk, while skim milk
contains virtually no fat at all. Over the
years, this adds up to a big saving in
kilojoules. But, the thing that really hit
home for me, was when I realised that
the lower the percentage of fat in the
milk, the higher the amount of
calcium. That’s right, low fat milk
contains, more nutrients. Taste-wise, it
can take a little bit of getting used to,
but the health benefits are definitely
worth making the switch.
2. Eat vegetarian…
sometimes
I try to include a few vegetarian meals
each week. We didn’t eat much
vegetarian food when I was growing
up, but since learning about the health
benefits of legumes, I now make it a
priority. They are rich in soluble fibre,
which is great for a healthy digestive
system; they have a low GI (glycemic
index) and can help to lower
cholesterol levels. Contrary to what
you may think, legumes are very easy
to cook. If you haven’t cooked with
legumes before, start by buying a can
of Four Bean Mix, and just drain it
and add it to a casserole, stir fry or
salad. You really can’t get any easier
than that!
3. Eat more slowly
I learned how to eat more slowly. While
everyone around me seems to be
inhaling their meals faster and faster, I
have learned the art, and the benefits, of
savouring my meals. Eating slowly allows
me to become more satisfied with the
foods that I eat, both emotionally and
physically. Eating slowly also ensures that
I get through less food before the
hormone cholecystokinin kicks in. This
tells my body that I’ve consumed enough
food, which helps me to maintain a
healthy weight.
These tips are ideal if you are looking
to manage or maintain your weight,
but they also apply to anyone seeking
optimum health and nutrition. N
Melanie McGrice, APD
Learn more about Melanie: website | profile
Author of “The Pregnancy Weight Plan”, coordinator of the Fundamentals of Weight
Management seminars, and organiser of the Science of Weight Management
training course, Melanie is an Advanced Accredited Practising Dietitian and recipient
of the 2012 Excellence in Dietetics Award.
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