I’m a Dietitian on a Nutrient-Dense, Whole Foods-Based Diet

作为营养师，我帮助我的客户创造可持续的，营养的饮食模式和健康的生活方式，因此他们可以感受到他们的绝对最佳，无论它们是否有慢性条件。

Even though my specific dietary recommendations differ depending on factors like blood sugar control and digestive health, I recommend that all my clients eat a nutrient-dense diet composed primarily of whole foods.

Plus, I practice what I preach.

Here’s what healthy eating looks like to me.

Why a nutrient-dense whole foods diet works for me

多年来，我发现吃一个主要是整个食物组成的营养密集的饮食让我感受到我的最佳并控制我的Hashimoto’s-related symptoms.

Hashimoto的疾病是一种影响甲状腺的自身免疫性疾病。您可以了解有关饮食和生活方式的更多信息，有助于管理Hashimoto的症状本文.

Nutrient-dense foods — the ones I focus on in my diet — are those that are high in nutrients like vitamins, minerals, protein, fiber, and healthy fats. They include fruits, vegetables, seeds, chicken, fish, beans, and nuts.

虽然我诊断患有哈希莫病的疾病，但我也遵循了一种主要的无麸质和无谷物饮食，尽管我吃奎尼亚和糙米等少量无麸质谷物。

This diet works for me and absolutely makes a difference in my Hashimoto’s symptoms.

Moreover, I care deeply about eating as sustainably as possible and am lucky to be able to grow my own food, keep chickens, and live in an area with an abundance of farms.

这些做法不仅让我对我的身体感到愉快，而且对我的环境影响有很大差异。

Eating locally and seasonally已与许多健康和环境福利有关，我鼓励您尽可能地支持当地农场，或者尝试成长自己的食物（ 1 , 2 ).

更重要的是，当地的营养密集饮食高，可持续的采购食物使我和丈夫在吃饭时让我的丈夫更容易。尽管有些人可以以这种方式思考饮食涉及厨房的小时，但它没有。

Meals can be as simple as a brown rice bowl with veggies and chicken or a sweet potato stuffed with veggies, beans, and eggs.

可持续性和平衡是最重要的

虽然我的饮食主要由整体，营养密集的食物组成，但这并不能使其无聊。

I know how foods can either benefit or harm health, and it’s important to me that I treat my body well and fuel it with the right foods.

However, I also understand that sustainability, variety, and consistency are the most important factors in any healthy diet — and that means truly enjoying the foods I eat, even when they’re not the most nutritious.

I have a balanced approach to nutrition with both myself and my clients. Enjoying your favorite ice cream or a tastyslice of pizzacan be part of a healthy diet, so long as that diet is composed mostly of nutritious foods.

Life’s too short to obsess over food choices, but life is also too short to not take care of your health. While I love foods like Funfetti cake, pizza, and冰淇淋— and enjoy them on occasion — these foods aren’t part of my everyday diet.

Instead, I choose meals and snacks based on what my body needs and how they make me feel.

What a day of eating looks like for me

I work from home and have for years, so almost all my meals and snacks are homemade.

I let my hunger be my guide, so sometimes I eat three meals a day, sometimes two. Sometimes I snack, sometimes I don’t. And that’s OK! I listen to my body and eat when I’m hungry.

I have a few go-tos for lunch and dinner depending on the season, but here are some of my favorite breakfast and lunch options.

早餐

• 来自我的母鸡的两个鸡蛋有一半的鳄梨和Cleveland Kraut烤大蒜德国泡菜
• an egg and veggie omelet with a bit of cheddar cheese and a side of berries or grapefruit
• Lavva yogurtwith mixed berries, a scoop of natural peanut butter, cacao nibs, unsweetened coconut, and chia seeds

午餐

• a large mixed green salad with chickpeas, pumpkin or sunflower seeds, sun-dried tomatoes, and a fried egg
• Wild Planet tunawithPrimal Kitchenmayo, dill pickles, and简单的磨坊almond flour crackers
• a snack plate made with whatever looks good in my fridge and pantry (This could be a combination of fresh fruit, sliced veggies, hummus, cheese, nuts, crackers, dried fruit, and more.)

我早上喝咖啡，然后在白天喝水和不含芙蓉茶。

My husband and I eat dinner together every night and take turns cooking. We both enjoy eating healthy foods and have a few go-to meals we like to prepare.

In the spring, summer, and fall, we use veggies from our backyard farm like greens, asparagus, onions, zucchini, winter squash, peppers, potatoes, eggplant, and tomatoes. Veggies are always the star of our dinners.

我的丈夫是一个狂热的渔夫，所以我们吃了他捕获的鱼，包括侥幸，黑鱼和鲈鱼。其他蛋白质来源包括鸡蛋，鸡 - 我们尽可能从当地农场购买 - 和土耳其。

We mostly rely on sweet potatoes, beans, potatoes, winter squash, brown rice, and quinoa for carb sources. We also loveTinkyada.糙米pasta.

Dinner

以下是我们填补，美味和简单准备的少数宴会：

• Stuffed sweet potatoes.We roast sweet potatoes and then top them with sautéed veggies and a protein source like eggs, beans, or chicken. Here’s a tasty塞甘薯食谱you can try.
• 杏仁结痂鱼。My husband makes breading from blended almonds to crust fish like fluke. We pan-fry it and serve it with sautéed broccoli and roasted potatoes.
• Chicken burgers.我们经常用甘薯炸薯条和一个大沙拉为它们制作鸡肉或土耳其汉堡。
• Whole roasted chicken.This is a go-to winter dish. We get whole chickens from local farms and roast them in a pan with carrots, onions, and potatoes. I like to make stock out of the chicken carcass to use as sipping broth or for soups.
• 厚实的夏天蔬菜酱和糙米面团。In the summer, when we have an abundance of veggies, we often make a chunky sauce witheggplant, onions, zucchini, and tomatoes and serve it over brown rice pasta with fresh Parmesan.
• Curry.I love making curries in the winter with coconut milk, potatoes, carrots, and lentils.

As you can see, our meals are pretty balanced and always include sources of fiber, protein, and healthy fat.

If I want something sweet after dinner, I sometimes snack on a nut-butter-stuffed date with chocolate chips or a piece of chocolate with peanut butter. Still, to be honest, I’m usually satisfied with dinner and don’t often want a nighttime snack.

Don’t get me wrong — I love sweets, and if I want something, I’ll have it. It’s just that following a balanced and filling diet that provides enough calories often leads to less snacking, especially at night.

I never feel deprived, because I honor my body by fueling it with delicious, nourishing, and nutritious foods.

I didn’t always eat this way

Even though I consider my current diet to be balanced and nutritious, I didn’t always have the best relationship with food.

When I was in my late teens and early twenties, I, like so many other women, wasn’t comfortable with my body and turned to限制性节食为了看某种方式并适合一定的尺寸。

My relationship with food and my body has evolved over the years. Studying nutrition, becoming a dietitian, and learning what makes me feel my best have helped me gain a lot of respect for myself and led me to take care of my body and mind in a consistently healthy way.

Developing a healthy relationship with food takes time. It’s not an easy ride for many people, myself included.

如果您正在努力与食物，身体形象或健康问题斗争，那么获得正确的帮助是很重要的，以便您可以开始生活您最快乐的生活。

This may mean working with a professional such as aregistered dietitianor therapist.

任何人都可以这样吃吗？

You may wonder whether it’s healthy for everyone to follow a nutrient-dense diet that’s rich in whole foods.

是的！（仍然，不是每个人都需要或应该削减麸质或限制谷物。这是我在医疗状况的基础上照顾我自己的健康的选择。）

In general, though, everyone can benefit from following a diet rich inwhole foods像蔬菜，鱼，水果，豆类，坚果和种子。

此外，限制超加工的食物可能会有助于您的感觉整体更好，降低疾病相关的症状，并保护您未来的健康状况（ 3 , 4 , 5 ).

If you want to start eating more whole, nutrient-dense foods, start small by aiming for at least two servings of veggies every day and cooking at home a few times per week.

Once these changes become routine, try adding other goals, such as swapping out ultra-processed snack foods for more nutritious options like fresh fruit and nut butter.

随着时间的推移进行小的变化是持续饮食修改的方式，所以一步一步。