A Dietitian’s 5 Poor Eating Habits {Yes we’re human too!}

As a registered dietitian, I am often asked ‘so do you eat healthy all the time?’ or ‘do you ever eat sweets?’ Obviously these are asked by people who don’t know me because I definitely don’t eat healthy all the time (I’m human!) and I love my sweets.  So when I read My 5 Worst Eating Habits from Real Mom Nutrition I was inspired to think about my own poor eating habits and thankful that other dietitian’s like Sally are able the admit that they are human too! 

My 5 Poor Eating Habits

1. I drink diet pop/soda: yup, I’m sure a few jaws are dropping. I know it’s not the best for me, I’m well aware it contains artificial sweeteners, caffeine, etc.  
2. I don’t eat nearly enough fruit: I don’t have anything against fruit, I actually love it, I just don’t eat it enough.  At least my kids eat fruit with breakfast, lunch and dinner.
3. I eat raw cookie dough: yes, a horrible thing to do, again, I am well aware of the risk of salmonella yet I still eat it…too often to admit.
4. I often eat my meals too fast and eat in front of the TV: I have a good excuse for eating too fast…I’m trying to feed 3 kids at the same time and keep mealtimes as sane as possible (I have a 4 year old, 3 year old and 1 year old…enough said).  And eating in front of the TV occurs if I eat a late dinner after the kids go to bed.  This is mom’s time to relax and unwind.  
5. I am sometimes an emotional eater: this one is hard to admit and I will say I have come a LONG way. In the past, I would overeat when I was stressed, upset, stayed up too late, drank too much or was overly tired.  Now it’s more caused by stress to a lesser extent and eating out of boredom (which occurs much less since I started blogging!).  Not only is it great for my career to keep up with the latest nutrition news and trends, but it also keeps my intellectual side fueled and is good for my health!  Majors bonuses of blogging…here’s to following your passion!  

My 5 Good Eating Habits

1. I cook with healthy fats: I almost exclusively cook with olive oil or bake with canola oil.
2. I cook and eat a variety of vegetables: anything from kale (a new favorite), to mushrooms and asparagus.  The list could go on and on.  What I find to help is adding vegetables to casseroles, chili and pasta dishes.  
3. I drink an adequate amount of water: I keep my water bottle filled and with me all day, especially when I’m on the go. 
4. I choose lean meats and poultry: I only buy chicken breasts, and lean or extra-lean ground beef or ground turkey.
5. I eat a balanced, varied diet. By cooking a variety of foods we tend to eat out less since Dan and I don’t get sick of the same old foods I’m making week after week. And a major bonus is our kids have the opportunity to try new foods as well as different cooking methods. 

What this teaches me as a dietitian

1. Don’t expect people to eat perfectly or follow every proper guideline: just because people know what is right to eat, everyone has temptations, cravings and desires.
2. Habits are hard to break: I started drinking diet pop in my early 20’s to help “fill me up” when trying to lose weight. I haven’t broken the habit yet (although at times I contemplate it!).
3. Focus on 1 change at a time: if I decided to change each one of my 5 poor eating habits at the same time, I would be extremely discouraged. It’s not realistic to expect anyone to make several changes all at the same time. 

I hope this sheds some light into what a dietitian eats and what sort of battles we may be facing just like you!  

Do any of these habits resonate with you? What habits would you like to improve on or what habits are you proud of? I’d love to hear from you!

© 2015 Kristy Hegner  Disclosure and Privacy Policy