Guest Post, Author at Sunny Side Up Nutrition

by: Karen Manschot, MS, RDN, LDN
Guest Post Writer

Our lives have drastically changed over the last week. We have gone from going to work, or school, or kids’ activities, or personal activities to being home juggling many things all at once. There’s lots of uncertainty right now and this uncertainty can lead many people to focus on food and their bodies. Wellness and food marketers can prey on this fear and uncertainty with “tips” that aren’t based in science and can cause harm. Instead of latching on to nutrition tips that may not be helpful, let’s look at what food recommendations may help ground us during this time.

1. Maintain a “flexible” structure.

It seems that so many news stories have focused on how to maintain structure with learning and school projects with kids who are home due to school closures. Even more importantly, consider keeping a “flexible” structure with meals and snacks. Focusing on a structure with food can help the rest of the day feel structured, if that’s helpful to you. Some days may be more structured than others, and that is okay. Be gentle with yourself and your loved ones, allow for flexibility.

Although our schedules have changed, our bodies’ need for food has not. Our stomachs still empty every 3-4 hours. Continuing to set aside time for regular meals and snacks is a great way to care for yourself, and maintain a sense of normalcy, at a time when very few things feel normal.

2. Check in with yourself.

Maybe you don’t have kids at home and are just providing for yourself, or are providing for you and a roommate, or you and a partner. This message still applies. Give yourself permission to check in with yourself (and whoever you are living with) every few hours and ask:

“When was the last time that I ate?”
“How hungry am I right now?”
“What food(s) sound good to me?”

Some days, implementing this kind of flexible structure and checking in with yourself may feel easy. Other days, it may not go as well. Be gentle with yourself, you are doing the best that you can. If you are struggling with these questions and are just providing for yourself, think of how you would want to feed a child or a loved one in a time such as this. What would you tell them about how they can nourish their bodies? How would you encourage them to make food a priority?

3. Focus on adequacy.

There have been numerous news stories and social media posts dedicated to sharing information on which foods are “healthiest” for us to stock up on during this time of quarantine. If pouring over nutrition facts labels feels tiring and unnecessary, you are not alone in that feeling. This is not the time to get bogged down in nutrition facts. Some grocery stores are now changing their hours and limiting how many of a certain product you can purchase at one time. Consider being flexible with the food choices that you make at the grocery store, and instead of nutrition details, focus on eating adequately.

Ellyn Satter makes a case for eating adequately before considering the nutritional profiles of food. In her Hierarchy of Food Needs, Satter contends that eating enough food should be our first priority. Getting enough food is going to look different for all of us at this time. At some meals, maybe that looks like eating multiple food groups. Other meals, maybe that looks like eating just carbohydrate rich foods. It is a privilege to continue to be able to eat a variety of different foods during this time. Not everyone has the privilege of being able to go to the grocery store each week to buy fresh foods or being able to stock up on multiple weeks of food. Our bodies are better able to fight off infection when they are well fed, regardless of the type of food that we eat. Know that it is okay if your meals look different now than they did a few weeks ago. We are all doing the best that we can.

4. Consider how to be creative with the food on hand.

Since the quarantine started, I have had the privilege of having more time on my hands to cook and bake. I recognize that not everyone has the opportunity to cook new recipes during this time, nor is everyone interested in that. If you are someone who is interested in trying a new recipe (and maybe even involving your children in the cooking process!), search Sunny Side Up Nutrition’s recipes. These recipes are simple and many are designed for kids to help. Also, consider searching the Food Hero and Chop Chop Family websites. Food Hero allows you to search their recipe database by ingredient, and Chop Chop Family allows you to search recipes by category (e.g. breakfast, lunch, dinner). Chop Chop also outlines all of the kitchen gear that they think you will need for each recipe – making it easier for you to decide if you have what it takes to make a recipe, before you start cooking.

5. Support local restaurants, if able.

Starting to feel stir crazy when it comes to preparing meals at home? Consider supporting a local restaurant by ordering takeout, if your budget allows. Some restaurants are offering special deals in an effort to get more Americans to eat out and support the restaurant industry. If you are reading this and live in the Triangle area, consider checking out this list of local restaurants that are continuing to offer curbside pickup or delivery.

If you are feeling concerned about food safety when ordering out or cooking at home, consider that there is currently no evidence of food or food packaging being associated with transmission of COVID-19. Food safety experts recommend that you continue to wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds prior to preparing or eating food, or use hand sanitizer when soap and water are not available. For more information about best practices with food, review the tips listed here and here.

As a closing thought, I leave you with a message of encouragement that one of my former coaches would often share with me.

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”

We are all trying to figure out this new normal. Please be patient with yourself and with others. Each day, or maybe even each hour, may look different than planned. Wishing you self compassion and peace as we work through this, together.

If you have nutrition questions or need nutrition support for yourself or your family, Karen and all the dietitians at Pinney Davenport Nutrition and Lutz, Alexander Nutrition Therapy are conducting sessions via telehealth. We’d love to help!

Karen Manschot, MS, RDN, LDN — Lutz, Alexander & Associates Nutrition Therapy

Guest Post Writer

Karen provides nutrition therapy for adolescents and adults with a variety of nutrition concerns, including disordered eating and sports nutrition. She also leads an Intuitive Eating group that provides both psychoeducation and support for adults on their Intuitive Eating journey. She completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Dietetics & Nutrition and Fitness & Health at Purdue University where she was a student-athlete competing in distance events for the Purdue Women’s Cross Country and Track and Field teams. Karen completed her dietetic internship and Master of Science degree in Nutrition & Dietetics at Northern Illinois University, where she also served as a volunteer assistant coach for the Women’s Cross Country and Track and Field teams. She utilizes motivational interviewing and a non-diet approach to assist clients in improving their relationship with food. Karen typically sees clients in Raleigh, NC and virtually. To contact Karen directly you can email her at karen@lutzandalexander.com

Lauren McIlwaine, MSc, MPH, RD, LDN – Guest Post Writer

As crisp, autumn air finally settles into North Carolina, ghosts and cobwebs are appearing on doorsteps in every neighborhood. Excitement for this week’s Halloween festivities is contagious, and many families are getting prepared for trick-or-treating in their communities. With this infectious energy also comes questions about how to handle one of the main focuses of Halloween: candy.

“Do we let our kids eat whatever they want?”

“How long should they be in charge of their candy?”

“What if they get a bellyache?”

Let’s walk through some guiding principles to help Halloween be spooky, not stressful.

Set the Tone

In general, your children are constantly picking up on your cues about how to handle all eating situations. When you feel anxious about the food options or an eating environment, your children may internalize these feelings. If you are relaxed, they will feel more at ease. Present yourself as confident with how you want to handle Halloween candy (note: it is ok to act confident even if you aren’t!). Answer any of their questions with clear, concise answers, and don’t engage in power struggles. Be consistent. Be present. Be calm.

(Note: It may be a tall order to be relaxed around food if you have struggled with any disordered eating or were not raised in a relaxed eating environment. We completely understand. For more information about how start a new chapter with food, further explore this blog & the “Resource” tab!)

Spread the Focus

Just as your children read your tone about eating, they learn how to celebrate holidays by following your lead. Instead of harping on the candy, get involved in the fun. Wear a silly Halloween costume (or just something simple if that’s more your style). Choose a specific night this week to watch your favorite Halloween movie. If you’re feeling ambitious, meet a local farmer and pick pumpkins directly from the vine. By demonstrating that candy is only one aspect of the holiday, sweets lose some of their “power.”

The Big Day

On Halloween, it is first important to serve your routine meals and snacks throughout the day. Make sure your children are offered balanced meals (carbohydrate + protein + fat + fruit or veg) and an after-school snack. Ensure that you have given them ample opportunities to meet their nutritional needs with a variety of foods. Don’t hold back on serving carbohydrates in the anticipation of them overeating sweets that evening; we want our children to see that all foods fit!

After a fun evening of trick-or-treating, follow Ellyn Satter’s approach: “When he comes home from trick-or-treating, let him lay out his booty, gloat over it, sort it and eat as much of it as he wants.”¹Research shows that labelling a food as “off limits” may result in a negative relationship with that food and/or overeating that food when it is finally permitted.²Allow your children to have this moment to bask in the glory of Halloween without limits. If you restrict their intake on Halloween night, they are more likely to hyper-focus on getting more of it on subsequent days.

In addition, as Satter explains, part of normal eating is “overeating at times…feeling stuffed and uncomfortable” while also trusting your body to “make up for mistakes in your eating.”³ Your children may overeat and have bellyaches. That’s ok. Let them learn from experience. If they ask you how much is allowed, use gentle tone and phrasing, such as “You can eat as much as you like, but remember your belly may hurt if you eat too much.” It is ok to guide your children in making mindful decisions about intake; however, a forceful limitation may backfire.

The Following Days

On the day after Halloween, per Ellyn Satter’s instruction, continue to let them eat what they want. Then, on subsequent days, begin letting them incorporate candy into their meals and snacks per the Division of Responsibility.⁴ If they can stick to their roles, they can be in charge of their candy. If they are unable to follow the rules, you take over. Candy should be kept in the kitchen out of sight, but not hidden. If they beg for candy in-between meals and snacks, you can gently remind them that there will be an opportunity to eat some at the next meal or snack soon.

Don’t Make Judgments

In our diet-obsessed world, it can be easy to fall into the trap of making judgments about food. During Halloween (and Thanksgiving and Christmas!), refrain from making judgments about your children, yourself, or other people for eating candy. Add some candy to your own meal or snack, and eat without verbal judgment. Discuss your favorite candy with your children from an objective point of view (e.g. “I love Reeses because it melts in my mouth!”) rather than saying anything about calories. Take an “all foods fit” approach to what you eat.

When in doubt, remember one thing: Halloween will come and go. You & your children will be just fine.

Have a happy (and safe) Halloween!

Lauren McIlwaine, MSc, MPH, RD, LDN

Lauren is a nutrition therapist with Lutz, Alexander & Associates Nutrition Therapy in Raleigh, NC. She specializes in nutrition therapy for children, adolescents, and adults with eating and feeding disorders. She also specializes in family feeding (supporting parents in staying out of the food battle) and geriatric nutrition.

Lauren received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Georgetown University, a Master of Science in Health Psychology from the University of St Andrews in Scotland, and a Master of Public Health in Nutrition from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Most recently, she was a clinical dietitian at Veritas Collaborative where she worked with adolescent eating disorder patients requiring inpatient, residential, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient services. She also previously worked in research, helping to investigate the most effective treatments for various eating disorders. She is passionate about helping families create positive relationships with food, helping individuals debunk nutrition myths, and spreading positive messages about nutrition on social media. She is also passionate about collaborating with older adults to support them in fueling their bodies well.

Lauren sees clients in Raleigh, NC and virtually. To contact Lauren directly to set up a consultation, email her at laurenm@lutzandalexander.com

Resources:

Satter, E. (2019). The sticky topic of Halloween candy. Retrieved from <https://www.ellynsatterinstitute.org/family-meals-focus/30-halloween-candy/>.
Alves, J. (2016, Oct 12). How dieting can lead to binge eating – Jean Alves. Retrieved from <https://www.eatingrecoverycenter.com/blog/2016/10/12/diets-set-us-self-sabotage-jean-alves>.
Satter, E. (2019). What is normal eating? Retrieved from <https://www.ellynsatterinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/What-is-normal-eating-Secure.pdf>.
Satter, E. (2019). Division of responsibility in feeding. Retrieved from <https://www.ellynsatterinstitute.org/how-to-feed/the-division-of-responsibility-in-feeding/>.