One Minute Healthy Snack Ideas

Need healthy snack ideas that don't take all day to make? Do you know how to make sure your snacks can hold you over in between meals and help provide the nutrition you need each day?

One thing to remember is having at least 3 food groups in each snack: fruits/vegetables (for added nutrition), whole grains (to help incorporate more fiber), and protein (to hold you over until your next meal).

One idea included, in this short video from WebMD, is sliced apples, a low-fat cheese stick, and whole grain crackers. For more snack ideas view this video!

Are you a healthy eater?

According to a survey from Consumer Reports, 9 out of 10 Americans give themselves credit for a diet that is "at least somewhat healthy".

But...here is what some of them owned up to:

• 43% drank at least one full calorie soda or Carmel Frappuccino per day (even those who said they were "dieting")
• 58% said they got the recommended five or more servings per day of fruits and vegetables, but when presented a list of 33 veggies-15 of them were described as 'rarely' or 'never' eaten. Contrary to the CDC's September report that showed that two thirds of Americans eat only 1 serving of fruit and vegetables each day-or skip them entirely.
• 36% were overweight, according to BMI; 21% were obese. 1/3 of people who said they had a healthy weight were actually in the overweight category (according to the BMI chart)

This poses questions of what Americans think a 'healthy diet' consist of! Do you eat healthy? Do you consider yourself normal weight...or would you like to know what category you fall into? Hop on over to the National Heart Lung & Blood Institute and figure out what your BMI is! We can help you if your BMI is outside of the normal range. Call us today 317.489.4817!

To read the document in length or learn more about the Consumer Reports survey go HERE.

Peeling a Potato Made Easy!

Since March is National Nutrition Month & the theme is "Color Your Plate", it is only fitting to provide a preparation tip to help you get more veggies in!

Potatoes represent the white vegetables (which are colored by anthoxanthins). They contain allicin (a chemical) that helps to lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and may decrease the risk of stomach cancer and heart disease. But if you need to peel a potato that process can be so time consuming, but watch this quick video on a simple & easy way to peel a potato.

Registered Dietitian Day-March 9, 2011

Happy Registered Dietitian Day to all our fellow RD's & DTR's!

If you are looking for practical, affordable and accurate nutrition information, Registered Dietitians are the best source. Created in March 2008, Registered Dietitian Day commemorates the dedication of RDs, during National Nutrition Month® and all year long, as advocates for advancing the nutritional status of Americans and people around the world.

Registered Dietitians distinguish themselves as the food and nutrition experts by meeting academic and professional requirements, including earning at least a bachelor's degree, completing a supervised practice program, and passing a registration examination. This distinction is vital when determining where Americans get their nutrition information.

"The term 'nutritionist' is something that is being used quite a bit lately. The problem is that in many states there is no licensure law regarding the term 'nutritionist,' and therefore virtually anyone can call him — or herself — a nutritionist," Villacorta says. "To ensure you are getting trusted, science-based nutrition information, be sure you are looking for the RD credential next to the person's name."

"The expertise of registered dietitians goes so far beyond simply helping people lose weight," Villacorta says. "Whether you are training for a marathon, battling an eating disorder, managing diabetes, recovering from an illness or trying to prevent one or even simply needing help navigating the grocery store shelves, RDs are there to provide you with the personalized nutrition information you need to accomplish your goal."

If you are looking for an accredited Registered Dietitian, you can find it on the American Dietetic Associations website-or by clicking this LINK.

If you are looking for weight loss or weight management help, we at HNT can help! Call 317-489-4817 for more information or click HERE to visit our HNT Indiana website.

Seasons 52

Seasons 52 is a restaurant that is new to the Indianapolis area. It's located at Keystone at the Crossing (8650 Keystone Crossing, Indianapolis, IN 46240) and is highly recommended as a great place to eat considering all factors: cost, nutrition, taste.

The restaurant is "seasonally-inspired" with a fresh appeal of the farmer's market. They use natural cooking techniques such as wood-fire grilling, brick-oven cooking, and caramelizing vegetables to let the natural flavors shine through. The menu features all items being less than 475 calories-great for weight loss or weight management.

Check out Seasons 52 Menu HERE and decide whether this will be your next place for dining!

Must Knows About Salad Bars

Most people think "all salads" are healthy, but the truth is you can build a salad that has many calories more than what you had ever expected! The great thing is that if you know what items to choose on your salad it can be a great, nutritious and filling option for any meal or side dish.

Must knows include:

• Start out with a smaller plate-silly I know, but it won't hold as much as a larger plate. Less food equals less calories


• Start with a good nutrient rich dark green leafy vegetable like spinach, romaine, or endive.


• Including vegetables (like cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, and broccoli) on your salad will load it with a variety of nutrients including beta-carotene, vitamins A and C, potassium, folic acid and fiber.


• Use legumes, beans, lean meats like chicken, turkey, or fish for a good protein source


• Watch out for the following options that provide little nutrition and/or lots of calories: croutons, fried meats, candied nuts, chow mein noodles, seeds, bacon, cheese, pastas/potato/macaroni salads (found at most salad bar) and creamy salad dressings.

Restaurants are often playing up the word 'salad' hoping consumers will opt for the 'healthy' choice even if it has a lot of calories. Sure the salads sound good, but not worth the calories! Take some of the Applebee's salad options for instance: the Regular Crispy Shrimp Caesar Salad, Regular Oriental Chicken Salad, Regular Apple Walnut Chicken Salad, Regular Sante Fe Chicken Salad all have over 1,000 calories! Instead opt for the 1/2 portion size w/o dressing to cut the calories in half, choose one of the Weight Watcher salads (for less than 500 calories), or build your own salad based upon the must knows above.

Whether you are at home, a salad bar, or a restaurant be wise in the selections you make for your salads. They could end up being more than you bargained for in calories!

Walking for Physical Activity

The days are getting longer, March is here, and Daylight Savings time is less than 2 weeks away...time to start planning for spring and summer physical activity!

HNT Durango will have some exciting new events planned to boost your activity this spring, but in the meantime we'd like to get you thinking about simply taking a walk.

Click HERE, to read a nice article to help you get motivated!

Have a well week,

National Nutriton Month

March is National Nutrition Month according to the American Dietetic Association.

This year the theme is "Eat Right with Color". Nutritional benefits are more varied with the more color you can add to your plate. The colors associated with what's on your plate have vitamins and minerals and other nutrients to keep you healthy.

Each color is associated with having beneficial components:

• Blue/Purple: anthocyanins & pheonlics which help to lower the risk of some cancers, are good for healthy aging, memory function, and urinary tract health


• Green: lutein and indoles-help to promote strong bones, teeth, and vision health


• White: includes the phytochemical called allicin. It promotes heart health, helps maintain cholesterol levels that are with in the normal range, and may reduce the risk of some cancers


• Yellow/Orange: vitamin C and phytonutrients like carotenoids and bioflavonoids which are beneficial for vision and heart health and a healthy immune system


• Red: contains phytonutrients lycopene and anthocyanins which promote heart and urinary tract health and memory function

Try focusing in on trying a new fruits or vegetables this month to help increase variety in your everyday diet for optimal nutrition. You might find a few more foods that you enjoy-just because you were able to experiment!

For fruit and vegetable recipes or other information-click HERE to go to the "fruits & veggies more matters" website!