Nutrition

Dietician's Corner: Let's Talk About Diet

General Guidelines: It is important to learn your meal plan and to follow the guidelines listed. Remember that your meal plan can be changed depending on alterations in your weight, activity, medication or food preferences, Your dietitian can help you make these changes.

• Eat three meals a day. Avoid eating between meals unless a snack has been included in your meal plan.
• Eat at the same time each day. Do not skip meals.
• Try to eat the same amount and type of food at each meal. Remember to eat a variety of foods within each food group.
• Bake, broil, roast, or boil your meats. Avoid frying.
• Add fats to foods (margarine, butter, oil, salad dressings) after they are prepared so exact portions can be measured.
• Avoid large amounts of margarine and gravy if you need to control your weight.
• Foods should be measured after they are cooked.
• Avoid regular sweeteners, candy, condiments, and foods with sugar added to them. {These include: *sugar, *candy, *honey, *syrups maple, chocolate, etc), *molasses, *sugar coated foods, *jelly, jam, marmalade *sweet rolls, *pastries, *sherbet, ice cream, *sweetened canned fruit juice, *candied fruit, *popsicles, *frosting, *regular pop, *fruited or flavored yogurt, *cake, cookies, pies, *pudding, *donuts, *regular gelatin}
• Avoid special diet or dietetic foods such as dietetic cake, cookies, candy, and ice cream. These foods contain sugar and calories. Check with your dietitian about specific dietetic foods that you would like to use.
• Click here for a full-size, printable, detailed Food Pyramid. (free Adobe Acrobat Reader required.)