As a dietitian, I'm constantly getting food-related questions. Two of the most common questions I’m asked are:

"What made you decide to become a dietitian?" and "What do you eat every day?"

I think most people assume dietitians eat like a bunch of rabbits – by only eating fruits and veggies. But, I personally became a dietitian because I love food and I love to eat! My diet is far from perfect or rabbit-like, but I do try my best to make wise choices about what I put in my body.

To be fully transparent, below is everything I had to eat and drink one day this week:

Breakfast:

  • Yogurt bar from the cafeteria (Which contained: 1/4 cup granola, 2T walnuts, 1 cup strawberries/pineapple, 1/2 cup yogurt)

Lunch:

  • Well-being meal (meatloaf, mashed potatoes, mixed veggies)
  • 1 cup pineapple from the salad bar with about 1/8 cup cottage cheese
  • Salted caramel brownie (I know, shocker. But this is a huge weakness of mine!)

Dinner:

(Neither my husband or I felt like cooking on this night)

  • Turkey sandwich (plain) on wheat bread
  • 1 slice pepper jack cheese
  • 1 cup strawberries with 1T Nutella®

Drinks:

  • About 150 oz. water
  • About 24 oz. coffee + 2 T pumpkin spice creamer (And yes, it's back!)

Now, let’s see how well I matched up with my daily nutrition goals.

I strive to eat five servings of fruits and/or veggies daily. A serving size is about ½ a cup of cooked green or orange veggies, and about a whole cup of leafy or raw salad veggies. I actually ate four servings in the day I’ve food journaled above, which isn't really quite what I like to see. But you know what, no one is perfect! By writing it out, I’m able to evaluate how I stacked up against my goals and I can always improve tomorrow. Good nutrition doesn’t have to be perfect or complicated.

When you're trying to improve your eating habits, I do encourage you to keep a paper-pencil food journal or track your food with the MyFitnessPal app. It can be an eye-opener to see everything written out and does help you to pinpoint where improvements can be made.

If there is anything I can do to help you meet your nutrition goals, I’d love to help. Call me at 317.398.5315 or email me at acollins@majorhospital.org

Allison Collins, Registered Dietitian and Wellness Coordinator at MHP