Dimensions Healthy Living

Leslie Fink, MS, RD, has been a nutritionist and recipe editor at WeightWatchers.com since February 2000. She received her Masters of Science in Nutrition from New York University (1996) where she also met her requirements for the Registered Dietitian status. She received her Bachelor of Arts from Tufts University (1993). Her nutrition motto is: anything in moderation.

Q Dental hygienists are constantly on the go seeing patients throughout the day. What are some strategies for eating healthfully with very little time to sit down for lunch or snacks?

A Meal composition is key. Carbohydrates are a very quickly used energy source. They give you an energy lift and make you feel great but then as soon as your body uses up the carbohydrates, you’re left running on empty. When planning your meals and snacks for the day, think about their composition. Make sure that you consume some complex carbohydrates for quick energy but also some protein and fat, which will make you feel fuller for longer.

Q What are some examples of foods that will keep you feeling full for longer periods of time?

A For instance, you can make a grilled cheese for breakfast by taking two slices of light whole grain bread, putting low fat cheese on them, and melting them in the toaster oven. You can have frozen pancakes with a yogurt smoothie or a piece of toast with peanut butter and banana. The peanut butter, the yogurt, and the cheese all provide some protein and some fat. If you’re eating a bowl of cereal in the morning and you notice you’re hungry soon after, chances are you’re not consuming enough variety of nutrients to keep your energy up and your hunger down for the long run.

Q What about eating during a short lunch break?

A If you have enough time, bring in a Tupperware container filled with salad ingredients and some grilled chicken or a turkey sandwich with carrots on the side and hummus as the spread. Hummus is healthy and it provides some fat. For a very quick lunch, have a hard boiled egg, some crackers, and celery sticks. Finger foods like sliced cheese, turkey slices, and mini-whole wheat pitas are also good to eat on the go. Chili or a bean-based soup that can be microwaved is a good choice. Beans have a lot of fiber, which make you feel full.

Q What are some good snack foods that keep the hunger at bay?

A A small bag of almonds (about 10) is good as it provides fat and protein, which make you feel full. Drinkable yogurt is an option as is a stash of pretzels made from spelt, a type of wheat that has a slightly sweet, nutty flavor with a stronger hull that keeps more nutrients inside. Portion control is important. If you tend to overeat from a large bag of pretzels, keep single portions in a zip lock bag. Ten almonds and a peach is a good snack. The peach gives you carbohydrates and the nuts will sustain you for longer. I’m very big into pairing. I find that if I eat a bowl of cereal in the morning and then an apple for a snack, I’m starving because I’m feeding my myself a lot of carbohydrates—albeit complex carbohydrates that are more nutritious than simple carbohydrates like the sugar in soda—but carbohydrates are a quickly used energy source so they don’t sustain you for very long. Lean protein and a healthy source of fat like olive oil or avocados and nuts should be combined with carbohydrates.

Q What other foods have a satiating factor?

A Foods that are high in fiber make you feel full. Beans are a good source of fiber. Whole grains have more fiber than more refined grains so choose brown rice or wild rice instead of white rice. Bulgur and barley are high in fiber. Vegetables and fruits also have fiber. Potatoes—if you eat the skin—are a good source of fiber. Eating the skin on most fruits and vegetables significantly increases their amount of fiber.

Q How can dental hygienists deal with the array of goodies brought in by appreciative patients?

A As we’ve been discussing, the pairing of good fats, proteins, and carbohydrates will help you feel full, thereby increasing your ability to say no to treats. If you’ve eaten a bowl of cereal for breakfast and you’re starving by 10 am, then it’s tough to turn down a mid-morning pastry. When you eat a more balanced meal, you are less likely to want to snack because you feel less hungry.

That said, I used to work in a very high-end fitness center. Ironically, the members would send amazing baskets of goodies from the most delicious retailers in New York City for any type of celebration. It was very tempting to nibble on all of the goodies, especially at holiday time. There are two strategies I utilized. First, if appropriate for your office, you can hang a sign that states in a nice or funny way that instead of saying thanks with food, please make a donation to a specific cause in our honor, like an organization that provides dental care to the underserved. If this isn’t possible, don’t completely deny yourself. Being healthy is not living without food but rather learning to live with it and learning to handle it. So tell yourself you’re going to indulge in a treat at the end of the day when you can sit down with a cup of coffee or a cup of tea. When you tell yourself no all the time, treats become more tempting. Promise yourself you will choose something at the end of the day when you can sit down, relax, and enjoy it or take it home and enjoy it. Then you are not depriving yourself but you’re enjoying it on your own terms. The reason I suggest the end of the day is that if you grab your brownie or cookie during the day, you may start the habit of going back and having a little bit more here and there, which can really add up by the end of the day.