6 Tips from JWU Faculty on Affordable and Healthy Eating

Every March since 1973, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has invited Americans to celebrate National Nutrition Month, urging people to learn about making informed food choices and developing healthier habits. Johnson & Wales University faculty charged with developing tomorrow’s nutritional leaders and health professionals celebrate this annual event, which this year is themed “Discover the Power of Nutrition” — but how do they help people make good choices all year?

Registered dietitian nutritionists Leslie Van Horn, DCN, an associate professor in JWU Charlotte’s Culinary Nutrition program, and Kerri Rush, CDOE, CVDOE, an associate professor in JWU Providence’s Dietetics and Applied Nutrition program, do just that both inside and outside of their classrooms. Both faculty members helped us demystify a few burning questions about nutrition.

1. How to Tell If a Nutrition Goal Is Realistic

“If a goal requires perfection, eliminates entire food groups or can’t realistically fit into your daily routine, it’s unlikely to be sustainable,” says Van Horn. “Nutrition habits should support your life — not compete with it. Your goal: design a nutrition goal that feels flexible, repeatable and forgiving.”

“Nutrition goals should be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound (SMART),” notes Rush.

“For someone who wants to start eating more vegetables, an example of a SMART goal would be, ‘I will add one serving of vegetables to my lunch and dinner meals five days per week for the next 2 weeks.’ Typically, if goals are too broad or if there are barriers to achieving their goal, then they may be more difficult to achieve.”

2. What to Avoid in Setting Nutritional Goals

“Many people go into the new year many want to ‘reset’ from the holidays and believe they need a restrictive diet to get ‘back on track,’” Van Horn notes. “This approach may work short-term but often backfires because it’s hard to maintain. Instead, focus on small changes you can keep doing; consistency is what will promote long-term health.”

Rush agrees: “In my experience, the biggest mistake people tend to make is trying to change too many things at once which can be overwhelming — or setting goals that are unrealistic or difficult to achieve in the timeframe they want.”

3. One Nutrition Habit to Focus on This Year

“If I could pick one habit, it would be eating more fiber-rich plant foods (e.g., fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils, and whole grains),” says Van Horn. “Fiber helps with feelings of fullness, digestion, blood sugar regulation and cholesterol management, and it supports long-term heart and metabolic health.”

She explains how to achieve this: “Gradually add more fiber-rich foods into your diet. Fiber promotes fullness, improves digestion, helps to regulate blood sugar, lowers cholesterol and reduces your risk of chronic disease (e.g., heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer).”

Rush, on the other hand, is more pragmatic. “There isn't one specific habit that I would recommend as everyone is different, and there isn't a ‘one size fits all’ approach to nutrition,” she notes. “I believe in remembering that all foods can fit into a healthy diet and that moderation is a key factor is important.”

4. One Simple Question to Ask Yourself When Choosing What to Eat

“Instead of ‘What should I avoid?,’ try ‘What can I add?’” Van Horn recommends. “Consider how many servings of vegetables, fruit, whole grains and legumes you’ve eaten so far today. These are all important components of a nutrient and fiber-rich diet, so you can make meal decisions based on where you are lacking for the day.”

Rush suggests always asking, “Am I hungry and is this the food that I'm hungry for?"

5. Red Flags to Watch for on Social Media

“It's important to note that ‘nutritionist’ is not a regulated term in the United States, so technically, anyone can call themselves a nutritionist. However, registered dietitians (RDs) or registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) have an extensive nutrition education background, supervised practice experience and have passed a national registration exam,” Van Horn explains.

“Watch out for anything claiming to be a quick fix, promoting a product where someone can benefit financially from the sale of the product (always check for conflicts of interest, e.g., nutrition supplements), drawing conclusions or recommendations from a single study (especially if it goes against the existing body of research on the topic), anecdotal claims that it ‘worked for them’ without any research to support the claim, and fixating on a single food or food group as ‘bad’ or ‘toxic,” she recommends.

Rush mirrors that advice: “The biggest red flag is someone who is not trained in nutrition and dietetics offering nutrition advice. Nutrition recommendations and advice, especially from those on social media, should come from Registered Dietitian Nutritionists who are the experts in nutrition.”

6. What to Prioritize When Shopping on a Budget or Short on Time

“Even on a budget or busy schedule, you can prioritize foods that provide the most nutrition,” says Van Horn. Her top go-to grabs:

1. 1. Frozen fruits and vegetables: They’re often frozen soon after harvest, so they retain nutrition well and can be easily added to a meal.
   2. Canned goods, especially proteins: Canned beans are a great option to add fiber-rich protein to meals and often come in low-sodium varieties; rinsing can also further lower the sodium content. Chunk light tuna and salmon are convenient options for getting omega-3 fats, which support heart health. And canned chicken is another quick, cost-effective lean protein; look for low-sodium or no salt-added versions.
   3. Whole grains in bulk: Store them in the freezer for up to a year or even precook and freeze them for up to 2-3 months and reheat with a little bit of water for a quick meal component.

“If you're short on time and budget allows, prepared foods such as a rotisserie chicken can save time in the kitchen and can be stretched to make several meals,” Rush advises. “When grocery shopping on a budget remember that the most expensive foods tend to be meat.” Her budget-friendly buys:

1. Beans, lentils, and eggs: They’re all good sources of inexpensive protein.
2. Frozen and canned vegetables and fruit: These can be just as nutritious as fresh and are often less expensive. Limit those with added sugar, butter, and sauces.
3. Bargain items: Many markets have an area in the produce section where fruits and vegetables can be purchased at a reduced cost due to blemishes or needing to be repackaged from their original containers. Fruits such as oranges, apples and pears will last longer in the fridge than berries. Buying bagged fruits is often less expensive than buying by the pound. Looking at the unit price on the shelving tags in the market can be useful as well.
4. Food aid incentives: For those who receive SNAP benefits, many farmers markets provide incentives for using your SNAP benefits at the market. Here in Rhode Island, Farm Fresh RI, which runs most of our farmers markets, provides a 100% match to double the amount you can spend at the market.

Happy shopping and eating!

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