As school approaches, I have been brainstorming ways to make sure my kids get a healthy lunch box on those chaotic mornings. I always like preparing and organizing before school starts. This year, I feel an even stronger urge to organize because my youngest is (eek!) starting Kindergarten!
Get Organized with the “Healthy Lunch Box Checklist”
I decided to get organized with a “Lunch Box Checklist.”This healthy but extremely simple Lunch Box Checklist will make packing a lunch so much easier on those hectic days.
I was so happy with this checklist, I thought you might like it too! You can actually download my “Healthy Lunch Box Checklist” as a free printable and join the “Mindfulness in Faith and Food” Fam here.
Mindful Lunch Box Notes
*Bonus* Mindful Lunch Box Notes
I like to find joy in the little things, and I want my children to find joy in the little things too! Nothing like a little lunch box note to bring some joy to my children’s day! When you join the “Mindfulness in Faith and Food” family, you get the free “Mindful Lunch Box Notes” printable too!
Do you have some amazingly healthy school lunch ideas? Please share your ideas in the comments!
We live busy lives, and sometimes we need a HEALTHY packaged snacks to keep us going and simply make life easier!
But with so many different convenient packaged snacks in the world, how do we know which ones are ACTUALLY healthy packaged snacks?!?!
Well, I asked a few of my dietitian collegues what were their favorite healthy packaged snacks, and they had some great suggestions!!! Check them out below!
This site contains affiliate links (See full disclosure here.)
Dietitian Approved On-the-Go Healthy Packaged Snacks. So convenient for those busy days!
Lacy Ngo, MS, RDN is the owner of Mindfulness in Faith and Food, LLC and Mindful Vending (a dietitian owned and operated vending company). Ngo is the author of several books, including Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals, The Nourishing Meal Builder, and Faith, Mindfulness, & Nutrition. Whether it’s through quick snacks in her vending machines, her healthy freezer meal recipes, or her Meal Builder Cards, included in The Nourishing Meal Builder, Ngo is determined to make eating healthy as easy and stress-free as possible for people with busy lives!
On-the-Go Healthy Packaged Snacks
Primal Kitchen Collagen Nut and Seed Bar
You’ll always find a Primal Kitchen Collagen Nut and Seed Bar in my bag. I love that they are made of simple ingredients and natural sweeteners. I can also count on the them keeping me full as they contain some fiber and have a balanced macronutrient profile. Plus, I think the chewy texture keeps things interesting! Stephanie Wagner, RDN, LDN of https://stephanieleenutrition.com
Blue Diamond Raw Almond 100 Cal Snack Pack
Old school Blue Diamond raw almond 100 cal snack pack! Nothing fancy, single ingredient, high fiber, good protein, excellent fats. Long shelf life so they can live in your bag till you’re ready for them, without having to worry about refrigeration. Satiety and crunch that make for a perfect snack. Nina Dahan, RD in private practice in Brooklyn NY; You can find her on Instagram @Nina_Dahan_RD
Biena Chickpea Snacks
Biena Chickpea Snacks tend to be the perfect, go to snack for me. 1/4 cup of them have the wearwith all to curb those afternoon cravings and help balance blood sugars. With flavors like honey roasted, habanero, and rockin’ ranch, they help to satisfy your sweet or savory tooth in a nutritious way. Heather Shasa, MS, RDN of Welding Wellness, LLC
Bada Bean Bada Boom
Enlightened makes multiple flavors of crunchy fava beans called Bada Bean Bada Boom! My two year old and I are obsessed with them. No sugar, high fiber and protein, and free of common allergens, which is key since my son has multiple food allergies. Sometimes they are available at Costco too! Sabrina Ramme, MS, RD of https://thesensitivetable.com
RX Bars
I love RX bars because they are a portable snack that holds well in my purse or car, has a short and recognizable ingredient list, and just enough protein to leave me satisfied. Plus, they are easy to find at almost any grocery store! Josten Fish, RDN muscleandmanna.com
Power Up Snacks
Power up snacks! I always have a baggie of the trail mix in my bag, whether I’m going to the theme parks or the beach. My 2 and 6 year old girls love them! They have different varieties but the dried fruit/nut combo always leaves me satisfied. Ginger Sandifer MA, RD, LD/N. @veggiesandwine
Farm and Oven Bites
I love Farm and Oven Bites! Finding a veggie snack that doesn’t need to be refrigerated isn’t the easiest, but these packaged bites contain 40% of your daily vegetable needs, are high in fiber, and also packed with probiotics. With flavors like Beet Dark Chocolate, Zucchini Lemon Poppyseed, Pumpkin Maple Pecan, and Carrot Cinnamon even the pickiest veggie eater will love these! Casey Seiden MS, RDN, CDN, CDE
Sargento Balanced Breaks
They’re a perfectly packaged snack of cheese, dried fruit, and nuts. They’re so easy to throw into my bag or purse for days when I’m on the road, and even great for taking on a plane. They have around 7g protein and 2-3g of fiber per package, so they will be a satisfying snack without overfilling you. – Mandy Enright, MS, RDN, RYT, creator of the couples blog & podcast Nutrition Nuptials (www.nutritionnuptials.com)
Quaker Peanut Butter Sandwich Minis
I like the Quaker Peanut Butter Sandwich Minis. The first ingredient are whole grain oats! They contain a nice balance of protein and carbs to keep you feeling energized and satisfied, and they taste great. Even my husband thinks “they taste like little cookies”. -Heather Steele, RD/LD www.nurtureandnourishnutrition.com
Nature’s Whole Wheat Bakery Fig Bar and Applesauce Pouch
I always keep a Nature’s Bakery fig bar and an applesauce pouch in my purse and car. I love the fig bar because it’s made with whole grains. Both items are shelf stable and easily portable! – Caitlin Jindrich, RDN, LD
Theo Chocolate Organic Dark Chocolate Bar 85%
I love all the snack suggestions by my fellow RDs, but I thought I would throw in one of my favorites as well. To satisfy my sweet tooth, I like to eat an antioxidant rich dark chocolate bar. I love the Theo Chocolate Organic Dark Chocolate Bar 85% because the bar keeps it simple with only three ingredients: cocoa beans, sugar, and vanilla beans. Lacy Ngo, MS, RDN at Mindfulness in Faith and Food
Is it Healthy? How to Determine if you have a Healthy Packaged Snack
I hope you found some great on-the-go healthy packaged snacks from reading this post. I also wanted to provide a way for you to determine if other snack foods are healthy…
I use this checklist myself when I am trying to choose new healthy packaged snacks to try!
Lacy Ngo, MS, RDN is the owner of Mindfulness in Faith and Food, LLC and Mindful Vending (a dietitian owned and operated vending company). Ngo is the author of two digital books, Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals and The Nourishing Meal Builder. Whether it’s through quick snacks in her vending machines, her healthy freezer meal recipes, or her Meal Builder Cards, included in The Nourishing Meal Builder, Ngo is determined to make eating healthy as easy and stress-free as possible for people with busy lives!
How to finally know if something is healthy by reading the label.
We live busy lives, and sometimes we need a HEALTHY grab-and-go snack to keep us going and to make life easier!
Argh! But there are so many different convenient packaged snacks out there, how in the world do we know which ones are ACTUALLY healthy?!?!
Well, I have come up with a “Is it Healthy?” packaged snacks checklist. The more checks the food gets the healthier it is.
This site contains affiliate links (See full disclosure here.)
Is it Healthy? A Dietitian’s Label Reading Checklist to help you determine if your packaged snacks and foods are healthy.
Lacy Ngo, MS, RDN is the owner of Mindfulness in Faith and Food, LLC and Mindful Vending (a dietitian owned and operated vending company). Ngo, who is one of top experts in faith-based mindfulness and nutrition is the author of several faith-based mindfulness and nutrition books including, Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals, The Nourishing Meal Builder, and Faith, Mindfulness, & Nutrition. Whether it’s through quick snacks in her vending machines, her healthy freezer meal recipes, or her Meal Builder Cards, included in The Nourishing Meal Builder, Ngo is determined to make eating healthy as easy and stress-free as possible for people with busy lives!
Is it Healthy? Checklist
Minimal Refined Grains
Look for whole grain or whole wheat not just multi-grain on the package when you are looking for a healthy grain-based packaged snack. Multi-grain does not mean the same thing as whole grain. (All though sometimes it is.) The take home message is make sure whole grain is one of the first ingredients listed on the back label.
A Whole Grains, fruit, vegetable, protein food, or dairy food is listed as the first ingredient (Ex: Quinoa, Blueberries, Kale, Nuts, Yogurt)
A Note on Whole Grains as the First Ingredient
Sometimes the food item may advertise that they contain whole grains on the front of the package, but when you read the label you find enriched grains listed as the first ingredient. Enriched means that healthy nutrients that were removed during processing were added back into the product. So Enriched grains are better than refined grains, but not as healthy as whole grains. Take Whole Wheat Goldfish as an example… When you read the back label, you find enriched grains listed as the first ingredient. These Whole Wheat goldfish are still healthier than the regular Goldfish, but they are not as healthy as a 100% whole grain snack like say popcorn for example.
Minimal Added Sugar
Fortunately, food labels are required to list the added sugar. When selecting a food, choose foods with no more than 10% of daily calories from added sugar. (No added sugar is best!)
Foods like fruit and dairy are naturally higher in sugar. For these foods, you only need to focus on added sugar. But if the food is not naturally high in sugar, try to keep the sugar content to less than 35% of the weight of the serving. To figure out the percent total sugar by weight, multiply the grams of sugar by four (there are 4 calories per gram of carbohydrates) to obtain the total number of calories. Divide the number of daily calories from sugar by the total number of calories that you consumed that day.
Is it Healthy? Label Reading Checklist to help you determine if your packaged snacks and foods are healthy.
Simple Ingredients List
The simpler the ingredients list the better! Let’s look at Triscuits as an example. Triscuits get to check off quite a few of the checklist boxes. For one, Triscuits have only 3 simple ingredients and whole wheat happens to be the first ingredient. Triscuits also has zero Trans fat and zero added sugar.
Minimal Trans Fat
Look for snacks that have less than 5% trans fat. (No trans fat is best!)
Look For Lower Sodium Products
Look for snack products that have no more than 200 mg of salt per serving.
Contains Some Good Stuff (Vitamins, Minerals, Fiber, Antioxidants, Omega 3s, Probiotics, etc)
Read the labels to see if the snack contains some of those amazing nutrients that fight diseases, promote health, and boost immunity. Aim for snacks that say 20% or higher percent daily values for these health promoting vitamins and minerals. A food is considered a good source of fiber if it contains at least 5 grams of fiber per serving.
For Weight Loss
I think it is important to focus on nourishing your body more than weight, but you may have decided to lose weight for your own personal reasons. Maybe you want to see if you will have more energy if you lose weight or maybe you want to see if less weight will help with joint pain. If weight loss is a goal, look for filling foods like high fiber and protein foods. When eating a packaged snack for average daily snacking, lower calorie (less than 200 calorie) snacks may be helpful as well.
*When you are eating a packaged snack in place of a meal (like on hectic days) or if you are eating a snack to fuel/replenish for/from a high intensity or long duration activity, you will often need to eat more than 200 calories.
Want More?
Soon you can get soo much more because a book is in the works that is going to provide food lists, recipes, and grocery lists to help you optimize your health, BUT while you wait, I made a simple, easy Meal Plan Checklist you can use to make sure you are getting crucial nutrients into your daily life! And all subscribers can print and start using the Meal Plan Checklist now! You can get the Meal Plan Checklist here!
Below is a list of nutrients and their benefits based on research! You can learn how to easily incorporate these nutrients into your weekly meals with the FREE Meal Plan Checklist.
This site contains affiliate links (See full disclosure here.)
About the Research
The MIND, Mediterranean, and Blue Zone diets as well as Gut healthy foods, ALL encourage eating a diet high in the nutrients listed below. All of these diets have been shown to reduce the risk of a multitude of diseases and conditions. Moreover, the studies that were done on each individual nutrient on the list show the same benefits.
I have listed a huge sample of the research articles at the bottom of this article. Please feel free to look up these studies on your own. They are absolutely fascinating and exciting. You can find research in the reference section that discusses the Mediterranean diet, MIND diet, gut health, individual nutrients as well as how specific food, nutrients and diets relate to specific medical conditions.
So why the MIND, Mediterranean, Blue Zone, and Gut Health Diets?
24 nutrients to incorporate into your diet according to a dietitian; also remember to get a free meal plan checklist!
The Mediterranean Diet
In my opinon and based on research, the Mediterranean and MIND diets are two of the most impactful diets when it comes to health and quality of life. Maggie Moon talks about both the Mediterranean and MIND diet in her book, The MIND Diet, when she says “…studies have shown that Mediterranean-style eating patterns are linked with lower risk of neurodegenerative diseases and now the MIND diet has been shown to protect against cognitive decline in aging”.”
MIND Diet
Based on the research, I can concur with Maggie Moon when she writes, “The two key MIND diet studies show how the diet keeps the aging brain seven and a half years younger and reduces the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease by 53%.”
Blue Zone Foods
In business, we look to the businesses that are getting it right and try to follow their lead. We use the term benchmark to refer to something that serves as a standard best practice. Perhaps we should do this with nutrition as well. Are there areas where people seem to be getting this “living a healthy life” thing right? Maybe we should see what they are doing and try to incorporate some of their practices into our lives. Turns out we already have our “healthy living” benchmark. We call these areas the Blue Zones.
The Blue Zone research is a bit different. The Blue Zone refers to areas in the world where people are living long, high-quality lives. The people living in these 5 Blue Zones have lower rates of chronic disease, and have reported a higher satisfaction with their quality of life and well-being. The 5 regions where you can find the world’s longest living people who are living without significant memory or physical problems are:
Loma Linda, California
Ikaria, Greece
Okinawa, Japan
Nicoya, Costa Rica
Sardina, Italy
So what are these Blue Zone guys and gals doing that the rest of us aren’t?
These Blue Zone inhabitants share several common characteristics.
First, their diets are 90-100% plant based. Their diets are mostly beans, legumes, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and nuts. They also eat small amounts or fish, lean meats, and eggs; and the most common oil used in the Blue Zones is olive oil. They eat foods that contain natural sugar but rarely eat foods that contain added sugar or heavily processed foods. Fermented vegetables are common in the Blue Zone areas. They mainly drink water, but also drink coffee, tea, and small amounts of red wine. (Since this post focuses on the top most impactful nutrients, I highly recommend reading books that go into more detail about the science behind the benefits of these nutrients. For further reading on the subject I recommend: Health Takes Gutsby Diane Rishikof, RDN; The MIND Dietby Maggie Moon, MS, RD, and Anti-inflammatory Eating for a Happy, Healthy Brain by Michelle Babb, MS, RD, CD)
A Little Caveat
One last thing before we get to the much-anticipated list….
I do want you to read this with a grain of salt. Yes! Let’s celebrate that these foods are strongly linked to all kinds of benefits and can reduce the risk and improve all kinds of conditions, but there is no guarantee.
The point is, I don’t want you to food obsess. These foods are amazing, and we should try to eat them and enjoy them often. But when you are craving foods on the “less healthy list” and decide to occasionally eat them, that is okay too.
The Impact of Nutrients in Our Bodies
I think a lot of us have heard of many of these nutrients, and we know that they are beneficial. But when I say these nutrients are crucial, I hope I have convinced you of the magnitude of this statement.
These nutrients are crucial to the body because they have been shown to prevent or reduce the risk, treat, or reduce the symptoms of the conditions listed in the table below:
Top nutrients to incorporate into your diet according to a registered dietitian
As you go through the nutrient list, you will notice that many of these nutrients help with the same condition in multiple ways. For example, leafy greens are a probiotic. Probiotics improve gut health, which can help with immune function. Leafy greens are also a source of folate and fiber. Both of these nutrients help with immune function as well!
Without further ado, let’s checkout these nutrients.
List of Nutrients and How They Help:
Antioxidants
Reduces oxidative stress and protects your cells from free radicals.
Vitamin A
Alpha-Carotene and Beta-carotene found in fruits and vegetables are a pre-cursor to vitamin A. In other words, the body makes Vitamin A from Beta-carotene.
Promotes gut health by repairing the gut lining. (Remember poor gut health, alone, has been linked to many of the medical conditions listed above)
Promotes a healthy immune system
Has anti-inflammatory properties
Help with mood disorders like depression, anxiety, stress
Has Cancer fighting properties
Reduces risk of heart disease and stroke
Promotes healthy skin and hair
Promotes healthy vision
May improve energy levels/ fatigue
May reduce cognitive decline and the risk of Alzheimer’s and Dementia
Aids in addiction recovery
Vitamin E
Promotes gut health by repairing the gut lining. (Remember poor gut health, alone, has been linked to many of the medical conditions listed above)
Boosts immune function
Has anti-inflammatory properties
Helps with mood disorders like depression, anxiety, stress
Reduce the risk of cancer
Reduce risk of heart disease and stroke
May improve energy levels/ fatigue
May reduce cognitive decline and the risk of Alzheimer’s and Dementia
Aids in addiction recovery
Vitamin C
Promotes gut health by repairing the gut lining. (Remember poor gut health, alone, has been linked to many of the medical conditions listed above)
Promotes a healthy immune system
Has anti-inflammatory properties
May improve energy levels/fatigue
Help with mood disorders like depression, anxiety, stress
Reduces the risk of cancer
Promotes strong muscles and bones
Supports healthy skin and teeth
Reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke
May reduce cognitive decline and the risk of Alzheimer’s and Dementia
Aids in addiction recovery
Flavonoids
Has anti-inflammatory properties
Promotes a healthy gut (See benefits of a health gut)
Promotes gut health by repairing the gut lining. (Remember poor gut health, alone, has been linked to many of the medical conditions listed above)
Reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke
Reduces the risk of cancer
May reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s Disease, Dementia
Helps with mood disorders like depression, anxiety, stress
Aids in addiction recovery
Polyphenols
Prebiotic (good bacteria in the gut feeds on prebiotics)
Promotes gut health by repairing the gut lining. (Remember poor gut health, alone, has been linked to many of the medical conditions listed above)
May reduce the risk of cancer
Has anti-inflammatory properties
Promotes a healthy gut (See benefits of a health gut)
Reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke
May reduces cognitive decline and the risk of Alzheimer’s Disease, Dementia
Helps with mood disorders like depression, anxiety, stress
Selenium (Some nutrients like Selenium may fall into multiple categories. Selenium has antioxidant properties and is a mineral.)
May reduce the risk of cancer
Has anti-inflammatory properties
Promotes a healthy gut (See benefits of a health gut)
Promotes gut health by repairing the gut lining. (Remember poor gut health, alone, has been linked to many of the medical conditions listed above)
Reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke
May reduces cognitive decline and the risk of Alzheimer’s Disease, Dementia
Helps with mood disorders like depression, anxiety, stress
Glutathione
Promotes gut health by repairing the gut lining. (Remember poor gut health, alone, has been linked to many of the medical conditions listed above)
Promotes a healthy immune system
Has anti-inflammatory properties
Help with mood disorders like depression, anxiety, stress
Has Cancer fighting properties
Reduces risk of heart disease and stroke
May improve energy levels/ fatigue
May reduce cognitive decline and the risk of Alzheimer’s and Dementia
Helps with mood disorders like depression, anxiety, stress
May improve energy levels/ fatigue
Helps your body use energy from food
Promotes a healthy immune system
Reduces the risk of cancer
May improve GI Inflammation (Remember poor gut health, alone, has been linked to many of the medical conditions listed above)
Aids in addiction recovery
Supports healthy bones, muscles, and nerves
Minerals
Potassium
Needed for heart and muscles function
Helps maintain water and electrolyte balance in your body
Zinc
Deficiency may increase depression and anxiety symptom
Promotes a healthy immune system
Aids in addiction recovery
Iron
Promotes healthy immune function
Magnesium
Helps your body use energy from food
Supports healthy bones, muscles and nerves
Deficiencies are associated with increase anxiety symptoms, breast cancer, increased risk of heart disease, and increased inflammation
Calcium
Important for bone health
Aids in sleep (Sleep also reduces the risk of these chronic conditions. Isn’t it amazing how connected everything it?!?!)
Fiber
Some fiber is Prebiotic (Good bacteria in the gut feeds on prebiotics; all prebiotics are fiber, but not all fiber is prebiotic)
Promotes healthy gut bacteria and bacteria balance. (Remember poor gut health, alone, has been linked to many of the medical conditions listed above)
Reduce the risk of cancer
Has anti-inflammatory properties
Promotes healthy digestion
Could reduce joint pain and arthritis inflammation
Reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke
Helps you feel full after eating; thus, helps with satiety and weight loss
Reduces the risk of some cancers
Help with mood and mood disorders like depression, anxiety, stress
Protects against diabetes
Other Fat-Soluble Vitamins
Vitamin D
Promotes gut health by repairing the gut lining. (Remember poor gut health, alone, has been linked to many of the medical conditions listed above)
May improve mood and help with mood disorders like depression, anxiety, stress
May improve gut inflammation
Low levels of Vitamin D have been associated with: Autoimmune diseases , Skin issues ,Reduced immune function, Increased inflammation, Cancer, Mood disorders such as depression, stress, anxiety, Increased symptoms from ADD and ADHD, and Joint pain and Arthritis
Vitamin K
Has anti-inflammatory properties
Important for Bone health, Heat Disease, and Blood clotting
*If you are taking a blood thinner, you may have to decrease your vitamin K intake
Healthy Fats
Omega-3 Polyunsaturated fat
May help with joint Pain/arthritis
Has anti-inflammatory properties
May help with ADD/ADHD symptoms
May improve energy levels/ fatigue
Helps with mood and mood disorders like depression, anxiety, stress
Reduces the risk of heart disease
Improve Gut microbial health and gut inflammation (Remember poor gut health, alone, has been linked to many of the medical conditions listed above!!!)
Promotes gut health by repairing the gut lining. (Again, remember poor gut health, alone, has been linked to many of the medical conditions listed above)
May reduce cognitive decline and the risk of Alzheimer’s and Dementia
May improve memory
Aids in addiction recovery
Monounsaturated Fat
Reduces the risk of heart disease
Promotes a healthy immune system
May reduce cognitive decline and the risk of Alzheimer’s and Dementia
Prebiotics
Promotes a healthy gut (Good bacteria in the gut feeds on prebiotics, and remember poor gut health, alone, has been linked to many of the medical conditions listed above)
Promotes a healthy immune system
*Note that prebiotics can feed bad bacteria too, so if you have more bad bacteria in your gut and not enough good bacteria then eat foods that promote gut bacteria balance like probiotics, omega-3, and antioxidants, and limit foods that decrease gut health like heavily processed foods, fried foods, and refined sugars.
Probiotics (Live good bacteria found in foods)
Promotes gut health by repairing the gut lining. (Remember poor gut health, alone, has been linked to many of the medical conditions listed above)
Boosts immune function
Has anti-inflammatory properties
Helps with mood and mood disorders like depression, anxiety, stress
Reduce the risk of cancer
Reduce risk of heart disease and stroke
May improve energy levels/ fatigue
May reduce cognitive decline and the risk of Alzheimer’s and Dementia
Aids in addiction recovery
Other Helpful Nutrients
L-glutamine
Promotes gut health by repairing the gut lining. (Remember poor gut health, alone, has been linked to many of the medical conditions listed above)
L-Thiamine
Anti-anxiety properties: relaxes or calms the brain without making you drowsy
Melatonin or Melatonin Precursors (Tryptophan and Serotonin)
Helps you sleep better at night and relax during the day
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that makes you feel happy
Aids in addiction recovery
About These Nutrients
I have not listed every essential nutrient for a couple of reasons. One being you only need trace amounts of many of the nutrients not listed, and we are currently getting plenty of them in the American diet. These are nutrients like Sodium, Chlorine, Phosphorus, and Copper. Plus many of the foods that contain these crucial nutrient listed above also contain these other essential nutrients so if you are eating the foods that contain the nutrients listed above then you are getting enough of the other nutrients.
Some of the crucial nutrients listed above are considered essential nutrients, meaning the body cannot function properly without them. Others listed are not considered essential, but are nutrients that promote health and reduce the risk of chronic diseases and conditions.
I also did not list every function of each crucial nutrients. In other words, these crucial nutrients do even more for your body than what is listed here!!!! In this post, I focused on how these nutrients aid in prevention or treatment of chronic conditions.
What Foods Should I Eat to Help My Mind, Body, and Spirit Function and Thrive?
So now that you know how impactful these nutrients are to your health, you may be asking, so how do I make sure I am eating these foods on a regular basis?
Create anti-anxiety, anti-inflammatory, mood boosting, immune supportive meals that reduce the risk of chronic disease and promote cognitive function, focus, attention, and memory.
The Nourishing Meal Builder ebook can help with that! The Nourishing Meal Builder goes into MUCH more detail by providing food lists, Meal Builder Cards, and discussions of the research! BUT if you are looking for something FREE, I have something for you as well! I made a simple, easy Meal Plan Checklist you can use to make sure you are getting these amazing nutrients into your daily life! And all subscribers can print and start using the Meal Plan Checklist now! You can get the Meal Plan Checklist here!
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Mindfulnes in Faith and Freezer Meals is a faith-based mindful living and nutriion ebook written by a registered dietitian. This book is so packed full of invaluable information that it is hard to describe it in one sentence (hence the need for this “70 reasons” post). So keep reading the list to truly understand what is in this book. But if I had to describe it in one (or three sentences) I would say this:
Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals is designed to help you live YOUR healthiest, happiest, most meaningful life through faith-based mindfulness and nutrition. This book is perfect for busy families who want to eat healthy and organize their lives in order to follow God and server others more fully. Timesaving, make-ahead healthy breakfast, lunch, and dinner recipes, as well as mindful living and mindful eating techniques are included.
This site contains affiliate links (See full disclosure here.)
70 ways that the faith-based mindful living and mindful eating practices explored in “Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals” transformed my life.
70 Reasons you NEED Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals
The Perks to Learning to Live a Faith-Based Mindful Life
1. You want less stress in your life.
Mindfulness techniques have been shown to have a huge impact on stress. Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals provides detailed stress-relieving mindful living and mindful eating techniques. For me, the faith-based mindfulness techniques included in this book provide the greatest impact when it comes to stress relief.
2. You want to improve your mood through mindfulness.
Did you know preliminary observations show that Mindfulness programs in schools may improve social behaviors, mood, stress levels, and even academic performance and test score? Schools are even reporting less suspensions, detentions, violent incidents, principal visits, bullying, and classroom disruptions since incorporating mindfulness programs! If these mindfulness techniques can improve the moods of children in schools, perhaps they can help you too!
3. You want to improve your brain function and focus through faith-based mindfulness.
Notice these school mindfulness programs seem to help with academic performance and test scores as well. Mindfulness techniques help clear our minds of all the other thousands of thoughts preventing us from focusing, and we know that stress can hinder our ability to focus and pay attention. This is where those stress relieving mindfulness techniques can be helpful. Plus, when we practice faith-based mindfulness, we learn to notice God in the present moment. Feeling God’s presence and knowing God is with us, provides peace and comfort like nothing else. Talk about a stress reliever.
4. You want more control over your emotions and actions.
When I practice faith-based mindfulness, I listen to God more. Listening to God helps me make better choices because I’m not letting negative emotions take control of my actions. (At least not as often, anyway)
5. You want to enjoy the present…
6. And have a more positive outlook on life.
One aspect of mindfulness is focusing on being present in the moment. Another aspect of mindfulness is focusing on the positive in your life in that moment. With faith-based mindfulness, you are focusing on how God is present with you in that very moment. While focusing on God’s presence you get to notice all the gifts from God and the beautiful little things in God’s world. Soon after incorporating some of these mindfulness practices, you may begin to notice that you have a much more grateful attitude. (This helps with everyday life situations and annoyances. Sometimes bad things happen and you will, of course, feel sad and upset. Those feeling are completely okay. You should let yourself feel them.)
7. You want to experience those goose-bump, “God is here,” moments a little more often.
When I intentionally focus on God in the present moment, I actually SEE what God is doing in my life and the lives of others around me. By focusing on God in the present moment, I get to experience the feeling of amazement more often, and I WANT TO BE AMAZED!!! (Don’t we all want to be beautifully amazed?)
9. And notice God as God guides you through your day.
10. You want to strengthen your walk with God.
Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals explores not only mindfully pausing and praying before eating, but also discusses mindfully pausing before doing anything! Pausing before eating was crucial for my nutritional health, but I began to notice how crucial the pause was in every aspect of my life. I began to notice the impact of pausing and praying before entering any new environment whether the new environment was a park, a friend’s home, or the grocery store.
Pausing and praying, was life changing. I began to notice the importance of pausing and praying when I felt angry, or before saying something difficult, or before even talking with my children. When I forget to pause, I noticed the difference in MY actions and my strength to endure life. On the days that I do a better job of pausing, I notice God’s presence and God’s guidance more.
The Perks to Cooking A Month of Meals in One Day
11. We have established that life is stressful, but meal planning and cooking shouldn’t have to be.
I love to cook, but I found that I didn’t have the time to cook everyday. Trying to juggle cooking, soccer practice, dance class, volunteer meetings, work, cleaning the house, and all the other “mom duties” was just causing too much stress. Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals shows you how to cook a month of healthy freezer meals in one day. Talk about taking the stress out of cooking! I cook once, and I am done for the whole month.
12. Your life is too busy!
To piggyback on #11, sometimes we just can’t find the time to cook healthy meals. When you prep and freeze them all at once, you have time for the other things you want to do.
13. You want to save money.
This book helps you save money in multiple ways. Because you have food on hand, you eat out less. We all know that eating out is expensive. Since you are cooking everything at once, you can bulk shop and thus get bulk prices. This book also provides money saving tips and tricks that I use while grocery shopping. My grocery bill has substantially gone down since I started freezer meal cooking.
14. I can serve others through food.
Food nourishes, comforts, provides energy, and sustains us. After a long day, sitting down to eat gives us needed rest. Food is a gift from God, and when we eat, we are about as close to God’s creation as we can get. In fact, if you think about it, we are actually taking God’s creation into our bodies. So, I think, when we give someone food, it is the ultimate sign of our love for them.
A benefit to having all of these freezer meals on hand is that we have food ready ASAP when our friends or family could use it. Whether a friend just had a baby or just got home from surgery, you have a freezer meal ready to give.
15. You want more time to serve God and others.
Cooking, grocery shopping, and meal planning can be extremely time consuming. One of my priorities in life is to serve God and others. With all my meals done, I have time to spend quiet time with God, and I have more time to love on and serving others in our community.
16. You don’t have to make all your recipes at once, but if you do want to make them all at once, this book shows you how to do it quickly and Efficiently.
Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals provides steps and pro tips on how to make all the recipes in one day. These “Efficiency Pro-tips” are strategically placed where you would actually need the tip if you were making all the recipes at once.
17. No need to make a grocery list.
Along with the recipes and “Efficiently Pro Tips,” a complete grocery list is included as well! Blank spots are even included in case you want to add snacks, paper products, or other misc. items to your grocery list.
18. You want your kids to eat healthier, and these are kid-friendly make-ahead meal.
Sometimes convenient food is not as tasty as the good ole’ home cooked stuff. Well, this is real home cooked food! But it is still convenient because you fixed it all in one day!
21. You want to eat at home more.
Before I started this freezer meal routine in my home, there just wasn’t enough time in the day to do it all AND cook. We would often find ourselves grabbing take-out, going to a restaurant, going through a drive through, or eating random less healthy stuff for dinner, and yet as a dietitian, I knew needed to figure something out. This make-ahead freezer meal routine was the solution I needed.
22. Meal planning is not only time consuming, it is mentally draining.
We often have such a huge mental load along with our physical load. Our brains have to organize and remember soo much information. After a long day, opening up that fridge, and trying to make yet another decision, is just too much. The meal planning is done when you do it all in one day! Seriously, many times I just grab the first freezer meal I see. They are all yummy so I know dinner is going to be good regardless of what I grab.
23. You get to have one mindful day to yourself every month.
Mindfulness gives your brain a chance to rest. You rest your brain by centering or focusing your thoughts on one thing. Often times that one thing is breathing. Another component to mindfulness is focusing on the present moment. I use my cooking day as a chance to center my brain on one thing- cooking the food from God’s earth.
When I cook, it is just me and God in the kitchen. I say a prayer and thank God for this food, and for all the people who will be nourished by the food.
When I am stirring, I focus on stirring. I notice how the spoon feels in my hand, and how the food moves in the bowl.
You can also practice a little self-care during your cooking day. Turn on the music, or drink a glass of wine. The point is to slow down and be in the moment. Don’t focus on finishing fast. Remember, I provide efficiency tips so you don’t have to worry about that. In fact, frantically rushing often actually slows us down because we make mistakes.
24. You don’t want to keep buying healthy stuff, only for it to spoil before you get to eat it.
This was a huge problem for me before Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals. I would buy, say, healthy fruits and vegetables to make a salad, and I would really enjoy that salad. And I would even eat the salad again for lunch the next day, but then I didn’t want to eat the same vegetables for a third day. I wanted variety, but if I ate variety, my food would spoil. Now I have all these amazing vegetables and whole grains safely frozen so that I can change up what I eat. Now my food doesn’t spoil and…
25. I get to eat a variety of foods. With freezer meals, I can mix-and-match and change up what I am eating everyday.
26. You want to lose weight.
I don’t want to focus too much on this because all sizes can be healthy. Some people are naturally smaller and some naturally weigh more. We have different builds and genetics. Plus, other things like medications, medical conditions, and even uncontrollable seasons in life can affect weight.
But I also don’t want you to feel that wanting to lose weight is somehow wrong. You may want to see if weight loss will help you have more energy or help with a medical condition. Maybe you feel like you could keep up with your children more if you carried less weight, or maybe you want to see if weight loss can help with joint pain.
There are reasons you may desire weight loss, and fortunately mindful eating can help with weight loss while also helping you stop that food obsessing often associated with dieting. The Mindful eating techniques, recipes, and nutrition tips provided in this book will help you feel full and notice your hunger/satiety cues. Moreover, the desire to binge decreases because you are actually enjoying your food ALL THE TIME.
In a nutshell, with Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals, you don’t need to focus on weight; you can just know that you are eating well by developing a routine using recipes and tips in the book.
27. You want to maintain your weight.
Maybe you don’t want to lose weight, but you do want to maintain a healthy weight. The techniques, tips, and recipes in this book can help you maintain your weight as well.
28. So we have established that this book shows you how to efficiently make all your breakfast, lunches, and dinners in one day, but what of you just want to make a month of dinners?
You can! The recipes and a complete grocery list for just dinners are also included.
29. And guess what. A complete grocery list for just the breakfast recipes is included too.
So if you have your dinners covered but want more breakfast meals ready to go, your can just make a month of breakfast meals if you prefer.
30. A complete grocery list for just the lunch recipes is included as well so you can also just make the lunches.
31. You are about to have a baby, and you know you are going to be sleep-deprived and time-crunched soon.
I have had so many people report that these meals have been lifesavers when they were in the newborn phase of parenting. I even had a couple of moms tell me that they ended up having to be on bed restat the end of their pregnancy, and these meals were everything!
32. When you are ready to eat breakfast or lunch (or even dinner if you want), all your need to do is microwave.
The breakfast and lunch recipes are pre-portioned because many of us eat our breakfast or lunches on our own. When it is time to eat, you can just put one of your meals in the microwave for 2 minutes, and it is ready!!!
33. Dinners are perfect of family meals.
In the ebook, I recommend packaging your dinners family style. That way you just simply throw your meal in the crockpot or oven, and your meal for the whole family is done!
34. You have healthy food ready to take to work.
These pre-packaged home-cooked microwavable lunches are PERFECT for work!
35. Meal prepping is one of the keys to weight loss.
Most of us need to get a little organized and form some sort of easy to follow routine in order to make real lasting changes. Well, Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals IS the ultimate meal prep book because the ebook shows you how to prep ALL your meals for a month at once!!!
36. Another cool thing about having these freezer meals on hand is that you can host guests anytime.
Lots of these recipes work great for parties and socials! Having the girls over for a brunch? Just heat up some crustless quiches. Did you decide last minute to have people over to watch a football game? Throw the burrito dip into the crockpot, and you are ready to host!
37. Enjoy more family time.
I am free to play with my children or help them with homework in the afternoons because I’m not cooking!
We are now consistently having family dinnertime together! I get to have even more quality family time while sitting at the dinner table.
The Perks to Mindful Nutrition and Mindful Eating
70 ways Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals Transformed my Life through Faith-based mindfulness and nutrition: mindful eating techniques and healthy make-ahead recipes included.
38. Learn mindful eating techniques as well as…
39. Learn about the one prayer before a meal that stopped me (a dietitian) from overeating.
There is something about turning on the music and just spending some uninterrupted time in the kitchen one day each month (My meals last 3 months for my family, so I only cook these freezer meals once every three months!)
42. Sneak in more vegetables.
Having vegetables mixed in as part of your main meal, definitely can up your vegetable intake for the day!
43. You want to enjoy your food.
Many times, dieting and food rules, take the joy out of eating. Mindful eating brings the joy back tenfold.
44. You want to stop binge eating.
With mindful eating, you are always mindfully enjoying your food; thus, you never feel deprived. Therefore, your desires to binge eat decreases.
45. You are tired of mustering up enough willpower to diet.
Remember if you are always enjoying your food, then you don’t need willpower.
46. You just want healthy, delicious recipes, but you don’t want to cook all your foods in one day.
You can still make these recipes one at a time whenever you want. There is no rule that says you have to cook them all at once if you don’t want to.
47. Healthy Snack Ideas are included.
Chapter 22 provides a list of healthy and EASY snacks!
48. A registered dietitian wrote the eBook.
A registered dietitian, by definition, is considered the expert in the field of nutrition science. The term Registered Dietitian is actually different than a nutritionist. In fact, the term nutritionist is not a regulated term and has a more general meaning. The term, registered dietitian, however, is regulated much like the terms doctor or lawyer. In other words, you are not allowed to call yourself a doctor unless you are a doctor, and you cannot call yourself a registered dietitian unless you have completed all the academic and professional requirements.
To become an RD you must complete a bachelors degree at a college accredited by the Commission of Accreditation of Dietetic Education; complete 1200 hours of a competitive internship; pass the CDR Exam; and by 2024, all register dietitian will be required to have a master’s degree as well. Many RD’s already do. Registered dietitians are required to complete Continuing Education Units throughout their career to keep their registered dietitian credentials.
You can find amazing nutrition books by non-dietitians, but you can see why seeing that RD or RDN beside an author’s name in a nutrition book is a plus.
49. Mindful eating demo video is provided.
You don’t have to just read about mindful eating. The ebook also provides a link to an actual mindful eating demo video so you can actually SEE what mindful eating looks like.
50. Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals not only discusses mindful eating, but also discussed how to mindfully plate your foods to prevent over-filling your plate.
51. A collection of over 300 dietitian-approved healthy eating and fitness tips and tricks are included like…
52. Snacking Tips (Chapter 6)
53. Dining Out Tips (Chapter 7)
54. Portion Control Tips (Chapter 8)
55. “How to Make Your Own Recipes Healthier” (Chapter 9)
56. “Health and Fitness Tips for Vacationers and Frequent Travelers” (Chapter 10)
57. “When my Work Environment Causes Weight Gain” (Chapter 12)
58. “Eating Healthy at Social Gatherings” (Chapter 12)
59. “Developing an Exercise Routine” (Part 1, Chapter 13)
60. “How to Exercise when Your Kids Are Always Around” (Part 3, Chapter 13)
61. “But What if I am Too Busy to Exercise” (Part 4, Chapter 13)
62. “Ways to Sneak Exercise into your Day” (Part 5, Chapter 13)
63. You can use your results from the included interactive quiz, to determine which tips and tricks you think would make the biggest impact in your life.
64. A “Putting it All Together: Routine Planning Worksheet,” is also included in the book.
You can use this worksheet to figure the habits you would like to implement into your routine.
65. Learn how to organize your kitchen to promote lasting changes
66. Feel satisfied and full after eating these freezer meals.
These meals are hearty, delicious, comfort classics done in a healthier way. They are also abundant in fiber, which helps you feel full.
67. Along with fiber, these meals are full of essential vitamins and minerals.
68. Mindful eating can aid in digestion.
How? Although most digestive enzymes are released in the stomach. Digestion actually starts in the mouth. In fact, one enzyme, called Salivary Amylase, is released in the mouth. This enzyme starts breaking down carbohydrates. Cool fact, if you let a piece of bread sit in your mouth for a moment, you may notice a sweeter taste. That taste occurs because the more complex carbohydrate breaks down into a simpler sugar. Also chewing thoroughly gives those other enzymes in your stomach more surface area to do their work, which again promotes healthy digestion and absorption.
69. Mindful eating can reduce the risk of many chronic diseases.
We established in #68 that Mindful eating aids in digestion. Healthy digestion promotes gut health. Poor gut health is related to inflammation and reduced immune function. Gut health, inflammation and immunity are all linked to many condition including IBS, Crohn’s, Autoimmune Disease, Alzheimer’s, heart disease, stroke, brain function and focus, mood and even depression and anxiety, to name a few. So anything that promotes a healthy gut is something worth looking into in my book. (Fortunately, a mindful eating guide IS included in my book!)
Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals is designed to help you live YOUR healthiest, happiest, most meaningful life through faith-based mindfulness and nutrition.
What Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals is NOT
This Freezer meal plan is NOT a rigid “you must eat these freezer meals” plan. This isn’t about strict rules or dieting. Not eating these meals is NOT wrong. In other words, you have not messed up if you go out to eat one night or if you decide to fix something other than your freezer meals one night. If your routine changes sometimes, you have NOT broken a rule or failed. In fact, I provide eating out tips as well as other helpful tips about portion control, snacking, and more.
You can use these provided tips along with your freezer meals to customize a routine that works for your family. I have also provided a chapter on mindful eating. You can incorporate mindful eating everywhere and anytime. You will see how mindfully eating, in my opinion, is one of the number one ways to maintain and lose weight if this is one of your desires.
So read the step-by-step mindful eating guide and incorporate it even when your routine is out of whack. You can mindfully eat at home, at work, at restaurants, and on vacation. Mindful eating techniques travel well, so to speak. This meal plan is meant to make life and eating healthier and easier for you and your family. This plan just makes it easy to eat healthy meals when you are too busy and overwhelmed. This is for families who just want a simple routine to relieve the stress of meal planning and cooking.
How has Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals Helped You?
Has the Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals ebook changed your life in some way? Email me your transformation story by using the Contact Me form on mindfulnessinfaithandfood.com. Maybe you have even experienced another benefit from Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals that I haven’t even thought of. Please email me any of your stories and experiences. I would be so thankful that you took the time to tell me. 🙂
What do you want your life to look like? What about your children’s life? Are there things you would change? What does YOUR healthiest, happiest, and most meaningful life look like?
I am a list person, so when I am asked this question, my immediate impulse is to make a list.
This site contains affiliate links (See full disclosure here.)
My Mindful Living Checklist (Does your list look similar to mine?):
1.My greatest desire is to glorify God in all that I do. I want to show God’s love through kindness and giving. My prayer is that I listen for God’s guidance in every situation because when I listen to God, amazing things happen, and I WANT TO BE AMAZED!!!
2. I wish to have a peaceful and positive life and a grateful attitude. I want to enjoy the little moments by taking the time to notice God’s world and soak it up!
3. We humans seem to have a natural desire to work and create. We want to have meaning and purpose in our lives. This is true for me too. In my ideal life, I want to learn, grow, and work. I want to create something new, and in some small way make the world better. I want to challenge my mind through reading and learning from God and others, and I want to challenge my body through physical activity.
4. Just as I desire to work, grow, and be challenged, I equally want to have time to rest, relax, and play. Sometimes finding the time to relax is the most difficult challenge in life, and yet so important for our health and our ability to serve God and others.
What Do We Want for Our Children?
Of course, I want these things, even more for my children. One of my greatest joys is watching my children as they feel God’s presence. They look so peaceful and content. My 2ndgreatest joy is seeing my children show kindness to others, and my third greatest joy is witnessing my children living in the moment and appreciating the little things.
We may all have different wishes and desires, but when we break them down, I’m guessing that this list is at the heart of most of our desires…
Live YOUR healthiest, happiest, most meaningful life through faith-based mindfulness and nutrition. For busy families who want to eat healthy and organize their lives in order to better follow God & serve others. Time-saving make-ahead meals, mindful living, mindful eating techniques included
But How Does Mindful Living Help Us Become This Person and Live this Healthy, Happy, Purposeful Life?
Well, I don’t fully know all the answers, but I do know a few things that help, and those are:
Spending time with God
Practicing faith-based mindful living techniques including Mindful eating
Mindfully eating foods from God’s earth that nourish our mind, body, and soul
Getting adequate rest, sleep, and physical activity
So that is where my book, 18 weeks to a Healthier, Happier, More Purposeful Life comes in. This book is designed to help you live YOUR healthiest, happiest, most meaningful life through faith-based mindful living and nutrition.
The Life Changing Benefits of Mindful Living
There are many benefits to incorporating the mindfulness techniques discussed in 18 weeks to a Healthier, Happier, More Purposeful Life. In fact, mindfulness techniques are so beneficial that schools have even started implementing mindfulness programs.
Although more research is needed, current research indicates that implementing Mindfulness programs in schools may improve social behaviors, mood, stress levels, and even academic performance and test scores. Schools are even reporting fewer suspensions, detentions, violent incidents, principal visits, bullying, and classroom disruptions since incorporating mindfulness programs!
The Benefits of Faith-Based Mindful Living are Overwhelming
If you think about it, these results make since, don’t they? Practicing mindfulness techniques can relieve stress and help us have better self-control. When we have less stress and learn to have more self-control, we tend to make better choices. Less ideal choices can sometimes cause even more stress, which brings us full circle. Furthermore, aren’t we better able to focus and learn when our brains are calm verses stressed?
So you can see how mindfulness activities can be so impactful, but for me, the most profound impact happens when I combine faith and mindfulness.
1. Mindfully focusing on God’s presence in every moment. One aspect of mindfulness is about focusing on being present. But with faith-based mindfulness, you are focusing on how God is present with you in that very moment….
2. …And while focusing on God’s presence you get to notice all the gifts from God and the beautiful little things in God’s world.
Let’s go back to that “Healthy, Happy, Meaningful Life list” because Faith-based mindfulness helps me fulfill that list like nothing else.
Here is How My Life Has Been Transformed Through Faith-based Mindful Living:
I listen to God more: Listening to God helps me make better choices. I’m not letting negative emotions take control of my actions. (At least not as often, anyway)
Now I am more at peace and filled with comfort because I am noticing God is with me everywhere.
I get to have more goose-bump-“I’m awe-struck” moments because when I intentionally focus on God in the present moment, I actually see what God is doing in my life and the lives of others around me. By focusing on God in the present moment, I get to experience the feeling of amazement more often, and I WANT TO BE AMAZED!!! (Don’t we all want to be beautifully amazed?)
Mindful Living Translates to Mindful Eating: The Prayer Before a Meal That Stops Me from Over Eating and Other Mindful Eating Techniques
Did you know learning to pause and pray is what finally helped me (a dietitian) stop overeating?
When you mindfully eat, you get to experience ALL these faith-based mindfulness benefits and more. Mindful eating gives us the opportunity to focus on God’s presence, feel gratitude for God’s gift of food, and rest our brain! We get to have mini mindfulness moments with God EVERY. TIME. WE. EAT!
With mindful breathing, we are pausing and centering out minds on one thing-breathing. When we are mindfully eating, we are still pausing and centering our brain on one thing, but this time that one thing is eating. With faith-based mindful eating, we are resting our brain by focusing on God and the food God provided.
Some of the Other Benefits to Mindful Eating Are:
Weight Loss
I don’t want to focus too much on this because all sizes can be healthy. Some people are naturally smaller and some naturally weigh more. We have different builds and genetics. Plus, other things like medications, medical conditions, and even uncontrollable seasons in life can affect weight.
But I also don’t what you to feel that wanting to lose weight is somehow wrong. You may want to see if weight loss will help you have more energy or help with a medical condition. Maybe you feel like you could keep up with your children more if you carried less weight or maybe you want to see if weight loss can help with joint pain. There are reasons you may desire weight loss, and fortunately mindful eating can help with weight loss while also helping you stop that food obsessing often associated with dieting. Mindful eating helps you feel full and notice your hunger/satiety cues. Moreover, the desire to binge decreases because you are actually enjoying your food ALL THE TIME.
Relieves Stress
Like the mindfulness practices above, Mindful eating is a stress reliever. Stress can cause weight gain so this is yet another way mindful eating helps with weight loss.
May Reduce the Risk of Many Chronic Conditions
Mindful eating can aid in digestion. How? When you mindfully eat, you take your time chewing your food. Chewing thoroughly gives your stomach enzymes more surface area to do their work, which again promotes healthy digestion and absorption.
Mindful Eating and Gut Health
These reasons, along with the ability to relieve stress, are how mindful eating can aid in digestion. Healthy digestion and stress relief promotes a healthy gut. Poor gut health is related to inflammation and reduced immune function. Gut health, inflammation and immunity are all linked to many condition including IBS, Crohn’s, Autoimmune Disease, Alzheimer’s, heart disease, stroke, brain function and focus, mood and even depression and anxiety, to name a few. So anything that promotes a healthy gut is something worth looking into in my book. (Fortunately, a mindful eating guide IS included in my books!)
How Can Nutrition Help You Live a Healthier, Happier, and More Meaningful Life?
Okay, this feels like a good place to talk a little about nutrition, and how in the world nutrition helps my family and me become those people and live that life listed in the opening paragraph. Healthy foods can help us focus, improve our moods, and give us the energy we need to serve God and others; learn and grow, and live a more positive life.
In 18 Weeks to a Healthier, Happier More Purposeful Life you are provided with a list of nutrients and foods that promote cognitive function, boost mood, support the immune system, and reduce the risk of chronic disease and some autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases. I know our children’s learning, behavior, and mood are important to us, so I picked ingredients that can help with focus, attention, behavior, and immunity. These amazingly beneficial foods are included in the Meal Builder Table in this book. With this table, you will be able to build a healthy meal on the spot. The possibilities are endless! You will be amazed at how easy it is to throw together a nutrient-packed meal!
Be Inspired to Take that Mindful Living Step
18 Weeks to a Healthier, Happier, More Purposeful Live takes you on an inspiring and uplifting journey with me, a dietitian who has lost 50 pounds through faith-based mindful nutrition. Thanks to faith-based mindfulness and nutrition, I went from being weight obsessed to feeling healthy and happy in my own body. Ironically, during the process, I ended up, not only losing weight but also strengthening my walk with God. Now she feels healthier than ever, AND she truly enjoys eating! I am able to feed my mind, body, and soul nourishing foods and feel good in my own body without weight obsessing.
Aucoin M, Lalonde-Parsi M-J, Cooley K. Mindfulness-Based Therapies in the Treatment of Functional Gastrointestinal : A Meta-Analysis. Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine : eCAM. 2014;2014:140724. doi:10.1155/2014/140724.Bakosh LS. Doctoral dissertation. 2013. Investigating the effects of a daily audio-guided mindfulness intervention for elementary school students and teachers. Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses database. (UMI No. 3618722)
Bakosh LS, Snow RM, Tobias JM, Houlihan JL, Barbosa-Leiker C. Maximizing mindful learning: An innovative mindful awareness intervention improves elementary school students’ quarterly grades. Mindfulness. 2015 Advance online publication.
Diamond A, Barnett WS, Thomas J, Munro S. Preschool program improves cognitive control. Science. 2007;318:1387–1388. [PMC free article] [PubMed]
Parker AE, Kupersmidt JB, Mathis ET, Scull TM, Sims C. The impact of mindfulness education on elementary school students: evaluation of the Master Mind program. Advances in School Mental Health Promotion. 2014;7:184–204. [PMC free article] [PubMed]
Parker AE, Kupersmidt JB, Willoughby MT. An investigation of mindfulness education and self-regulation in middle school classrooms. 2014. Manuscript in preparation.
Black DS, Fernando R. Mindfulness training and classroom behavior among lower-income and ethnic minority elementary school children. Journal of Child and Family Studies. 2014;23:1242–1246. [PMC free article] [PubMed]
Britton WB, Lepp NE, Niles HF, Rocha T, Fisher NE, Gold JS. A randomized controlled pilot trial of classroom-based mindfulness meditation compared to an active control condition in sixth-grade children. Journal of School Psychology. 2014;52:263–278. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2014.03.002. [PMC free article] [PubMed]
Hofmann SG, Sawyer AT, Witt AA, Oh D. The effect of mindfulness-based therapy on anxiety and depression: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 2010;78:169–183. [PMC free article] [PubMed]
Semple R, Droutman V, Reid BA. Mindfulness Goes to School: Things Learned (So Far) from Research and Real World Experiences. Psychol. Sch. 2017 Jan 54 (1): 29-52. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5405439/
Liu, R. T. (2017). The microbiome as a novel paradigm in studying stress and mental health. American Psychologist, 72(7), 655-667.http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/amp0000058
Mayer E, Knight R, Mazmanian S, Cryan J, Tillisch K. Gut Microbes and the Brain:Paradigm Shift in Neuroscience. Journal of Neuroscience. 2014;34(46):15490-15496. doi:10.1523/jneurosci.3299-14.2014.
Rogers G, Keating D, Young R, Wong M, Licinio J, Wesselingh S. From gut dysbiosis to altered brain function and mental illness: mechanisms and pathways. Molecular Psychiatry. 2016;21(6):738-748. doi:10.1038/mp.2016.50.
Top Meal Prep and Meal Planning books written by registered dietitians
Nutrition Books for Specific Conditions Written by Registered Dietitians
I hope you have found this series an invaluable resource of nutriton information.
This is the fifth post in the series…
Best Books Written by Registered Dietitians
(Note: At the top of each post in this series, I have provided a description of what a dietitian is; therefore, if you have read any of the other posts in the series, you may want to skip down to the list portion.)
You may be asking…
So what exactly IS a Registered Dietitian, and why do I want to take note when a health and wellness book is written by a Registered Dietitian?
This site contains affiliate links (See full disclosure here.)
A registered dietitian, by definition, is considered the expert in the field of nutrition science. The term Registered Dietitian is actually different than a nutritionist. In fact, the term nutritionist is not a regulated term and has a more general meaning. The term registered dietitian, however, is regulated much like the terms doctor or lawyer. In other words, you are not allowed to call yourself a doctor unless you are a doctor, and you cannot call yourself a registered dietitian unless you have completed all the academic and professional requirements.
Requirements for Registered Dietitians
So what are the requirements? Is there some kind of certification you need to be a registered dietitians?
Actually, you cannot just get a certification to become a registered dietitian. Whereas there might be certifications available for nutritionists.
To become an RD you must:
Complete a Bachelors Degree at a college accredited by the Commission of Accreditation of Dietetic Education. Some of the required courses generally included are:
Microbiology
Medical Nutrition Therapy
Biology
Chemistry
Organic Chemistry
Anatomy and Physiology
Evidence Base Nutrition
Human Nutrition and Metabolism
Nutrition Counseling
and more
2. Complete 1200 hours of a competitive internship (The internship is usually completed in hospitals, community service agencies, medical clinics, etc)
3. Pass the CDR Exam
Just like a lawyer can’t practice law without passing an exam, an RD cannot become a registered dietitian without pasing the CDR.
4. By 2024, all register dietitian will be required to have a master’s degree as well. Many RD’s already do.
5. Complete Continuing Education Units throughout their career to keep their registered dietitian credentials.
So you can see why it is a plus when a health and nutrition book is written by a registered dieitian. I want to preface here that just because an RD is considered the expert, doesn’t mean you can’t get great nutrition information and advice from non-dietitians. People who have a passion for nutrition or people who have discovered something that works for them can write insightful nutrition books.
Many health and wellness enthusiasts have done extensive research on their own and have valuable information, but if you are getting advice from non-dietitians, I would recommend looking for the following:
Are they getting their information from a Registered Dietitian? Are they seeing what multiple registered dieitians have to say about the topic before giving advice?
Do they know when it is time to refer their clients to a registered dietitian? Many informed people have general nutrition knowledge, but when a client or customer needs medical nutrition therapy; then, a dietitian may be needed. Dietitians are trained in nutrition as it relates to diseases, drug-food interactions, tube feeding, enteral nutrition (nutrients through the veins), and various other medical conditions. These topics can get complicated and even be dangerous if incorrect information is given.
For example, someone may tell a client to eat more bananas because bananas are healthy, after all, BUT if a person has kidney failure and is on dialysis, too many bananas could put someone in the hosptial or worse!
One Final Note..
So one final thought before we move on to the book lists. If a book is written by a non-RD, you may want to see if a registered dietitian has written a review about the book, recommended the book, or even written a forward for the book.
Nutrition books written by non-dietitians are not a deal breaker, by any means, but you can see why seeing that RD beside an author’s name in a nutrition book is a plus.
Okay now for the good stuff…
The fifth post in this series is…
Meal Planning & Meal Prep Books by Registered Dietitians
I LOVE to feel organized. Getting organized takes the weight off your shoulders, doesn’t it?!?! That is why I love this book! The goal of this book is to help you organized your meals for a whole year! This meal planner includes:
One year’s worth of weekly templates to plan breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks
Grocery lists and price comparison sheets
Recipe pages
This wonderful origination tool is written by registered dietitian, Jessica Levinson, MS, RDN, CDN.
This book also made an appearance in my “Healthy Living Books Written by Registered Dietitians,” but I thought this book fit well in this list as well. This 6-week guide includes more than 100 breakfast, lunch, and dinner solutions. In this book, you will find simple, realistic solutions as wells as assessments, food tips and meal ideas to help you live a happier, healthier, and stronger life.
If you want your meal plan to be full of flavorful, nutritious plant-based foods; then, this is the book for you. This guide, which is broken down into 52 weeks, provides 125 A-MAZING plant-based recipes!
Our lives are so busy that we often don’t have much time to plan and cook our foods. This is why meal prepping is soooo beneficial! Toby Smithson provides so many meal prepping tips and solutions in her book. This book is perfect for busy families who want to find a way to eat healthy on a busy schedule.
The Meal Builder Cards included in The Nourishing Meal Builder takes the stress out of meal planning. In fact, you don’t have to do much meal planning ahead at all!
In this ebook, you get a list of anti-anxiety, anti-inflammatory nutrients and foods that support the immune system; boost mood; reduce the risk of chronic disease; and promote cognitive function, focus, attention, and memory. You simply use these list to grocery shop! Then when you are ready to cook a meal, you use the meal builder cards to create a nourishing meal on the spot! It’s so easy and the meal possibilities are endless!
Create anti-anxiety, anti-inflammatory, mood boosting, immune supportive meals that reduce the risk of chronic disease and promote cognitive function, focus, attention, and memory.
As soon as I discovered this book, I knew I had to include it here. Deciding what to eat on a diabetic diet, can feel overwhelming. This books takes out the guesswork by helping you easily plan your meals. Diabetes Meal Planning and Nutrition for Dummies includes tons of helpful information like healthy eating tips for diabetes, food swap ideas, and of course, yummy recipes!
This IS the ultimate meal prep book! Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals shows you how to prep ALL your meals for a month in ONE DAY!!! I developed this book because, although I LOVE to cook, I couldn’t find the time to cook healthy meals everyday. Life. Gets. Soooo. Busy, and figuring out what to eat everyday can sometimes be one more mentally draining decision you have to make.
That is why I began prepping and freezing a month of meals in one day. Over time I became extremely efficient at making all of these meals at once. I can now get all my breakfast, lunch and dinners for a whole month prepped and frozen in only 6 hours!!! This book teaches you the tricks and the steps to take in order to prep and freeze your meals efficiently too. When it’s actually time to eat breakfast and lunch, you simply throw one of these meals in the microwave for 2 minutes and IT. IS. DONE!!!! For dinner, I usually put the family-style meals in the crockpot while I am making my kids lunches in the morning. It’s so simple! With Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals, you have one less thing to think about each day. Now you can enjoy healthy meals and focus on your family instead of trying to figure out what to cook!
Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals includes the some of the most popular family recipes. From Pizza Bites and Southwest burrito dip, to Asian Chicken and rice; there is something for just about everyone.
Below is a collection of health and nutrition books that discuss diets for specific medical conditions. Topics of these books include diets that reduce the risk, alleviate symptoms, or treat specific conditions including diabetes, pre diabetes, Alzheimer’s, IBS, Pregnancy, Cancer, heart disease, stroke, dementia, Crohn’s, Celiac, Gluten sensitivity, Digestive disorders, anxiety, depression, inflammation, poor immunity, and poor gut health.
I hope you have found this series an invaluable resource of nutriton information.
This is the fourth post in the series…
Best Books Written by Registered Dietitians
(Note: At the top of each post in this series, I have provided a description of what a dietitian is; therefore, if you have read any of the other posts in the series, you may want to skip down to the list portion.)
You may be asking…
So what exactly IS a Registered Dietitian, and why do I want to take note when a health and wellness book is written by a Registered Dietitian?
This site contains affiliate links (See full disclosure here.)
A registered dietitian, by definition, is considered the expert in the field of nutrition science. The term Registered Dietitian is actually different than a nutritionist. In fact, the term nutritionist is not a regulated term and has a more general meaning. The term registered dietitian, however, is regulated much like the terms doctor or lawyer. In other words, you are not allowed to call yourself a doctor unless you are a doctor, and you cannot call yourself a registered dietitian unless you have completed all the academic and professional requirements.
Requirements for Registered Dietitians
So what are the requirements? Is there some kind of certification you need to be a registered dietitians?
Actually, you cannot just get a certification to become a registered dietitian. Whereas there might be certifications available for nutritionists.
To become an RD you must:
Complete a Bachelors Degree at a college accredited by the Commission of Accreditation of Dietetic Education. Some of the required courses generally included are:
Microbiology
Medical Nutrition Therapy
Biology
Chemistry
Organic Chemistry
Anatomy and Physiology
Evidence Base Nutrition
Human Nutrition and Metabolism
Nutrition Counseling
and more
2. Complete 1200 hours of a competitive internship (The internship is usually completed in hospitals, community service agencies, medical clinics, etc)
3. Pass the CDR Exam
Just like a lawyer can’t practice law without passing an exam, an RD cannot become a registered dietitian without pasing the CDR.
4. By 2024, all register dietitian will be required to have a master’s degree as well. Many RD’s already do.
5. Complete Continuing Education Units throughout their career to keep their registered dietitian credentials.
So you can see why it is a plus when a health and nutrition book is written by a registered dieitian. I want to preface here that just because an RD is considered the expert, doesn’t mean you can’t get great nutrition information and advice from non-dietitians. People who have a passion for nutrition or people who have discovered something that works for them can write insightful nutrition books.
Many health and wellness enthusiasts have done extensive research on their own and have valuable information, but if you are getting advice from non-dietitians, I would recommend looking for the following:
Are they getting their information from a Registered Dietitian? Are they seeing what multiple registered dieitians have to say about the topic before giving advice?
Do they know when it is time to refer their clients to a registered dietitian? Many informed people have general nutrition knowledge, but when a client or customer needs medical nutrition therapy; then, a dietitian may be needed. Dietitians are trained in nutrition as it relates to diseases, drug-food interactions, tube feeding, enteral nutrition (nutrients through the veins), and various other medical conditions. These topics can get complicated and even be dangerous if incorrect information is given.
For example, someone may tell a client to eat more bananas because bananas are healthy, after all, BUT if a person has kidney failure and is on dialysis, too many bananas could put someone in the hosptial or worse!
One Final Note..
So one final thought before we move on to the book lists. If a book is written by a non-RD, you may want to see if a registered dietitian has written a review about the book, recommended the book, or even written a forward for the book.
Nutrition books written by non-dietitians are not a deal breaker, by any means, but you can see why seeing that RD beside an author’s name in a nutrition book is a plus.
Okay now for the good stuff…
The third post in this series is…
Nutrition for Specific Conditions: Books by Registered Dietitians
This is an excellant book for anyone who has been diagnosed with prediabetes! The book includes everything from meal planning, eating away from home tips, recipes, and even grocery lists! Yes! This is definitely a complete guide for anyone with pre diabetes.!
Thyroid issues are a problem for many so I am so glad this very specific cookbook is available. Did you notice that this book has over 100 recipes!!!! Wow, that is a lot of awesome recipes!
I am so thankful that there is a book written by a dietitian available for women wiht PCOS. PCOS or Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, is characterized by irregular or no periods, weight gain, and acne. Women with PCOS may find it harder to get pregnant. This helpful book includes 100 recipes, meal plans, and shopping lists!
I acutally included this book in my cookbook as well because this book is a cookbook for a specific condition. This book not only includes 150 recipes but also provides a nutritional guide as well.
The next book written by dietitians is part of the well known “For Dummies” books. This book has all the details and recipes for one of the healthiest diets around, the DASH diet. The DASH diet can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol and may be just the diet for people with heart disease.
This is another great book for people with diabetes. What makes this book unique is the yoga aspect of the book. Yoga can benefit someone with diabetes by calming the nervous system and improving circulation throughout the body. Yoga (like any exercise) can increase insulin sensitivity and improve glycemic control as well.
If you have Celiac disease or are gluten sensitive then this is the book for you. This book is full of information and includes easy meal plans and over 140 recipes!
This book is for people with Crohn’s and Colitis and has over 175 amazing recipes for you to try.
If you have IBS or other digestive disorders, you may want to give the FODMAP diet a try, but you are going to need some help. That is where the next three books come in. All three of these books are full of helpful information. And talk about fantastic recipes! With these books you will be able to still enjoy amazing meals while on the FODMAP diet!
Create anti-anxiety, anti-inflammatory, mood boosting, immune supportive meals that reduce the risk of chronic disease and promote cognitive function, focus, attention, and memory.
Created by a registered dietitian, The Nourishing Meal Builder and the included Nourishing Meal Builder Cards take the stress out of cooking nourishing, healing meals! Motivated by her son’s illnesses and her own symptoms, Lacy Ngo (that’s me!) became passionate about providing an easy strategy that busy families could use to implement research-based nutrition into their daily lives.
After incorporating these strategies into my own life, I was even more convinced that nutrition can change lives: -My mood improved -My seasonal allergies no longer developed in the fall and spring -My energy improved -My acne resolved -My son’s behavior and anxiety improved
What’s included in The Nourishing Meal Builder? -Lists of nutrients and foods that boost mood; promote cognitive function, focus, attention, alertness, and memory; support the immune system; aid in weight loss; and reduce the risk of chronic diseases, autoimmune diseases, Alzheimer’s disease, joint pain, and even seasonal allergy symptoms -A simple Meal Plan Checklist -A faith-based mindfulness and mindful eating guide -Printable Meal Builder cards
Did you know that certain foods can enhance brain function and reduce the risk of Alzheimers and dementia? How wonderful is that! This book includes a list of brain-healthy foods as well as a list of foods that are not so healthy for the brain. “The Mind Diet” includes Brain-healthy recipes too!
Did you know that there is a connection between gut health, brain health, immune function, and inflammation? So since it’s all related, eating gut healthy foods could reduce the risk of memory loss, reduce inflammation and pain, reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia, improve your mood, alleviate depression and anxiety, and promote a healthy immune system. This research truly is astounding and so is this book!
Just like the book above, an anti-inflammatory diet can benefit your body in multiple ways. Poor gut health can cause inflammation AND inflammation can cause poor gut health! Moreover, a healthy gut can improve immune function as well. There is also a link between cronic inflammation and conditions like diabetes, heart disease, Crohn’s disease, some cancers, and IBS. See how it is all related? Because it is all related, many of the same foods can prevent or alleviate symtoms in multiple conditions. The recipes in this book and the ones above include many of these amazing foods!
Here is another fact that may surprise you. What we eat could affect our mood! And guess what? The gut is related as well!!! So gut healthy and anti-inflammatory foods can help with anxiety!!!! I can’t even begin to describe the detailed information provided in this book, but I can tell you that along with vast information, the book includes a big collection of delicious recipes too!
Okay one more gut health book recommendation. I actually included this book in my “Healthy Living Books Written by Registered Dietitians” post as well. As I said in that post, I devoured this book in two days! What a fascinating read! This book is a detailed explanation of nutrition as it relates to gut health, mental fatigue, IBS, Diarrhea, Constipation, Alzheimer’s, autoimmune diseases, inflammation, mood, fatigue, immunity, and many other medical conditions. This is definitely worth the purchase!
A collection of health and nutrition books for medical conditions written by dietitians. Topics include diets for diabetes, prediabetes, Alzheimer’s, IBS, pregnancy, cancer, heart disease, stroke, dementia, Crohn’s, Celiac, gluten sensitivity, digestive disorders, anxiety, depression, inflammation, PCOS, immune function, gut health, and more.
I hope you have found this series an invaluable resource of nutriton information.
This is the third post in the series…
Best Books Written by Registered Dietitians
(Note: At the top of each post in this series, I have provided a description of what a dietitian is; therefore, if you have read any of the other posts in the series, you may want to skip down to the list portion.)
You may be asking…
So what exactly IS a Registered Dietitian, and why do I want to take note when a health and wellness book is written by a Registered Dietitian?
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A registered dietitian, by definition, is considered the expert in the field of nutrition science. The term Registered Dietitian is actually different than a nutritionist. In fact, the term nutritionist is not a regulated term and has a more general meaning. The term registered dietitian, however, is regulated much like the terms doctor or lawyer. In other words, you are not allowed to call yourself a doctor unless you are a doctor, and you cannot call yourself a registered dietitian unless you have completed all the academic and professional requirements.
Requirements for Registered Dietitians
So what are the requirements? Is there some kind of certification you need to be a registered dietitians?
Actually, you cannot just get a certification to become a registered dietitian. Whereas there might be certifications available for nutritionists.
To become an RD you must:
Complete a Bachelors Degree at a college accredited by the Commission of Accreditation of Dietetic Education. Some of the required courses generally included are:
Microbiology
Medical Nutrition Therapy
Biology
Chemistry
Organic Chemistry
Anatomy and Physiology
Evidence Base Nutrition
Human Nutrition and Metabolism
Nutrition Counseling
and more
2. Complete 1200 hours of a competitive internship (The internship is usually completed in hospitals, community service agencies, medical clinics, etc)
3. Pass the CDR Exam
Just like a lawyer can’t practice law without passing an exam, an RD cannot become a registered dietitian without pasing the CDR.
4. By 2024, all register dietitian will be required to have a master’s degree as well. Many RD’s already do.
5. Complete Continuing Education Units throughout their career to keep their registered dietitian credentials.
So you can see why it is a plus when a health and nutrition book is written by a registered dieitian. I want to preface here that just because an RD is considered the expert, doesn’t mean you can’t get great nutrition information and advice from non-dietitians. People who have a passion for nutrition or people who have discovered something that works for them can write insightful nutrition books.
Many health and wellness enthusiasts have done extensive research on their own and have valuable information, but if you are getting advice from non-dietitians, I would recommend looking for the following:
Are they getting their information from a Registered Dietitian? Are they seeing what multiple registered dieitians have to say about the topic before giving advice?
Do they know when it is time to refer their clients to a registered dietitian? Many informed people have general nutrition knowledge, but when a client or customer needs medical nutrition therapy; then, a dietitian may be needed. Dietitians are trained in nutrition as it relates to diseases, drug-food interactions, tube feeding, enteral nutrition (nutrients through the veins), and various other medical conditions. These topics can get complicated and even be dangerous if incorrect information is given.
For example, someone may tell a client to eat more bananas because bananas are healthy, after all, BUT if a person has kidney failure and is on dialysis, too many bananas could put someone in the hosptial or worse!
One Final Note..
So one final thought before we move on to the book lists. If a book is written by a non-RD, you may want to see if a registered dietitian has written a review about the book, recommended the book, or even written a forward for the book.
Nutrition books written by non-dietitians are not a deal breaker, by any means, but you can see why seeing that RD beside an author’s name in a nutrition book is a plus.
Okay now for the good stuff…
The third post in this series is…
Healthy Living Books by Registered Dietitians
Healthy living and healthy eating books by registered dietitians: From mindful eating and meal planning, to recipes nutrition tips, these health and wellness books have you covered
This guide book by Katey Davidson, MSCFN, RD will help you set goals that naturally fit into your actual life so that you get lasting results. This guide will help you transform the “Core Seven” aspects of health, which are Beauty (Nutrition, Empowerment, Social life, Stress, Exercise, Sleep, and Beauty (inside and out).
Just like the subtitle says, this ebook walks you through how nutrition and yoga can support digestion, immunity, energy, and relaxation! This book includes a list of 40 functional foods you should include in your diet to help improve digestion, immune function, energy, and relaxation! Plant-based recipes and snack ideas are also included.
Many of us forget how important sleep is, but when you go a few nights without sleeping you are quickly reminded! This book is perfect for someone who suffers from insomnia or chronic sleeplessness. Eat to Sleep explains which “sleepy” foods to eat and when to eat them in order to get the best night’s rest possible.
“What an awesome and inspiring book!!!! This book is full of inspirational stories that integrate health, faith, and mindfulness. The “goose-bump God moment” stories will give you chills! I love this book!” -Mary
Learn how to live your healthiest, happiest, most meaningful life through faith-based mindfulness and evidence-based nutrition. Faith, Mindfulness, and Nutrition takes you on an inspiring and uplifting journey with dietitian, Lacy Ngo. Thanks to faith-based mindfulness and nutrition, Ngo went from being weight obsessed to feeling healthy and happy in her own body. Ironically, during the process, Ngo ended up, not only losing weight, but also strengthening her walk with God. Now she feels healthier than ever AND she truly enjoys eating! She is able to feed her mind, body, and soul nourishing foods and feel good in her own body without weight obsessing. Get ready to get goose-bumps as you read this amazing true story.
Create anti-anxiety, anti-inflammatory, mood boosting, immune supportive meals that reduce the risk of chronic disease and promote cognitive function, focus, attention, and memory.
Created by a registered dietitian, The Nourishing Meal Builder and the included Nourishing Meal Builder Cards take the stress out of cooking nourishing, healing meals! Motivated by her son’s illnesses and her own symptoms, Lacy Ngo (that’s me!) became passionate about providing an easy strategy that busy families could use to implement research-based nutrition into their daily lives.
After incorporating these strategies into my own life, I was even more convinced that nutrition can change lives: -My mood improved -My seasonal allergies stopped showing up in the fall and spring -My energy improved -My acne resolved -My son’s behavior and anxiety improved
What’s included in The Nourishing Meal Builder? -Lists of nutrients and foods that boost mood; promote cognitive function, focus, attention, alertness, and memory; support the immune system; aid in weight loss; and reduce the risk of chronic diseases, autoimmune diseases, Alzheimer’s disease, joint pain, and even seasonal allergy symptoms -A simple Meal Plan Checklist -A faith-based mindfulness and mindful eating guide -Printable Meal Builder cards
I’m kind of extra fond of this book because it’s mine. : ) This ebook does have a cookbook component, but it includes so much more. In the cookbook component, I show you how to make a month of meals in one day so that you can easily eat healthy, homecooked meals at home everyday (or at least most days). You can also just use the recipes individually each day if you prefer. I also give you pro tips on how to efficiently cook all these meals in a timely manner. (I just finished cooking 110 freezer meal this week, and I used the efficiency tips that I share with you in this ebook to get all 110 meals done in 5 hours!)
This book includes much more than recipes though.
What is included:
Mindful Eating Techniques
Mindful Eating Demo Video
An interactive Nutrition Quiz to help you develop your own healthy living routine
100s of healthy living tips from a registered dietitian
Healthy and easy family-friendly breakfast, lunch, dinner freezer meal recipes that last most families a month or more!
A Complete Grocery List so that shopping for a month of meals is simple.
Pro Tips on how to efficiently cook a month of meals in a day.
Because I believe God is a part of everything; this book also discusses faith and how faith relates to our health.
Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals eBook
You can learn more or purchase “Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals” here.
This is such a unique book! According to dietitian, Jen Haugen, gardening nourishes the soul and having a family vegetable garden is a great way to grow healthy, nutritious foods! This book includes everything you need to know to plant more than 35 different garden fruits and vegetables, as well as 30 garden fresh recipes!
“Whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, or omnivore, getting your nutrition from plant-based foods is one of the best things you can do for your health—and it’s easier than you might think!”
I love this quote from the description of this book. “Plant-Based Nutrition” gives you everything you need to start a delicious and nutritious plant-based diet! This book provides ample tips and recipes to help you incorporate more plants into your life!
The Mediterranean diet is considered one of the best and has been linked to a lower risk in cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s! “The Vegiterranean Diet” focuses on the whole-plant foods of the Mediterranean diet. From meal plans, recipes, and tips, this book has the Vegiterranean diet covered!
Health is about so much more than the foods we eat and how much we exercise. Health is about the whole person: mind, body, and spirit. “The Attitude Antidote” was a delight to read! This devotional, written by a dietitian, covers the mind and spirit aspect of our health. Jessa Nowak believes there is nothing more defining than your attitude. When we learn to have a grateful and positive attitude and approach to our daily life, then we will be happier and healthier.
This book is so popular that it was on backorder when I first tried to order it! This book shows you how to have a happier and healthier life by treating yourself with compassion. This anti-dieting book focuses on mindfulness, self-compassion, self-acceptance, gratitude, and affirmations. In other words, this book is about listening to your body and being kind to yourself and your body.
I am 38 years old as I write this post, and I have definitely noticed my health and fitness needs have changed from when I was in my 20s. That is why I am so glad the book, “Food and Fitness after 50” is available. Christine Rosenbloom, PhD, RDN, FAND, and Bob Murray, PhD, FACSM, share steps and tips on how to start a healthy fitness routine and eating plans. “Food and Fitness After 50 also includes weight management techniques as well as tips for better sleep.
I devoured this book in two days! What a fascinating read! This book is a detailed explanation of nutrition as it relates to gut health, mental fatigue, IBS, Diarrhea, Constipation, Alzheimer’s, Autoimmune diseases, inflammation, mood, fatigue, immunity, and many other medical conditions. This is definitely worth the purchase!
If you have read some of my past posts, you know that I have had a history of weight gain. In fact, being called a “two ton whale” in middle school was the negative motivator that started me on a weight loss journey. I kept the weight off for years, but then gained weight right after I got married. It was when I stopped focusing on weight and focused on mindful eating that I naturally lost 55 pounds without needing willpower, without counting calories, without dieting, or getting on the scale. I only know how much weight I lost because I saw the weight at the doctors office. This books is about the power of mindfulness and mindful eating. “The Mindful Diet” discusses how mindfulness and mindful eat can help with with lasting weight loss!
I am an organizer and list maker so I love how organized this book is. In Judith Scharman Draughon’s book, Judith narrows down the science into what she considers the 12 most important things you can do for your health and wellness- all without being on a diet!
Many of us are overworked and overly busy today. We don’t have time to incorporate big changes into our lives. This is where this book comes in. “The Overworked Person’s Guide to Better Nutrition” provides tiny, easy to implement tips that bring big results. Tiny tips that equal big results! Yes please!
In this book, you will find more than 100 simple, realistic solutions as wells as assessments, food tips and meal ideas to help you live a happier, healthier, and stronger life. The 6-week guide is a great start to making lasting changes.
Quick and easy to read, this book is perfect for busy people. This book provides easy solutions to meal planning, shopping, and eating out. In the book, dietitian’s Jacqueline King and Monica Joyce answers questions patients have been asking them for years such as How can I get more calcium, what foods are high in fiber, and how do I lower my sodium intake with our sacrificing taste?
I was standing in my kitchen soon after finishing this post when I realized I had not included a Flexitarian book! I ran back to add this “must have on this list” book. Like the Mediterranean and the Vegiterranean diet, the Flexitarian diet is one of the healthiest! This book has so much information and 140 recipes as well!
Health is so much more than the number on a scale. Health is about mind, body, and soul! With this book, you get to decide what healthy means to you! This is a non-diet book, that provides inspiration and tips to help you nourish your mind, body and soul.
You can probably guess that I am super excited about this workbook! This workbook includes mindful eating 101, as well as mindful cooking and mindful eating strategies and reflective exercises.
I hope you are enjoying this “Books by Registered Dietitians” series, and I hope you find this series to be an invaluable resource of nutrition information.
The next post in this series IS…
Best Healthy Cookbooks Written by Registered Dietitians
(Note: At the top of each post in this series, I have provided a description of what a dietitian is; therefore, if you have read any of the other posts in the series, you may want to skip down to the list portion.)
But First, You may be asking…
So what Exactly IS a Registered Dietitian, and why do I want to take note when a health and wellness book is written by a Registered Dietitian?
A registered dietitian, by definition, is considered the expert in the field of nutrition science. The term Registered Dietitian is actually different than a nutritionist. In fact, the term nutritionist is not a regulated term and has a more general meaning. The term registered dietitian, however, is regulated much like the terms doctor or lawyer. In other words, you are not allowed to call yourself a doctor unless you are a doctor, and you cannot call yourself a registered dietitian unless you have completed all the academic and professional requirements.
Requirements for Registered Dietitians
So what are the requirements? Is there some kind of certification you need to be a registered dietitians?
Actually, you cannot just get a certification to become a registered dietitian. Whereas there might be certifications available for nutritionists.
To become an RD you must:
Complte a Bachelors Degree at a college accredited by the Commission of Accreditationof Dietetic Education.
Some of the required courses generally included are:
Microbiology
Medical Nutrition Therapy
Biology
Chemestiry
Organic Chemistry
Anatomy adn Physiology
Evidence Base Nutrition
Human Nutrition nand Metabolism
Nutrition Counseling
and much more
2. Complete 1200 hours of a competitive internship (The internship is usually completed in hospitals, community service agencies, medical clinics, etc)
3. Pass the CDR Exam
Just like a lawyer can’t practice law without passing an exam, an RD cannot become a registered dietitian without pasing the CDR.
4. By 2024, all registered dietitian will be required to have a Master’s degree as well. Many RD’s already do.
5. Must complete Continuing Education Units throughout their career to keep their registered dietitian credintials.
What to Look for in Health and Wellness Books
So you can see why it is a plus when a health and nutrition book is written by a registered dietitian. I want to preface here that just because a RD is considered the expert, doesn’t mean you can’t get great nutrition information and advice from non-dietitians. People who have a passion for nutrition or people who have discovered something that works for them can write insightful nutrition books. Many health and wellness enthusiasts have done extensive research on their own and have valuable information, but if you are getting advice from non-dietitians, I would recommend looking for the following:
Are they getting their information from a Registered Dietitian? Are they seeing what multiple registered dietitians have to say about the topic before giving advice?
Do they know when it is time to refer their clients to a registered dietitian? Many informed people have general nutrition knowledge, but when a client or customer needs medical nutrition therapy; then, a dietitian may be needed. Dietitians are trained in nutriton as it relates to diseases, drug-food interactions, tube feeding, enteral nutrition (nutrients through the veins), and various other medical conditions. These topics can get complicated and even be dangerous.
For example, someone may tell a client to eat more bananas because bananas are healthy, after all, BUT if a person has kidney failure and is on dialysis, too many bananas could put someone in the hosptial or worse!
So one final thought before we move on to the book lists. If a book is written by a non-RD, you may want to see if a registered dietitian has written a review about the book, recommended the book, or even written a forward for the book.
Nutrition books written by non-dietitians are not a deal breaker, by any means, but you can see why seeing that RD beside an author’s name in a nutrition book is a plus.
Abby Sharp makes nutrition so fun with her humorous, but informative nutrition videos and posts. Abby now has a new book out called “The Mindful Glow.” This beautiffuly done book includes so many delicious and healthy recipes, and the pictures are stunning!
Create anti-anxiety, anti-inflammatory, mood boosting, immune supportive meals that reduce the risk of chronic disease and promote cognitive function, focus, attention, and memory.
The Nourishing Meal Builder is a VERY different kind of cookbook, because it shows you how to create meals on the fly without using recipes or cookbooks at all. This ebook is provides a simple strategy to help you get nourishing, healing meals on the table without meal planning!
What’s included in The Nourishing Meal Builder?
-Lists of nutrients and foods that boost mood; promote cognitive function, focus, attention, alertness, and memory; support the immune system; aid in weight loss; and reduce the risk of chronic diseases, autoimmune diseases, Alzheimer’s disease, joint pain, and even seasonal allergy symptoms
-A simple Meal Plan Checklist
-A faith-based mindfulness and mindful eating guide
-Printable Meal Builder cards
This is actually my cookbook so of course I had to include it! This ebook is for busy parents who just can’t find the time to cook everyday, but still desperately want to eat healthy meals at home as a family. With this book, you learn how to efficiently cook once a month so that you can quickly and easily eat healthy every day. This ebook provides breakfast, lunch, and dinner freezer meal recipes as well as a complete grocery list.
The Mediterranean Diet is one of the healthiest ways to eat, and this book provides fantastic Mediterranean recipes that you can make in just 30 minutes!
Did I mention how healthy the Mediterranean Diet is? Here is another great Mediterranean Diet cookbooks written by a dietitian. And yes, it is one of the books in the popular “for Dummies” series.
I think everyone should have at least one Mediterranean cookbook in their kitchen so I wanted to include yet another great option for you. This book has over 100 recipes!!! So you will have plenty of tasty recipes to try!
A Pescatarian is someone who eats fish and seafood, but not other meat. So if you are looking for delicious recipes that include ingredients like fish, whole grains, and healthy vegetables, then this book is perfect for you!
Katie Sullivan had me at “busy mornings!” Figuring out what to cook for breakfast is no longer a challenge when you have this book in your kitchen! This book is another beauty. It is one of those that you actually want to leave out on your counter because it’s so pretty, and of course, the recipes are tasty as well!
Thyroid issues can be a problem for many so I am so glad this very specific cookbook is available. Did you notice that this book has over 100 recipes!!!! Wow, that is a lot of awesome recipes!
I actually just purchased this one today! This book is half yummy recipes and half health information. The book includes 175 recipes for satisfying smoothies, dips, sauces, dressings, soups, and desserts. I cannot wait to try these recipes out!
I love this cookbook because it is specifically written for cancer treatment. The book not only includes 150 recipes but also provides a nutritional guide as well.
The next two books are part of the well-known “For Dummies” series of books. Both the “Hypertention Cookbook for Dummies” and “The Glycemic Index Cookbook for Dummies” are written by dietitians and are full of great information and recipes!
This unique ebook is a fun book to add to your collection. This inexpensive ebook includes 9 whole-food breakfast, lunch, and dinner recipes perfect for those winter months! A grocery checklist is included!
