All posts by Alexia Lewis RD, LD/N, CHC, CPT

Unknown's avatar

About Alexia Lewis RD, LD/N, CHC, CPT

Culinary Nutritionist (RD), Certified Health Coach (ACE), heart attack survivor, late-blooming home-cook, and your biggest cheerleader, confidence builder, and forever reminder-er to stop making things so darn complicated. DISCLAIMER: The information on this website is the opinion of the author(s) and is not medical advice, in fact, it may not be appropriate for you at all. Consult with your medical professional before making any changes. If you follow information on this site without consulting your healthcare provider, you are doing so at your own risk.

New ebook and special for October

celiac disease, coach, Dietitian, gluten, gluten-free, health coach, wheat, , , , , , , ,

Many people know that following a gluten-free diet means not eating wheat bread and pasta but they have very little help figuring out what they can eat or where else gluten is hiding in their food, medicines, and other products. Well, I can help with that! I just published an ebook: Celiac Disease: Real-Life Nutrition Strategies to Improve Symptoms and Heal Your Gut. This ebook gives and easy-to-understand explanation of what really happens in your body if you have celiac disease, provides guidelines and tips to ensure food choices are truly gluten-free, and goes one step further to list foods to help avoid common nutritional deficiencies.

COVER-celiac-diseaseAround 95% of people with celiac disease have not even been diagnosed and are suffering with symptoms such as stomach pain, bloating, diarrhea or constipation, and even fatigue and joint pain. This ebook gives them real-life solutions for how to change their food choices so they don’t have to live with these uncomfortable symptoms, allow their body to repair damage from gluten, and still enjoy delicious food.

If you are not the reading type (well first, thanks for reading this blog), I’ve also got a special going on for October and am offering 50% off the “Go Gluten Free” coaching package which includes 1 initial and 2 follow up sessions, a personal grocery excursion to check out food packages where you make your food decisions (if local) OR the Label Detective online course (in development, course will be delivered by coach if not yet complete), and a FREE copy of the ebook. You must be a current email subscriber & limit of one deal per person. More details here.

This ebook, priced at $4.99, is available at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/746492 or at your favorite book retailer. Is it chock-full of information including:

  • The basics of a gluten-free diet
  • Whole foods and alternative grains to include
  • Which foods and ingredients to avoid
  • How to best use gluten-free products (and when to avoid them!)
  • How to fit alcohol into a gluten-free diet
  • How to read food packaging and labels for gluten-containing ingredients
  • How to plan meals or approach eating out while remaining gluten-free
  • How to choose foods to address the most common nutrition deficiencies from a gluten-free diet
  • A list of online resources
  • Two case studies to give you examples of how two people with celiac disease approached their food and nutrition choices to better manage their symptoms

GF-delishI wrote this initially in 2013 (it has been updated for this ebook!) as a continuing education course for health professionals. In addition to the information that remains in the book, there was also a section on how to implement the Nutrition Care Process and tips for health professionals working with patients who have celiac disease. I said back then, four years ago, that I really should make this consumer-friendly and publish it that way too. And time passed. So… four years later… here it is! I am BEYOND EXCITED for this day to finally come. Now that I know how to epublish, expect more goodies coming from me as well!

This information will be useful for anyone with celiac disease as well as those who suspect they may have a gluten/wheat allergy or intolerance – so please pass this information along!

Don’t miss out on the NEW monthly email newsletter that will have information on nutrition, health, and wellness topics as well as freebies, offers, and discounts; a schedule of upcoming workshops and classes, recent blog posts, as well as any new ebooks or online courses. (Spoiler alert – discount for ebook will be in the October newsletter!) Sign up here!

And remember…

Gluten-free-cookie

Vitruvian Man Logo

coach, coaching, Dietitian, goals, health, health coach, health goals, health professional, Healthy Diet, weight, wellness, , , , , , , ,

You may have noticed that N.E.W. Motivation Coaching has an updated logo. We kept the Vitruvian man – because reasons below –  but made the graphic simpler and more visually friendly.

Logo-Medium_FINAL

Why Choose this Image?

You may know that the Vitruvian Man is a sketch done by Leonardo Da Vinci which represents the “perfect proportions” for man. The circle and square which surround the Vitruvian Man provide the touch-points for the length of the arms and legs as they move from one position to another.

It’s an art and a science: A multi-faceted approach. Leonardo’s new twist – to place the circle and square on top of each other – combine science and art. This is similar to our approach.

(1) We are firmly grounded in science, research, and evidence-based practice. We know the research and we keep up with new findings. We understand that the plural of anecdote is not data… yet we realize there are always outliers in research studies who may not fit the data trends. In other words, even if the research does NOT support something for a group on the whole, we are open to pursuing alternative paths to health as long as it does not bring you any harm!

(2) Making lifestyle changes that “stick” for the long-term is an art. We won’t throw information at you and tell you to make it work. Information is everywhere and if all it took was having legit info, then everyone would be exactly where they wished they were with health and weight. We do not believe our role is to tell you what you should do, what you should want for your health (or weight), or how to go about it. We instead focus on discovering your uniqueness (including your personal and environmental strengths and challenges) and then tweak, adjust, and experiment to create individualized goals to baby-step you to success. We use coaching and behavior change techniques to challenge you to think in new ways, but you will always make your own decisions.

Many body types can fit. Weight does not determine one’s overall health and yet many continue to focus on this one narrow view to judge their own health and the health of others. We like that a body with little fat and a body with lots of fat can both fit into the circle and square. The image is not body-shaming and embraces that all sizes belong.

What N.E.W. Stands For

Nutrition. The founder is a Licensed Nutritionist which means we can provide you with nutrition coaching and medical nutrition therapy. (More information on the differences here.)

Exercise. As an American Council on Exercise Certified Health Coach, we can get you started with activity and exercise safely.

Wellness. Health is more than food, exercise, and body weight. We work with you on finding health-life balance, improving sleep habits, managing stress, and figuring out all your Plan B’s for when life and situations throw you off course.

If you want more details, check out N.E.W. Motivation Coaching for upcoming workshops, group challenge classes, and individual coaching/counseling.

What do you think of the new logo and what it represents?

HelloFresh Meal Review: Sweet and Savory Plum Flatbreads with Ricotta, Charred Onion, and Arugula

cooking, Dietitian, Food, Grains, health, health goals, Healthy Diet, Heart Healthy, HelloFresh, home cooked meal, meal delivery, meal planning, Recipe, Vegetarian, , , , , , , , , ,

I love every single word in the name of this dish! Color me excited to make this one!

If you want a deal, I can offer you this:  Get Cooking Today With HelloFresh And Get 50% Off!

HelloFresh categorizes this meal as a breakfast according to the recipe card. I think this would make a divine breakfast but it is just a little too much work for me to do while on my first cup of coffee. Don’t get me wrong, I love a hot breakfast. In fact, I have a hot breakfast pretty much every day! I can cook a veggie omelet with one eye closed and one hand on that coffee mug; but this recipe was just a bit too involved for that level of attention (or rather that lack of attention…).

As the video shows, there are not that many steps but there is some multi-tasking. Once again, I turned to my non-stick pan so my plums did not get any delicious carmelization action… and my onions did not get charred. I think I was a wee bit heavy-handed with the oil (which you may notice in the video!).

What would I change? Well, per the recipe card, this recipe calls for 5 teaspoons of olive oil for 2 servings. I love me some healthy oils but this was too much for me. Reducing the oil could easily be done by omitting from arugula and not coating the flatbreads and I think the recipe would be just as good without this much oil. I also found this dish to be flavorful enough without the honey drizzle – which was fun to do – but omitting honey would reduce the sugar which comes in at 21 grams. For my taste buds, the extra sweetness is not needed and doesn’t add any extra nutrition.

What did I love? Once again – this is a meal of delicious flavors that I would never have thought to put together. I love that HelloFresh is introducing me to new flavor combinations! I got excited a while back mixing blackberries and blue cheese (uh, yeah, so good!) but plums and red onion? No way! Totally works. I also love the small amounts of leftover ingredients. This time I had some pomegranate balsamic vinegar and almonds that got tossed onto the next days lunch salad… and there was leftover arugula which hubs and I ate on the side with the flatbreads.

Things I learned:

Non-stick pans – once again – are not always the best option

There is a world of flatbreads outside of my stand-by FlatOut wraps

I really have to double-check that my video shots are centered before I film!

Here’s that info again if you want to take advantage of the discount I can offer you to try out HelloFresh! Get Cooking Today With HelloFresh And Get 50% Off!

4-Plum-Flatbreads-Pic

HelloFresh provided a Meal Delivery Box containing three meals to me free of charge. This is #sponsored and I was so impressed that I have joined their #affiliate program. As always, all opinions in my reviews are mine and I if love it or hate it, I’ll let you know.

An Open Letter to my Dietitian Colleagues

Dietitian, health, health coach, health professional, Healthy Diet, research, wellness, , , , , , ,

What good is an RD’s opinion?

Our opinions – they do not matter. Hear me out.

What we personally think about alternative sweeteners, grains, and organic foods– this does not matter. We are not the “body of evidence” or the final authority on how people “should” eat. Our opinions may be based on years of research (hopefully) or they may be based on the latest nutrition trend (unfortunately). So, our opinions: they may stink.

Our opinions, however, carry a LOT of credibility.

Our profession touts us as “THE food and nutrition expert” and holds us aside, seemingly on a pedestal when compared to other health professionals and educational tracks. We have years of schooling and internships to teach us to interpret, and sometimes perform, research studies. This training does set us apart and people seek out our opinions; but it does not make our opinion valuable to anyone other than ourselves.

There is a need for education about food and nutrition – many people are misinformed, lack an deep understanding of science and physiology, and have been led to the dark side of junk science and the business of selling health. We cannot be a part of this problem RDs! Please stop telling people what they should eat to be: good, pure, healthy, clean, and angelic. Please stop telling people about how we personally eat and which foods are bad, toxic (really??) and the devil personified.

It’s just food. And our opinions have no place in someone else’s dietary choices (except maybe our partners or children… and boy-hardy don’t they feel lucky to live with RDs #sarcasm).

IMHO-Doesnt-Matter

Our job, our role, what we have been trained and educated to do, is to evaluate the research, separate the invalid bull from the valid conclusions, and share what we, as a field of study, currently know about food and nutrition. Yes, you may have to actually read a bunch of peer-reviewed research studies. #sorrynotsorry.

I learned a valuable lesson during my internship: the opinion of the person asking for your opinion is what really matters. People ask for an RD’s opinion to have their beliefs confirmed or to receive praise for “correct” choices. The trouble is that getting asked for our opinion gives us a launching pad to talk about our ideas – and don’t we all love doing that? Sure we do! But next time, take a beat and say, “That’s an interesting question and I can certainly give you some information; but let me first ask what you think about that?”

I’d wager that the conversation doesn’t come back around to our opinions at all.

Our actions should be in service to our clients.

Let’s try to stop focusing on being right, stop talking so much, and start listening more. Let’s focus on helping people be real with their food choices instead of making them feel “bad” for not eating “right.” Let’s use our expertise to give people evidence-based information instead of our opinions.

Let’s help people in the way that RDs really excel – by knowing and keeping up with the ever-changing body of evidence and by helping people figure out how to apply the information relevant to them to their unique lives in a way that supports a physically and emotionally healthy long-term relationship with food and nutrition.

Now, go forth and be awesome!

Go-Forth-Be-Awesome

Cheese and Strangulation by Bedsheets

anti-diet, Diet, Dietitian, HAES, health, health coach, health goals, health professional, No body shame, non-diet, wellness, , , , ,

I say when your press release gets no press, make your own! We will get to the cheese; but first:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Dieting is Making You Bigger

Say Hello to Jacksonville’s Only Health at Every Size® Nutritionist

Jacksonville, Florida – July 2017 – There is a movement growing among health professionals called Health at Every Size® which, among other things, rejects the use of weight as an indicator of health and believes that weight is largely unchangeable by individuals. There is only one registered HAES® practitioner in the Jacksonville area. Search the listings here.

Regardless of what the celebrities and infomercials who promote a Diet Culture say, the fact is that the majority of dieters only temporarily lose weight. In the long-term, they regain the lost weight plus more. Many of them will then go back on a diet – and this weight cycling is detrimental to health. Following restrictive diets and intense work-out plans provides temporary weight loss results at the expense of mental health and self-esteem with the result often being an out-of-whack metabolism and eating binges. Social relationships can also suffer as food rules, good food/bad food beliefs, and guilt or shame about food choices become more consuming.

Many people think if someone is overweight, they are not healthy. The truth is that not everyone who has a large body is sick/unhealthy – and not everyone who has a small body is well/healthy. One cannot make judgements about someone’s health based on their body size. Many larger bodied people are healthy in terms of lab values, freedom from chronic conditions, and ability to exercise and live independently. All the diseases and conditions that obesity supposedly causes are nothing more than associations and correlations – things that happen together – not necessarily one thing causing the other.

For some fun correlations to illustrate this point, see Spurious Correlations and you can “prove” that eating cheese leads to death by strangulation by bedsheets… or that eating margarine leads to happier marriages (or at least less divorce filings)…

Beware-the-cheese

You see my point?

(And if you don’t, I’ve got a heckuva deal on some swampland I can sell you down here in Florida… hit me up!)

As a HAES® practitioner, registered dietitian, and certified health coach, I can offer a welcome change of pace for people who choose to reject the diet culture and prefer to work on improving health through mindful eating, enjoyable exercise, self-acceptance, and realistic, flexible lifestyle habits.

Get more information or see our upcoming events.

HelloFresh Meal Review: Emeril Lagasse’s Herby Dijon Chicken Breasts with Zucchini and Red Potatoes

chicken, chicken recipe, cooking, Dietitian, Food, health goals, Healthy Diet, HelloFresh, home cooked meal, meal delivery, meal planning, , , , , , , , ,

HelloFresh provided a Meal Delivery Box containing three meals to me free of charge. I was so impressed that I have joined their #affiliate program. As always, all opinions in my reviews are mine and I if love it or hate it, I’ll let you know.

Take advantage of this discount – Get Cooking Today With HelloFresh And Get 50% Off!

I was so excited to make this meal! The pictures on the recipe card look amazing and I (like many others) am more comfortable cooking chicken than I am with cooking fish, which was my first HelloFresh meal.

This recipe was prepared on a work-night and did not take much time from start to finish. All that was needed from my kitchen was olive oil, pans, a strainer, and a small bowl – oh and a cutting board and knife of course! Prep time didn’t take long as there was very little chopping involved, just half a shallot, a few potatoes, home herbs, and a zucchini. Although, I must chop faster than the average person (thank you Food Lab in undergrad nutrition program!) as I found myself waiting on the chicken to cook. I admit to starting Step 3 (cook chicken) before Step 2 (prep/chopping) and the chicken took a little longer to get to temp than expected.

Now, I do not typically cook chicken on the stove-top. So, I will warn those of you who also typically bake or grill you chicken: beware the oil splatter! I have a mesh screen to prevent the splatter but by the time I realized I needed it, the splatter had happened so I let it go. You could easily bake the chicken instead and end up with less cleaning (splatter and one less pan) and this also would be nutritionally less fat and calories if that’s important to you. But you would lose the searing which gives the meat some flavor as well as leaves those tasty little brown bits in the pan to get incorporated into sauce – and the sauce makes this meal!

I’m also kind of a food safety and sanitation freak so be sure to sanitize anything that contacts the raw chicken. I cut all that out of the video but make sure to do that at home! Oh, I also cut out a lot of wine sipping. Oh my gosh, so many edits to take out the wine sipping!

Another random tip is don’t use a non-stick pan for potatoes like I did or they won’t get crusty-crispy. I was smart enough to use a regular pan for the chicken because I knew I wanted those brown bits for the sauce; but I did not bring that logic over to the vegetables pan.

This recipe is definitely more cost effective from #HelloFresh than if you had purchased ingredients from the store! All that was leftover was half a lemon, half a shallot, and some tarragon– bonus. My pictures do not do this dish justice… that’s what happens when drinking wine with dinner – I got too excited about the food and didn’t take good pictures!

Final review: This meal is flavorful yet subtle and is made with familiar foods – I will be making this meal again!

Things I learned

A mesh splatter screen is a useful kitchen gadget

Non-stick pans are not always the best choice

Emeril may have some more recipes out there that I need to try!

Here’s that info again if you want to take advantage of the discount I can offer you to try out HelloFresh! Get Cooking Today With HelloFresh And Get 50% Off!

You Should Know…

Dietitian

The information on this site is not a replacement for medical advice. The advice on this site may not be appropriate for everyone. Consult with a medical professional before making changes to your health/lifestyle habits. If you choose to follow the information on AlexiaLewisRD.com without consulting your physician, you do so at your own risk. While I am A dietitian and health coach, I am not YOUR dietitian or health coach.

You should also know that, I became an RDN to help people with health and I ended up just working with people on weight loss. I lost my focus a little bit along the way.

As an attempt to refocus on health, I joined up with Health at Every Size® (HAES®) for a short time because I passionately believe (and have seen) that health comes in many shapes and sizes!

You therefore may see some things in my blog that seem to conflict… like weight loss is a great goal… and weight loss is not attainable long-term… as I blogged about my research into HAES® beliefs. In the end, I didn’t feel it was a good fit for me as I do believe that lasting weight loss is possible (spoiler: it is typically NOT through a “diet” approach!) and that goes against one of the main tenets of HAES® as I understand it. I decided NOT to update my blog and hide all the posts because, well, it’s real. It’s one person’s journey into deepening understanding in a complicated area.

Being a dietitian doesn’t give me all the answers for everyone.

It gives me the ability to dig into the science and research and translate it into non-science speak from a base of solid knowledge, hands-on experiences with many clients/patients, and ever-evolving and hard-earned clinical judgment.

I apologize if this is confusing and messy. Life often is, no? 

HelloFresh Meal Review: Zesty Crusted Catfish over Cilantro Jasmine Rice and Roasted Broccoli

cooking, Dietitian, Fish, Food, health, health goals, Healthy Diet, HelloFresh, home cooked meal, meal delivery, Recipe, , , , , ,

HelloFresh provided a Meal Delivery Box containing three meals. This is #sponsored and I was so impressed that I have joined their #affiliate program. As always, all opinions in my reviews are mine and I if love it or hate it, I’ll let you know.

If you want to check it out yourself, I can offer you a great deal as an affiliate! Get Cooking Today With HelloFresh And Get 50% Off!

I have to start out by saying I had never had catfish before this meal. I never had it because I didn’t think I liked it… so when I got my HelloFresh box with a catfish meal in it, well, I wasn’t too jazzed – but I was opened minded and hopeful that I would like it. I chose this meal as the first one to make since it is fish and being ever-mindful of food safety, I knew it would spoil the fastest. In fact, the nutrition information card states that this dish is best if made within 2 days after receiving box or the fish should be frozen.

As I mentioned in the first post (opening the box), this was perfect timing. Hubs and I had gotten home late from a quick vacation the day before and both had to go right into a full day of work. No time to even think about dinner – let alone shop or prep – before it was 6:30 p.m. and we found each other in the kitchen with ravenous tummies! I think this is a great set-up for making a HelloFresh meal! Meal delivery is designed to make it easy to get healthy meals on the table quickly and we were putting that to the test for-reals, hungry after a long work day.

The ingredients for each meal are packaged into their own box and are already measured out. There are some ingredients where you end up with leftovers and this will be stated in the instructions so you don’t use too much. For example, the recipe called for 2 teaspoons of the seasoning spice but the packet held more – bonus, leftover spices! I don’t know if you’ve noticed but spices ain’t cheap! And did you see the fish in the video??? Those were gorgeous pieces of fish! Oh my gosh! Thick, beautifully fileted, and a nice bright, light color! The only thing needed out of my pantry was olive oil.

The instructions were easy to follow and the pictures helped to keep me on track. I think if I hadn’t been making a video, the timing would have been spot-on as well. However, with the video process, I ended up having to let the rice sit for a little while so the fish could cook to temp. One thing that really impressed me, since some of my clients are newbies in the kitchen and want to work on improving their cooking skills, is that even a novice cook could make this meal beautifully. HelloFresh is a great way to gain experience in the kitchen and build confidence as there was nothing complex or confusing and the result is a beautiful and delicious – and fast – meal!

Nutritionally, this meal comes in at a hunger-satisfying 650 calories with only 5 grams of saturated fat and 150 mg of sodium! For those who are interested, there are 85 grams carbohydrates, 6 grams fiber, and 34 grams protein. The ingredients list is one that clean-eaters would be happy to see and there is information on where the ingredients were produced with most of them coming from the USA.

What would I change?

The only thing that would have improved the meal for me would be more vegetables. (I can hear the collective groan already – yes the dietitian wants us all to eat our veggies…). I realize I probably eat a lot more veggies than the average person so, while this was a nice sized serving of vegetables and would most likely be perfect for many, I tend to have more of them on my plate. Quick fix if you are a veggie-lover like me would be to add a steamer bag to the meal.

What did I love?

While fish, rice, and veg is a common dinner plate in my household, I love that HelloFresh showed me a new way to prepare fish and rice. I don’t typically put oil-based seasonings onto fish before panko – turns out it keeps it moist and adds more flavor. I also would not have thought to flavor rice in this way. I don’t typically zest and making rice exciting for me is adding some salsa – this rice was a-whole-nother level! I love that it was easy and quick to prepare. I love how little food waste there is and, did I mention, I love the bonus spices.

Things I learned:

Catfish is still not my favorite fish (it was good, just not my fav, the seasoned panko was amazing)

Adding some oomph (lemon and cilantro) to rice makes it ridiculously delicious

I need a new zester

If you want to check it out yourself, I can offer you a great deal as an affiliate! Get Cooking Today With HelloFresh And Get 50% Off!

ZestyCatfish-HelloFresh

Well, hello HelloFresh!

Dietitian, Food, health, health goals, Healthy Diet, HelloFresh, meal delivery, , , ,

This meal delivery box could not have arrived at a better time. My hubs and I had just gotten back from an out-of-state trip with an 11-hour travel day the day before this box showed up on my doorstep. Dinner plans? Nope! Time to get to the grocery store yet? Nope! Hungry after working a full-day? Yep! Wanting something healthy to eat after enjoying vacation food? Yep!

I mean, did you see the rhubarb pie!?

It took all the effort I had to shoot the video of opening the box as I just wanted to dig in and get to cooking a meal for dinner; but I wanted you to have the first-timer experience just like I was about to have. So, this. This is what it is like to open up your first meal delivery box. You’re welcome! 


Looks like fun, right?

If you want your own box of delicious food, you can Get Cooking Today With HelloFresh And Get 50% Off! This is a great deal and you won’t find this high of a discount without this affiliate link!

Opening the box, you will see recipe cards that give your eyes a little feast of deliciousness as there is a full page beautiful picture of the plated meal on one side and step-by-step (only 6 steps!) directions with pictures on the back. The cards also tell you what other supplies you will need to make the meal (pans, colander, olive oil, etc.), lists the ingredients in the box, and has a cooking tip. Oh, and they can send wines that pair with the meals. That’s on the to-check-out list! For those of you who do food math, there is also full nutriiton information for each meal.

The next layer contained the ingredient boxes, which were separated from the recipe cards by paper (shopping bag consistency) filled with padding. The three ingredient boxes were nestled together – thank goodness for the holes to help pull them out although I’m sure they were for freshness – and they were clearly labeled with the recipe names. These boxes are compact and I put them right into our counter-depth fridge where they took up surprisingly little room! (Note: It looks like these boxes have been replaced with paper bags – more recycle friendly!).

The last layer was the proteins (meats) which were separated from the ingredient boxes by cardboard and two huge ice packs. Seriously, these ice packs are amaze-balls! Hubs travels by car for work and usually takes a cooler to bring healthy travel/hotel room food and we are keeping these for his cooler! Bonus!!

As a dietitian, I had some concerns about meal delivery and food safety. The box arrived around 3pm but I waited until 6pm to bring it inside as many of you probably don’t work from home so won’t have the luxury of bringing the box indoors when it arrives. Did I mention I live in Florida? And we are already in the 90-degrees summer temps? So, the box had its fair share of HOT before I grabbed it and pulled it into my air-conditioned house. The food was still cold, the meats were still cold, and the ice-packs were still frozen solid with little condensation because very little melting. Food safety concerns gone.

Follow my blog because I made the first meal the same night I opened the box and will soon be posting a video and blog on the Zesty Crusted Catfish over Cilantro Jasmine Rice and Roasted Broccoli!! 

HelloFresh provided a Meal Delivery Box containing three meals to me free of charge. This is #sponsored and I was so impressed that I have joined their #affiliate program. As always, all opinions in my reviews are mine and I if love it or hate it, I’ll let you know.

Here’s that amazing 50% off deal link again – Get Cooking Today With HelloFresh And Get 50% Off!

HelloFresh Meal Delivery Box Arrives

Meal Delivery? You Betcha!

Dietitian, Food, health, health goals, Healthy Diet, HelloFresh, meal delivery, meal planning, , , , ,

As a practicing dietitian and health coach, I’ve talked to many people over the past six years about how to use food to improve health. People want to eat well and to eat healthy food – but they won’t give up flavor, enjoyment, convenience, or pay too much for that healthy food. I get it. Me too! As I’ve said before (What is This Non-Diet Stuff Anyway?) one of my few food rules is: Never eat something you don’t like! And my professional goal is “Heart Healthy Nutrition Made Easy” as it says in my web site header!

We all know that more meals should be made at home if we want to focus on our health and less meals should come from eating out whether it’s a sit-down, a fast-casual, or a fast-food restaurant. But… after my clients tell me they know this, they follow that up with how they don’t have the time… they don’t know what to make… or they don’t think they have the skills to cook if it involves more than heating something up.

Enter meal delivery services.

HelloFresh Meal Delivery Box Arrives
HelloFresh Meal Delivery Box Arrives

A few clients have told me about some meal services they have used and how it helps them with eating healthy a few times a week. I get so excited for them finding a solution that works in their lives… but I never thought about using a meal delivery service myself. I mean, after all, I’m the “food and nutrition expert,” which means I’m supposed to be able to do it all myself. Sure, in theory, absolutely. (See my ASPIRE strategy for meal planning). But I also work, have a husband I would like to spend more time with, have some hobbies I enjoy, and well, sometimes just don’t have the energy to meal plan, shop, prep, and cook! Sometimes, like you, I just want an evening (or three) to lounge on the couch after a long day, sitting with my hubs and my dogs, and enjoying a nice glass of cold white wine. Why, yes, prosecco would be great, thanks!

So, I went to the Today’s Dietitian Symposium in May and found myself live-tweeting from the education sessions with another dietitian who has the same last name! How cool is this?! I decided we must meet and we did get a chance to say hello and have a quick chat. Turns out the other Lewis RD works with HelloFresh and she gave me information which led to me getting a free HelloFresh delivery box. (Being an RD comes with all kinds of food perks!). I was excited to try it out and, as I’m learning about adding video to my blog, I thought this would be a great way to share my experience with everyone.

Setting up for video - it's a labor of love people!
Setting up for video – it’s a labor of love people!

I was so impressed with the delivery, the ease of making the meals, the convenience, and the level of deliciousness that I became an continue in this relationship. I’ll be posting those blogs/videos very soon and should be posting about one a month going forward. 

You don’t have the time? These recipes take about 30 minutes to make!

You don’t know what to make? Trust me you will be drooling when you look at some of their recipes!

You don’t think you have the skills to make a healthy meal? The step-by-step directions (with pictures yo!) take out all the guess work. In fact, these are a great tool to help you build your cooking skills and confidence that you – yes you – can get a beautiful, healthy, and delicious meal on the table!

Let me know if you have any questions or feel free to comment below!

HelloFresh provided a Meal Delivery Box containing three meals to me free of charge. As always, all opinions in my reviews are mine and I if love it or hate it, I’ll let you know.