One of my favorite things!

I really love this product from Birds Eye vegetables - individually frozen packages of baby brussel sprouts - bonus: they don't have any sauce on them. You just stick them in the microwave for a couple minutes, and you have a perfect portion for one of brussel sprouts - yum!

There must be a new technology in the wrapping business, because now there are all kinds of "micro in the bag" veggies available - frozen and fresh. I just bought some fresh broccoli at Fresh and Easy that you microwave in the bag, and it turned out great! I'm a little freaked out by the microwaving in plastic concept, because that just seems like something you shouldn't do - but, I'll trust that this technology was tested and approved for human consumption (it was, wasn't it...?)

Pumpkin muffins

I had a can of pumpkin leftover from Thanksgiving, because I meant to make the pumpkin pie, but traveling to the grocery store at 7pm the night before Thanksgiving means you may not be able to find any pie crusts.... so, Marie Callendar made the pie for me, and I needed to find another use for canned pumpkin.

Anyway, here's the recipe, and it's a hit with the short people in my house! I used half whole wheat flour, and I didn't have any molasses, so I used blue agave syrup; I used a little less butter and sugar than the recipe calls for, and, per the request of the resident 6-year old, I added some chocolate chips. Yummy!

Weight Loss for Slackers

About every week or so, I jump on the scale at my gym just to see what's going on in the weight department; alas, I've noticed a creep upwards in the last month or so - it's gone far enough that I need to make some changes and push it back down where it belongs.


So, I thought I'd blog about it - here's how an RD who believes in the non-diet approach loses weight:

1. I'm going to exercise a little more - no big deal, just add an extra 30 minutes of cardio twice a week and continue doing my yoga; just trying to get a little exercise every day, rather than every other day

2. I've switched my full-fat flavored coffee creamer to the non-fat version; not quite the taste I love, but it's no big sacrifice.

3. Rather than my glass of wine (OK, or two) with dinner, I'm switching to water for most dinners - save that glass for when I really want it

4. Most importantly, I'm really going to focus on eating only when I'm hungry and stopping when I'm comfortably full. Also, I'm going to stick to water during the day


So, that's it - I always try to eat healthy, but am never perfect at it, so I'll keep doing what I always do in that department. I'm just going to focus a little more on following the Slacker Golden Rules - I'll keep you updated!

Hot or Not? You choose

At my gym, the room where yoga is held has floor to ceiling mirrors, which can be kind of annoying on the days you're feeling pudgy. On one particular day, I was doing my best to avoid watching myself - but in yoga, you kind of have to watch yourself sometimes just to see if you are anywhere in the ballpark of the amazingly limber instructor as she demonstrates poses. So,I found myself gazing at my reflection, hating the way my hips seemed wider than usual.


But then, I decided to just stop it. And, beyond that, I decided to love the way I look, if just for this hour. And, I have to say - it really worked. I looked at myself as if I was another woman, admired my curves, and my strength. I went through the poses relishing my muscles and what they could do for me, and I felt, well....hot. Not as in overheated, I mean as in kind of attractive. Just because I changed my mind.


The image that we have of ourself is typically much harsher than reality. When we gain five pounds, we think it looks as obvious as pink hair. But, it's not - no one really notices. Do we really need to be so hard on ourselves over something that no one else really sees or cares about?


That saying that beauty comes from the inside is true, on many different levels; part of the truth is that beauty comes from us when we believe it is there. When we aren't beating ourselves up and wishing we looked different, and when we actually choose to like the way we look, we act differently. It also frees up some of our brainpower to focus on something other than our thigh cellulite - which is a relief.

A broccoli story

We have experienced a success with broccoli in my house.

My six year old is a pretty good eater, but he definitely has his opinions about food. But, I've been following my own advice, and continue to serve him a variety of food while not pressuring him to eat it.

Broccoli has continued to sit untouched on his plate. We serve broccoli at least once a week, as I happen to love broccoli, as does my husband. I've tried covering his with a bit of cheese - didn't work. I've asked him to try it, and once in awhile he will dare to put a little bit on his tongue. So far, the result has been the same. "Yuck".

The boy loves soy sauce, and even prefers it to ketchup on most food. It had never occurred to me before to tell him to try his broccoli with a little soy sauce on it until the other night. Bingo - we now have a magic formula for broccoli consumption.

The moral of the story is to keep trying - in a low-key way. He would never have discovered the yumminess that soy sauce brings to steamed broccoli if I had given up and stopped serving him broccoli. Also, if I had forced him to eat his broccoli when he declared it was "yuck", he would have hated the thought of broccoli by now.

By the way, this works for adults, too - even if you don't like a particular food, it's important to keep trying it prepared in different ways. Green beans out of the can taste completely different than fresh green beans, steamed slightly. There are all kinds of different tricks and techniques that make food taste good, or not taste good.

Don't should on me and I won't should on you

One of the big drags about the way we eat in the US are all of the shoulds on our shoulders; you really should eat breakfast; you really should eat x number of servings of green and yellow vegetables; you really shouldn't have that piece of pie.

True, it may all be valid advice. But it's still annoying, especially when we really don't wanna.

I believe one of the reasons we tend to eat junkier food is because we are rebelling against the shoulds. I also believe that when we truly like ourself and get rid of the shoulds, we end up taking pretty good care of ourself because that's what we want to do.

In my life, I try to eat healthy because I want to and because it feels nourishing to me, which feels good. I don't eat perfectly because sometimes a Little Debbie feels nourishing to me (hey, it brings me back to my youth!) I NEVER feel guilty about what I choose to eat. That's because I don't allow those pesky shoulds or shouldn'ts into my head. Some days I eat better than others, and I am completely OK with that - and so should you - oops, there I go shoulding on you (sorry).

My new blog!

Well, as a new blog, I am happy to say "Welcome to my new blog!"

I am Melinda Johnson, a Registered Dietitian in her 30-somethings, and my business is Nutrition for Slackers.

I became a dietitian just because I wanted to know how bad I could eat and still be skinny. Really, it was all about the weight. I was a chubby teenager and went on my first diet when I was about 12 years old. Food and I fought the good fight for at least a decade after that. I entered college, took a nutrition class, loved the class, and decided to make a career of it. But, I was still very conflicted about what I wanted to eat and what I was learning I should be eating. Food occupied way to much of my brain space.

Luckily, I was instructed to read a book during my internship to become a dietitian. I was spending time with a bit of a rebel RD who specialized in eating disorders. Her name is Monika Woolsey, and I plan on writing more about her views later in the blog - but for now, to learn more about her and visit her website, you can go to http://www.afterthediet.com/. Monika wanted me to read the book Intuitive Eating; for me, it was one of those books that change the way you see the world. Since then, I have become very good at practicing the non-diet approach to eating, and I love to share this approach with others.

So, on the outside, I look like a slacker when it comes to nutrition. But, it's all part of the master plan! Wanna learn more? Stay tuned!