7 Nutrition "Rules" I Follow

As a dietitian, I hear all kinds of nutrition ideas and myths from people. Some are true and some are downright crazy. Someone recently told me that they heard that eating pasta hot turns it right to sugar and when you eat your pasta cold, it gets turned right into fiber. No my friends, that is not correct! I feel like 50% of my dietitian related topics with people include debunking myths that are incorrect and helping to teach people real nutrition science.


Although I certainly do not diet, ever, there are some nutrition "rules" that I try to follow on a general basis. This is not 100% of the time and is certainly not strict but these are little nutrition tips that help me to feel my best on a daily basis.

1. Have protein with breakfast

When I start the day with something like a bagel, I do not feel full or energized to make it through the morning. I need something a little more filling such as oatmeal with nut butter, Greek yogurt or a protein-packed smoothie. I love the new Burt's BeesTM Protein + Healthy Radiance Plant-Based Protein Shake  for some extra protein. I like mixing with milk for a tasty chocolate milk flavored drink or blended into a smoothie. It is a powder that mixes in easily with liquid.


I love Burt's Bees so much- in fact, their beeswax lip balm is really the only one that I use and have for many years now. When I heard that they were coming out with protein, I was so excited to try it out! These are available at Amazon. They also have Protein + Gut Health and Daily Protein varieties.


This protein is made with 70% organic ingredients. It uses pea, rice, flax seed and sunflower seed proteins as well as oats. It has complete essential amino acid profiles and is made with vitamins extracted from real fruits and vegetables. Is is made with no artificial sweeteners or flavors and is dairy-free, soy-free and gluten-free. It is lightly sweetened with honey, monk fruit extract and Stevia leaf extract.


This protein shake is not chalky at all and tastes just like chocolate milk when mixed into 2% milk. My daughter saw it and I said, "Want to try my chocolate milk?". She got so excited and said "CHOCY!!" and would not stop drinking it.


One scoop is 120 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 5 grams fiber, 3 gram of sugar and 15 grams of protein. It is very good!

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2. Eat a fruit or vegetable with most meals

I try to eat a fruit and or vegetable for almost every meal. For breakfast, I add cranberries or blueberries to my oatmeal. Sometimes, I make an egg bake with vegetables. For lunch and dinner, I center my meal around vegetables making at least half of what I am eating vegetables. I feel so much better when I eat fruits and veggies. Since I am such a fruit lover, fruit for snacks is perfect to me.

3. Limit white carbohydrates

There is nothing that I won't eat but I try to limit white carbohydrates as much as possible. I am not someone who is afraid of carbs or limits carbs at all. Instead, I choose whole-grain versions of whatever I am eating instead. We buy whole-grain pasta, bread, crackers, brown rice, whole-wheat or corn tortillas, etc. Whole-grain versions of food have more fiber and nutrients. White bread and white rice are very limited on nutrition and I try to skip them as much as possible. Now let's say that I go to a restaurant and they have hot, buttery garlic bread, I am sure going to have some!

4. Never skip meals

The last time that I skipped a meal was when I was in high-school and when I did that, I felt terrible. Never again! My body does best when I eat frequently throughout the day. If I do not eat every couple of hours, I feel shaky and I cannot concentrate. My whole family loves joking me that I am never not eating! Plus, when you skip meals, your metabolism slows down which is not a good thing. Don't skip meals!

5. Don't deprive myself

If I am at a party and they have a delicious dessert, I am definitely going to eat it. When my family and I go out for pizza, you will find me eating 2-3 slices. A misconception about dietitians is that they do not eat anything that is not "healthy". People always say to me stuff like "I didn't know you ate pie!". I eat everything that I want to! I just also eat big salads, oatmeal, Greek yogurt and kale.

6. Always have snacks

This goes along with never skipping meals- I also never skip snacks! Eating frequently through the day helps me to feel my best and keeps my metabolism going all day. Healthy snacks that I eat frequently include Greek yogurt, fruit, vegetables and hummus, popcorn, fruit and nut bars, smoothies, cheese and more.

7. Stick to mainly coffee and water

When it comes to beverages, I try to stick to water and coffee mainly. Juice is mostly sugar and does not have any of the fiber that whole fruit has. I drink milk in my coffee or smoothie but prefer to get my calcium from other sources. Sometimes, I drink tea or of course, have a glass of wine but for the most part, I feel the best when I drink a ton of water each day and have one cup of coffee.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Burt's Bees. The opinions and text are all mine.