Q&A with a Dietitian: Your Nutrition Questions Answered

We all want to feel our best, and what we eat plays a big role in making that happen. March is National Nutrition Month, a great time to focus on small, everyday changes – like adding more fruits and veggies to meals – to fuel your body, boost energy, and help prevent health issues.

There’s so much advice out there on social media and TV - it’s hard to know where to start. That’s why we turned to our expert Registered Dietitians at AZ Blue to answer some of your most-asked questions.

Q&A

Q: With so much information out there, how can I take the first step toward eating healthier?

A: Good news: you can start small without having to choose a specific diet to follow! A great place to start is to work on increasing your fruits and veggies. When we increase our intake of fruits and vegetables, we can start to decrease some higher fat and higher calorie foods that we often eat. For example, instead of having a few slices of pepperoni pizza for dinner, start with a side salad and then have a slice of pizza loaded with veggies (it’s okay if the pepperoni is on there too 😊).

Q: What is a healthy diet?

A: Let me start by saying that our "diet" is simply the kinds of foods we eat regularly. The goal of a "healthy diet" or healthy pattern of eating is to protect us against malnutrition and reduce the risk of nutrition-related chronic disease like type 2 diabetes and many cancers. A healthy pattern of eating will consist of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes (beans, lentils, peas), nuts and seeds, plant-based protein, fatty fish like salmon, and skinless poultry like chicken and turkey that is grilled, baked, or roasted.

Try to limit fast food, refined grains, ultra-processed and packaged foods, processed meats, excess sodium, and added sugars. Enjoy some of your favorite foods in moderation!

Q: Can you actually eat healthy on a budget?

A: As grocery prices keep climbing, it can feel hard to make healthier choices at the grocery store. Here are some tips to eat healthy on a budget:

• Make a grocery list. Sticking to a list can help decrease impulse buys and can help you with your weekly grocery budget.
• Don’t shop when you’re hungry. It can be hard to resist those cookies and potato chips when we’re on the way home from work and haven’t eaten since lunch. Set aside time to shop after a meal and you’ll have a clearer head to make smarter choices.
• Choose frozen or canned fruits and veggies. They are just as nutritious since they’ve been packaged at the peak of ripeness and load up when they’re on sale. If choosing canned vegetables, look for low sodium or no salt added. You can also wash things like canned beans and corn to remove the excess sodium. If you’re choosing canned fruit, look for fruit that’s been canned in its own juice or water.

Q: Are organic foods healthier?

A: It is possible for organic food to still have limited nutrition and use organic-approved pesticides or herbicides. Also, when food is transported long distances, it can lose nutrition along the way. Comparing an organic strawberry that had to travel several weeks to get to the store and a conventional strawberry that got there a couple of days ago, the conventional strawberry may technically have more vitamin C. Bottom line: if buying organic produce is breaking the bank but you still want to eat a balanced diet, try these approaches:

• Buy in-season produce. When produce is in-season in your area, it doesn’t have to travel as far to get to your plate and is often on sale due to its availability. Click here to check out what is in-season right now in Arizona!
• Shop at local farmer’s markets. Talk to the growers about their approaches. Some may use organic methods but don’t get certified.
• Do not fear conventional produce. It still has a lot of important nutrition like vitamins, minerals, and fiber. With all produce - give it a good rinse, soak, or scrub before use. These methods can help get rid of some of the pesticides on both conventional and organic produce.

Q: Where can I go for reliable nutrition information?

A: Sometimes, the nutrition tips we see in the media contradict one another – one day, a grapefruit is going to help us lose 30 pounds, the next day, fruit is giving us diabetes. So, who should we believe? Most resources from major health organizations are based on evidence and facts. These include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Want personalized help? Reach out to a registered dietitian, often referred to as RDs or RDNs. Their years of clinical education can help guide you through the noise, provide recommendations for your specific medical situation, and be your partner in health. Many people are surprised to learn that visits with dietitians are often a covered insurance benefit!

For AZ Blue members

Dietitian visits are covered at no cost to you under many plans if you have certain conditions like high blood pressure, hypertension, high cholesterol, prediabetes, diabetes, heart disease, and more.

To find an in-network registered dietitian, log into your member portal account, click ‘Find a Doctor,’ and search ‘Doctors by Specialty.’

Visit our Healthy Habits page for help with meal portions: Healthy Habits | AZBlue.