My husband was playing pickleball with someone he doesn’t know well, and when Ross told him that his wife was a dietitian this guy’s first question was “Is there no sugar allowed in your house?” I laughed when my husband told me, but it made me think how funny people’s expectations of someone with my background are. While I mostly try and eat a very balanced diet and have a very healthy lifestyle, I still enjoy some vices ;).
Here are 5 things I do as a Registered Dietitian that often surprise people:
I drink Diet Coke
Yes, I consume artificial sweeteners and I’m here to tell you that it’s just fine in moderation. WHO (World Heather Organization) says the limit of aspartame consumption a day is an upper limit of 40 mg/kg of body weight. A can of Diet Coke contains 200-300 mg of aspartame. So let’s do some math. An adult weighing 70kg (155 lbs) would need to consume more than 9–14 cans per day to exceed the acceptable daily intake, assuming no other intake from other food sources. All this to say, that your one occasional diet drink is safe according to these guidelines and I enjoy a few cans of Diet Coke a week.
My kids and I have a sweet treat every night
Don’t get me wrong, we aren’t eating pints of ice cream every night, but the girls have a cookie or something sweet most nights after dinner. I don’t restrict their intake to sugar or sweets. I also have something sweet most nights after dinner. I’m mindful of added sugar in my diet most of the day, so at night I enjoy having something fun after dinner.
I let my kids eat fast food
I was leaving McDonalds drive through one evening after Quinn’s gymnastics and a friend texted like did I just see what I think I saw- you leaving McDonalds. She was shocked. My kids have fast food 1-2 x month (maybe more at times if traveling) and I don’t stress over it. It’s a fun treat on the weekend or an easy dinner after a late night soccer practice. I also love myself a McDonald’s Diet Coke, so everyone is happy 😉
I have a picky eater and I make her kid food for dinner
Quinn is a super picky eater and I always make her something different for dinner. Before having kids, I would counsel parents to not be a short order cook and encouraged them to have family meals where everyone eats the same thing. Well, I’ve learned to pick my battles as a mom and while I encourage Quinn to try different foods the rest of the family is eating, she is usually eating the handful of things she likes.
Get influenced
I’m just as guilty as the next person to get influenced to buy something online that seems too good to be true. For example, I jumped on the colostrum train before doing my research. A few “influencers” I trusted were touting it and so I figured I needed to try it too. I quickly realized what a scam product it is after doing my own research and cut it from my supplement list. It’s hard not to get caught up and feel like you need all the gadgets, health products and supplements you see online, and even though I try my best to not to, I still get tricked into it sometimes too 😉
xx, A
