Publix GreenWise Market Magazine - Spring 2009
Just What the R.D. Ordered
 For 46-year-old Parri Sontag of Tampa, Florida, life is a balancing act. Like so many women across America, she juggles work, family and dozens of daily details, all while trying to keep herself and her family nourished and healthy.
Wife to Jim, 49, and mother to Danielle, 12, the communications professional is also the primary food shopper, meal planner and cook in her household. One of her biggest challenges is catering to each family member’s individual needs.
So recently we arranged for her to meet with Shannon McManus, a registered dietitian at Publix corporate headquarters. Although McManus’ regular responsibilities don’t include individual consultations, she welcomed this opportunity to do a little field work with Sontag and—by extension—the readers of Publix GreenWise Market magazine. Here’s what we learned as we tagged along on a visit to Sontag’s home and then to her neighborhood Publix.
On the home front
“The benefit of a one-on-one session with a dietitian is the opportunity to receive individualized advice tailored to your personal health issues and lifestyle,” McManus says. So the first thing she does is to poke around in Sontag’s pantry and fridge and ask about any specific questions, problems or goals.
“My husband likes everything spicy,” Sontag says. “My daughter is lactose-intolerant and has irritable bowel syndrome, so she needs to be careful about what she eats. And I’m trying to lose weight. Finding something that we can all enjoy together can be challenging.”
Sontag describes herself as a “lifetime dieter” who has lost and gained anywhere from 30 to 60 pounds several times over the years. A recent period of intense stress, which included a move, a job loss and a family illness, had brought her to her highest weight ever. In addition, her cholesterol is slightly elevated, and her doctor has said she’s at high risk for diabetes.
During the home consultation McManus discovers that Sontag’s challenges lie not only in knowing which grocery items to choose, but in what to do with them once she gets them home. “Like many consumers, Parri buys healthy foods with the best of intentions,” says McManus. “But because they’re unfamiliar to her, they end up sitting in the pantry.”
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A tour of the kitchen confirms this. Sontag has items like whole wheat pasta, multigrain hot cereal and ground flaxseed. “I bought them because they looked healthy, but I really don’t know what to do with them,” she says.
Because the Sontags are a busy family, they rely on convenience items, such as packaged rice mixes, frozen vegetables and canned soups. Sontag half expects to hear that these items must go, but McManus surprises her by giving some of them a thumbs-up.
“Convenience items can help make weeknight meals quick and easy, and a meal eaten at home is still a better bet than a meal eaten out," she says. "When you cook at home you can control exactly what goes into the meal.” She also points out that there are plenty of nutritious convenience foods, such as all-natural pasta sauces, whole-grain rice mixes, and low-sodium organic canned beans and soups.
Sontag starts to show McManus the contents of her refrigerator and seems a bit surprised herself to find the bottom two drawers chock-full of fresh vegetables. “I forgot I had this,” she says, holding up a head of broccoli. The refrigerator’s layout is precisely the problem. With the vegetables hidden from view, it’s easy to forget about them. McManus recommends storing other items in the drawers and bringing the vegetables front and center. If they’re visible, the family will be more likely to eat them. The Sontags’ biggest challenge is one shared by many people: lack of time. It’s not uncommon for the family to get home at 6:30, when everyone’s hungry and there’s little time to cook. “These are the nights we tend to rely on takeout,” Sontag says. To help curb that tendency, McManus gives her a binder full of Publix Apron’s Simple Meals recipes. Each comes with nutrition information and an accompanying shopping list. (To view hundreds of free Apron’s recipes, go to publix.com/aprons.) She also suggests that Sontag buy a slow cooker. That way, she can assemble a recipe in the slow cooker in the morning. Then when the family gets home at the end of the day, there will be a healthy meal waiting for them.
In the store
Next, we head to Sontag's neighborhood Publix, where we begin our tour in the GreenWise Market section. McManus introduces Sontag to several natural and organic products that will help her meet her goals of reducing fat and sodium while increasing fiber in her diet. She focuses on convenience items that will help with meal preparation.
“Today there are more choices than ever to help consumers prepare healthy meals quickly,” says McManus. She points to items such as diced onions and peppers, precut vegetables, quick-cooking brown rice, frozen fish fillets and refrigerated herb pastes.
As they tour the store, McManus offers other advice to help Sontag manage her weight while planning healthful meals for the whole family:
Keep a food diary. It’s a great way for Sontag to track what she’s eating and stay accountable. McManus recommends writing down everything she eats and drinks and tracking her hunger as a way to identify patterns.
Watch serving sizes. Portion control is the key to any weight-loss effort, and McManus reminds Sontag to read food labels, paying special attention to the number of servings in a container.
Don’t skip meals. Sontag regularly skips breakfast and ends up tired and hungry. McManus encourages her to eat small meals and snacks regularly throughout the day to stabilize blood sugar levels and keep hunger in check.
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Look for natural and organic. Many items found in the GreenWise Market section would make great choices for the Sontag family, including whole wheat pasta, couscous, quinoa, brown rice, baked whole-grain tortilla chips, 100% fruit juices and whole-grain cereals. The Publix GreenWise Market section also includes milk alternatives, such as rice milk, almond milk and soy milk, which are good options for Sontag’s lactose-intolerant daughter.
Build new habits gradually. McManus encourages Sontag to take it slow and recognize that it takes time for a new behavior to become a permanent habit. She suggests setting just one new goal per week, whether it’s eating a healthful breakfast or serving a salad with dinner each night.
Plan ahead. McManus says that if Sontag can follow just one piece of advice, this should be it. Without planning, the rest of the tips become very difficult to implement. Taking time each week to select healthy recipes and make shopping lists means the family will be less tempted to rely on takeout.
Her head swimming with information, Sontag weighs in with her verdict on the consultation: “I’m thrilled,” she says. “I feel empowered to make the positive changes I need to make.”
Date with a Dietitian
Doctors may no longer make house calls, but registered dietitians do. If you’re looking for a nutrition expert to help you improve your diet, your best bet is a professional with the “R.D.” credential. It ensures that the person has completed rigorous academic and clinical training and has passed a national registration exam. Many registered dietitians hold advanced degrees, and some specialize in areas like pediatric nutrition, sports nutrition or weight management. To find an R.D. in your area, log onto the American Dietetic Association’s website at eatright.org and click on “Find a Nutrition Professional” on the home page.
Always Room For Improvement
Do you think that you already eat so well you’d have nothing to learn from a nutritional consultation? Meet Stephanie Ferrell, a busy Tampa architect in her 50s. She’s single and an avid cook, often entertaining friends for dinner. She’s diligent about reading labels and tries to make informed food choices, but like many consumers she puzzles over the conflicting nutrition messages she gets in the media. So we asked Publix registered dietitian Shannon McManus to pay her a visit as well.
Fortunately, Ferrell isn’t dealing with any diet-related health issues, but she realizes that eating well helps fuel her busy lifestyle. And while she tries to get the right balance of nutrients, she also places a high priority on freshness and taste. “I want to enjoy my food, without going overboard,” she says. “I really do try to live by the mantra of 'everything in moderation.'"
Looking around in Ferrell’s kitchen, McManus finds an ample supply of fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables, high-fiber cereals and fresh and canned fish, alongside occasional treats such as butter, bacon and gorgonzola cheese. Ferrell’s more exotic pantry items—purple potatoes, coconut milk and spiced honey—show that she definitely craves variety and excitement when it comes to food.
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But there are a few areas where Ferrell could consider making changes. She has 2% milk in the fridge, which is higher in saturated fat and calories than fat-free or 1% milk. And while McManus praises Ferrell for her supply of brown rice, she encourages her to try other nutrient-rich whole grains such as quinoa, millet, bulgur and barley. When Ferrell and McManus begin their tour of the GreenWise Market section of the neighborhood Publix, Ferrell admits she’s sometimes confused by the terms “natural” and “organic.”
“Organic refers to foods that are raised without added growth hormones, synthetic antibiotics, steroids, pesticides or fertilizers and do not contain genetically modified organisms,” McManus explains. The term “natural,” on the other hand, doesn’t have a federally mandated definition but generally refers to items that are minimally processed and contain no artificial colors, flavors, preservatives or sweeteners.
Touring the produce section, Ferrell is pleasantly surprised to discover that locally grown produce is among the offerings. “Many people don’t realize that you can find local produce right in the supermarket,” McManus tells her.
In the meat and poultry section, McManus points out a number of Publix GreenWise Market products, which are produced without added antibiotics or growth hormones. She wraps up the visit by making recommendations in other areas of the store, and Ferrell goes away with a comprehensive list of new items to try.
Better Shopping, Naturally
This guide includes many of the items registered dietitian Shannon McManus recommended during her supermarket tours with Stephanie Ferrell and Parri Sontag. Take it along on the next visit to your neighborhood Publix.
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Fruits, Vegetables and Juices
- Fresh fruits and vegetables
- Fresh and dried herbs
- 100% fruit and vegetable juices
Grains and Beans
- Oatmeal
- Whole grain breakfast cereals
- Whole wheat flour
- Whole-grain pancake mix
- Whole wheat pasta and couscous
- Brown rice
- Quinoa
- Millet
- Barley
- Buckwheat
- Canned and dry beans and legumes
Snacks
- Baked whole-grain tortilla chips
- Regular and whole-grain pretzels
- Raw and dry-roasted nuts
Meats
- Skinless chicken breasts
- Ground turkey breast
- Pork tenderloin
- 90% lean ground beef
Fish
- Fresh or frozen seafood
- Canned salmon, tuna, mackerel and sardines
Dairy and Eggs
- Organic or conventional low-fat milk and yogurt
- Light sour cream
- Fat-free half-and-half
- Low-fat cheeses
- Organic or conventional eggs
Condiments
- Organic or conventional oils such as olive, canola, grape seed and walnut
- Organic or conventional vinegars, such as balsamic, white balsamic, red wine and rice
- Organic or conventional mayonnaise and mustards
- All-natural salad dressings
- Organic and/or low-sodium chicken, vegetable and beef broths
Smart convenience items for busy families on the go
- Precut fruits and vegetables
- Prewashed salad greens
- Refrigerated herb pastes
- Frozen vegetables and fruits without added sauce
- Low-sodium and organic canned vegetables
- Canned fruits in juice
- All-natural pasta sauces
- Whole-grain rice and couscous mixes
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