A Registered Dietitian's Guide to Eating at Events

It’s exciting to see some of our favorite events happening in and around Buffalo again.  With that said, some of those traditional “event” foods are going to be tempting us again too.  Here’s what a Registered Dietitian has to say about that....  EAT THE FOOD!  

Now, let's talk about what I mean and why I say that.  We need to have a healthy relationship with food.  All food! The good, the bad, and the ugly.  Having a healthy relationship with food is important for our mental health.  Everybody’s getting geared up to get back out to all the fun summer events and with that comes some of those fun novelty foods.  Here’s my recommendations for enjoying the event AND the food, without having a negative impact on our mental health. 

• Pick your favorites – Just because they have fried oreos, fried blooming onion, French fries, ice cream, slushies, and funnel cakes doesn’t mean you have to eat all of them.  Sure you might want to, but you don’t need to.  Pick the ones that really mean something to you. It’s about balance and progress not perfection.  Sit down, eat it, enjoy it, maybe take a selfie with it and move on.

• Pack some healthy snacks – Have you ever heard the phrase, don’t go grocery shopping when you’re hungry? Same thing here, don’t go to these events hungry.  Munch on some healthy snacks to fuel you up for the busy day.  Have some cool refreshing fruits and vegetables with a little protein to help give you a vitamin boost and curb your appetite just enough to prevent you from ordering ALL the unhealthy foods.

• Stay hydrated – Don’t give me the old “bathroom excuse”.  There are bathrooms all over the place.  They might not be the most hygienic places but we ALL carry sanitizer now and taking a few extra steps to find a bathroom is like getting a free workout…you’re welcome!

• Enjoy the company and scenery – It’s easy to make some of these events all about food.  In fact, some of them ARE all about food.  But, it’s important to remember that this is a great opportunity to work on communication and strengthen your relationship with the people that are with you at that moment.   

• Enjoy your surroundings, take some selfies, smell the fresh air, feel the warmth of the sun, wear that awesome new outfit that you don't get to wear during your typical day-to-day life.

- Nicole Moretta, MS, RD, CDN

Send a message via your patient portal, or call us today at 716-662-7008 to get connected with the dietitian and lifestyle intervention services available at Inspired Health Group.