- With Mayo Clinic nutritionists
Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.
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Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.
Katherine Zeratsky and Jennifer Nelson
Jennifer K. Nelson, M.S., R.D., L.D., C.N.S.D.
Jennifer Nelson is your link to a better diet. As specialty editor of the nutrition and healthy eating guide, she plays a vital role in bringing you healthy recipes and meal planning."Nutrition is one way people have direct control over the quality of their lives," she says. "I hope to translate the science of nutrition into ways that people can select and prepare great-tasting foods that help maintain health and treat disease."
A St. Paul, Minn., native, she has been with Mayo Clinic since 1978, and is director of clinical dietetics and an associate professor of nutrition at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.
She leads clinical nutrition efforts for a staff of more than 60 clinical dietitians and nine dietetic technicians and oversees nutrition services, staffing, strategic and financial planning, and quality improvement. Nelson was co-editor of the "Mayo Clinic Diet" and the James Beard Foundation Award-winning "The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook." She has been a contributing author to and reviewer of many other Mayo Clinic books, including "Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight for EveryBody," "The Mayo Clinic Family Health Book" and "The Mayo Clinic/Williams Sonoma Cookbook." She contributes to the strategic direction of the Food & Nutrition Center, which includes creating recipes and menus, reviewing nutrition content of various articles, and providing expert answers to nutrition questions.
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
As a specialty editor of the nutrition and healthy eating guide, Katherine Zeratsky helps you sort through the facts and figures, the fads and the hype to learn more about nutrition and diet.A Marinette, Wis., native, she is certified in dietetics by the state of Minnesota and the American Dietetic Association. She has been with Mayo Clinic since 1999.
She's active in nutrition-related curriculum and course development in wellness nutrition at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and nutrition related to weight management and practical applications of nutrition-related lifestyle changes.
Other areas of interest include food and nutrition for all life stages, active lifestyles and the culinary arts.
She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, served a dietetic internship at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and worked as a registered dietitian and health risk counselor at ThedaCare of Appleton, Wis., before joining the Mayo Clinic staff.
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Nutrition-wise blog
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April 13, 2011
Meal planning 101: Tips and tricks
By Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.
Naturally, when I have friends over for dinner the conversation turns to food and nutrition. Common questions are: "What should I eat to be healthy?" "What should I avoid?" and "Is this food a source of the latest cure-all nutrient?" Most of these I'm prepared to answer. One recent question, though, got me thinking, "How does Jennifer do her meal planning?"
My meal planning starts with a sheet of paper. Pretty high-tech, right? In the left-hand column, I write the days of the week. Under each day I write:
- Entree
- Vegetable (hot)
- Vegetable (cold)
- Whole grain
- Fruit
- Beverage
Then I just have to fill in the grid. For those of you playing along at home, here are some of my tried-and-true meal planning tips:
- Entree. Here's where you can put the dietary guidelines to work for you. Plan on fish twice a week and at least one meatless meal. Meatless entrees can be beans or even tofu. You're almost half-way done. For the remaining meals, plan one that's fast and easy to cook, one big family-type meal and one meal based on leftovers. Remember that a serving of meat is only about the size of a deck of cards. The rest of the plate will be filled with other good things.
- Vegetables. Begin to fill in vegetables according to the entree. Look for colorful ones and plan some variety throughout the week. Get out of the rut of the too familiar rotation of cooked peas, corn and green beans. How about sugar snap peas, broccoli or beets? Instead of the same old iceberg lettuce, how about spinach, tomato slices or shredded carrots?
- Whole grains. Think of all the options: brown rice, barley, whole-wheat pasta, whole-grain bread or rolls, couscous, barley, and kasha You can cook whole grains ahead and use leftovers the next day — especially in soups and salads.
- Fruit. It's not just for dessert anymore. Fruit can be a topping, a salad, a sauce, stuffed into chicken, and grilled or broiled on skewers. Think frozen bananas, grapes or berries for those hot nights.
- Beverage. Water is perfect. Other good choices include low-fat milk, unsweetened tea, 100 percent fruit or vegetable juice — or even the occasional glass of wine or beer.
Once you have your grid filled in it's time to look for healthy recipes and check your pantry to identify any ingredients you might need.
Keep a sharp eye out for ingredients that add fat, salt and sugar. Try to cut back on these. For example, limit syrups and even dried fruit — they can add a lot of sugar. Check food labels for sodium. And substitute olive oil for butter and margarine.
Now you're ready to make your shopping list and hit the grocery store. Try this method — at least two or three times.
You'll be surprised at how meal planning can lower your grocery bill and the stress you feel at the end of the day. And of course, it improves the taste and healthfulness of your meals. It can even help you avoid unwanted calories.
Let me know how you do and if you have meal planning tips to share.
- Jennifer
9 comments posted
March 20, 2013 3:27 p.m.
Hi Joyce - Here are some thoughts/answers to your questions. I do like to serve a hot and cold vegetable at mealtime. Vegetables are really healthy - and low calorie. I'm not sure I understand what you mean by putting the 6 entrees on the table at the same time. No, just one entree at a meal (everyone eats the same entree). In place of red meat: chicken or turkey, lean pork, low-fat cottage cheese, beans, lentils, etc. Check out our recipes on Mayoclinic.com. Go to the home page anc scroll down. Or here is the link: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/healthy-reci
pes/RecipeIndex - - your blog host, Jennifer
March 12, 2013 11:42 p.m.
I see there has not been any post in a while I hope this is up and running still. I am a diabetic and most of relatives are also. My daughter is 7 and pushing for diabeties, but right now it is just high colestrol. I like your food planning schedule working on putting it into practice. Do you serve a hot and cold veg. same time? Do you put all 6 entrees on the table? We are big on red meet eaters and skittish on fish thing lol. are there recipes that I could find for side dishes.Putting me into practice is one thing but, finding healthy side dishes are a struggle. I would like to have opprotunity to put side together that would please my cavemen family.
- joyce
April 21, 2012 6:22 p.m.
Great idea for planning. Rather than creating a diagram, I utilized my iPhone calandar, put in each day's meal type (ex:Mondays MEAT) and utilized the repeating capability. Thus, made a calandar that goes with me to help me schedule following your suggestion. Thanks vmuch.
- Eileen
July 18, 2011 8:47 a.m.
Great advice and suggestions for meal planning! Jennifer, I do have one question--is it possible for you to comment back to me or do another weekly blog on how to keep costs down while eating healthier? One of the main obstacles, as I see it, to healthier eating is the higher cost. If you could showcase some quality healthy meals that are within anyone's price range, that would be most instructive and helpful! Again, thanks for this grid for meal planning . . . very helpful and instructive!
- Michael
June 30, 2011 7:07 a.m.
I love the "grid" idea! A suggestion for some people may be to have the latest grocery circular handy when doing your planning so you can take advantage of things that are fresh and on sale. I also visit the local farmers' market once a week (in season) and end up fixing a lot of meals based on what I find there.
- Lynette
May 3, 2011 4:05 p.m.
Thanks for the planning tips. Writing it down seems helpful in following through with the plan as well! This may be slightly off topic, but I have heard of concerns about having vegetables and other foods from california due to possible radiation. Is this true? Where would I find RELIABLE information on this? I would love your advice Jennifer or Katherine!
- k
April 19, 2011 1:24 p.m.
I love this idea!! I do this every week and it really helps to keep my grocery budget in check and helps to make our evenings a little easier! Thanks for your ideas!
- Kristin
April 18, 2011 10:09 a.m.
Thank you! I'd also love to see some of your favorite healthy recipes.
- Rebecca
April 14, 2011 5:35 p.m.
Jennifer, Great answer!! I'm a dietitian too and that is a common question a get, not easy to answer.... to tell the truth I couldn't answer that well!!! :) Good idea and no need for techy solutions! Thanks for the tip!
- Mildred
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