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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 Food & Nutrition Center, 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 is certified by the National Board of Nutrition Support Certification, 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 50 clinical dietitians and nine dietetic technicians and oversees staffing, strategic and financial planning, and quality improvement. Nelson was co-editor of the James Beard Foundation Award-winning "The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook." She has been a contributing author to and reviewer of many 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 answering nutrition questions posed to Ask a Specialist.
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
As a specialty editor for the Food & Nutrition Center, 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 is active in nutrition-related curriculum and course development in pediatrics at Mayo Clinic Rochester and nutrition education related to the physiology and recommended intakes for premature infants.
Other areas of interest include breast milk and formula safety, neonatal feeding, and nutrition for breast-feeding mothers.
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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June 20, 2009
Blog: Could you be a flexitarian?
By Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.
Eating a plant-based diet has many health benefits. With its emphasis on fruits and vegetables, grains, beans and legumes and nuts, a vegetarian diet is rich in fiber, vitamins and other nutrients. In addition, people who follow a vegetarian diet generally eat fewer calories and less fat, weigh less and have lower cholesterol levels than do nonvegetarians.
Many people choose to be vegetarians because of cultural, religious or ethical beliefs. Others eat this way to stay healthy and prevent health problems, such as cardiovascular disease.
Have you tried to eat vegetarian, for any of these reasons, but found you missed meat, poultry or fish?
Flexitarianism might be the answer for you. A flexitarian — or flexible vegetarian — is someone who eats mostly plant-based foods but occasionally eats meat, poultry and fish. Want to give it a try? It could be the jump start you need to begin eating healthier.
Start by going meatless one or two days a week. On those days, try the following protein-rich foods instead of meat:
- Beans and legumes — great in casseroles and salads
- Vegetarian refried beans — good substitute for meat in burritos and tacos
- Tofu — perfect addition to stir-fry dishes
Plan menus that feature entrees you like and that are typically meatless, such as veggie lasagna, minestrone soup and pasta salad. If you need a snack, try a handful of nuts and some fresh fruit.
Do you have meatless meal ideas to share? Have you made the transition to a flexitarian or vegetarian diet? Please share your experiences.
8 comments posted
June 28, 2009 6:34 a.m.
I gave up red meat and pork two-three years ago. Never was crazy about it. The last red meat burger I ate felt like it "stuck" for days! I mostly eat veggies....sometimes chicken, turkey, fish, seafood. I'll go days and only eat veggies...I don't plan it...it just happens...so I was happy to know there is a term for the way I eat!
- CES
June 24, 2009 7:49 p.m.
I guess I have been a flexitarin all my life before it was popular. I was the only member of my family who preferred veggies to meat. I ate very little meat and prefer veggies. i eat them steamed without any gravies. sometimes a little olive oil or perhaps tomato sauce. I always preferred green veggies, the darker the best. I eat eggs, and for protein, I eat soy. but most of my meals contain many more veggies. I am 85 years old, still active, lift weights and many other activities. take care of myself and do not take any or need any medications. therefore, I highly recommend the flexitarian diet to all.
- JO Hanzakos
June 24, 2009 3:28 p.m.
I went flexatarian (I don't eat meat but do eat fish) almost 5 years ago. I had my first blood work done last year since becoming a flexatarian. My cholesterol was lower and I had a perfect proportion of hdl to ldl. My iron was better than before and all other results were great. I feel good and find it easy to manage my weight. I wouldn't go back. I recommend the Whole Foods Cookbook, the Healthy Hedonist and all Moosewood cookbooks.
- Donna
June 24, 2009 3:11 a.m.
A few years ago I found I was almost in the same situation as Elsie though my thyroid was hyper rather than hypo. At that time they also found that I was anaemic as I did not wish to increase my problems with my thyroid I decided to have some white meat and fish but also had some red meat. I recently read that they are introducing new ways to 'grow' vegetables and fruits' and I am not so sure now that food from the land is really that.
- Pat
June 23, 2009 4:06 p.m.
What inspired me to give up meat was concern for the land and our planet. But all the reasons appeal to me from better health to issues of cruelty. Nevertheless, my biggest impediment to adopting a vegetarian diet was this conditioning we have that there has to be a "main" course on the plate, an entree if you will, and it must contain meat. Who made that rule?! A meal doesn't have to have a main course- it just has to have variety! Now I plan meals to be colorful with several different types of vegetables or beans and fruit along with a starch like corn, rice, pasta, couscous or potatoes. The whole thing is really a combination of "side"dishes. But it always looks pretty and good on the plate. I do sometimes eat soy foods and have not found it to be a problem even though I did come up hypothyroid last year. I don't think my being vegetarian, had anything to with that. It runs in my meat eating family. My diet has been flesh free for 17 years and I love my food! I'm never going back.
- MK Ray
June 22, 2009 9:03 a.m.
Cutting down meat consumption is taking a priority in trying to improve physical health. Thus, Meatless Monday, a project of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, has a website rich with recipes from Breakfast (like these Buckwheat Apple Flapjacks: http://www.meatlessmonday.com/buckwheat-apple
-flapjacks/) to Dessert (Try this delicious Banana Nut Bread: http://www.meatlessmonday.com/banana-nut-brea d/). Meatless Monday’s efforts to encourage commitment to a weekly reduction in meat is gaining traction; for more info on the movement check out the Youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpnKeYmR1NM - Ashwini
June 22, 2009 8:52 a.m.
Registered Dietitian Dawn Jackson Blatner brought the most attention to flexitarian eating and has created one of the most healthful eating plans in her book The Flexitarian Diet. I highly highly recommend it!
- ThirstyApe
June 20, 2009 9:36 a.m.
About 5 years ago I guess I became a flexitarian. I had been a strict vegetarian for over 10 years but change because I noticed that my energy level had decreased. It turned out that I was hypothryoid. Since being diagnosed, I have stopped eating soy products and cruciferous vegetables. I am not sure if soy is truly bad for the thyroid but I would rather not take chances. I stopped eating cruciferous vegetables (kale, broccoli, etc.) because they are know to increase the size of your goiter. The good thing is that I am eating more vegetables and legumes along with seafood and some chicken. I think this makes for a healthy, balanced diet. Plus, I've lost weight which is always the best part of any diet!
- Elsie
8 comments posted