- With Mayo Clinic nutritionist
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
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Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
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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Question
Dieting? Beware of liquid calories
I'm dieting and trying to lose weight. To keep from snacking between meals, I've been drinking lots of juice and milk. But the scale isn't showing much progress. Am I doing something wrong?
Answer
from Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
When you're dieting, it's important to be mindful of what and how much you're drinking. Although milk and juice have many important nutrients and can be part of a healthy diet, they still have calories — and calories in liquid form count just as much as calories in food.
So when you're counting calories, the best beverage choice is water. Keep higher calorie beverages in check. As a general rule, adults should drink no more than 4 ounces (118 milliliters) of juice a day and 16 to 24 ounces (473 to 710 milliliters) of milk a day.
If water isn't filling enough when you're dieting, snack on fresh fruit and vegetables between meals. Whole fruits and vegetables are much more filling than juice — and it's likely you'll consume fewer calories with these choices.
Next questionHigh-protein diets: Are they safe?
- Nelson JK (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Oct. 21, 2009.
- Zeratsky KA (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Oct. 23, 2009.
- Hensrud DD, et al. The Mayo Clinic Diet. Intercourse, Penn.: Good Books; 2010.
