The Nutritional Services/Counseling program offers nutritional assessments, education and consultations to promote healthy lifestyle habits for patients and employees.

With a physician referral, Martin General Hospital will provide you with individualized nutrition counseling to assist you in managing diabetes, high cholesterol levels, and other prescribed meal plans. Please call 252-809-6300 for more information.

Your Everyday Guide to Good Nutrition

Nutrition Basics Making healthier choices in your diet comes down to three main points: Eat less fat, eat less salt and eat more fiber.

Healthy Practices Good nutrition includes not only what you eat, but also how much you eat and how you prepare it.

Nutrition and Health Conditions Following a healthy diet can help reduce your risk for a variety of diseases and illnesses.

Making Healthier Food Choices, The Southern Way

It seems as if everyone is looking for a list of healthy food choices that are affordable, beneficial, and delicious. When shopping for the healthiest alternatives, keep in mind that most of the processed, high sodium, high fat, and low nutrition items are located in the middle of the market, in the aisles. If the product comes in a box, can or jar, check the ingredients on the package. The more ingredients listed, the more processed the food is.

For more healthy eating, base your diet on natural, unprocessed foods like fresh fruit, vegetables, grains, legumes (dried beans), low fat dairy products and lean meats.

Fruits, vegetables and grains can work together as a part of your healthy diet. Buy fruits and vegetables in season for peak freshness and keep plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains on hand for fast and easy snacking. Vary your veggies by choosing more colorful vegetables that are dark green, dark orange, or red. Get fiber and nutrients by choosing dry beans and peas such as black beans, kidney beans or lentils in your diet.

Eating more whole grains like whole grain breads, popcorn, and brown rice are easy ways to boost your intake. Don’t be misled by ingredients such as cracked wheat, bran, stone ground flour, multigrain, or organic flour that are not necessarily whole grain. Eating more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains may reduce your risk for heart disease, certain cancers, diabetes, and aid in weight management.

When selecting meats, choose lean cuts and remove the skin from poultry. Get at least 2 servings of fish per week including salmon, albacore tuna, haddock, or cod. Choose low-fat and fat-free dairy products. For those that are lactose intolerant select lactose reduced milk, hard cheese, and yogurt. Calcium-fortified foods such as soy beverages or orange juice may provide calcium for those that avoid milk but may not provide the other nutrients found in milk or milk products. Nuts can be enjoyed by the handful in moderation including almonds, cashews, pecans, peanuts, pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, and pine nuts.

A healthy diet also consists of a diet low in total fat which is important to reduce your risk of heart disease and cholesterol. Never fry your food. Choose healthy cooking techniques including sautéing, broiling, BBQ, steaming, and baking to minimize fat and calories. Use nonstick cooking spray instead of heavy cooking oils or lard.

Healthy eating begins in the home but also expands into eating out. Making careful menu selections is the key to a healthy diet. Pay close attention to the descriptions on the menu. Dishes labeled deep-fried, pan-fried, basted, batter-dipped, breaded, creamy, crispy, scalloped, Alfredo, au gratin or in cream sauce are usually high in calories, unhealthy fats or sodium. Order items with more vegetables, lighter sauces, and choose leaner meats like fish or chicken. Drink water with your meal instead of soda or sweet tea. Soda is a huge source of hidden calories. For example, one 32-oz soda packs about 425 calories, so one soda can quickly gulp up a big portion of your daily calorie intake. Try adding a little lemon to your water or ordering unsweetened iced tea. “Undress” your food. When choosing items, be aware of calorie and fat packed salad dressings, spreads, cheese, sour cream, etc. For example, ask for a grilled chicken sandwich without the mayonnaise or a baked potato without the butter and sour cream Instead ask for a packet of ketchup or mustard and add it yourself, controlling how much you put on your sandwich. Top your potato with salsa for a low calorie option.

The key is to make smaller more frequent healthy changes in your diet which will lead to a better healthier you. Happy Health to You!

Stacie A. Markel-Clark RD, CSO, CSG, LDN, CDE
Registered Dietitian/Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist
Board Certified Specialist in Oncology Nutrition and Gerontological
Certified Diabetes Educator