Skip to primary navigation
Skip to main content
Skip to primary sidebar
Skip to footer

Home
About
- About Me
- Professional Bio
Blog
Recipes
Work with Me
Shop
Disclaimer
Search

mindful eating

Grazing vs. Planned Snacks

7 Key Concepts of Mindful Eating

mindfulness

Discover the Joy of Intuitive Eating

Ditch the diet and discover the joy of intuitive eating. Halsanutrition.com

Primary Sidebar

Let’s connect!

Hey there!

I'm Maria, a mom and Registered Dietitian with a love for good food. Let me help you navigate your way to happier, more confident eating and cooking. I take a non-diet, intuitive eating approach and truly believe that all foods can fit! Read More…

Sign up for the Hälsa Newsletter

halsanutrition

Did you know there are different types of hunger?

Did you know there are different types of hunger? Here is a summary adapted from "Intuitive Eating" by @evelyntribole and @elyseresch .⁠⁠
⁠⁠
1) BIOLOGICAL HUNGER - This is the one we most commonly think of. It's a physical response to a lack of calories or low blood sugar. Signs of this hunger include starting to think about food and stomach growling. As it continues your hunger may progress to irritability, a headache, and even feeling faint. Hunger symptoms come on differently for everyone, but it's good to recognize and feed your hunger before it becomes ravenous.⁠⁠
⁠⁠
2) PRACTICAL HUNGER - This is also known as planning ahead hunger. For example, it could mean eating a light dinner or good-sized snack at 4:30 PM because you have soccer practice from 6:30-8 PM and therefore won't be able to at your usually scheduled dinner time. (For me it means having an extra big breakfast on the mornings that I teach and don't have time for my usual mid-morning snack).⁠⁠
⁠⁠
3) EMOTIONAL HUNGER - Hello emotions! We all eat due to emotions now and then, whether sadness, boredom, or loneliness. But if this is happening often it's important to reach out for help. Ideally, you will learn to recognize when this is happening and find other ways to soothe your feelings or boost your mood.⁠⁠
⁠⁠
4) TASTE HUNGER - This is eating because something sounds/looks/smells good or perhaps there is a special occasion and we are celebrating with food. There is definitely room for taste hunger in our diets, after all, these are often some of the best, most memorable eating experiences!⁠⁠
⁠⁠
So there you have it. A summary of 4 different types of hunger. Finally, know that intuitive eating is not about eating only when you are hungry--that would be a diet culture rule! Instead, it's about becoming more in tune with the hunger you are experiencing, getting curious about your sensations, trusting your body, and incorporating mindful eating when you can.

h a p p y weekend! ☀️⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ We are off

h a p p y weekend! ☀️⁠⁠
⁠⁠
We are off to a good start here. The sun has come out just in time for track practice and a soccer game. 🏃‍♂️⁠⁠🤾
⁠⁠
It's a busy Saturday and I'm thankful that I have a bunch of whole-grain cereals on hand to help fuel everyone up when we don't have time for more elaborate breakfasts. ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Our go-to cereals include Cheerios, @barbarasbakery, @bolagranola (or my homemade hälsa ’nola), and muesli!⁠⁠
⁠⁠
I love @sevensundaysmn muesli, but I keep it interesting and often make my own too (you can find my recipe on my blog). ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Muesli is not as popular here in the US as it is in Europe, but it's such a great staple that everyone should try. Filled with whole grains, nuts, seeds, and dried fruit, it provides complex carbs, protein, and fat. It's a breakfast that will give you long-lasting energy.
⁠⁠
I love to eat it with kefir or Skyr yogurt and sliced fruit or berries. 🫐🍓🍌Sometimes I mix it up the night before with some oat milk and coconut yogurt for more of an overnight oats concoction. ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
What's your go-to cereal? Do you like muesli? ⁠⁠
⁠⁠

Need a lunch idea for your vegetarian teenager? 🌱How about this chickpea salad sandwich! ⁠
⁠
Simply mash up some chickpeas and avocado and then add cashews, chopped red onion, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste. 🥑 Serve on whole-grain bread for long-lasting energy and extra protein. And don't forget greens for extra crispness in every bite!⁠
⁠
Have a vegetarian teen that could use help with meal ideas and/or making sure they are meeting their nutrient needs? Let's work together! Send me a message or visit my website for more info.⁠ ❤️

Happy Monday! If you are coming off a school vacat

Happy Monday! If you are coming off a school vacation week and craving more veggies after a week of eating out that's great! 🥬Your body is telling you what it needs. ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
But what you don't need is a detox, cleanse, or reset. There is no scientific evidence to support these actions and going down this pathway generally leads to:⁠⁠
➡️promotion of diet culture and dieting⁠⁠
➡️extra time and money spent in the name of diet culture (perhaps disguised as wellness)⁠⁠
➡️restrictions that lead to undernourishment which may result in everything from irritability, to binges, to negative thinking⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Not to mention, your kids are watching and pick up on your words, actions, and behaviors. ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
So instead, just listen to your body. Add some extra veggies to your dinner, enjoy your green smoothies if you are craving them, and cut back on eating out if that feels right. ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
But don't view this as a diet or reset, view it as intuitive eating! You are listening to your gut and respecting what your body needs. You are treating yourself with kindness, not a strict, unrealistic, and rigid prescription. 😘

In honor of Earth 🌍 Day (which I realize should

Happy taco Tuesday! 🌮 I brought my 14-year-old

Happy taco Tuesday! 🌮

I brought my 14-year-old to the grocery store today. (A rarity over the past year!) On the way there I told him I was planning on making grilled chicken burritos for dinner. Or maybe shrimp burritos. Or maybe salmon. 🤪

Then we started talking about how difficult it is to make good burritos at home (they usually fall apart!) and how simple it is to make tacos. We also both agreed that tacos are more fun because you can eat a few and vary the fillings. Long story short we decided to do our usual taco night. So much for mixing it up!

That said, I am mixing up our usual recipe. Usually, I cook the chicken in this cast iron skillet or the slow cooker. But tonight I will be throwing it onto the grill. (It’s a warm, ☀️-filled spring day here in Massachusetts!) I’m currently marinating chicken thighs in lime juice and water. I’ll let you know how it turns out in my stories.

(I also bought some zucchini to grill which my son told me is definitely not Tex-Mex! Haha)

Nutrition labels can provide us with a lot of good

Nutrition labels can provide us with a lot of good information, but they can't tell us how much food will satisfy us at any given time.⁠
⁠
As I tell my students, the listed serving size is a reference point and needed in order to determine information such as ⁠
⁠
"how much vitamin D will I get if I eat a cup of this food?" or⁠
⁠
"how much protein will 1/2 cup of this food provide?"⁠
⁠
But it doesn't mean that this is how much you should be eating. Only your body knows that. ⁠
⁠
When we are very young, this stuff comes intuitively, but as we get older (often before age 10!) diet culture gets in the way (often without us realizing it!) and before we know it we may be looking to external cues (such as labels) for guidance on how much to eat.⁠
⁠
To help you recognize when you feel satisfied--and get back in touch with your inner intuitive eater--it can be helpful to practice mindful eating. Here are some tips to try:⁠
-eat in a relaxed setting⁠
-put away distractions such as screens⁠
-plate your food⁠
-savor your food using all the senses (touch, smell, taste, and visual appeal)⁠
⁠
Adding a variety of foods to that plate can also help increase satisfaction. You can vary the ⁠
-color⁠
-food group⁠
-texture⁠
-temperature⁠
-flavors⁠
-and more!⁠
⁠
Was this helpful? Let me know in the comments. Have a great day! 💕

We are on day one of our April staycation here and

Looking for a delicious snack or breakfast idea th

Teens and tweens benefit from snacks to help bridg

Weekends call for pancakes! 🥞I have finally sta

Weekends call for pancakes! 🥞I have finally started increasing the batter size so that it makes enough pancakes for my family of four. My teen boys can eat a lot and lately we had been running out before the pancake maker (that would be me!) got to eat (or at least eat enough).

Here is my modified “Flying pancakes” recipe. You can find the original on my blog.

1 cup spelt or white whole wheat flour
1 cup oat flour
1-2 tablespoons sugar (optional)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 heaping teaspoon baking soda
1/2 heaping teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups kefir or buttermilk
1/2 cup plain oat milk
2 tablespoons avocado or canola oil

butter for greasing pancake pan

toppings of choice

1. In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients.
2. Add liquid ingredients and stir until just combined.
3. Heat pancake pan of griddle.
4. Grease pan with butter. Cook over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes and flip and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes or until golden brown.

Enjoy with toppings of choice. No fresh berries? 🍓🫐No problem. Try frozen berries, applesauce, and bananas as pictured here! Or add chocolate chips to the batter, yum.

Happy first day of spring! 🌱The sun is bright ☀️ here and I am on my way out to do some yardwork. It just feels like a day to be outside and after a week of too much time on my computer 👩‍💻 I know that’s what I need!

Speaking of bright, I made this pretty “Moroccan-spiced carrot salad with lentils” last weekend. It was so delicious and luckily there was enough to enjoy it for a few leftover lunches. Recipe from @loveandlemons cookbook. I highly recommend it.

What’s on my cooking list today? Not sure. Sometimes you just need a little rest and regroup day if you know what I mean! I am hoping for some local takeout tonight.

How are you spending your Saturday?

Load More... Follow on Instagram

Search

Search

Printables

Menu Plan and Shopping List Template

Solutions to the Lunch Dilemma

Make Your Own Smoothie Guide

50+ Lunch Ideas for Teens (Printable Guide)

Swedish Inspiration

21 Ways to Add Hygge and Mys to Your Day

Swedish Chocolate Cookies (Chokladsnittar)

Swedish Cardamom Buns

The Swedish Tradition of Fika

Footer

Meet Maria!

I'm a Swedish-born, New England-raised dietitian with a love for good food and baking. Follow my blog for nourishing recipes, non-diet nutrition advice, and a touch of Swedish inspiration. Read More…

Copyright © 2021 Hälsa Nutrition on the Foodie Pro Theme

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settings ACCEPT

Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.

Necessary

Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

SAVE & ACCEPT