Trina Robertson, MS, Registered Dietitian
Trina Robertson
About me:
Trina Robertson is a registered dietitian with a master’s degree in sports nutrition. As a Project Manager with the Dairy Council of California, Trina develops, evaluates and promotes nutrition education programs for students and adults.
Her most rewarding accomplishment is that her 10- and 12 year-old sons are proud mom is a dietitian and have a diverse palette; they enjoy eating everything from Korean to Italian to Great-Grandma’s classic dishes.
She has previously served as a nutritionist for the Women, Infant Children federal program and Head Start. Currently, she also works with her local PTA to promote good nutrition to students and families and with the Orange County Health Care Agencies Rethink Your Drink campaign.
Follow Trina on Twitter @TrinaR_RD
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A recent Orange County Register article on a new local social media project caught my eye and made me go into full nutritionist mode. The article detailed a group of Facebook friends who moved into a house in San Clemente to start a social media company, Social Spin.
The group’s ocean view home is supported through the company’s revenue, and as a startup company they are trying to conserve cash. Seven young men are living in a house in San Clemente and to keep costs down they are eating a lot of Top Ramen. The next part of the article made me pause, “ ’We've got chicken, chicken and chicken,’ sales director Ben Dixon, 22, of Chicago said as he went through the group's selection of Top Ramen. Tubman broke out a Cup O'Noodles for lunch.”
Yes, they have great business plans, but assuming that the reporter did not take too much liberty with the noodle statement, there is no reason for these men to limit their food choices so severely. I am a registered dietitian and I love to cook. Cup O’Noodles and Top Ramen? To think that these men exist primarily on dehydrated noodles is hard to imagine. Where are their mothers to give them basic nutrition advice? Where are the local supermarkets and farmers markets and restaurants that would like to start a social media campaign and provide them with tasty, healthy food?
I am not going to cite the nutrient facts of Cup O’Noodles and Top Ramen. We all know that eating a variety food from all the food groups leads to better health. And yes they are easy to prepare. And low cost. You can eat better on a budget.
With a new company and a reality show being filmed the men of Social Spin must be working hard. Gentleman, how do you survive? In the spirit of social media, here are ideas in 140 characters or less to diversify your food choices. Each of these tips is designed to keep your costs down and time in the kitchen to a minimum (please notice I am not even using the word “cook” in these ideas). You’ll find that eating healthier can be easy.
· Buy store brand quick oats. Add non-fat milk & microwave one minute. Starts your day with protein, calcium, fiber & fiber-rich carbs.
· Think inside the box with dry cereal and milk for a snack. High in protein and nutrients and requires no heating.
· Use canned vegetables (diced tomatoes) or frozen vegetables (corn, spinach, green beans, broccoli). There’s less chopping & waste.
· Want the crunch of fresh veggies- carrots are a great deal. Eat them plain or dip.
· Frozen fruit (berries, peaches, cherries) and canned (pineapple’s my favorite) are a great snack or addition to a yogurt smoothie.
· Beans, especially dried, are low cost & nutrient-rich. Beans can count as a veggie serving! Top with cheese and serve on a tortilla.
· Fast: Corn tortillas and melted cheese on the stove. Faster: put it in the microwave. Add nutrients and flavor with salsa & guacamole.
· “Break the fast” shake of milk, banana and flavoring of your choice.
· Add canned tuna or chicken to pasta, beans or salads. It adds protein which will help you feel full longer.
· I’ve saved the best advice for last. Dried pasta (a step up from dehydrated noodles). Add red sauce or olive oil & top with parmesan.
I challenge Social Spin to allocate white board space in the kitchen to include some of the recipe ideas here. Pick one or two that that would taste good, fit their budget and time constraints. These are not truly recipes but ideas on how to assemble foods. And since studies have shown that starting out with breakfast leads to more concentration and better achievement, they should start their next 9 am board meeting with a quick breakfast. I wish the Social Spin team all the best in business and health and hope they discover that there are nutrient-rich, low-cost meals that make healthy eating easy.
Trina Robertson, MS, RD