Meet our resident dietician

Lisa Valente answers FAQs about nutrition and your health.

IN a nutshell TGIF, Wellness Wire fam! Before we say goodbye for the weekend, we're celebrating National Registered Dietician Day and National Nutrition Month with Healthline's Senior Nutrition Editor and resident RD, Lisa Valente, MS. (Bonus points if you remember her from a recent takeover announcing our soon-to-be revamped Nutrition newsletter, which you can subscribe to here.) After Lisa answers nutrition FAQs, we're serving up topics like: • her favorite stacking ice tray, multipurpose pan, and microplane • smart ways to lower your grocery bill • more health stories you need, like 10 healthy finds from our nutrition editors Be well, Morgan Mandriota Newsletter Editor, Healthline

Written by Morgan Mandriota March 10, 2023 • 6 min read

Lisa Valente believes that every food can fit into a healthy diet. (Yes, even cookies!) She's a pro at breaking down nutrition science in a relatable way and often dishes her wisdom on Healthline's website and Instagram feed. Below, Lisa spills foodie wisdom, including her tips, tricks, and hacks to help spice up your diet and cooking routine. *This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Q: What inspired you to become a registered dietician? And how has the knowledge you've learned helped you along your personal wellness journey? A: Heart disease runs in my family, and I was curious about the connection between diet and chronic disease. I wanted to help people eat better to feel better. On my own wellness journey, a lot of what I'm applying is unlearning that my diet has to be "perfect" for it to be healthy. I embrace eating foods that I once thought were "bad" (like chocolate chip cookies) as part of my overall diet and aim to eat vegetables and protein when I can. My focus is much bigger and includes eating for joy — because life's too short. Q: A lot of people think healthy food means bland, boring, or exclusively salad. What are some tricks you use to add flavor to your meals? A: If you think healthy food is boring, you probably just need to spice it up a little. Seasoning what you eat is key — salt, pepper, herbs, spices, citrus, vinegars, olive oil. Fat adds lots of flavor and increases the satisfaction of your meals. You also need it to absorb vitamins A, D, E, and K. So, add some oil to your pan or veggies. Parmesan cheese is my favorite pasta topper, and peanut butter makes almost everything taste better (in my opinion). Q: For those of us who find meal prep and planning overwhelming, how can we simplify the process? A: I need some flexibility during the week — I'm definitely not making 20 meals or spending 6 hours in the kitchen on a Sunday. But I do like to have a few solid ideas of what to cook. If making five dinners on a Sunday feels overwhelming, ask yourself what you can do to get a head start. That might mean thinking of three dinners, getting your grocery shopping done, cooking some protein, or chopping some vegetables. Make meal planning work for you. It doesn't have to look Instagram-perfect. Q: What are some of your favorite little-known nutrition health facts or hacks? A: Think about what you can add to your diet, not subtract. Instead of depriving yourself, add veggies, fiber, protein, etc. There's protein in almost everything we eat — meat, seafood, grains, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and more. It all counts toward your daily intake. Drinking water out of a straw helps me drink more. Bell peppers have more vitamin C than an orange. Frozen fruits and vegetables are just as healthy as fresh. Q: If you could give *one* piece of advice to someone who wants to improve their diet, what would you say? A: Start small. Many people slam their foot on the gas and give up after a couple of weeks. It can be tricky if you want to see immediate results, but you have to play the long game to make sustainable changes. Focus on 1–2 small changes you can make: Walk for 10 minutes, add a vegetable to dinner, drink 8 glasses of water a day. Let those become habits and add on from there.

great finds Editor faves with health perks You know those great finds you just *have* to tell your friends about? That's how we feel about the products we recommend here. Every pick has been vetted by our editorial team, and we genuinely think it'll make your life better.       Stacking Ice Tray Valente says this stackable ice cube tray changed her life, especially after her ice maker broke. SHOP NOW     OurPlace Always Pan This multipurpose pan is "a workhorse" in Valente's kitchen. My mother loves hers, too! SHOP NOW     Microplane Classic Zester Grater Level up your dishes with a microplane for zesting citrus, shredding parm, and melting garlic. SHOP NOW

Weird Science Shopping hacks to spend less at the supermarket Food prices are up about 10.1% from January 2022 and projected to continue rising throughout 2023 (although not as much as in 2022, thank goodness). Beyond financial concerns, there's also an emotional cost — a 2022 survey, conducted by market research company IRI, found that more than 90% (!) of consumers were concerned or extremely concerned over rising grocery prices. Are you worried about spending too much at the supermarket? Join the club (that none of us want to be in). Try cutting back with these shopping hacks: • Switch your go-to store: If prices for your essentials are cheaper at a local dollar store or Trader Joe's, it could be worth shopping for different items at different stores. • Be pickier with produce: Fresh produce is great, but frozen fruits and veggies are just as nutritious and typically last longer at a lower cost. • Make strict shopping lists: Making a plan can limit spontaneous purchases spent on snacks and other tempting goodies. • Buy in bulk: Spending a little more upfront could go a long way, especially if the price is right and the bulk buy meets your long-term needs. • Apply coupons: Search for sales with coupon codes, special offers on first-time grocery delivery services, in-store sales, and other ways to save. For more tips on how to save while you shop, read our list of 10 smart ways to lower your grocery bill. We also want to know: How much do you spend on groceries per week? Let us know at wellnesswire@healthline.com. (Please note that we may share your name and response in an upcoming newsletter!)

health stories you need What we're reading next 🛍️ Top 10 healthy finds on Amazon. This list features workout accessories, pain relief sleeves, headphones, snacks, and more — hand-picked by Healthline's nutrition editors. 🫁 Questions to ask your doctor about lung cancer. If you've been recently diagnosed with lung cancer, or you love someone who has, find out the answers to these questions. 🥕 13 best meal delivery services for 2023. On a budget? Lazy? Hungry? These meal delivery programs are dietician-approved and tested by Healthline's editorial team. 💥 Tips for managing nighttime joint pain. If you deal with p.m. pain flare-ups, check out our list of at-home treatments and adjustments that can help you score some relief.

Thanks for reading! We hope you have a great weekend full of delicious food, joy, and rest. We'll see you again on Monday.

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