Wednesday, March 21, 2012

peanut butter & berry sandwich (and what it means to be an RD)

Goodness gracious, if my stats are correct, this blog is getting a decent number of views! Just wanted to say a big ol' THANK YOU for those who are reading, commenting, and are (hopefully) being entertained by this blog! And as always, feel free to pass on the nutrition-love to your friends, family, co-workers, colleagues, dog, dog's girlfriend, and what have you.

I do, however, want to explain the differences between a Registered Dietitian and a nutritionist, since there is often much discussion about this. A Registered Dietitian (RD) is someone who:

1) Earns at least a bachelor's degree in a program like nutrition or dietetics
2) Completes a dietetic internship (AKA supervised dietetic practice in the real-world)
3) Passes the registration examination
4) Stays up to date on current nutrition information by maintaining continuing education requirements 

If you would like more details on what the RDs in your life have gone through or how to become an RD yourself, click here.

Nutritionists are basically....everyone else. And yes, anyone can call themselves a nutritionist. This is because the term is not regulated like the all-powerful RD title, allowing RDs greater access to certain job opportunities, such as in hospitals and clinics. It's also important to note that RD certification is not right for everyone. There are many qualified nutritionists out there in research, teaching, and management positions. It all depends on your career and personal goals of what you want to accomplish in the field. On the flip side, there are also many unqualified nutritionists out there who have taken one or two classes on the matter and have given themselves the nutritionist-title. Moral of the story? Do your research on who you're getting your information from, especially from the internet.

Personally, I have completed my degree in dietetics and dietetic internship, and I am currently preparing to take my registration examination. Hopefully, I will be able to join the RD ranks within the next month. This is why I am calling myself a nutritionist for now since the RD term is legally regulated and, really, we don't want to mess with the law. However, I do realize that the URL for this site contains the word "dietitian" (www.missdietitian.blogspot.com), and this is only because Blogger allows certain words to be used (many are already taken by other blogs) when blog URLs are created. I wanted to reserve "Miss Dietitian" for my using, and will change my blog's header when I pass my exam.

That's all my legal-jabber for today; let's talk about FOOD! Or more like, let's talk about one of the most favorite lunches for kids and those of us who are kids at heart.


However, today I gave my PB&J a make-over. I had some frozen strawberries in my freezer and thought, what if...I defrosted those berries and spread them in my sandwich instead of using jelly?!

It worked.

Not only does it help rack up your fruit tally for the day, but this new method also has less sugar and can make for a more natural peanut butter sandwich. And the best part is, it tastes delicious! Try it with other berries, like blackberries and raspberries for a twist.


A few more words on peanut butter. Per 2 tablespoon serving, it's a great source of unsaturated fat, the "good fat", which helps us stay fuller, longer. It also keeps the satiety centers in our brain happy, AKA where our appetite is controlled in our brain (at the hypothalamus). This means that we feel satisfied after we eat foods with higher amounts of fat, which can be good in moderation to maintain a healthy weight.


Key word: moderation. Let me reiterate that the serving size for peanut butter is 2 tablespoons. And let me tell you that it is so, so easy to pile on the peanut butter without even realizing it! You are talking to a first class peanut butter lover right here, so I have definitely done it before, too. As long as you keep your portion size in check, peanut butter can be a part of a healthy diet.


However, not all peanut butters are created equally. I love Trader Joe's natural peanut butter, especially because of the price - usually under $2! It's a natural peanut butter, which means that there will be that layer of oil that needs to be mixed in before schmearing it on. This layer of oil is the natural, unsaturated fat that is in peanuts and occurs because natural peanut butters are free of hydrogenated oils, or the fats that manufacturers put in products to increase their shelf life (Jif, anyone?) Natural peanut butters also need to be kept in your refrigerator!


I recommend this site - Peanut Butter Lovers - if you would like more peanut butter recipes, information, and love in your life.


Oh, and while we're on the recipe-train, here's another version of the Summertime Oatmeal recipe we talked about a few days ago:


Are you ready for your close-up?

This guy has blackberries and walnuts. Yum!

Have a fabulous Wednesday, everyone! Go out and enjoy some sunshine! It's 83 degrees in the Mitten today!

9 comments:

  1. Yum! Healthy PB&J! How do you spread a berry? Just chop up and squish around? I'd like to try with strawberries since strawberry jelly is ma fave!

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    1. Mine were frozen, so I put them in a microwave-safe bowl for a minute and they basically make their own liquid and get soft. Then I mashed them with a fork and spread the compote-like substance over my PB. I then proceeded to grill the entire sandwich on the George Foreman grill.

      If you are using fresh strawberries, I'd suggest mashing a few washed strawberries with a fork and then heating them up a tad in the micro. Hope this helps :)

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    2. Yess I love using those berry juices for jam.;) NIce post, Patti!

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    3. Thanks, Lizzy!! And yes, berry juices should ALWAYS be utilized to their fullest potential.

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  2. Hey!
    I love Trader Joe's natural peanut butter, too! It's the least expensive and the tastiest and the easiest to stir! :) You've got a lot of good, fun info, Patti!

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    1. Thanks, Amy, and yeah, gotta love TJ's PB! Especially when a lot of the natural PBs out there are wicked expensive!

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  3. I think it's phrases like 'dog's girlfriend' that keep people coming back. Or maybe that's just me... :D

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    1. Who knows, this dog's brotha from anotha motha might pop up in a post in the near future. Stay tuned.

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