EDMONTON — Tania Vander Meulen solves people’s problems with food.

She boosted Gerry Haracsi’s energy in the morning by telling him to start eating breakfast every day.

She told Juli Isaac, a breastfeeding mom, she wouldn’t feel hungry right after eating if she added protein to her breakfast and snacks.

She also advised Sue Salsbury to eat less fruit and more vegetables to continue losing weight.

It’s Vander Meulen’s job as a registered dietitian, and as the nutrition consultant of the three finalists of the Edmonton Journal & YMCA Health Club Challenge, specifically.

Most of the people who come to her for help with their diets eat too many grains and not enough fruits and vegetables, she says.

“If you’re trying to reach a healthy weight, aim for seven to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables,” she advises.

But you can have too much of a good thing.

Salsbury, for example, would have a big salad for lunch, and then two cups of fruit for dessert.

“That’s four servings of fruit,” says Vander Meulen.

“I told her to leave the fruit out of her lunch, because she was already having a salad, and have it later as a snack, but only about a cup.”

Canada’s Food Guide recommends seven to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables to maintain a healthy weight, but to get down to said weight, eat two to three servings of fruits and seven to eight servings of vegetables because the latter are lower in sugar and calories, Vander Meulen says.

“Loading up on vegetables is better than loading up on fruit.”

Although most people eat too many grains, Vander Meulen found Salsbury and Haracsi didn’t eat enough.

“Sue said that for years she thought carbohydrates were the devil or they made you fat, but not all grain products are the same, and there are health benefits to having grains in your diet,” Vander Meulen says.

Eating grains, especially whole grains, reduces the risk of coronary heart disease, may reduce constipation, help with weight management and prevent cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer.

Everybody’s food needs are different, so having a registered dietitian customize a meal plan for you will help you eat what’s best for you in proper portions, Vander Meulen says.

For example, as a breastfeeding mom, Isaac needs more energy than a woman who is not nursing.

“Typically, it means taking in an extra 350 to 500 calories a day, or about two extra pieces of fruit or an extra serving of milk or an alternative,” she explains.

When Isaac complained that she was feeling hungry soon after eating, Vander Meulen told her eating more protein at breakfast — putting peanut butter on her toast, adding nuts to her cereal, or having an egg — would fill her up more and help curb her hunger.

She also recommended the new mom add a bit of peanut butter,

low-fat cheese or cottage cheese

to the crackers she likes to snack on.

Since Vander Meulen tweaked his diet, Haracsi continues to be amazed at how much food he can eat when he’s eating healthfully, and how it boosts his energy.

czdeb@edmontonjournal.com

Five steps to better health

Here are five of Tania Vander Meulen’s tips to eating your way to better health:

Follow Canada’s Food Guide, healthcanada.gc.ca/foodguide. Choosing the right foods and right amount of food is key to a healthy weight-loss program.

Be aware of what you are eating. Write down everything you eat and drink for at least three days (include one weekend). Compare that to Canada’s Food Guide. You can enter your food records into a program that will help you determine overall calories, protein, vitamins and minerals. A good program to try is Eatracker at eatracker.ca, run by the Dietitians of Canada, dietitians.ca.

Eat a variety of foods. Aim to include at least three to four food groups at each meal and one to two groups as snacks.

Watch your portions. You may need to measure or weigh food until you’re comfortable identifying appropriate servings. Another trick is to eat from smaller bowls and plates, and drink from smaller cups.

Eat breakfast every day.

One of Tania Vander Meulen’s tips appears weekly in the At Home Health Club Challenge electronic newsletter. It’s free. Sign up at edmontonjournal.com/healthclub.