Raising The Bar: Good Nutrition Has Never Tasted So Sweet

 

We sat down with Accredited Practicing Dietitian Savina Rego, A.K.A The Savvy Dietitian. Savina is from Perth and helps her patients ditch diets and change habits.

 

What is one of the biggest barriers to eating healthy?

For the average time poor Australian, a quick grab and go option before the next meeting, training session or errand can sometimes take priority over sitting down to a pre-prepared home cooked meal. However, when health and nutrition start to finally become a priority within the busy lifestyles people lead, they get stuck on not knowing how to find the time to plan and prepare healthy meals on the go.

 

What obstacles do time-poor people face when making food choices?

A common struggle people face is not knowing what to eat to keep them feeling full and energised, whilst also being healthy. Another consideration is the planning, time and effort this will require. This is where people often fall into starting a trendy diet, with claims around weight loss and optimal health. These diets require more time, planning, consistency and discipline than people anticipate and therefore, eventually fall to the wayside.

 

What’s a good option for those days when we haven’t prepared food?

From experience working with clients, breakfast and lunch meals are often the hardest meals for our clients to organise for themselves. Meal replacement shakes and bars have been commonly used to assist people in losing weight, however, they are also a fantastic convenience option for people who want a nutritious option that will keep them feeling full and energised throughout the day. Bars in particular are extremely convenient as they offer a ‘throw in the bag and go’ option. Traditionally bars have been utilised as a snack option, but with the growing need for convenience, Formulite has created a bar that is nutritionally equivalent to their shakes and can therefore be used as a complete meal replacement. These bars come in two pieces, together, providing the nutritional equivalence of a meal or individually serving as two snacks. Having the flexibility to choose to have one or two pieces gives people the opportunity to vary their intake based on their nutritional needs for the day based on how busy and hungry they get.

 

Why do you recommend Formulite to your patients?

Meal replacement shakes and bars are becoming increasingly popular and there are various options to choose from. But like most things in life, not all meal replacements are created equally in terms of nutrition, palatability, and affordability. Formulite, an Australian owned company, markets meal replacement shakes and bars that clinicians can vouch for based on the high-grade ingredients and methodology used in creating their products. A standout feature of Formulite shakes include the use of natural sweeteners such as Stevia in comparison to competitors who use artificial sweeteners that can affect palatability and tolerance for those with gut sensitivities. Their new range of bars provides a mix of protein, fibre and 24 essential vitamins and minerals aiming to deliver a nutritionally optimal product for everyday living and weight management. The bars manage to pack in a huge 20.4g of protein while maintaining a low carbohydrate content of just 13.2g, making it a great option for those managing conditions such as type 2 diabetes. The high fibre content of the bars (5.1g) promotes the feeling of fullness that people look for at the end of a meal.

 

What advice can you leave our readers with?

The best pattern of eating or ‘diet’ is one that achieves the balance between enjoyment, convenience, nutrition and affordability whilst being able to maintain this way of eating consistently. Bars such as Formulite’s new range are making their mark in diets because they are an easy addition to finding the balance in today’s fast-paced world.