Bonnie is a Registered Dietitian (R.D.), Certified Dietitian-Nutritionist (CDN) and Certified Diabetes Educator (C.D.E.) with specialized training in Intuitive Eating. She helps chronic dieters and people with medical conditions like diabetes take back control so they can get the healthy body and life they want! Bonnie is married and lives in Long Island, N.Y. with her husband and three single children. She has one married son.

ITF:  Do you love food shopping or dread it?

BG: I enjoy food shopping, but often don’t have as much time to spend in the supermarket as I would like.  I mostly enjoy food shopping with my husband…we consider it a date when we go without the kids:) 

ITF: What is the single most important thing on your mind when you are shopping for food?

BG: When I shop, I consider the nutritional value of the foods I purchase.  I read labels, ingredients and would rather spend a little more on a product if it is healthier for me and my family.  On the other hand, my husband is all about the sales and coupons, which is why we are a perfect match and complement each other.

ITF: How often do you shop?

BG: My husband does the non-perishable food shopping once per week, then fills in as needed.  I do the fruit, veggie and lean meat/fish shopping once per week.

ITF: How many do you shop for? Ages? 

BG: We shop for 5 people; me, my husband, my 20 year old son, 17 year old daughter and 10 year old daughter.

ITF: How do you plan your weekly meals? Create a spreadsheet of fly by the seat of your pants? 

BG: A little of both.  I cook for the weekend with the intention of having leftovers to eat during the week.  I will also cook on Sunday and freeze in pre-portioned containers so we are never without a home cooked meal in case I have to work late.  Towards the end of the week when we have used the leftovers, dinners are quick and easy, but always well-balanced with a protein, whole grain and veggie.

ITF: What is the most coveted food in the fridge right now for each member of the household? Why?

BG: Well, since its Passover, the foods we are eating this week are different than all year round in terms of not eating grains.  We use matzo and matzo products in place of bread and bread products.  Right now we have an abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables in the fridge, yogurt and cottage cheese.  These are foods we have all year round of course.  But if it wasn’t Passover, I could tell you that the most coveted food in the fridge for me would be Chobani Greek yogurt.  I just love Chobani Greek yogurt which is a great source of protein and probiotics.  I usually add fresh berries, sliced banana and chopped walnuts.  Right after Passover, I am heading out to buy some Chobani.

ITF: Do you believe in leftovers?

BG: Yes, I love leftovers!  I wouldn’t be able to be a working mom without leftovers.  Thank goodness my kids are okay with leftovers too. 

ITF: When you hear the word “homemade” what is the first thing that comes to mind?

BG: Fresh, wholesome with no preservatives and additives. 

ITF: What was the last meal you cooked from scratch?

BG: Since its Passover now, all my food is cooked from scratch.  The most recent meal consisted of Chicken with Honey-Wine Sauce, Farfel Ring, and Roasted Asparagus.  These are recipes you can find in my Passover cookbook called Passover the Healthy Way: Light, Tasty and Easy Recipes Your Whole Family Will Enjoy

ITF: What words of wisdom or advice do you have for other folks who are doing their best every day to fill the fridge?

BG: Try to have all the food groups represented in the fridge.  Start with filling the fruits and veggies bin, then move on to low fat dairy, such as yogurt, cheese and milk.  Then lean protein, such as eggs.  For the grains, I like to keep my whole wheat bread in the fridge to prevent it from getting moldy. 

ITF:  What are you working on these days that you’d like to tell us about?

BG: I am thrilled to tell you about 2 new programs in my practice.  The first is called iEat Mindfully™.  In this program, I help people who are struggling to lose weight achieve weight loss and a body they love without suffering through another diet that doesn’t work.  I do this by creating a tailored solution that combines 3 essential ingredients: a healthy non-diet mindset, nutrition education and caring support.  You can get a copy of my free guide 5 Steps to a Body You Love without Dieting. 

The second program is Healthy Kids Make Happy Moms™ where I teach kids the FUNdamentals of Nutrition and how to make healthy food choices.  This is a program geared towards kids in kindergarten through 3^rd grade.  Nutrition education for children should start when they are young.  

For more information on the services I offer, such as diabetes management and treatment of IBS, please visit www.brghealth.com

ITF:  Anything else?

BG: I am happy to be spotlighted by Inside The Fridge.  If anyone has any questions, I can be reached at bonnie@brghealth.com.  I’d love to connect on social media as well:

www.facebook.com/BRGDieteticsandNutritionPC

Twitter @brghealth