8 Notes on Nutrition with Marisa Moore

I love healthy eating, but I am no dietitian. I have a degree in film—probably the furthest area of study from nutrition as you can get. Since most of my food knowledge comes from personal experience, I always enjoy hearing from people who have spent some serious time studying the science of what we eat.

I met Atlanta-based dietitian nutritionist Marisa Moore at a Sprouts Farmers Market tour a few weeks ago. I really resonated with her self-described “purist” philosophy of a minimally processed, plant-based diet. I got the chance to follow up with her to get her take on the Paleo diet and nutrition in general.

It was a great and enlightening conversation. Here are eight takeaways from my interview with Marisa.

There are some great aspects to the Paleo diet, but also some questionable ones.

“What I love most about Paleo is the emphasis on whole foods and fresh fruits and vegetables,” she said. She also liked how the Paleo philosophy focuses on being active.

Like many nutritionists, the biggest hang up that Marisa had about Paleo was how the diet seemingly cuts out entire food groups, in particular plant-based proteins. She asked me the age-old question about Paleo: “How can you live without beans?”

Gluten is not the root of all evil.

While Marisa acknowledged that gluten sensitivities are real, she found it questionable to blame one food as the source of the world’s nutritional problems.

“There are so many layers involves, it’s risky to point the finger at one specific item,” she stated.

Marisa pointed out that cultures around the world have been eating grains for thousands of years with seemingly little ill effects. We agreed upon the point that Michael Pollen brings up in his book and recent Netflix series, Cooked, that the issues attributed to gluten might be due to the food industry’s over-processing of flour more than anything else.

You can’t live on avocados alone.

I asked Marisa if she was seeing a shift in what the general population considers as healthy. She acknowledged that perceptions are starting to change, but there is still a lot of room left to educate the public on healthy eating. She gave the example of people still being weary of eating egg yolks due to their perceived bad cholesterol content.

Marisa also talked about the tendency to fixate on one specific food group when it comes to dieting. While people are warming up to the idea that some forms of fat can be healthy, there is also danger if they overcompensate with one particular food group. “Consuming a variety of nutrients is still what’s important,” Marisa said. “You can’t live on avocados alone.”

Try to buy produce that’s in season, but frozen is fine too.

Marisa was less concerned about the specifics of eating organic or local produce then she was about people eating enough vegetables in general. “The big picture is that two out of three adults don’t get their daily recommended serving of fruits and vegetables,” she said.

But she does encourage people to buy organic if they can afford it, and to buy local whatever is in season. Fresh local produce contains more nutrients because it has spent less time out of the ground.

Marisa also emphasized that purchasing frozen vegetables is fine; they are still packed with nutrients. She thinks they make a great option in the winter months when there is little fresh local produce available.

GMO’s have not been proven to be a health risk…yet.

On the subject of GMO’s, Marisa was cautious, but pointed out that there have not been enough reliable long-term studies to prove wether genetically modified organisms are helpful or harmful.

She was also concerned that the growing movement against GMO’s might overshadow greater health concerns. “There are a lot of non-GMO crops used in processed foods,” she stated. “Just because something has been verified as Non-GMO, it doesn’t mean it’s safe.”

Make one promise to yourself before dining out.

Marisa agreed that eating out while trying to be healthy can be a challenge. “Restaurants are in the business of tasting good,” she said. “Unfortunately that usually means foods that are high in sugar and fat.”

Marisa encourages people to make a promise to themselves to eat half a plate of vegetables before entering a restaurant. This could be anything from an entree salad to a couple sides of seasonal vegetables (she stressed that french fries don’t count).

You more than likely have the time to cook healthy meals.

“One of the biggest reasons I hear for people not eating healthier is that they don’t have the time,” Marisa said. “After taking a closer look at someone’s schedule, I find that this usually isn’t true.”

Marisa emphasized that people can find the time to eat healthier if they make it a priority. 30 minutes of watching television could just as easily be spent preparing a quick meal or developing a meal plan for the week.

Marisa and I both agreed that eggs make a great go to option for quick and healthy meals. Check out her simple recipes for Smoked Salmon & Goat Cheese Mini Frittatas and Chard, Mushroom & Goat Cheese Frittata.

There might be a correlation between beards and healthy living.

On a bit of a side note, I asked Marisa if there was any evidence to suggest that beards make for healthier living. “Based on the observational evidence I have from your Instagram, I think there might be a correlation,” she answered.

I knew it. Looks like I won’t be shaving anytime soon.

For healthy recipes and to learn more about Marisa, check out her site at marisamoore.com