HÄLSA Nutrition - Maria Adams

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HÄLSA Nutrition - Maria Adams

Nutrition counseling with an intuitive eating approach + nourishing recipes.

I am a Registered Dietitian who is passionate about helping families ditch diet culture and learn to nourish with confidence and joy. Hälsa Nutrition offers individualized nutrition counseling services as well as freelance writing and recipe development services. Check out my blog and website at halsanutrition.com and message me to set up a consult.

02/09/2026

We all have food police thoughts — it's pretty hard not to in the culture we live in. Since childhood, we have heard messages about what we should or shouldn't eat. These days, it seems worse than ever, leaving us feeling anxious about eating pretty much everything!

The "Challenge the Food Police" principle of intuitive eating helps us recognize these negative thoughts and learn to quiet them so they no longer dominate our headspace. Meditation is another tool that can be really helpful and works nicely in conjunction with intuitive eating.

I also highly recommend the books "Intuitive Eating" and "How to Raise an Intuitive Eater" as resources to help you improve your relationship with food. For extra support, book a 1:1 virtual session with me. Go to halsanutrition.com to learn more.

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02/06/2026

Can you be an intuitive eater as an athlete? Yes, however, part of being an intuitive eater is being able to tune into what your body is communicating and respond accordingly based on your learned wisdom. (Our wisdom comes both through practice and learned knowledge, e.g., information such as this).

For example, it may be hard to eat after intense exercise or after exercise in hot weather--but as an intuitive eater, you recognize what is going on and know that you still have to eat. This is part of gentle nutrition.

The stress/anxiety of competition can also disrupt hunger and fullness cues. It’s hard to eat when your body is in fight or flight mode! Remember that you still need to eat something. Try to manage stress/anxiety through practices such as breathing exercises, listening to music, or coloring.

This can also be applied to other areas of your life. For example, maybe you have social anxiety and find it hard to eat lunch in the cafeteria. Tune into what you are experiencing. Learn how to manage it. And remember that you still need to eat lunch. Choose something easy to eat and keep working at it! You've got this! Sincerely, Someone who has been there!

02/05/2026

One of the most common mistakes I see young athletes make is meal skipping! Eating consistently throughout the day is essential to optimizing your performance. Most athletes benefit from 3 meals a day plus 3-4 snacks, depending on training load, schedule, and goals.

A general fueling schedule could look like:

Breakfast
Snack
Lunch
Pre-workout snack
Training
Post-workout snack
Dinner
Snack

For a high school student, this might look like:

6:30 AM - breakfast at home
9:30 AM - snack*
12 PM - lunch at school
2:45 PM - pre-workout snack
5 PM - post-workout snack
6:30 PM - dinner
9:30 PM - bedtime snack

*Can't eat in class? Try having a bar between classes or pack a drinkable yogurt!

If you have double session work-outs, adjust your fueling plan accordingly. Here is an example:

5:30 AM – pre-workout snack
6-8 AM – practice
8:30 AM – breakfast
12 PM – lunch
3:15 PM – pre-workout snack
3:30-4:30 PM – strength training
5 PM – post-workout snack
6:30 PM – dinner

If you have a tournament day with multiple games or a long track or swim meet with multiple events, plan to eat more snacks than regular meals. See examples for what to eat pre- and post-workout in my previous post, or head to the blog for more information.

If you have double session workouts, adjust your fueling plan accordingly. Here is an example:

02/03/2026

Having a snack before AND after you exercise can help you excel in your sport and recover better after. Here are some ideas for what to eat depending on the time you have.

PRE-WORKOUT

If you have 30 minutes or less:
Choose a light, easily digestible snack such as a banana, apple sauce pouch, pretzels, or sports waffle

If you have 1-2 hours:
You have a little more time to digest. Have a more complete snack, such as toast with nut butter, a fruit smoothie (made with yogurt/kefir/soy milk/almond milk), a hard-boiled egg plus toast, or a turkey sandwich.

3-4 hours before your event/practice:
Have a full meal. (Think a full breakfast or a full lunch, but skip the super greasy foods, spicy foods, or anything else that you don't think will sit well with you! What works for you will depend on factors such as your digestive system, your sport, and what you are used to eating.

POST-WORKOUT

Within 45 minutes:
Eat a snack or meal containing about a 3:1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein. Snack examples include chocolate milk, Greek yogurt with berries and granola, or a protein bar and an orange.

Within 2 hours:
Eat a full meal.
Have a full meal within 2 hours of your workout. (If you eat a meal right after, you can skip the snack.)

Want a full list of ideas for what to eat before or after you exercise? Head to my blog, link in profile. (Or send me a DM).

02/02/2026

Nutrition for high school and college athletes is essential. How an athlete nourishes themselves is equally important to the training they do. But it shouldn't be stressful.

The athlete’s plate is a visual tool designed to make proper fueling easier. Instead of focusing on grams of protein or pasta serving sizes, use the athlete’s plate to help you create a balanced, nourishing, and satisfying meal. Adjust the food proportions on your plate to meet your needs that day.

🍽️Easy training days (or off-season):
1/2 plate fruits and veggies (“color”), 1/4 plate grains/starches, 1/4 plate protein + source of fat

🍽️🍽️Moderate training days (baseline, most days for high school and college athletes):
1/3 plate color, 1/3 plate grains/starches, 1/3 plate protein + source of fat

🍽️🍽️🍽️Hard training days (also competition/game days or if trying to gain weight):
1/2 plate grains and starches, 1/4 plate protein, 1/4 plate color + source of fat

✨Listen to Your Body.
These plates are guides, but not rules to follow. Know that any fueling is better than no fueling. Choose foods that are available to you and foods you enjoy. Eat the amount that satisfies you. Challenge yourself to try new foods and get color on your plate!

To read the full blog post on this topic, written by my amazing intern, head to the latest blog post: https://halsanutrition.com/nutrition-for-high-school-and-college-athletes/

If you're in Massachusetts, you can book a 1:1 virtual session with me to make sure you are getting the nutrition you need to perform and feel your best!

01/20/2026

Want to help your kids have a healthy relationship with food?

Here are some suggestions...

❖Model food neutrality. Avoid calling foods good/bad, healthy/unhealthy.
❖Provide consistent, balanced meals and snacks.
❖Offer a variety of foods.
❖Let them see you enjoying a variety of foods.
❖Eat together, ideally the same food.
❖Let them decide how much to eat.
❖Speak kindly about your own body and other bodies.

If you have concerns about your child’s eating, I can help. Send me a DM or go to halsanutrition.com to learn more about my 1:1 nutrition counseling services.

01/18/2026

Confused or stressed about eating? Just a reminder that eating is not about following rules or strict guidelines. Rather, it's about nourishing ourselves in a way that works for us. Nutrition is unique to every individual.

Here are some gentle nutrition tips:

1. Focus on balance

Reflect: Have you had one of each of the food groups today? Generally, aim for at least 3 food groups per meal and at least 2 in most snacks, not because they are “rules,” but because having a balanced diet makes our bodies feel their best.

2. Add, not remove

Think: What could make this meal more complete or satisfying?
Carbohydrates provide energy, protein gives us power, fat provides satiety, and fiber helps with digestion.
Examples: adding nut butter and sliced strawberries to toast or pairing cheese with crackers and grapes.

3. Let pleasure be part of nourishment

Check in with yourself: Do you derive pleasure from what you eat? We won’t feel satisfied by food if we don’t enjoy it. Including foods you like can also reduce bingeing and restricting cycles.

01/12/2026

I have a lot to say about the new dietary guidelines, but I will start with a reminder that there is no one right way to eat. In addition, while guidelines can be helpful, they can also lead to stress around eating, rigid eating, and restriction.

If you find that the guidelines stress you out, consider visualizing an intuitive eating plate instead. An intuitive eating plate can be a helpful tool for anyone who wants to cultivate or maintain a healthy relationship with food.

COMPONENTS OF AN INTUITIVE EATING PLATE:
->Foods that you have ACCESS to. There is no need for fancy foods; go with what you have.
->Foods that will NOURISH you. This means they provide the energy and nutrients that you need.
->Foods that you ENJOY. While it’s unrealistic to think that every meal will be your favorite, hopefully, pleasure should be on your plate most of the time!
->Foods that SATISFY you. This means choosing foods that satisfy you, but it also means eating enough total food!

NOT INCLUDED ON THE PLATE:
Guilt and shame. Food should be enjoyed without the negative thoughts that often come with diet culture. If you find yourself having negative thoughts or feelings, know that this is very common. Rather than getting frustrated, get curious about why you feel this way and respond to yourself with kindness and compassion. It can take time to let go of these thoughts; working with a dietitian and therapist can help.

YOUR INTUITIVE EATING PLATE:
Since we are all unique, an intuitive eating plate should be individual to you, both in what you choose and the amounts. And, of course, it can look any way you want and can vary from meal to meal!

For more intuitive eating help or 1:1 counseling, go to halsanutrition.com ♡

12/04/2025

The third principle of intuitive eating is "make peace with food." ☮️

What is the make peace with food principle?
🥄Giving yourself unconditional permission to eat.
🥄Not labeling food as “good” or “bad”—no one food has the power to make you healthy or not. It’s your overall pattern of eating that matters.
🥄Eating what you really want.
🥄Making sure there are no hidden conditions (e.g., you have to exercise after, or you have to eat less tomorrow).

Why make peace with food
🥄When we restrict certain foods or amounts of food, it can lead to feelings of deprivation and cravings.
🥄Eventually, we may “give in” to our cravings, which can lead us to feel guilt.
🥄This guilt triggers feelings of being “bad,” which can lead us to eat more—the “what-the-hell effect.”
🥄We then restrict again, and the cycle continues.

How to make peace with food
🥄Allow all foods into your life.
🥄It can feel scary at first, but trust that eventually choosing a cookie will feel emotionally equivalent to choosing an apple.
🥄When you know a food will be there and allowed, day after day, it loses its power.
🥄Research shows people tire of eating the same kind of food. This is known as the habituation effect.

5 Steps to Making Peace with Food ♡
1. Think about the foods that are appealing to you, and make a list of them.
2. Put a check by the foods you regularly eat and circle the remaining foods that you’ve been restricting.
3. Permit yourself to eat one forbidden food from your list, then go to the market and buy this food, or order it at a restaurant.
4. Check in with yourself to see if the food tastes as good as you imagined. If you really like it, continue to give yourself permission to buy or order it.
5. Keep enough of the food in your home so that you can have it when you want it. Or, go to a restaurant to order as often as you like.

The information in this post was adapted from "Intuitive Eating," 4th Edition, by Evelyn Tribole, MS, RDN, CEDRD-S and Elyse Resch, MS, RDN, CEDRD-S, FAND.

12/01/2025

What do you do when you have overripe bananas 🍌 to use but you’re ready to get your holiday baking on? 🎄 You make gingerbread banana bread, of course! And if you have a lonely bundt pan stashed away in your kitchen, put that to good use while you’re at it. 🤍

Get the full recipe on my blog, https://halsanutrition.com/gingerbread-banana-bread-in-a-bundt-pan/

Happy December! ❄️

11/20/2025

If you have ever felt down about your BMI score, here's a reminder to look beyond this value when assessing your health and well-being.

Here are some of the problems with the BMI:

->doesn't accurately indicate your health status
->doesn't consider health conditions
->promotes weight stigma
->common cause of eating disorders
->can negatively impact mental health
->doesn't consider fitness or muscle
->doesn't consider men vs women
->doesn't account for different ethnicities
->doesn't consider different age groups

The BMI is one data point that health care providers have when assessing health. There is a lot of other data to consider.

The BMI should be used as a screening tool that elicits a deeper assessment of a patient’s health risks. Ideally, everyone–no matter their BMI, should be asked questions about health behaviors that affect health, such as diet, exercise, sleep, stress, and substance use. In addition, it’s important to recognize that weight-loss diets generally do more harm than good; so instead of pursuing weight loss, people should work with dietitians, therapists, and personal trainers to improve body image and make sustainable behavior changes that promote lasting health.

In addition, it's worth noting that the social determinants are even more correlated with health--factors like economic status, education, access to healthcare, access to food, environment, and discrimination.

Bottom line: When assessing health, it’s important to look beyond the BMI. Likewise, we need to work to end the stigma that comes with both BMI and weight. Your weight is not your worth. Bodies come in all shapes and sizes.

Read the full post about BMI on halsanutrition.com, link in profile.

11/07/2025

An essential part of intuitive eating is having access to adequate food. For children, it means being offered regular, nourishing meals and snacks.

You can’t eat intuitively on an empty stomach. When you don’t know what or when your next meal will be, it disrupts your relationship with food and can lead to a life of disordered eating.

Food insecurity stresses the body in many different ways, from reducing health and quality of life to promoting stigma and shame.

The largest anti-hunger program in the US is SNAP, which helps about 1 in 8 Americans. It’s essential, especially for the 1 in 5 children in this country who are currently living with hunger.

Let’s work together to end hunger and support adequate food for all. Donate money, food, or time to your local food pantry. Support organizations like . Spread the word about the importance of food security in promoting health and healthy relationships with food. Give in whatever way you can. ♡

Sources:
https://www.jandonline.org/article/S2212-2672(24)00334-4/fulltext
https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2025/what-is-snap-and-why-does-it-matter
https://www.nokidhungry.org/blog/how-many-kids-united-states-live-hunger

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http://www.halsanutrition.com/

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