March is National Nutrition Month! While we only have another week to celebrate, it's never too late to talk about nutrition and highlight the importance of healthy habits in our everyday lives. For National Nutrition Month, I want to share the top three simple tips I give to my clients to help them eat healthier, now and in the future!
1. Shape Your Environment for Success
Our environment shapes so much about our lifestyle choices and that includes food! Think about the times you’ve had sweets, treats and other goodies laying around the house after an event or party. Or maybe, these foods are stable on your shopping list. Of course, you are going to eat them.
While sweets and treats can be a part of a healthy and balanced diet, it's important to consider how often these foods are in your kitchen. A simple tip is to leave a basket of fresh fruit on the counter so you see it first. You’ll be more likely to grab something when it’s in sight. Also, reduce the frequency in which you bring processed snacks and less healthy foods home. Fill your kitchen with more fruits, vegetables and other healthy plant-based foods so that you actually eat them. What you bring into to your home is what you are going to eat.
2. Practice Preparedness
The more prepared you are, the more likely you are to eat healthy. Think about the days when you're on your lunch break at work and you haven't packed anything to eat. Most people resort to fast food and or the vending machine, which have minimal healthy options available. Now imagine the same scenario, where the night before you've packed a healthy meal, a side of fruit and a big bottle of water to get you through your lunch break. When you take the time to prepare something, you are much more likely to eat it. While being prepared can take more time and energy, it can easily become a habit and part of your weekly routine. Throwing together a lunch and healthy snack can take as little as five to ten minutes the night before.
Another option is meal prep. You don't necessarily need to make every meal for every day of the week, but simply batch cook for 2 to 3 days at a time. This can help alleviate the stress of being in the kitchen and cooking nonstop through a busy work week. Remember, leftovers count as meal prep!
3. Eat The Rainbow
If you seen a dietitian before, I'm sure you've heard “eat the rainbow”. What this actually means is including a wide variety of unprocessed plant-based foods into your diet. And unfortunately, skittles don’t count. Think of all of the colors from fruits and vegetables that you can add to your meals. Different colors of fruits and vegetables offer different health benefits.
For example, berries and red cabbage are rich in anthocyanin, an antioxidant which can help fight against type 2 diabetes, inflammation and even some cancers. Orange and yellow pigments contain beta carotene, which is the precursor to vitamin A and another powerful antioxidant.
A simple way to add more color to your meals is by making a hearty salad with dark green leafy vegetables, chopped bell peppers and cabbage, topped with mixed berries, nuts and seeds.The more variety colorful fruits and veggies, the better!
Alas, hope you can use some of these tips to eat healthier and start making healthy habits, that actually last.
