3 simple ways to improve your nutrition are: adding more plants to your diet, increasing water intake and eat less processed foods. Pretty simple – right! There may be more specific things you would like to do, but doing these 3 simple things are beneficial no matter what those bigger nutritional goals are. Bottom line is that our day-to-day choices have the greatest impact on our overall health and wellbeing. That is why making a habit into your every day life of adding more plants, increasing water and eating less processed foods can have a huge impact on your overall health.
3 Simple Ways to Improve Your Nutrition
Adding more plants to your diet
What exactly does it mean to add more plants to your diet? Plants are all vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes, beans, whole grains, herbs and spices – essentially anything that comes from a plant. Try for 30 different plants in a week.
Why is this important? Intake of diverse plants directly improves our micro-biome and our gut health, which impacts our immune system, mood, and overall wellbeing.
So how to do it:
- Sneak greens in wherever you can!
- Scrambled eggs – add a couple of handfuls of spinach with some olive oil before you put in the eggs
- Smoothies – this is a really easy one to add spinach, flaxseed meal, avocados, frozen berries, or mangoes
- Oatmeal or other cereal – top with berries and nuts
- Pack salads with shredded carrots, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, & chickpeas
- Have veggies and hummus for a snack
- Quinoa bowls with lots of veggies and beans
- Swap pasta for veggie noodles or have a mixture (you can even use pasta noodles made from chickpeas or lentils)
- Try a homemade veggie burger – here is one of my all-time favorite recipes
- Fresh fruit and nuts make a great snack (wash and cut the fruit up, put everything in an easy to grab container)
- Add spinach, kale and other greens to soups and sauces
- Give cauliflower rice a try in your stir fry or rice bowls
- Try out these yummy Protein bites for a quick, easy and nutritious snack!
Use my printable below for some inspiration. To have access to all of my FREE printables, just sign up for my newsletter! If you already have, just go to the printable tab and enter the password. Then search the printables.
Increasing water intake
Our bodies are about 70% water, so it is important for us to drink it! Being hydrated prevents dehydration, helps with electrolyte balance, maintains blood pressure, normal temperature regulation, joint lubrication, gets rid of waste in our body (urination, perspiration, bowel movements). How much water should you drink? There are varying opinions on this, but aim for 1/2 of your body weight in ounces. Ex: if you weigh 120 lbs.=goal is 60 ounces of water. Check with your doctor for your specific needs if you have questions.
How to do it:
- Drink a glass of water right when you wake up in the morning
- Replace other drinks for water
- Use an app like fit bit or my fitness pal to track your water intake
- Add fruit or lemon to your water
- Alternate drinks
- Keep a reusable water bottle with you
- Set a reminder (use your phone or smart watch to set alarms as reminders throughout the day)
- Drink 1 glass of water before each meal
- Stick to a 1:1 rule for drinks with alcohol or caffeine
- Use a measured water bottle
Eat less processed foods
Processed foods are those foods that come in packages and usually include a lot of salt, fat and sugar. Reducing these are a great way to improve your health. Instead replace them with whole foods, which are products in their original form (or closest to it).
How to do it
- Keep healthy snacks on hand and ready to grab – one of the reasons we like processed foods is the convenience. So take some time to make real food convenient. Put things like fruits, veggies, nuts, into single serving containers.
- Make your own trail mix
- Make hard boiled eggs
- Change small things to adjust
- Try these protein bites to have on hand
- Or these homemade granola bars
- Menu plan
- Choose whole grains over processed grains
- Smoothies
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D I S C L A I M E R Anything that I discuss about making any lifestyle changes is from my own experience and/or other clients personal experiences and may not be suited for you. It is strongly recommended that you consult with your health professional before making changes in your own life. By engaging in anything that I talk about, you agree that you do so at your own risk.
