Did you know that starting your journey to healthy eating can be as simple as hacking your diet? All it takes is a few minor changes to those foods you reach for daily, and you can save calories, increase nutrient intakes, and feel fuller faster.
Try these quick tips to jumpstart your healthy eating:
- Skip the sour cream. Pick up a container of Greek plain non-fat yogurt. Using this in place of sour cream will boost your protein intake, give you lots of calcium and keep the fat and saturated fat to a minimum.
- The softer the butter or margarine, the better. For example, the spray-able buttery topping is best, followed by the squeezable, the tub, and then the stick comes in last. The harder the spread, the more it’s been hydrogenated. Hydrogenating something turns unsaturated liquid fat into solid fat, causing it to be stored in the body affecting cholesterol levels negatively.
- Stir your peanut butter. Be sure to purchase peanut butter with oil on top. This type has no extra saturated fats added to your choice. Mixing peanut butter generally means it only contains peanuts and perhaps salt to flavor. Other forms of peanut butter contain fats that act like trans fats in the body.
- Add produce to every meal and every snack. Increasing intakes of fruits and vegetables will increase your feelings of fullness, improve your micronutrient intakes, and provide mealtime satisfaction.
- Go meatless. Choose one day a week, consistently, that you choose meat-free sources of protein. Try incorporating quinoa, pumpkin seeds, dairy, or meatless meat (pea protein) to help meet your protein needs without increasing your intake of saturated fats.
For other hacks, see these nutritionist suggestions here.
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