10 Simple Ways to Boost Your Nutrition in National Nutrition Month!
It’s National Nutrition Month! And the team at F3 is celebrating with a special look at nutritious, delicious ways to improve our lifestyles through the food that we eat.
“Nutrition” means so much more than “eating healthy food.” The nutrients, vitamins, and minerals we get from our food give us energy, keep us full, and improve things like our blood pressure, circulation, metabolism, and even our brain power. (Seriously — you ever had a day when you stopped at too many fast food restaurants and then you just can’t think for 48 hours? It’s all tied to nutrition.)
Here are 10 ways you can boost your nutrition in honor of National Nutrition Month — and from our kitchen to yours, we’ve made these tricks as simple as possible! Fit these 10 secrets to improved nutrition into your daily routine WITHOUT spending a ton of money or time on the food you eat.
We’ve always got you covered here at F3 Wellness Connections!
10 Easy Ways to Improve Nutrition in National Nutrition Month
1. Cook at home.
One of the best ways to eat healthier at home is to, y’know, eat at home! Skipping the takeout line or the delivery charge is a great way to save money, but it’s also the best way to ensure you’re getting nutritious and delicious meals in. Restaurant food is often PACKED with hidden, empty calories — butter, salt, and sugar are huge components in the fast food food pyramid, so cooking at home helps you identify how much of those ingredients you’re actually using, and reasonably cut down on empty calories.
2. Drink more water.
Okay, okay, what does good ol’ H2O have to do with nutrition? The simple explanation is that your body NEEDS water to thrive. And sometimes, when you find yourself standing in front of the pantry looking for a carb-heavy snack, the feeling you’re having is actually thirst, not hunger. In general, aim to drink half your body weight in ounces of water per day. Staying hydrated keeps your stomach full and your energy levels up, which naturally cut down on mindless snacking.
3. Try “Meatless Mondays”.
In general, you can improve your nutrition by eating less meat. One of our favorite Internet fads to go around in recent years is “Meatless Monday,” or a day of eating plant-based or vegetarian meals. This helps your body AND the environment by cutting down on the chemical emissions related to meat packing and processing plants. Plus, all the protein-packed fruit and vegetables on your plate (like avocado, beans, tofu, chickpeas, asparagus, and brussels sprouts) give you the energy and vitamins you need to have a great day.
4. Deep dive into food labels.
Never! Trust! A! Healthy! Label! Buzzwords like “all natural” and “fat free” are often pure marketing, there to trick you into buying Product A over Product B in the grocery store. But the truth is, products that are marketed as “all natural” or “fat free” are often stocked with OTHER ingredients that can wreck your nutrition: hidden sugars, empty starches, and TONS of sodium. Make friends with your food labels so you know what you’re REALLY eating—and when in doubt, stick to fresh fruits and vegetables with high-quality cuts of meat.
5. Stick to food safety.
Interestingly, lack of food safety skills can be tied to poor nutrition. If you’re not used to cooking raw chicken, for example, it’s easy to stumble into cross-contamination with your veggies and sides that can give you a major upset stomach. Make sure you’re practicing good food safety habits—like washing your hands, cooking foods to the right temperature, and separating raw meat from other ingredients while you’re cooking—so that these new delicious and nutritious recipes taste good AND feel good.
6. Fill half your plate with fruits and veggies.
Here’s one simple trick to improve your nutrition: divide your plate into halves. On one half, pile it high with fruits, veggies, and fresh-made accompaniments. On the other half, put your protein, starches, and fats. This ensures you’re stocking up on the nutritious stuff without cutting out your favorites like mashed potatoes or noodles: the truth of nutrition is that you can eat what you want, so long as you’re eating reasonable amounts.
7. Watch your portion sizes.
Which brings us to… portion sizes! We’ve all heard the “your stomach is the same size as your fist” trick from elementary school, and it’s still true. Stick to the amount of food your body really wants, not what your brain thought looked delicious when you were hungry. A good trick for this is to pre-package your meals and snacks into reasonable serving sizes. You can also simply use smaller bowls and plates—only what fits on your plate goes in your stomach! If you’re still hungry after you finish your food, drink a glass of water and wait 10-15 minutes. Sometimes your brain just needs a second to catch up to your stomach. If you’re still hungry after that, have seconds—never, ever starve yourself in the name of “nutrition” or “dieting”!
8. Have nutritious snacks on hand.
The munchies will strike—that’s just a fact of life. But we’re so much more likely to head down to the corner store for a bag of chips and a soda if we don’t have anything crunchy, sweet, or salty on hand. The trick here is to have nutritious snacks ready for those moments you just need to chew on something: carrots and hummus, nut and fruit mix, dark chocolate, and kale chips are a few examples of easy-to-make, easy-to-store snacks you can have at home to replace those processed packaged foods.
9. Stay active.
Get on ya feet and dance to the beat! But seriously, movement is one of the best ways to keep your brain connected to your body—and physical activity is also linked to lessening feelings of hunger that lead to mindless snacking. And “staying active” doesn’t mean you have to spend hours in the gym: play a dancing game with your family, throw a frisbee with your roommate, or take your dog on a walk. Find fun physical activities you ACTUALLY enjoy and make them a part of your daily routine.
10. Explore new things!
And finally, make sure you’re open to discovering new things. When you start to focus on nutrition, it’s easy to feel like your meals got really boring and tasteless. But there are WORLDS of cuisines and recipes at your fingertips via the internet and your favorite cooking shows. For meatless recipes, look into Indian or Thai cuisine. For recipes featuring fresh fruits and veggies, check out Mediterranean recipes from Greece and Morocco. For fish-forward recipes or meals featuring a new kind of protein, try Japanese or Korean food. The options are endless!!
Nutrition may sound like a difficult hill to climb, but with the right resources and expertise, you can find delicious, mouthwatering snacks and meals that are still jam-packed with vitamins and minerals. If you need help getting started, schedule a 30-minute FREE consultation with one of our expert trainers, and mention that you want to learn more about nutrition. We’ll help you find the best meal plan and nutritious ingredients for YOUR body and YOUR interests. Give us a shout at sarah@f3wellnessconnections.com to get started!