Tips For A Healthy Diet & Better Nutrition

Don’t Shop Without a List

There are two important strategies to employ when you go grocery shopping: make your shopping list ahead of time and don’t go to the store hungry.

Not knowing exactly what you need makes room for impulse buying, while hunger can further exacerbate your impulses.

To make sure you don’t give in to your impulses, plan ahead and write down what you need beforehand.

By doing this and sticking to your list, you will not only buy healthier items but also save money and have healthier foods around the house.

Increase Your Protein Intake

One study showed that simply increasing protein intake from 15% to 30% of calories made people eat 441 fewer calories per day, without actively restricting their intake (22Trusted Source).

What’s more, protein helps you retain muscle mass, which determines the rate of your metabolism. A high protein intake may increase the number of calories you burn by 80–100 per day (23Trusted Source, 24Trusted Source).

This is especially important for preventing the loss of muscle mass that can occur during weight loss and as you age (25Trusted Source, 26Trusted Source).

Bake or Roast Instead of Grilling or Frying

Another good tip for a healthy diet and better nutrition is to consider the way you prepare your food can drastically change its effects on your health.

Grilling, broiling, frying and deep-frying are all popular methods of preparing meat and fish.

Healthier cooking methods include baking, broiling, simmering, slow-cooking, poaching, pressure cooking, stewing and sous-vide.

Drink plenty of water 

Couple measuring their waist at the beach

Before you tear into that bag of potato chips, drink a glass of water first. People sometimes confuse thirst with hunger, so you can end up eating extra calories when an ice-cold glass of water is really all you needed. If plain water doesn’t cut it, try drinking flavored sparkling water or brewing a cup of fruit-infused herbal tea. Whichever beverage you choose, this is perhaps the most important tip for a healthy diet and better nutrition.

Swap a cup of pasta for a cup of vegetables.

Simply by eating less pasta or bread and more veggies, you could lose a dress or pants size in a year. “You can save from 100-200 calories if you reduce the portion of starch on your plate and increase the amount of vegetables,” says Cynthia Sass, RD, a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Schedule an appointment with Dr Williams