Do you believe that in order to eat healthfully, you must drastically alter your diet and give up all of your favorite foods? Think again. Changing from white to whole-wheat bread, including a spoonful of ground flaxseed in your afternoon yogurt, and ordering your preferred coffee drink with skim milk as opposed to full milk will all help you become healthier. Small dietary adjustments might have a big impact on your health.
Here are 11 actions you can do right away to enhance your nutrition. If you can, complete them all:
1. Switch to 100% whole-wheat or whole-grain bread
Simply switching to whole grains instead of refined grain products has roughly ten health benefits for your body, including an increase in lifespan, assistance with weight management, and a decreased chance of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and cancer.
Every sandwich, for instance, offers roughly 4 grams of fiber along with a variety of vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals when cooked with 100% whole wheat bread as opposed to white bread.
2. Use mustard instead of mayo on sandwiches
Given that they frequently include high levels of calories, fat, and omega-6 fatty acids, mayonnaise and spreads with a mayonnaise basis rank among the worst condiment options.
As an illustration, every sandwich cooked using a teaspoon of mustard rather than a tablespoon of mayonnaise reduces your daily intake by 100 calories, 11 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, and 7.2 grams of omega-6 fatty acids.
3. Make your oatmeal using skim or 1% milk rather than water
This easy step will increase the protein and calcium in your breakfast, whether you prefer instant or conventional oatmeal. In addition to 6 grams of high-quality protein, 255 mg of potassium, 205 mg of calcium, 14% of the Recommended Dietary Intake for vitamin B-12, and 67 international units (IU) of vitamin D, using 2/3 cup of skim milk in place of water provides these nutrients.
4. Add a little ground flaxseed to yogurt and smoothies
Every time you choose a yogurt or place a smoothie order, do this. 2 tablespoons of flaxseed will give your snack 4 grams of fiber, 2.4 grams of beneficial plant omega-3 fatty acids, and some beneficial phytoestrogens (lignans).
5. Use spinach leaves in salads instead of iceberg lettuce
In comparison to iceberg lettuce, a 4-cup meal of raw spinach leaves contains 20 milligrams of omega-3s, 9800 IU of vitamin A, 5,890 micrograms (mcg) of beta-carotene, 260 mg of potassium, 26 mg of vitamin C, 150 mcg of folic acid, 2 mg of vitamin E, and 68 mg of calcium.
6. Drink unsweetened tea rather than sweetened tea or soda
A 12-ounce portion of sweetened tea from a bottle or can, sweetened tea from a restaurant, or soda has roughly 140 calories and 32 grams of sugar. If you consume approximately two servings of soda or sweetened tea per day, switching to unsweetened tea can help you save 7,840 calories and 448 teaspoons of sugar every month.
7. Order broiled or grilled fish rather than steak when dining out
You can increase your intake of heart-healthy fish omega-3s by eating fish a few times per week. If you substitute fish for a steak, the meal's saturated fat content will be significantly reduced.
Without accounting for fat added during cooking or as a garnish, the usual 8-ounce T-bone steak served at a restaurant (with a 1/8-inch trim) has 635 calories, 17 grams of saturated fat, and 140 milligrams of cholesterol. A typical restaurant-ordered 4-ounce broiled salmon filet provides 206 calories, 9 grams of fat, 1.4 grams of saturated fat, 80 mg of cholesterol, and 2.5 grams of omega-3 fatty acids. By eating more fish, you can save 16 grams of saturated fat and gain 2.5 grams of omega-3 fatty acids.
8. Eat spaghetti with tomato-based sauce rather than white sauce
White pasta sauce with a butter or cream base, such as Alfredo, is very calorie and saturated fat dense. In general, tomato-based sauces (like marinara) are lower in fat and also contain antioxidants and beneficial phytonutrients.
9. Order fruit or fresh vegetables with your sandwich or entrée instead of fries or chips
Many of our favorite restaurant dishes generally come with french fries or potato chips. However, most of the time you can request a side of fresh fruit or veggies in place of the fries.
By choosing a side of fruit or vegetables instead of French fries, you can eliminate about 350 calories and 18 grams of fat from your meal each time (5 or more of which are saturated). 3 grams of fiber and a variety of antioxidants will also be included.
10. Order coffee drinks with skim milk and omit the whip for a healthier diet
When the weather gets warmer, many people who indulge in daily frothy coffee drinks in the fall and winter switch to iced or blended coffee drinks. Choosing skim milk for your daily coffee treat allows you to preserve the nutritional benefits of milk (high-quality protein, calcium, and vitamin B-12) while consuming less calories and fat grams. You can further reduce the amount of fat and calories by forgoing the "whip" that the baristas liberally spray on top.
Approximately 360 calories and 19 grams of fat, 10 of which are saturated fats, are present in a normal 16-ounce mocha latte. With skim milk and no whip, you can reduce the calorie, fat, and saturated fat content to around 220 calories.
11. Change your sweet breakfast cereal to a whole grain, lower-sugar variety
Changing to a higher-fiber, lower-sugar cereal if you often eat cereal for breakfast could have a significant impact on your health.
When compared to a sugary cereal like Froot Loops, cereals like Post Grape-Nuts Flakes (3.4 grams of fiber and 19% calories from sugar) and Quaker Oatmeal Squares (5 grams of fiber and 19% calories from sugar) will provide you with an additional 17 grams of fiber while reducing your weekly intake of sugar by more than 6 teaspoons.
