30 Simple Nutrition Tips
Good nutrition plays a significant role in a person’s overall health and wellness.
Proper nutrition has been proven time and time again to reduce certain diseases, increase life expectancy, improve quality of life, etc.
There are plenty of nutrition tips and eating trends available today, but practicing good nutrition does not have to be complicated.
Making small, consistent steps toward healthy eating is the key, and that’s why I’m sharing simple yet practical tips that can help you make better food choices.
30 Simple Nutrition Tips
Choose good carbs
Carbs aren’t always bad for you. In fact, there are many healthy carbs out there that are actually good for you. Whole grains, sweet potatoes, rice, quinoa, starchy veggies - all of that are considered good carbs.
So, instead of only eating bread as your carb source, eat more good carbs.
Limit sugary drinks
Sugary drinks have too much added sugar, which is very bad for your health. Plus, it can really hurt your weight loss journey. So, an easy nutrition tip is to avoid sugary drinks and drink water, freshly squeezed fruit juices, coffee (without artificial sweeteners), and tea.
Avoid ultra-processed foods
Ultra-processed foods have no nutritional value, and they often contain much bad stuff for your body. Always try to eat unprocessed foods, as close as possible to their natural state - that way all the nutrients stay in the food.
Choose healthy fats
Another common misconception is that all fat is bad. That’s not true. Your body actually needs healthy fats in order to function well. Healthy fats are olive oil, avocados, nuts, some vegetable oils, and so on. Always use healthy fats instead of processed fats.
Increase dietary fiber intake
Dietary fiber is very important for your body. It helps with digestion, regulates high blood pressure, and so on. To increase your diatery fiber intake, choose foods that are good sources of it - vegetables, fruits, oats, whole grains, and so on.
Eat food that improves your gut bacteria
Food that improves your gut bacteria are vegetables, legumes, beans, fruit, fermented foods, and so on.
Stay hydrated
Staying hydrated is a crucial part of healthy eating and healthy living. You have to drink water often, and you should never let yourself be thirsty.
If you struggle with drinking water regularly, try to set a reminder throughout the day to remind yourself, and get a big water bottle that you keep next to you all the time.
Stay away from heavily charred meats
Heavily charred meats increase the risk of cancer, so avoid heavily charring your meat whenever possible.
Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables
When talking about healthy foods, fruits and vegetables and the first on the list. They have tons of health benefits - they boost your immune system, give you vitamins and minerals your body needs, help reduce many diseases such as heart disease, and they make you look and feel your best.
So, try to include fruits and veggies in every meal.
Use herbs and spices
Herbs and spices not only make every meal taste good - they also have health benefits. For example, a research shows that curcumin in turmeric has tons of healthy benefits, such as anti-inflammatory properties.
Track your food intake
Occasionally track the food and drinks you consume daily. That way, you can figure out if you’re getting enough nutrients, and if your overall diet is healthy.
Think about portion sizes
While eating healthy foods is extremely important, you also need to think about the portions. This is especially important when eating some less healthy meals. Don’t overeat - if you’re full before finishing the plate, put it in the fridge and eat it tomorrow.
Consume all food groups
Your body needs all food groups - fruits and veggies, protein, healthy fats, and healthy carbs. So, make sure your means include all food groups your body needs.
Avoid saturated fats
While there are healthy fats that your body needs, which we already mentioned, there are also unhealthy fats, and saturated fats. You should avoid those as they’re bad for your health. That’s fast food, deep-fried food, chips, etc.
Make your meals balanced
Make each meal balanced - have all food groups present, and get enough nutrients from the meal as a whole.
Practice mindful eating
Pay attention to what you’re eating. Try to limit all distractions, such as TV, phone, etc. It will help you be mindful of the food you’re eating, and how much you’re eating.
Don’t skip breakfast
Eating breakfast is very important for your health. It helps you start your day the right way, gives you enough energy, and keeps you full until lunch. So, make sure you eat an energy-packed breakfast every day.
Make healthy swaps
An easy way to improve your diet is to make healthy and easy swaps. Instead of soda, drink fresh fruit juice. Instead of fried chicken, eat baked chicken. Instead of french fries, eat sweet potato fries baked in the oven or made in an air fryer. Instead of a heavy cream sauce, make a yogurt sauce.
Make easy swaps that help you keep the flavor of your favorite meal, while giving you more nutrients and removing unhealthy ingredients.
Eat filling meals
Make sure all meals you eat are filling - that way you’ll stay full until your next meal, and you won’t start craving unhealthy snacks.
Eat volume food
Volume food is food that has a small amount of calories, so you can eat lots of it, without gaining weight. That helps you stay full. The best example of volume food is fresh greens.
Eat less salt
Salt is not good for you, so try to eat less of it. Check packages to make sure the ingredients you’re buying don’t have tons of sodium. Of course, you can still salt your dishes to make them taste good, but don’t overdo it.
Eat enough protein
Protein helps build muscle and keeps you full. It’s essential for your body. So eat lean meats, fish, beans, tofu, chickpeas, etc.
Eat healthy snacks
If you love snacks, you can keep eating them - but make them healthy. Snacking on potato chips every day isn’t good for you. Instead, snack on nuts and seeds, or fresh veggies and a dip.
Take vitamin supplements if needed
If you don’t get enough of a certain vitamin, take supplements. It’s important your body has all of the nutrients and minerals it needs.
Consume less sugar
Sugar, specifically artificial sugar, isn’t good for you. So, try to avoid it whenever possible.
Eat lots of soups
Veggie soups are not only great for weight loss, but they can also be packed with veggies that your body needs. There are so many different soups to try, and they’re very healthy.
Eat lots of salads
Fresh veggies are a very important part of your diet, so eat salads whenever possible. You can eat side salads with every meal, or you can eat big salads that are the main meal.
Just make sure you’re not putting a super unhealthy dressing on them because that will make them less healthy.
Think about nutritious value of food
Whenever you’re about to eat something, ask yourself if the food is giving you any nutritious value. If the answer is no, try adding a veggie to the meal.
Eat whole grains
Whole grains are much better for your health than processed grains, as they have all of the nutrients, so whenever possible, get the whole grain version of every grain you buy.
Eat less processed meat
Processed meat like salami or pepperoni isn’t really good for you, so try to avoid it.