Achieving nutritional goals is easier than achieving weight loss goals because nutritional goals typically involves eating more food, not less.
And if that doesn’t get you motivated, maybe this will!
1. Make Small Changes
Changing your dietary patterns is like taking small jumps over puddles instead of trying to take one big leap over a big lake. In other words, don’t remove all your guilty pleasures from your diet at once. Instead, start moving closer to your nutritional goals by replacing that breakfast doughnut with a whole grain English muffin spread with natural strawberry preserves. For lunch and dinner, eat what you normally eat but don’t backslide on the healthier choices you make for breakfast. Stick with eating oatmeal, fruit, a bowl of Cheerios or a nutritional smoothie to give you much-needed morning energy.
2. Drink Water
We know you’ve heard it a hundred times before but since it is so important to helping you achieve your nutritional goals, we are going to say it again–drink more water! When your body is sufficiently hydrated, it not only functions better but more easily absorbs vitamins and minerals from the food you eat as digested food passes through your intestines. If you tend to avoid water because it doesn’t have any taste, the CDC recommends jazzing up your glass of water with a lemon or lime wedge.
3. Eat Protein
If you think going completely vegetarian will help you achieve your nutritional goals, consider the importance of protein. Meats contain protein, a nutrient vital to cell structure, growth and production of essential enzymes and hormones.If you do chose to eat a vegetarian diet, you will need to monitor your protein intake in order to prevent a protein deficiency. When your body lacks enough proteins, you could suffer symptoms such as delayed wound healing, chronic headaches, hair thinning and a total absence of energy.
4. Replace Your Sides
Gradually replace those delicious but not-very-nutrition sides like macaroni and cheese, french fries or gravy-covered mashed potatoes with green, leafy vegetables such as cabbage, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower and brussel sprouts. Substitute one or two sides at lunch and dinner for one or two weeks and then start substituting three times a week, then four, etc. As your eating these vegetables, think about the nutritional benefits you are providing for your body–fiber, potassium, vitamin K, calcium and numerous phytochemicals that contribute heavily to achieving your nutritional goals.
5. Healthy Snacks
Everybody has a love-hate relationship with snacks. We know that bag of corn chips isn’t nutritious but it’s what we crave–salty, crunchy and just plain satisfying. But guess what? You can satisfy that urge to crunch and taste saltiness without consuming empty calories by substituting no-nutrition snacks with healthy, yummy snacks rich in vitamins and minerals.Use this great list of healthy snacks to help you achieve your nutritional goals without feeling deprived of delicious foods.
5 Ways to Start Eating Healthier Without Feeling Deprived
And if that doesn’t get you motivated, maybe this will!
1. Make Small Changes
Changing your dietary patterns is like taking small jumps over puddles instead of trying to take one big leap over a big lake. In other words, don’t remove all your guilty pleasures from your diet at once. Instead, start moving closer to your nutritional goals by replacing that breakfast doughnut with a whole grain English muffin spread with natural strawberry preserves. For lunch and dinner, eat what you normally eat but don’t backslide on the healthier choices you make for breakfast. Stick with eating oatmeal, fruit, a bowl of Cheerios or a nutritional smoothie to give you much-needed morning energy.
2. Drink Water
We know you’ve heard it a hundred times before but since it is so important to helping you achieve your nutritional goals, we are going to say it again–drink more water! When your body is sufficiently hydrated, it not only functions better but more easily absorbs vitamins and minerals from the food you eat as digested food passes through your intestines. If you tend to avoid water because it doesn’t have any taste, the CDC recommends jazzing up your glass of water with a lemon or lime wedge.
3. Eat Protein
If you think going completely vegetarian will help you achieve your nutritional goals, consider the importance of protein. Meats contain protein, a nutrient vital to cell structure, growth and production of essential enzymes and hormones.If you do chose to eat a vegetarian diet, you will need to monitor your protein intake in order to prevent a protein deficiency. When your body lacks enough proteins, you could suffer symptoms such as delayed wound healing, chronic headaches, hair thinning and a total absence of energy.
4. Replace Your Sides
5. Healthy Snacks