Written by Bethany Di Carlo (Clinical Dietician) from Athletic Avocado
“How do I eat healthier?” You may have asked yourself this question before and felt lost with all the information found online and in the media regarding the best diet to follow. However, those fad diets are not the epitome of health, as they are too strict and are not sustainable long-term.
The truth is, you don’t need to follow a diet to eat healthy. Making some simple changes that increase the nutritional value of your meals can have a greater effect on your health. Here are 4 simple tips to get you started!
1. Sneak in vegetables when you can!
Things like cauliflower rice and zucchini noodles are a great way to add some veggies into your meals to add some fiber to keep you fuller longer. Vegetables are also a great source of many essential vitamins and minerals in our diet, including (but not limited to) vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium, magnesium and folate. If you are using rice in a recipe, try swapping half of it out for cauliflower rice. If you’re making pasta, add some zucchini noodles. Other creative ideas include:
Adding steamed cauliflower to Mac and Cheese
Adding shredded zucchini and carrots to ground beef and poultry when making burgers or meatballs
Making stuffed peppers or zucchini boats
2. Try going meatless one day out of the week!
There is nothing wrong with animal products, as they are great sources of high-biological value protein and essential nutrients like vitamin B12 , iron and zinc. However, replacing animal products with plant-based products can be beneficial for your health.
Plant-based foods such as beans, legumes and soy are not only great sources of protein, but also pack in extra fiber and have a probiotic effect in our gut (something that animal products don’t do). They can be just as satisfying (and delicious!) as meat-based meals.
Cooking plant-based can be easy and often cheaper than buying animal products, which is another extra win to go meatless once a week! Here are some good options:
3. Replace salt with fresh/dried herbs, spices and aromatics.
We all know that salt can add flavor to almost any food, however, too much salt can be damaging to our health. The Dietary guidelines recommends consuming less than 2300 milligrams of sodium per day, or about 1 teaspoon of salt.
Fresh herbs, spices and aromatics can also add much flavor and aroma to foods without the extra sodium. In addition, many herbs and aromatics pack in extra antioxidants, such as cinnamon, oregano, thyme, rosemary,sage garlic and lemon.
Additionally, there are plenty of salt-free spice blends sold in the grocery store, such as Mrs. Dash seasonings. You can also make your own salt-free seasonings using this guide below:
4. Use whole food ingredients when baking!
Healthy baking seems like a paradox, as baking usually gets a bad rap for being full of empty calories and little to no nutritional value whatsoever. However, by changing up your ingredients, healthy baking can actually be a thing (and it's easier than you think).
Flour
The typical flour used in baking is often white,refined flour, with no nutritional value. Other flours that are more nutrient-dense (more protein, fiber and healthy fats) include:
Whole-wheat flour: Sub 1:1 for white flour
Oat flour: Sub 1 ⅓ cup oat flour for white flour
Almond flour: Sub 1:1 for white flour, typically requires more eggs or binding agent
Chickpea/garbanzo bean flour: Sub ¾ cup of chickpea flour for 1 cup white flour
Cherry Garcia Banana Bread made with almond flour
Strawberry Cheesecake Oatmeal Bars made with oat flour
Sweetener
While sugar is often the default sweetener in baking, fruit can also be used to add sweetness to baked goods. Ripe bananas, applesauce, and even pureed prunes or dates can be used to replace some of the sugar in recipes.
Honey and pure maple syrup are also great alternatives to granulated sugar, as a little can go a long way (so you don’t need to add too much). Keep in mind though, that these alternatives are still sugar, they just may have a little bit more of a nutritional benefit (such as a lower glycemic index) than table sugar.
7 Ingredient Flourless Avocado Brownies - sweetened with mashed banana & some maple syrup
Carrot Cake Muffin Tops - sweetened with applesauce
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