March is National Nutrition Month. To celebrate, I turned to several registered dietitians (RDs) for their best nutrition advice. The question was simple: What is your #1 tip for healthy eating that you want everyone to know?
Believe it or not, the answers are incredibly simple and straightforward. Not a single dietician recommends dieting or calorie restriction! Essentially, these tips are about adding more food to your plate and creating balanced meals.
Eat more plants in any way possible
My top nutrition tip is based on my more than a decade of experience as a registered dietitian and vegetarian: Add more plants to your plate at every meal, in any way possible. Whether that means blending greens into a smoothie, adding black beans to tacos, using chopped mushrooms on your burger, or adding a delicious side of corn to your main course, there are many ways to add herbs to your meals.
Herbs not only enhance the flavor of most dishes, but also provide many health benefits. Research suggests that eating more plant-based foods may play a role in preventing and treating heart disease, cancer, obesity and osteoporosis. This is no surprise since plants are the main source of fibre, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
Change your mind about processed foods
“It’s time to let go of the notion that all processed foods are bad,” says Elizabeth Shaw, registered dietitian, certified personal trainer and author of “Air Fryer Cookbook For Dummies.”
“Essentially, processed means prepared,” he tells TODAY.com. Most processed foods, such as frozen fruits and vegetables, canned beans, yogurt, and soy products like tofu and tempeh, are actually quite nutritious.
Shaw says many Americans are missing out on important nutrients like fiber, potassium and vitamin D, and many processed foods contain these nutrients. However, research shows that consuming large amounts of ultra-processed foods like soft drinks, sugary baked goods, and frozen entrees can increase the risk of many negative health outcomes, including respiratory, gastrointestinal, metabolic, and mental health problems.
If you’re not sure how to tell the difference between processed and ultra-processed, Shaw says researchers classify ultra-processed foods as foods that consist of multiple ingredients extracted or derived from foods, such as oils, fats, sugar, proteins, hydrogenated oils, etc. modified starches or those made in the laboratory.
Follow the MyPlate method
Jessica Jones and Wendy Lopez, registered dietitians, certified diabetes educators, and co-founders of DiabetesDigital.co, have used a simple nutrition tool with thousands of customers: MyPlate.gov.
“The concept is simple: Allocate half your plate to non-starchy vegetables, a quarter to lean proteins, and another quarter to whole grains (and don’t forget to include healthy fats for added vitamins and satiety,” they tell TODAY). .com via email. “It’s an excellent strategy for balancing blood sugar levels, keeping energy steady throughout the day, increasing fiber intake, and providing a broad range of nutrients in your meals.”
Plus, the MyPlate tool fights against restrictive diets by showing you what should be added to a plate.
Do not overcomplicate nutrition
Registered dietitian Abby Langer is known on social media for debunking nutrition myths and sharing her down-to-earth approach to healthy eating. She believes nutrition shouldn’t be complicated, and in her social media posts she often calls out people who promote restrictive diets or sell cure-all supplements. The key to nutrition is “eating as many whole and minimally processed foods as possible, including plants, and getting enough fiber,” she says. Langer also recommends eating a variety of foods and, most importantly, that “food should be enjoyed.” It’s that simple.
Lose diet labels
“Your relationship with food is just as important to your overall health as the nutrition in your food,” says Cara Harbstreet, registered dietitian and owner of Street Smart Nutrition. She suggests ditching diet labels and taking a more flexible approach to eating. “Instead of strict food rules or fad diets, make food choices based on your lifestyle, taste preferences, and budget,” Harbstreet tells TODAY.com.
She explains that nutrition isn’t always black and white, and her favorite phrase when it comes to healthy eating is “mostly.” In other words, overeating doesn’t work, and flexibility helps you create a healthy mindset around food.
Think of every meal as a new beginning
“My advice is that you can always add nutrients to any meal or snack,” says Dalina Soto, registered dietitian and founder of Your Latina Nutrition. “I tell my clients this all the time because they beat themselves up if they don’t have fruit or vegetables for dinner.”
Soto recommends looking at each meal as an opportunity to start fresh and add more nutrients to your day. She also encourages her clients to think about nutrition from a culinary perspective. “What fruit or vegetable would enhance this dish or make it taste better?” is a common question he asks his customers. And she’s a big proponent of adding salsa to the dish for another serving of veggies – yum!
Always eat with a table, plates and chairs
“Eating all of your meals, snacks and desserts from one plate while sitting at the table is a game changer,” says Dawn Jackson Blatner, registered dietitian and author of “The Superfood Swap.”
“It naturally makes the experience more mindful and more enjoyable than eating while standing in front of the computer, on the couch, or in the fridge,” he says. Putting your food on a plate also encourages you to eat slower and chew food better; This is linked to greater enjoyment of food and reduced incidence of obesity.
Beware of fake food and nutritionists (especially on social media)
“Many people spread misinformation about food and nutrition, creating the impression that anything fast food, anything considered ‘processed,’ and anything not ‘approved’ by someone will lead to poor health,” says Christy Wilson. , registered dietitian and owner of Christy Wilson Nutrition. “Nutrition is a science, not an idea,” she says.
Wilson recommends obtaining nutrition information from qualified professionals, such as registered dietitians, whose education and training are specifically specific to these topics. Wilson also recommends staying away from anything that promises to make quick, drastic changes to your health or body, as well as extremist terms like “toxic.”