ditch the fad diets and try these tips to have a healthier, happier new year!
Different diets may come and go with every passing new year, but there are a few nutrition principles that I believe stand the test of time.
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- Drink More Water: Unless you have a medical condition that prohibits you from doing so, we can all benefit from drinking more water. A good rule of thumb is to drink 1 mL for every calorie you eat (So if you eat 2,000 calories in a day, aim for 2L of water per day). Our bodies not only rely on water, but often thirst can be mistaken for hunger when what our bodies really need is a little hydration!
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- Eat More Produce: Whether you prefer organic, pre-chopped, frozen or straight-from-the-garden fresh – it doesn’t matter. Fruits and vegetables are a great way to load up on vitamins and minerals and add bulk to our meals. This means loading up on produce not only helps to make our meals more satisfying, but could end up saving you money (replacing a little of that meat for a few more vegetables can definitely add up over time!)
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- Eat Regular Meals: Our bodies (and brains!) rely on a steady source of fuel to keep functioning at our best. Most of us operate at a break-neck speed on most days, which means we need a good amount of food to keep us going! Skipping meals is like asking your car to run on fumes – whether you like to eat 3 meals + snacks, 6 smaller meals or 4 bigger meals in a day, try to make sure that you’re giving your body fuel at least every 4-5 hours to ensure it has what it needs to keep going.
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- Cook More: When you cook at home you have much more control over the food you’re eating. This often equates to less added fat, sugar and salt (which most of us get more than our fair share of!). It’s also a great way to spend time with family, friends and loved ones by getting everyone involved in the kitchen (making meal time about much more than just the food!).
- Go Meatless (at least once a week): Going meatless once a week can not only benefit your health and the environment, but it can also help to save you some money! Read more about the benefits here.
Going meatless is something that I’m going to try out more this year. I haven’t in the past because my fiance has complained before when I make something without meat. But the other day I made a chickpea curry and he loved it! At least I’ve found one meat-less protein that he would enjoy. The best part about that dish was that I made it as a big batch so that we could eat it throughout the week for lunches; that’s made him eat meat-less for one dinner and 2+ lunches! 😉