SALT LAKE CITY – As spring approaches, the sun starts to shine a little more each day, the grass looks a little greener, flower buds start to appear and people start to organize their houses and backyards.
Spring cleaning is a great way to freshen up your home and your life, so why not clean up your diet too?
I don’t mean to follow a fad diet that is unrealistic and only leads to temporary results. Instead, I recommend doing a general clean up on your diet, starting slowly, choosing one or two of the suggestions below to work at a time. After creating a habit, choose another one to work with.
You can work on these goals for longer than the spring lasts, but it will definitely be worth it in the long run. By decreasing some foods in your diet and increasing others, you can establish healthy habits that will benefit you for a lifetime.
Decrease the sweets
Excessive consumption of added sugars has been linked to health problems such as dental cavities (or cavities), as well as weight gain, heart disease, diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Added sugars do not include naturally occurring sugars, such as sugars from fruits or milk, and they come into our diet in a number of ways.
Some are quite obvious, such as treats like cakes, cookies, ice cream, sweets, snacks, jams, jellies and other sweets. Other sources can be a little more surprising, like sauces, spices, marinades, sweetened yogurts, cold cereals, cookies, granola bars and more.
One of the biggest culprits is not what we eat, but what we drink. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, sugar-sweetened drinks are the number 1 source of added sugars in the American diet. This includes, but is not limited to, regular soda, fruit drinks, sports drinks, energy drinks, flavored waters and sweetened coffee, tea and alcoholic beverages. Switching from sugar-sweetened drinks to water is a great way to decrease the added sugars in your diet.
You don’t have to go away and cut out all the sweets from your diet overnight or completely. Enjoying a treat from time to time is fine. The main objective is to enjoy them in moderation, keeping added sugars at less than 10% of the total daily calories, as recommended in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
Eat fats – the healthiest type
Fats have been a controversial topic for decades. Should we eat them or avoid them? Instead of the “all or nothing” approach, the answer depends on the type of fat. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends limiting your saturated fat intake to less than 10% of your daily calories, and your trans fat intake should be as low as possible. These types of fats can increase “bad” LDL cholesterol, increasing the risk of heart disease.
Saturated fats are solid at room temperature and are found naturally in foods of animal origin, such as red meat, poultry and dairy products. They are also commonly found in other snacks and treat foods such as chips, cakes, cookies, snacks, fried foods and ice cream.
Just as important as reducing saturated and trans fats is what you replace. Studies have shown that when these less healthy fats are replaced by carbohydrates, the risk of heart disease does not decrease. However, replacing saturated and trans fats with unsaturated fats can reduce the risk of heart disease.
Unsaturated fats include polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. They are found naturally in many plant foods, such as nuts, seeds, avocados, soy and oils made from these foods. They are also found in fish and other seafood. Include these healthy fats in your diet, eating a handful of nuts, cooking with avocado or olive oil, incorporating fish into your weekly meal plan, or covering your toast or salad with avocado.
You don’t have to go away and cut out all the sweets from your diet overnight or completely. Enjoying a treat from time to time is fine. The main objective is to enjoy them in moderation.
–Brittany Poulson, registered nutritionist
Stack the vegetables
The only group of foods that most people admit to having little is vegetables. In fact, according to the CDC, only 1 in 10 Americans eat the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables daily. Vegetables are packed with beneficial nutrients and studies continue to show the benefits of consuming them daily. However, they are still lacking in the average American diet.
The first step in including more vegetables in your diet is to have them available in your home. When you bring vegetables from the grocery store home, don’t just put them in the fridge drawer to be forgotten. Make them easily accessible by cutting carrots, broccoli, celery and cauliflower into chopsticks or small pieces. Then place them in sachets and store them on a shelf in the refrigerator at eye level.
Keep bags of frozen vegetables in the freezer for easy picking and placing in a soup or casserole, mix in a pasta dish, or heat up as an easy accompaniment. Add variety by cooking your vegetables in different ways, such as steaming, roasting, grilling, braising or sautéing. Stack the vegetables on top of your sandwich, hamburger, taco and pizza. You can also stir your eggs with some sautéed vegetables, add roasted vegetables to your whole grain bowl or mix some raw vegetables into your morning smoothie.
Go bananas
Not just bananas, but fruits, grapes, oranges, apples and more. Including fruits in your diet will provide nutrients such as antioxidants, fiber, vitamins and minerals. Whether fresh, frozen, dried or canned, all fruits can be good for you. If you opt for canned goods, opt for canned goods in 100% juice or water. For frozen or dried fruit, make sure that the fruit is the only ingredient listed with no added sugars.
Fruit juice can be a sweet addition to your day, but be sure to note your portion sizes (adults should limit it to 8 ounces) and always choose 100% juice. I usually recommend eating whole fruits instead of drinking juice, because the juice usually does not contain the fibers found in the whole fruit. Eating an orange will help you feel more satisfied than drinking a glass of orange juice.
Go meatless once a week
The high consumption of red meat, especially the consumption of processed meat, has been associated with several chronic health problems, including cardiovascular disease and cancer. Although red meat contains several important nutrients – such as essential proteins, vitamin B12, iron and zinc – consuming large amounts may not be such a good idea.
The World Cancer Research Fund recommends cutting red meats – especially processed meats like salami, hot dogs, ham, bacon, beef jerky, cold cuts and some sausages – to no more than about three servings a week.
Setting a goal of going without meat one day a week will certainly help you to fulfill that recommendation. Get your protein needs by eating plant-based proteins like nuts, seeds, beans, lentils, tofu and whole grains. Choose any day of the week you want for your meatless meals and make it a habit every week. Monday is a popular choice, driven by the Meatless Monday movement.
Try sloppy lentils, three sisters pepper, crispy baked tofu tacos or loaded sweet potatoes for a delicious meatless meal. With all the ways to enjoy vegetable protein, you may not even lose meat once a week.
Editor’s note: Anything in this article is for informational purposes only. The content is not intended, nor should it be interpreted, as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare professional with any questions you may have about a medical condition.; Any opinions, statements, services, offers or other information or content expressed or made available are the responsibility of the respective author (s) or distributor (s) and not of KSL. KSL does not endorse and is not responsible for the accuracy or reliability of any opinions, information or statements made in this article. KSL expressly disclaims any liability with respect to actions taken or not based on the content of this article.