A healthy eating pattern can lead to short and long term health benefits. It can impact your mental and physical state and reduce disease risk in the long term. Many people try to eat healthfully with only weight loss as a goal, but there are many reasons to adopt a healthy eating pattern beyond that.

Among others, those reasons include:

• Lower risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers
• Help the digestive system function
• Help maintain a healthy weight
• Strengthen bones
• Boost immunity
• Support muscles
• Keep skin, teeth, and eyes healthy

AND

• It may help you live longer!

Adopting a healthy lifestyle can improve your health, even if the scale doesn’t move! (See this post for ways to measure health, beyond weight.)

So what are some nutrition-supporting goals you can choose to focus on beyond weight loss?

Try a new fruit or vegetable each week. There’s a rainbow of plants to choose from. A healthy eating pattern includes vegetables of all types- dark green; red and orange; beans, peas, and lentils; starchy; and others- as well as fruits, preferably whole. Each one comes with its own flavor, texture and nutrients!

Swap a whole grain version in for your favorite starch. Do you love white bread, pasta, or rice? Consider trying a whole grain version (or mixing it in half-and-half) of your fav. You will boost your fiber and nutrient intake and may find you like the nutty/earthy taste. Oats, buckwheat, bulgur (cracked wheat), and whole-grain cornmeal are also whole grains.

Learn to cook a new protein. Maybe chicken is a staple in your house, but you have never tried tofu? Or the thought of cooking fish terrifies you? Be brave and give it a try! Including a variety of protein sources in your diet each week offers you new flavor opportunities and different health benefits. Fish is one source of Omega-3 fatty acids that are beneficial to health. Beans, peas, and lentils are vegetables and a protein source! Try swapping one of these in for a dish you usually make with meat.

Challenge your sugar or alcohol intake. Foods or drinks high in these components can fit in a healthy eating pattern, but consuming too much of them on the regular edges out more nutrient-dense foods. Be honest in your evaluation of your habits; added sugars can be especially sneaky and found in many foods. Challenge yourself by snacking on a naturally sweet food (like fruit) or choosing a non-alcoholic beverage in the evening.

Make the healthy choice the easy choice.  We all like to make choices that are easy. Our lives are busy and we often don’t have the time or mental capacity to analyze every bite that goes into our mouths. That’s not the goal! But you can make healthy eating easier by doing some pre-planning. Choose versions of healthful foods that fit your lifestyle. Don’t have time to peel and chop broccoli? Choose a frozen, microwave-ready version! Don’t want to pull out a cutting board every time you want a snack? Slice veggies, fruit, and cheese when you have a few minutes so they are ready to go when hunger hits!

And remember, health is built on an overall healthy pattern- not daily perfection. If you don’t reach your goals every day, it’s okay!

Would you like to talk more about building healthy habits? Reach out to me at (785) 560- 2566 or rdn@manhattannutritionclinic.com