Ask a Dietitian

This year, rather than making the same resolution to be healthy or lose weight, why not set some more specific actionable and measurable goals.  Something you can monitor and keep track of.  Here are my top 5 suggestions.

#1 Always include a fruit or vegetable at each meal and snack.

We can all stand to include more fruits and vegetables in our diet.  Women need 7 ½ cup servings per day and men need 8-10.

Action Steps:
– Toss some berries on your cereal or French toast at breakfast.
– Have an orange, pear or apple with your snack.
– Aim to include at least one green and one orange vegetable each day.
– Try butternut squash soup for lunch and roast Brussels sprouts for dinner.

#2 Eat one Vegetarian Dinner each week.

Eating more beans, lentils, chickpeas, nuts, seeds and tofu is a healthy and inexpensive way to get more protein, fibre and unsaturated fats.

Action Steps:
– Use chickpeas instead of chicken in a curry
– Toss lentils into tomato sauce for spaghetti
– Add tofu as the protein in stir fry

#3 Eat Fish 2-3 times per week.

Fish are an excellent source of omega-3 fats which we tend to not get enough of in our diet.  Omega-3 fats help reduce inflammation, reduce platelet aggregation and may help reduce the risk of stroke and heart attack.

Action Steps:
– Make fish tacos with mango salsa for dinner
– Add canned salmon mixed with capers and purple onion to your sandwich instead of ham
– Limit high mercury fish such as fresh or frozen tuna (light flake tinned tuna is lower in mercury), swordfish and shark.

#4 Experiment with whole grains.

In hopes of reducing weight some people choose to cut out grain products and when they do have them they tend to be the unhealthy refined ones.  Rather than cutting them out all-together, why not emphasize the whole grains and include them daily as a source of fibre, magnesium, energy, B vitamins, iron and phytochemicals.

Action Steps:
– Eat a bowl of oatmeal for Breakfast
– Make a pot of vegetable barley soup for lunch
– Have a Greek salad with quinoa for lunch
– Use brown rice instead of white for stirfry

#5 Choose more milk/soymilk and water over sugar sweetened beverages

Sugar sweetened beverages contain lots of calories without much nutrition.  Replacing them with milk, fortified soy or almond beverages can help reduce sugar intake and provide you with a source of calcium and vitamin D.  Having water and a fruit rather than fruit juice provides you with fewer calories and a source of fibre to help fill you up.

Action Steps:
– take a water bottle with you in the car
– have a glass of milk with breakfast or dinner
– drink sparkling water or herbal tea in the afternoon to stay hydrated