Does your nutrition need a boost?

March 10, 2015

For me, the 40 days before Easter represent a time to reflect on myself, focus on healthy behaviors, and reboot my nutrition habits!  This includes avoiding girl scout cookies, dangit!  March is also National Nutrition Month…coincidence?

If you find yourself in this same situation, here are 5 easy and impactful adjustments/substitutions you can make to give your diet a healthy boost.

1. Grab the ground turkey instead of the ground beef for a more heart healthy meal.  Two of my favorite things to make with ground turkey are Chili and tacos.
2. Mix in dark leafy greens for your salads like spinach, kale and arugula along with old favorites like iceberg.  These are loaded with vitamins, minerals and health benefits like detoxing your body!
3. Move towards skim milk.  If you are a loyal 2% or whole milk drinker, this may seem like a big leap, but it’s a great way to cut out some saturated fat.  Start slow switching to 1% first, or drinking skim milk half of the time.
4. Get some EVOO in your life.  Extra virgin olive oil is the preferred choice for healthy oil to cook with.  This way you get healthy fats and antioxidants.
5. Mix in more whole grains!  These reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and obesity!  Some easy whole grain items to find:  100% whole wheat bread, 100% whole wheat pasta, brown rice, whole corn or whole wheat tortillas, oatmeal, and whole grain breakfast cereals.

Happy eating!

Gina Dowling, RD,LD  Hillcrest WIC