10 Easy Ways to Upgrade Your Nutrition
Here are Nutrition Diva’s 10 easy ways to add some extra nutritional oomph to your favorite foods and meals.
In keeping with the ethic of Quick and Dirty Tips, this week’s topic is easy ways to upgrade the nutritional quality of your diet. I’m not talking about putting butter in your coffee or curing your own wild game or grinding your own sprouted flour.
Instead, today I will give you 10 simple tweaks to regular foods and meals that, when practiced consistently, can really make a difference in your overall nutrition.
How many of these can you incorporate into your regular routine?
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Easy Upgrade #1: Spread Your Bread with Protein
Easy Upgrade #1: Spread Your Bread with ProteinI don’t usually eat bread for breakfast but if I do decide to have toast or a bagel, I try to spread it with nut butter instead of butter or cream cheese. That way, at least I’m getting some extra fiber, protein, and healthy fats for the same number of calories.
See also: Nutty Nutrition Tips
Easy Upgrade #2: Go Greek
Choose plain Greek yogurt instead of regular yogurt and get twice the protein, which usually translates into more time before you get hungry again.
I know Greek yogurt is more expensive than regular yogurt, but because it saves me from needing a mid-morning snack, I figure it all comes out in the wash.
See also: Fermented and Cultured Foods
Easy Upgrade #3: Grate Your Way to Greatness
I don’t make muffins or pancakes as often as I used to on the weekends because I’m trying to regulate the amount of sugar in my diet. But when I do haul out the griddle or muffin pan, I also get out the vegetable grater and grate a raw carrot or zucchini or two into the batter for added moistness and a little extra vegetable nutrition.
See also: Harvest Pancake Recipe and Pumpkin Pancakes
Easy Upgrade #4: Milk it for All It’s Worth
If you’re making oatmeal or any other hot cereal, use milk or soymilk instead of water. Alternatively, you can also stir a scoop of powdered milk or whey protein powder into water. Not only does it make the cereal extra creamy but you also up the ante in terms of protein and calcium.
See also: An Inexpensive Alternative to Protein Powder
Easy Upgrade #5: Look for Greener Pastures
When choosing salad greens, zero in on the darker varieties. In addition to being more flavorful, they are more nutritious.
I often buy hearts of romaine lettuce – I’m sure you’ve seen them in the grocery – because they seem to keep so well in the fridge. But if you look at a few packages, you’ll see that the lettuce ranges from almost white to dark green. Go for the darkest ones you can find. Likewise, at the salad bar, skip the pale, flavorless lettuce and go for the spring mix, mesclun, and baby spinach.
See also: Ask the Diva: Are Outer Lettuce Leaves More Nutritious Than Inner Ones?
Easy Upgrade #6: Roll in the Green
Ordering from an Asian restaurant? Instead of the deep-fried egg rolls, choose lettuce rolls instead. You can also use large leaves of lettuce instead of torillas to make sandwich roll-ups or to stand in for the top slice of bread on a sandwich.
Easy Upgrade #7: Savory Your Cocktail
Easy Upgrade #7: Savory Your CocktailIf you’re going to have a cocktail before dinner, try a Bloody Mary instead of a cocktail made with sugary mixers. Not only will you save the sugar and calories, but you get a bonus serving of veggies! If you’re not a drinker, a Virgin Mary can serve the same function.
See also: Is Drinking Alcohol Good For You?
Easy Upgrade #8: Sideline the Fries
Casual restaurant meals often come with a huge pile of fries on the side, because fries are cheap and filling and most people enjoy them. But most restaurants will, if you ask, substitute the vegetable of the day for the fries. Now, I’m not going to lie to you and say I never eat French fries. I do eat them occasionally. Check out my episode about a day in the life of Nutrition Diva if you don’t believe me.
But about 80% of the time, I sub in a vegetable for those deep fried …and that adds up to a lot fewer French fries in my life.
Easy Upgrade #9: Eat Chocolate (Yes, That’s Right)
If you’re going to have some chocolate, choose the darkest chocolate you can enjoy. The darker the chocolate, the less sugar it contains and the more healthy flavanols. If you’re someone who enjoys super dark chocolate, such as those with 70% or higher cacao, that’s great. If your tastes run more to milk chocolate, you can still upgrade by choosing a slightly darker chocolate than usual. Try one with 40% cacao. Over time, you might even find that you start to enjoy darker chocolates (and your waistline will thank you).
See also: Health Benefits of Chocolate
Easy Upgrade #10: You Tell Me!
If you have a good nutritional upgrade, please post it below in Comments. We’re looking for easy ways to make everyday foods and meals a little more nutritious. I bet you have some great ideas that you’d like to share.
Whoever suggests the best upgrade wins a copy of my book Nutrition Diva’s Secrets for a Healthy Diet!
Upgrade and Bloody Mary images courtesy of Shutterstock.
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About the Author
Monica Reinagel is a board-certified licensed nutritionist, author, and the creator of one of iTunes’ most highly ranked health and fitness podcasts. Her advice is regularly featured on the TODAY show, Dr. Oz, NPR, and in the nation’s leading newspapers, magazines, and websites. Do you have a nutrition question? Call the Nutrition Diva listener line at 443-961-6206. Your question could be featured on the show.
