By Sarah Seppa, MS, RD, LD, CDE, Clinical Dietitian
Perhaps healthy eating is one of your New Year’s resolutions or is just something you are always striving to achieve. Either way, the staff at St. Luke’s Clinical Nutrition Department has your back. Setting the right goals and taking small steps to accomplish them are ways that you stay on track in 2020 and beyond. Think your diet may need some tweaking? Below are some pointers to explore:
- Eat 5-9 servings of vegetables and fruit each day. They are loaded with fiber, vitamins and minerals, while still being low in calories. If this number seems daunting, try a smoothie as a snack or adding extra vegetables to your spaghetti sauce.
- Trade out saturated and trans fats for healthy, unsaturated fats. This can be accomplished by swapping olive oil for butter, eating fish twice a week, or spreading avocado on toast. As an added bonus, eating healthy fats contributes to satiety.
- Don’t cut out carbohydrates—just be choosy! Get your carbohydrates from vegetables, fruit, dairy, and whole grains. These foods are slower to break down in the body and provide you with lasting energy.
- As for proteins, convert from hunter to gatherer. Choose fish, poultry, or beans instead of red meats. Also, be mindful of portions; aim for the size of a deck of cards.
- Hydrate! Try to drink six glasses of water a day and avoid beverages with added sugars. Additionally, alcoholic beverages should be limited to one per day for women and two or less for men.
Need more guidance? If you want to talk more about your health goals and would be interested in working with a nutritionist, contact the Clinical Nutrition Department at St. Luke’s Wood River at (208) 727-8356 or ask your physician for a referral.