Tip 1

Check All the Boxes

Whenever you make something to eat, ask yourself the following:

  • Does it have protein?
  • Does it have healthy (unsaturated) fats?
  • Does it have healthy (whole grain) carbohydrates?
  • Does it have vegetables (or fruits)?

If I know that my meal has all of these requirements, then I know I'm getting all of my nutrients. Mix and match different foods in order to target as many of these groups as possible. If your meal is only carbohydrates, then maybe that's a sign that you aren't getting a well rounded and wholesome meal.

Tip 2

Limit, Don't Cut

I'm a strong believer in moderation. Don't try to cut a food group out of your diet. The best way to meet all of your body's needs is to eat a diverse range of foods. Although I try to limit my carb and dairy intake, I never cut it completely out.

Tip 3

Fats Won't Make You Fat

Eating healthy fats, like avocado, will make you feel full and nourish your body. Good fats will not make you fat! I eat lots of nuts and avocado and avoid chips or white bread. By limiting carbohydrates and adding a little bit of healthy fat to my diet, I feel more full and I gain less fat.

Tip 4

Sneaky Veggies

It's okay if you don't like to eat raw broccoli. Instead, try to slip vegetables into your diet by adding them to smoothies. Also, instead of using lettuce in your salads or your sandwiches, use spinach or kale. (In general, darker greens like spinach and kale are much, much, much better than lighter greens like romaine).

Tip 5

EGGS

Eggs are low calorie, high protein power bombs. Some of my favorite ways to make eggs are:

  • simple and scrambled
  • hard boiled (especially as a snack with nuts or sliced on top of a whole grain English muffin)
  • sunny side up (with a slightly runny yolk on avocado toast)
  • burrito-ified: scrambled with a touch of cheddar cheese & lots of spinach, then wrapped into a whole grain tortilla with, of course, mashed avocado.
  • scrambled or hard boiled on top of salads

Tip 6

Less Is More

When you're at the grocery store trying to decide which brand to buy, look at the ingredients list. For example, let's say granola bar A only has 100 calories and granola bar B has 200 calories, but granola bar A has 15 ingredients (some of which I don't recognize) and granola bar B has 5 ingredients (all of which I recognize). I would 100% pick granola bar B, even though it has more calories. I believe that our bodies do best when we eat whole, simple foods instead of over-processed complex junk.