Good, Better, Best: Substitutions to Amp Up your Nutrition

There are no shortcuts in life, but sometimes there are tricks that can feel like shortcuts! When it comes to nutrition, there are some simple substitutions that can go a long way toward fueling your body. Although the old way of approaching weight loss was to focus on calorie counting, researchers have discovered that the quality of your calories is important as well. Besides energy to use for fuel (which is the definition of a calorie), what you eat provides your body with the macronutrients you need, which are fat, protein, and carbohydrates, as well as the micronutrients you need such as vitamins, minerals, probiotics, and antioxidants that support your health. Eating a wide variety of real whole foods is the best way to improve your nutrition. Here are some suggestions for every meal of the day for how to improve the quality of the food you are eating.

Breakfast

Good: Add a piece of fruit to your breakfast. Fruits are powerhouses of nutrition. They offer carbohydrates for energy along with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, all packaged up with all-important fiber to maintain gut health and help you feel satisfied. Berries, citrus fruits, apples, stone fruits, tropical fruits—they all offer something unique and they taste great. Whether you go for variety, follow the seasons, or explore new flavors, adding a whole piece of fruit to your breakfast is a great way to start your day with top notch nutrition. 

Better: Substitute whole grain options for your refined carb muffin, toast, bagel, or English muffin. Grains that have been refined have had the fiber separated out, and have lost the nutrition available in the bran as well. What is left is pure starch, which your body uses as a simple carbohydrate. This can lead to a blood sugar spike and the trigger to store excess glucose as fat. Simple carbohydrates are quickly digested as well, which means you feel hungry again sooner. To replace the nutrients stripped out by the refining and bleaching processes, manufactured nutrients are added back. Skip the whole rigamarole by choosing whole grains instead, which contain all the fiber and nutrients the grain started out with. Sprouted and fermented grains take advantage of enzymes and probiotics to increase the bioavailability of the nutrients, so those options are worth tracking down. 

Best: Rethink breakfast to include good fats and protein. Instead of grain-based meals, try switching to eggs and veggies, or nuts and whole-milk, live-culture yogurt. Typical breakfast foods are often overly sweet and starchy. Starting your day with a carbohydrate blast can leave you feeling like you need a nap by 10 AM. If your mornings seems to drag by, consider starting your day with slow-burning protein and healthy fats instead.

Lunch

Good: Add another vegetable to your lunch. The current recommendation is to eat five servings of fruits and veggies in a day. A serving of veggies is about one cup of leafy greens, or a half cup of denser veggies such as cauliflower or broccoli. You can substitute carrot sticks, pea pods, or kale chips for chips or trail mix. 

Better: Just like with breakfast, if there are places where you can substitute whole grains for refined grains—such as corn tortillas instead of flour, brown rice or quinoa instead of white rice,  and whole grain bread for sandwiches—you can improve your nutrition with this simple switch. 

 Best: If you make lunch a soup or salad, you can eat a veggie-heavy meal, full of flavor and fiber. If you’re buying ready-made, make sure you read your labels to be on the lookout for added sugar, salt content, and the kinds of fats used. Homemade soups freeze well in lunch-sized portions. Salads can be built around many different flavor profiles. Choose a protein (such as a handful of nuts, a sliced hard-boiled egg, or a small portion of cooked steak, chicken, or salmon), add an array of veggies (the more colors the better), and a dressing with healthy fats such as extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil, and you’re ready to go.

Supper

Good: Add another vegetable to your dinner. Adding another vegetable to any and every meal is definitely a good way to improve your nutrition and add fiber to your meals. 

 Better: Add aromatics such as garlic, onion, ginger, herbs, and spices in order to boost both flavor and nutrition. Salt and sugar aren’t the only things that taste good. By using the real flavors of herbs and spices to add interest to your foods, you gain the advantage of micronutrients and can reduce the salt and sugar in a meal without sacrificing taste and enjoyment. 

Best: If you are accustomed to building a meal around a meat or pasta dish, try switching your main course and your sides. Switching up the proportions can be a simple way to shift the balance back to a healthier place. Reducing the portion sizes of your pasta, grains, and meat and increasing the portion sizes of your vegetables increases the variety of nutrients and the fiber you’re getting. Sheet pan meals can be an easy way to roast your proteins and a variety of vegetables all at the same time.  

Bonus: Beverages, Snacks, and Desserts

Besides your meals, here a some tips to increase the nutrition in the little sips and bites that can really add up during the day. 

1. Skip drinking your calories. Juice, soda, and sweetened coffees are all loaded with sugar. Switch a piece of whole fruit for a juice, sparkling water for soda, and drink your coffee black or with heavy cream or coconut milk. Or explore other options to sip such as bone broth and herbal tea. 

2. For snacks, you can try fruit, a small serving of nuts, or veggies with hummus. Air popped popcorn is a whole grain, or you can try kale chips baked with a sprinkle of lemon and cayenne to give you some of that zingy salty crunch. 

3. For dessert, you can choose a beautiful piece of fruit, or a small piece of good dark chocolate. You can also try only eating homemade treats rather than ready made. It can be too easy to pick up an entire box of doughnuts, but if you decide to make doughnuts and share them with your loved ones, it’s enough of a process that it won’t likely become a daily habit. Make those treats truly special!

Don’t feel like you have to choose just one! Any combination of these tips can help you fuel your body with more of what it needs. Satiation is linked to nutrition. Dr. Kiernan's e-cookbook, Eating on Purpose, is full of nutrition-dense recipes for every meal of the day. If you’re looking for the support of a community, Dr. Traci Kiernan’s TRIBE might be a place to start. For one-on-one support, all TruBalance offices are equipped for both in-person and virtual consultations, and our weight loss experts are excited to educate, inspire, and equip you on your journey to better health.