6 Ways to Ease into Whole Food Nutrition

The hardest part about eating healthier? Taking the first step. Our brains love to jump to the conclusion that eating healthier requires a massive overhaul to how we eat and live. Brains can be so dramatic.

Nope. All we need is to take one small step. Then another, and another. When we choose more whole foods, where the nutrients are, we feel better. It shows up in our energy, sleep, digestion, skin health, brain function, and mood. We start to feel nourished.

Making small, sustainable changes reassures us of what we’re capable of and inspires us to take the next step. Here are a few ideas to help you ease into whole, real food.

1. Up your water game. Water is important for your brain, digestion, joint health and many other functions. But it’s easy to forget, until a headache sets in or our energy crashes. A good rule of thumb is to drink at least half your body weight in ounces each day Exercise, hot weather, caffeine, alcohol, illness, and anything else that causes you to lose fluids further increase your water needs.  

You may wonder if you need to add in electrolytes. This depends. Minerals from our food, such as potassium, sodium and chloride, become electrolytes in our bodies and support fluid balance and other functions. Eating nutritious, balanced meals often provides us with enough of these minerals. But it’s helpful, and sometimes critical, to add electrolytes back when we’ve lost a lot of fluids. Avoid those with lots of sugar or artificial sweeteners.

2. Plan ahead, even just a little. Menu planning may sound difficult or boring. I don’t love it either. But it saves so much time, stress and money that I just do it. When we plan ahead, we tend to waste less food.

Start easy, with three days. It’s natural to focus on dinners, then spin leftovers into lunches. For recipe ideas, search the terms Mediterranean and Paleo for whole-food based meals rich in protein, vegetables and healthy fats. 

Lastly, make a big one-pot meal once or twice a month, then freeze leftovers in freezer-safe mason jars. You’re treating your future self to a home-cooked meal with no effort.

3. Makeover one meal at a time. Perhaps you’re time crunched, so you grab fast food for breakfast or skip lunch. Here are a few quick and nutrient-dense ways to switch up your routines.

Bulk prep several days of breakfasts, such as egg & veggie cups or chia seed pudding, and you have a balanced nutritious breakfast for days. 

Take a grab-and-go approach. Stock your fridge with portable proteins, veggies and healthy fats. Then get creative with combos you can assemble in a few minutes. Grab-and-go foods may include boiled eggs, shrimp, nuts & seeds, cheese, grape tomatoes, mini peppers, pre-chopped broccoli, snap peas, avocado, berries, olives, and seedy crackers.

4. Mix it up. Many of us eat the same foods week to week. Even if they’re nutritious, such as roasted chicken and asparagus, we miss out on certain minerals, vitamins and other nutrients when we limit variety. So, get a little curious and adventurous when you shop. Try a protein you don't generally prepare. Maybe you substitute ground pork for ground chicken when making meatballs, or you whip up a lentil soup for the first time.

If you always buy apples, try a pear. If you love raspberries, try blackberries.

Add leafy greens to anything and everything. Arugula pairs well with scrambled eggs, kale is delicious in soups, and red leaf lettuce adds great texture to a sandwich.   

5. Slow your roll. Many of us eat quickly, often without realizing it. By slowing down and chewing our food well, digestion goes more smoothly and your body is better able to absorb nutrients. Slowing down also means you’re less likely to overeat.

6. Upgrade where it counts most. Seasonal produce is often local, and local produce makes a shorter trip from the farm to the grocery store. As a result, local broccoli is more nutritious than broccoli shipped 1,000 miles, as some nutrients degrade over time.

Buy organic when possible to avoid pesticides. For an easy guide, check the Environmental Working Group’s “Dirty Dozen and Clean 15” lists. As well, note that small farms are more likely to maintain soil health and use farming methods that produce more nutrient-dense plants than large-scale farms. 

When it comes to animal proteins, such as eggs, meats, poultry, fish and dairy foods, choose the highest quality in your budget for those you eat most often. They’re more likely to come from healthy animals and contain fewer additives and inflammatory compounds. 

Ready, set, go. Let’s take your next step toward eating more whole, real foods.

Kelly Pate Dwyer, MNT, BCHN^® is a holistic nutrition consultant and established writer based in Denver. She provides 1-to-1 nutrition & lifestyle consulting to adults and leads nutrition workshops for clients across the United States. An experienced journalist and freelance writer, Kelly contributes to media, providing solutions and the latest research on nutrition and other health topics. For more information visit www.eatwellgrow.com.