By Helaine Krasner, MS, RDN, CSOWM, CDN

Making dietary changes to improve our health or to lose weight can feel overwhelming and lead to all-or-nothing thinking. It can sometimes feel like we have to choose between eating what we want and eating what we think is good for us. The good news is that we don’t necessarily have to eliminate our favorite foods to achieve our goals. One easy method is to increase our intake of nutrient dense foods and crowd out some less healthy foods by adding something to our plate. Adding nutritious food to a meal or snack we already enjoy can help us increase our intake of desirable nutrients such as fiber, vitamins, and minerals while also helping us limit excess calorie intake without feeling like we are making a big sacrifice.

The strategy of “adding nutrition” works particularly well for weight loss. Increasing our intake of vegetables and fruits helps us feel satisfied with less calories, and most of us do not consume the recommended amounts of vegetables and fruits anyway. According to dietary guidelines, it is recommended that we eat 2-3 cups of vegetables and 1 ½ – 2 cups of fruits per day and that about half our overall food intake comes from a variety of vegetables and fruit. Some important benefits of vegetables and fruits come from their high content of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber. Fiber not only aids in digestion and bowel regularity, but also promotes satiety by helping us feel full longer. Fiber also fuels gut health which is known to positively impact weight management and our immune system. Most of us do not get the recommended 25-35 grams of fiber per day recommended by health professionals.

Here is what adding nutrition might look like:

  • Enjoy a slice of pizza with less guilt by adding a side salad or try a slice with veggies on top
  • Rather than making a meal of meatballs and spaghetti with a side of bread, consider adding a side of broccoli or mixing a vegetable you like into the dish (ex. mushrooms, eggplant, spinach)
  • If snacking on cheese and crackers is your thing, consider adding an apple or some grapes and try whole grain crackers to promote satiety with a smaller portion size.
  • If your go-to favorite snack is pretzels, consider adding a dip of hummus or peanut butter, to provide healthy fat and protein for a more balanced plate.
  • For meals that tend to be low in protein (ex. meals that feature soup, pasta, or rice) consider adding a small portion of lean protein, either meat or beans, to round out your meal.

Whatever your health goals, consider adding a desirable health-promoting ingredient to foods or meals you already enjoy, and you may be surprised to find that improving the quality of your diet is easier than you thought.

Helaine Krasner, MS, RDN, CSOWM, CDN is a registered dietitian nutritionist who takes great pride in helping our Bariatric and Medical Weight Management patients achieve their health and weight loss goals.