Making a Nutritional Change: Set Yourself Up for Success

Eating is one thing we all have in common. What we eat, on the other hand, varies widely from person to person. 

Most of us will make a nutritional change at some point in our lives, or at least try to do so. It’s not always an easy bridge to cross. We have many habits and associations built around things we like to eat.

But, with a little bit of planning, you can set yourself up for success when making a nutritional change, whether you just want to eat more healthily, cut down on sugar, or go vegan.

Making a Nutritional Change: Set Yourself Up for Success

The best place to start is, as with many things in life, doing a little bit of research to understand where you might need to improve your nutrition and what the effects of adopting a new diet, such as keto or veganism, might have on your body.

Do some reading, talk to family and friends about their experiences. There are many reasons people decide to cut meat from their diet, for example. Yet, simply eating the same meals as before minus the meat, isn’t going to be healthy in the long run. 

You need to figure out how to replace the nutritional value of something you cut from your diet. This will involve learning new recipes and discovering new foods that have the nutrients you need.

Similarly, it’s important to understand what you might be getting too much of in your diet. Sugar is a major one for most people and, as it can be a tad addictive, also one of the hardest to cut down on.

Diabetes Canada recommends limiting sugar consumption to about 50 grams per day, which really isn’t a lot. 

Did you have a banana for breakfast? Well, that 12 grams of sugar is already putting you a quarter of the way to the daily limit. 

Toss an orange in there and a little sugar in your coffee and there isn’t much room left for the pop you usually drink in the afternoon (which contains 39 grams if it’s a coca cola) or that ice cream that starts calling your name after dinner.

The reality is, most people have no idea how much sugar they are consuming…. Or how much protein, carbs, or fats.

Tracking is the only way to truly find out. Logging your food intake and meal times is a great way to understand where your diet is at and how you might improve it. 

Yet, this can seem like a daunting task. You may even realize you don’t want to find out, because you like what you eat, even if you feel like you might get too much sugar or just overeat in general.

If that’s the case for you, consider tracking your meals and snacks for just one average day. This can give you a rough idea of where you’re at and highlight any areas of potential concern. 

Whether or not you do this, there are still some easy things you can do to set yourself up for success when making a nutritional change.

Making a Nutritional Change Step by Step

One of the easiest, is simply not keeping junk food and unhealthy snacks around. Donate what you already have or don’t buy more. The same goes for highly processed foods. 

Meal planning has many benefits, too. It saves time and helps you achieve a more balanced diet on a weekly basis, rather than just taking one day at a time.

You’ll also decrease your number of trips to the grocery store, where you always have the chance of seeing that your favourite chips are on sale this week.

Lastly, be conscious of how much you eat and when you eat. Cut yourself off at least three hours before bed, giving your body time to digest, and think twice about whether you truly need that second helping.

Keep in mind that everyone’s nutritional needs are different; young children don’t need as much food as the average adult. A 20-year-old high performance athlete might need considerably more.

No matter what you are having to eat, make sure you take the time to enjoy your meal. Mindful eating is an important part of a healthy lifestyle, particularly when making nutritional changes.

It’s not only about savouring the flavour of each bite. Being conscious of your meal gives your mind a much-needed mental break and helps you realize when you are full. Whenever you can, eat meals with others.

As with anything, start with small incremental changes and build larger habits around them. Making nutritional changes is a journey. Start yours today.

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