10 Fit Tips For A More Nutritious Diet
Hi Fit Fam! Since March is Nutrition Month, we wanted to bring you our top 10 nutrition tips for a more balanced and well-rounded diet. Our team tries to follow these whenever possible and we keep them in mind when creating new menu items. Keep reading to find out what you could be eating to step up your nutrition game! To make it easier, we have also recommended Fit Kitchen meals and snacks that can help you meet these goals.
Tip #1 – Eat Fish Twice per Week
Fish such as salmon, mackerel, herring and tuna are very high in omega-3 fatty acids which are important to maintain good cardiovascular and cognitive health.
FK Recommends – Canadian Salmon or create your own Salmon meal with our Build Your Body tool.
Tip #2 – Eat More Seeds
Seeds such as Chia, Hemp and Flax are very high in omega-3 fatty acids and are also high in fiber and protein. Just 2 tablespoons of Chia seeds provide 10 g of fiber! Eating more seeds is a great way to add healthy fats to your diet and to promote good digestive health.
FK Recommends – Our NEW Coconut Blueberry Chia Pudding
Tip #3 – Fill Half Your Plate with Vegetables
We all know vegetables are good for us, but it’s easy to forget about them sometimes. Vegetables provide many essential nutrients like fiber, potassium, folate and vitamin A. They are also very low in calories!
FK Recommends – Molto Bene Chicken or Sustain Greens Salad
Tip #4 – Replace High Fat Sauces with Lower Calorie Options
Sauces and dressings made with mayonnaise, sour cream, or butter can add a lot of calories to your diet if you aren’t careful. If you are looking for leaner options, try replacing these fats with Greek yogurt, silken tofu, or small amounts of olive oil.
FK Recommends – Killer Enchiladas (has yogurt instead of sour cream!)
Tip #5 – Eat More Legumes
Legumes include all types of beans, as well as chickpeas, lentils, edamame, and many others. They are high in fiber, plant protein, and health promoting antioxidants. Legumes are very filling and can help add volume to a meal without increasing the calories too much.
FK Recommends – Coconut Chickpea Curry or Lamb Tagine
Tip #6 – Replace High Sugar Beverages with Lower Calorie Options
Beverages like pop, energy drinks and sugary coffees could easily be adding extra calories or sugars to your diet without you realizing it. Did you know that a Starbucks Grande Vanilla Latte has 35 g of sugar, just less than a can of Coke which has 39 g of sugar? For alternatives, try black tea or coffee, flavoured seltzer, our favourite Rviita Energy Tea (only 30 calories and 6 g of sugar), or LMNT electrolytes to keep you hydrated.
FK Recommends – Rviita Energy Tea or LMNT Electrolytes
Tip #7 – Eat More Greens
Greens like spinach, kale and arugula are packed with nutrients like folate, fiber, vitamin C, antioxidants, and many others. Greens can easily be mixed into smoothies, soups, stir fries or salads for added nutrition with very few extra calories. They really are a superfood!
FK Recommends – Our NEW Hail the Kale Caesar Salad, or Ain’t No Yolk Omelette
Tip #8 – Eat Protein Throughout the Day
It is important to eat protein throughout the whole day and with each meal or snack to ensure maximum muscle protein synthesis. Getting enough protein also helps us to feel full and to avoid mindless snacking. Try some of Fit Kitchen’s favourite protein snacks and supplements below:
FK Recommends – Chicken Apple Patties, Chicken Salad Snacker, or ARA Protein for Coffee
Tip #9 – Eat More Whole Grains
Whole grains include brown rice, quinoa, oats, millet, whole grain wheat, and many others. All of these are higher in fibre and micro nutrients compared to their refined counterparts. Choosing whole grains can help to reduce your blood glucose spike after a meal and will help you feel full for longer.
FK Recommends – No Butter Chicken (Brown Rice) or CocoBanana French Toast (Whole Grain Bread)
Tip #10 – Replace High Fat Snack Foods with Lower Calorie Options
Snack foods like chips, cookies and chocolate bars are easy to reach for but can add high amounts of calories, sugar, and fat to our diets. These are also essentially “empty” calories which don’t provide any nutrients for our body. Try replacing these with more nutritious snack options like veggies and hummus, a fruit smoothie, yogurt and granola, or one of our many Fit Kitchen snacks.
FK Recommends – Our NEW Lean Snack Pack or Clean Beans Snacks
Thanks for reading and we hope you learned some new tips to help you incorporate more nutritious choices into your diet. Fit Kitchen is always here to help if you need any further guidance this Nutrition Month. We look forward to hearing about your progress and new habits!
