10 ways to change your diet in September – Nutrition

After easing things up a bit over the summer months, things are picking up as we head into the new season. Whether you want to build a strong immune system, lose weight or support your mood and mental health, making a few healthy changes to your daily diet can you help get there.

If you are determined to make a change, think about why; having a goal is important, but having a goal is what will keep you going if things get tough. For example, if your goal is to lose weight, then the reason might be to feel better in your clothes, or if your goal is more energy, your reason might be they have a few 3pm energy dips. This helps make your goals more specific and measurable so you know when you’ve reached your goals.

To make sure the changes you make are as effective as possible, they need to be easy to stick with and last.

To give you some inspiration, here are 10 things I recommend changing your diet for September. Pick one this week. Try it on for size and see what difference it makes in how you feel. Then add another small change next week. Weight loss, better energy, better image control and better mood can all be achieved with small, lasting changes.

1. Hydrate before consuming caffeine

Start your day with a glass of water to rehydrate and re-energize.

2. A light snack

This may mean eating less at large meals to keep you alive longer. Adding protein, fat and fiber will help you feel fuller for longer, making it easier to snack less.

3. Buy foods you don’t eat often

This will help you increase the variety of your diet – ideal for increasing nutrition, or building a good balance of gut bacteria. It could be something as simple as taking cauliflower, instead of your usual broccoli; switching to wholemeal pasta, or putting a can of peas/lentils/pulses in your trolley.

4. Rethink your drinks

Don’t ‘waste your calories’ on soft drinks, juices, alcohol or cappuccinos. Get better hydrated by drinking more water, look for alcohol-free options, or switch to herbal teas to reduce your caffeine intake.

5. Palm-sized portions

Include a palm-sized portion of protein at every meal and notice the difference in energy levels, cravings and appetite. Here are some easy ways to change it:

• Add seeds and natural yogurt to breakfast

• Add cottage cheese or feta to omelettes
• Have canned fish/frozen prawns/cooked chicken for lunch

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6. Add some extra nutrition

Choose a few foods that will help you make easy shortcuts to increase nutrition. Some of my favorites are:

• Pouches of lentils or beans that you can add vegetables to for a quick lunch
• Olives, capers, roasted tomatoes or roasted red peppers for extra flavor
• Houmous and falafels – just serve with a salad for a quick and delicious lunch
• Frozen veggies with grains – all you need to add is a protein of your choice for a complete meal. Check out Merchant Gourmet’s menu.
• Frozen berries

Pick one change for this week. Try it on for size and see what difference it makes in how you feel. Then add another change next week…

7. Quality and quantity

Consider the quality and quantity of your carbohydrates. Switch to high fiber options. These are low GI and will help maintain energy, appetite and stop the 3pm munchies.

8. Cook smarter

Practice cooking something that will make at least one meal at a time. Cook once, eat twice.

• for example, chilli and rice become a fajita filling for tomorrow night’s tea
• Leftover Sunday makes for a purple Monday roast

• roast a tray of vegetables to use as the basis for lunch tomorrow
• eat some vegetables at dinner for tomorrow’s lunch box

9. Store oil well

Load up on omega 3 fatty fish, olive oil, seeds and nuts.

10. Time your meals, but don’t skip breakfast

Aim to eat breakfast within an hour or two of waking up and eat within a 10-12 hour window, eating about three hours after dinner before going to sleep.