Small Diet Changes Make a Big Difference

Dietitians know all too well the truth behind the old adage, “you are what you eat.”

“Nutrition truly is an integral part of a person’s journey to better health. It’s utterly fascinating the health improvements that can come from a prescribed diet,” said Kelsey Rounds, MS, RD, LN, Patient Nutrition Services Manager at Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center.

What about someone who doesn’t have a prescribed diet but who wants to improve their health? The amount of diet information available can be confusing, overwhelming and contradictory. Ultimately, the best practice is to find what works for you.

Start With Small Substitutions

Finding your path can start with small substitutions:

• Do you drink soda? Try water with fruit or cucumbers.
• Trying to kick a sweet craving? Pick up an apple or orange.
• Still want a movie snack? Substitute light popcorn over the full butter version.
• Feel like having soup on a cold day? Purchase the low sodium versions instead.
• What about sack lunches? Make sandwiches with whole wheat bread instead of white.
• Are chips calling your name? Keep healthy foods like carrots, celery, and sugar snap peas around.

The simplest way to make healthier choices is to set yourself up for success. Make the healthy option the easiest option. When you are running from one activity to the next, having a snack like hummus and mini-peppers ready to go in your fridge allows you to make the healthier choice. Rounds recommends including lean protein and fiber when having a snack — that will help you stay full longer — for example, an apple with peanut butter or Greek yogurt with fruit.

Meal Planning and Prepping

Another strategy Rounds recommends is meal planning and meal prepping. It may seem daunting initially, but preparing ready-to-go, nutritious meals for a few days up to a week provides the same accessibility as choosing those less healthy fast-food meals.

On Sundays, before the work week begins, Rounds prepares an egg bake loaded with veggies, ensuring a protein-packed breakfast all week while increasing her vegetable consumption. Another easy and not labor-intensive option is overnight oats. Add the ingredients to a jar or dish, place it in the refrigerator, and it is ready to eat by the morning. Rounds will also prepare two to three days’ worth of salads at once, making them easy to grab before heading to work.

One of the biggest misconceptions about making healthy, small changes is expenses. “Have you been to a restaurant recently?” With prices of even fast food rising, home cooking is a cheaper and healthier alternative. There are many ways to eat healthy on a budget.

Easy Meal Idea: Burrito Bowls

Aiming for fast, versatile meals can be a way to reduce costs and make more healthy choices. “I am a fan of burrito bowls,” Round says. “They are cheap, fast, healthy, and easy to accommodate different preferences. I set out the toppings and let my family build their own.”

To make your own burrito bowl try:

• Seasoned shredded chicken or pork, lean ground turkey or lean ground beef
• Black beans or pinto beans for added protein and fiber
• Quinoa or brown rice rather than white rice
• Vegetable toppings like diced onion, bell peppers, cilantro, tomatoes, black beans, corn, and lettuce
• A reduced-fat cheese
• Greek yogurt instead of sour cream
• Salsa

The Food Service team at Avera McKennan believes that “food is medicine” and aims to accommodate as many prescribed diets as possible. “We prepare low-sodium gravies, fresh handmade pizza dough without the added sodium, and homemade soups that utilize herbs instead of salt for flavor,” Rounds said. Depending on the patient’s diet, a chicken breast might be subbed out for a burger, sugar-free syrup could be subbed for regular syrup, or a lettuce wrap could be suggested instead of a tortilla.

With a knowing smile Rounds states, “we stick to the USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) recommended portion sizes — which most people are not used to.” All of this, combined with tracking nutrition information, allows patients to be fueled properly for optimal health outcomes.

You don’t have to know the minute nutrition information of foods to make simple, realistic choices. One little change can create a chain reaction of healthier options to live healthier and prevent disease risk.