Today I thought I would share with some simple ways that you can improve your diet. My husband and I practice these habits regularly and we can vouch for their benefits. Here are 7 ways you can get your diet on track.

1. Eat numerous colours throughout the day. No I am not talking about different colours of candy. Make it a habit to incorporate at least 5 different coloured foods a day into your diet. For breakfast toss some blueberries and strawberries into a blender for a quick smoothie. For lunch, take some carrot or bell pepper sticks.. For a mid day snack, grab an orange or an apple. For dinner, toss some salad greens in a bowl for a delicious side dish.

2. Swap your sweets. Candy and sweets are loaded with high fructose corn syrup and other additives that are bad for your health. Next time your sweet tooth comes calling, grab items that are naturally sweet. Stock your pantry with dried fruits, nuts, or cacao bits. Keep your fridge full of fresh fruit like apricots, grapes, or cherries. This way you can indulge your craving without sacrificing your  health.

3. Cook at home. This is not the first time you have heard me preach about this. Cooking at home not only saves you money but it also keeps you in control of what you are putting into your body. You control the ingredients that go into the dishes that you make. By planning ahead, the task of cooking at home doesn’t need to be time consuming. Try using recipes that give you several days worth of meals so you don’t have to slave over the stove for hours a day.

4. Eat seasonally. There are a variety of different fruits, vegetables,and grains that are available at different times of the year. By eating seasonally you not only save money since items aren’t overpriced due to importing costs but you also get to try different flavours. This keeps you from getting bored and keeps you motivated to eat well. It also allows you to intake a variety of different nutrients.

5. Start a container garden. One of the things we did this year was start our own container garden and we loved it. Growing your own food is a great way to get hands on with your diet. Going outside to pick a few things to toss into your meal is so rewarding. Not only does the produce taste amazing but it’s almost free. If you are just starting out try growing easy veggies like tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash.

6. Buy in bulk. Buying in bulk in most cases helps you save money, reduce waste, and keep stocked. If you have good items on hand like beans, rice, lentils, and pasta, you can quickly put a healthy meal together. This saves you from being tempted to get take out.  We buy most of our grains, beans, lentils, and seeds in bulk. They key is to remember you have them so they don’t go to waste.

7. Eat small meals multiple times a day. By eating small snacks throughout the day you keep your blood sugar levels normal. By doing this you prevent yourself from ever letting you blood sugar get too low which makes you feel like your starving and often leads to binge eating. It also helps you control your portion sizes. Best of all, eating regularly throughout the day keeps your metabolism firing. In order for metabolism to burn calories it needs to b fed calories. For some ideas of snacks try fruit and nuts, veggie slices, or a seed medley.

Improving your diet really isn’t that difficult as you can see. You just need to make 7 small changes and you will be set onto the path of health.

So, have you made some diet changes lately? What kind of changes have you made?