Kettering Health’s Laura Vikmanis RDN, LN, discusses how to go about making changes to your diet in a healthy and effective way
As we enter 2022, many look to use the New Year as a fresh start to make positive changes in their life. One of the most common New Year resolutions is a switch to a healthier diet. Unfortunately, many people don’t go about changing their diet in a correct way, resulting in broken resolutions and the use of fad diets that aren’t as healthy as they may seem. We sat down with Laura Vikmanis, RDN, LN, of Kettering Health to discuss how to make these changes the right way.
What is healthy eating?
Healthy eating is consuming foods that are going to protect your muscles and are going to have a lot of nutrients: high protein foods with a lot of nutrient-dense vegetables to give you fiber, vitamins and minerals. Some people understand healthy as a lot of fruits, whole grains and starches and those are also very healthy, but sometimes they can lead to a slowdown [of the metabolism] if you’re over consuming healthy foods. Sometimes people mistake being healthy for weight loss, but those are two separate things. Healthy means high quality intake with vitamins, minerals, fiber and protein.
Does healthy eating look the same for everybody?
No, definitely not. It depends on what you want to do. If you’re trying to maintain your weight, healthy would be eating proteins, vegetables, lots of whole grains, nuts and seeds and staying away from the starches, carbs and sugars. Somebody who’s on a weight loss program, healthy would also be high-protein and vegetables, but also limiting carbohydrates, even if they’re coming from excessive whole grains and excessive fruits.
Is balance important? How does one find it?
Balance first starts with a plan. You always want to make sure that you’re having a good high-protein breakfast in the morning and making sure you’re getting protein at lunch and dinner. If you do want to enjoy other foods, make sure you’re eating your protein first and filling [your plate] with vegetables. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have [foods you enjoy]. You just want to make sure they’re at the bottom of the priority list.
How does someone make these changes to their diet?
I would start with easing into lifestyle changes. You can’t rely on motivation, you have to rely on a routine to create good habits. It starts off with planning a good breakfast, planning your snacks, planning your lunch and dinner. I wouldn’t do everything all at one time.
How do people with busy schedules incorporate healthy eating into their lives?
Nowadays, grocery stores are pretty helpful with really good grab-and-go snacks. It’s just a matter of going to the store and really taking some time to look in the grocery aisles and making a list of things you like. When going to fast food restaurants, nowadays there are healthier options. You can always go to the fast food burger places and order a burger without the bun or the grilled chicken without the bun.
Healthy food is often thought of as more expensive. Is this true?
Usually when people think of healthy food, they take it to the extreme. In their minds, “healthy” is organic and preservative free. Just get your basic foods. The least expensive protein option would be eggs, yogurts, low-sodium deli meats, lean ground beef. Those are really inexpensive and are all really good protein options. Also, just buy basic vegetables—you don’t have to get the more expensive organic ones.
