8 Dietitian-Approved Tips To Improve Your Nutrition In 2025

Ashleigh Kidd (RD, LDN) | F45 Global Dietitian | December 2024

Leave the quick fixes in 2024

I know the promises of quick fix diets can feel like the right idea, a lot of us have been there! These diets provide a short lived sense of control, but before you know it, food rules and the “all or nothing” mindset begin to take over. This can lead to a poor relationship with food, lower base metabolic rate, weight gain or re-gain in the long term, and negative effects on mental health.

Reminder: If they truly worked, we wouldn’t be trying them over and over again, right? Improving your nutrition and relationship with food takes time and support, remember to give your grace and patience.?

Here are some dieting red flags to look out for:

• Cutting out a food group or macronutrient
• Demonizing fruit (i.e. bananas are “bad” because they have too much sugar..spoiler alert, bananas provide fiber, antioxidants, and micronutrients)
• Labeling food as good/bad (while some foods are more nutrient dense than others, food doesn’t have moral value!)
• Extreme calorie restriction (1200 calories is not enough)
• Promises a quick fix (i.e. in 1 month you’ll lose 20lbs!)
• Food rules (you can’t eat after 6pm)
• Wildly false claims (pro tip: there are no fat burning foods)

Balance your plate?

Try to balance your plate most of the time. A balanced plate helps you to leave the meal satisfied physically & mentally, lean into your body's hunger cues, and build body trust. Whether you are cooking at home or out to eat with friends, you can think of these key meal components and try to create balance when possible:

• Protein: Aim for about ? of your plate to be protein (can be animal or plant protein). This may vary depending on your body’s specific needs and goals?
• Fat: Fat will help to keep you full and satisfied. It’s likely already in your meal through cooking oils, animal protein, or sauces. If not, try adding some- like avocado!
• Carbohydrates: Fill about ? of your plate with carbs (i.e. rice, pasta, sweet potato)

Color: Pick your favorite veggies and/or fruit to take up ? your plate. Try choosing a different color veggie or fruit at each grocery store visit for variety.

Practice Mindfulness

When it comes to our food choices, practicing mindfulness helps us get in tune with our hunger/fullness cues. It can even increase our overall level of food satisfaction because as we focus on our awareness, experience, and actions of meal preparation and consumption, we are more likely to eat foods that are enjoyable and nourishing to us.

Don’t know where to start? Try implementing one of these at your next meal:

• Minimize distractions & be present (practice putting the phone down)
• Assess your hunger/fullness (before, during, and after your meal- use a hunger/fullness scale for additional help)

Include your favorite foods

Satisfaction is key! This might sound like a no-brainer, but it’s important to include foods you actually enjoy in your meals and snacks. If not, you’ll likely leave meals feeling unsatisfied (even if you’re full), and may lead to overeating later.?

Cutting foods out that you perceive as “bad” only puts them on a pedestal. This can lead to increased or obsessive thoughts about that food and even increased consumption. This is because when you’re finally around that food again (i.e. at a friend's birthday party), you might eat as much as you possibly can because you don’t know when the next time you’ll actually allow yourself to eat it will be. Then you “start over Monday” and the cycle continues.?

Ask yourself what nutrients you can ADD to your diet instead of focusing on what you should take away

When we unnecessarily eliminate foods or put “food rules” into place, it often leads to increased consumption of the very food we’ve put off limits. Not to mention, heavily restrictive diets may lead to obsessive thoughts about food, food guilt/shame, disordered eating patterns, overeating and/or binging, weight cycling, low energy levels, and a poor relationship with food. Instead, examine where you can add nutrition and satisfaction to your meals/snack by following these steps:

• Ask yourself what’s already on your plate
• What is your plate missing?
• Add what’s missing

For example:?

• If you have tortillas- you have carbs?
• What’s missing? protein, fat, veggies/color
• What can I add?

Avoid skipping meals?

When we skip meals, we’re more likely to eat past fullness at the next meal and not be as easily satisfied. Skipping meals can also throw off our bodies hunger/fullness cues, leave us feeling out of control around food, and cause a dip in energy.

Prioritize protein?

Protein helps to keep us full and satisfied! Aim to include protein at most meals, ideally filling ~ ? of your plate, which usually ranges from 20-40 grams of protein. Also try to include protein at snacks and pair with a carbohydrate source (i.e. greek yogurt with fruit and hemp seeds). It’s important to remember that nutrition isn’t one size fits all. Protein needs are unique based on things like body weight, activity level, medical history, and more. If you’re not sure how to determine your protein needs or want to make sure you’re consuming enough, reach out to your medical provider.?

Make your life easier

Processed foods typically get a bad rap, but the truth is, having some convenience foods on hand can actually make it easier to maintain healthy habits and achieve your nutrition goals. I’m not suggesting you eat heavily processed foods at every meal, but sometimes processed foods (which only means that a food has had something done to it that alters their natural state, i.e. slicing an apple), can be a great way to help us balance our meals (like frozen veggies), especially when we’re pressed for time.

Convenience food staples:

• Frozen produce (hello thick & creamy smoothies)
• Salad kits
• Pasta
• Canned tuna (easy protein!)
• Nut butter
• Canned beans (look for low sodium options)
• String cheese
• Frozen protein waffles (top with PB, chia seeds, and blueberries for a balanced breakfast on the go)
• Ready to serve rice or quinoa
• Chicken tenders (pro tip: add this to your salad kit when you’re in a pinch)

Download the F45 Training App for additional nutrition education & resources.?

Citations

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7071223/

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1471015314000191?via%3Dihub

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5556586/#:~:text=Mindful%20eating%20(i.e.%2C%20paying%20attention,carbohydrates%2C%20fat%2C%20or%20protein

https://www.eatright.org/health/health-conditions/eating-disorders/what-is-disordered-eating

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16002798/