Paying attention to your diet often seems like it takes a lot of time and effort. You think you’ll have to put a lot of work into making sure each of your meals are perfect and fit within certain requirements. While you’ll need to put some effort into it, it shouldn’t be nearly as complicated as you could think.

With a few tips for improving your diet, you make it much more practical, no matter how busy your life is. These seven tips can be much easier to do and more practical than you’d think. You shouldn’t have a problem working them into your lifestyle and improving your diet.

It’s more than worth taking a look through each of them.

Improving Your Diet: 7 Practical Tips

1. Stay Hydrated

Staying hydrated is an essential part of your daily life. At least, it should be, but not enough people get as much water as they should. With how important it is to your bodily functions, it’s important to pay attention to this –

You should drink at least six to eight glasses of water a day to make sure you’re hydrated. If you feel thirsty, then there’s a decent chance you’re already a little dehydrated. Be proactive with this, and you shouldn’t  have a problem getting enough water every day. I like to start the day with 16 oz of water before anything else. It starts the day off right.

2. Have More Fruits & Vegetables

Everyone knows they need to have a decent amount of fruits and vegetables in their diets. Working them into every meal can often seem a little difficult, though. It doesn’t have to be too much of a problem, especially if you’re willing to get a little creative with it.

Fruits are easier than you think! Smoothies can be a great way to get more fruit in your diet, and you can make these relatively quickly. I enjoy a smoothie for breakfast and sometimes for dessert! With a little bit of effort, you shouldn’t have a problem getting enough fruit and all the vitamins it offers. Vegetables can be worked in easily too – like a spinach omelet, or one of those delicious sheet pan dinners. 

3. Have Less Salt

Most people don’t realize how much of an impact salt has on their health. It’s been linked to higher blood pressure and similar conditions. In time, this leads to heart conditions and strokes. The less of it you have in your diet, the better. Even if you don’t add salt to your meals, you could still be getting a lot more than you think.

Most of the salt you’ll usually have in your diet comes in the food itself. Some of the more notable foods with high salt levels include soups, breads, processed foods and yes, breakfast cereals. Check the labels for any products you’re considering buying. Anything with 1.5g of salt for every 100 grams of food is considered high in salt.

It’s worth choosing alternative options with lower salt levels – like fresh herbs or herbal blends.

4. Don’t Skip Breakfast

When many people try to lose weight, they think of cutting down on the food they eat. There’s some logic in that, but not when it comes to skipping breakfast. There’s a reason why it’s considered the most important meal of the day. The trick to this is making sure it’s actually healthy. And I have personally found that eating breakfast helps not to over eat the rest of the day.

Low- or no-sugar cereal with milk or yogurt can be a decent option. I love a bowl of granola with fresh fruit and plain Greek yogurt. You’ll have a healthy and tasty breakfast before you know it.

And with how quick and easy these are to make, you shouldn’t have a problem working it into your morning routine.

5. Eat More Fish

Protein is an essential part of  a healthy diet. When you’re improving your diet, it’s always worth making sure you’re  getting enough. Fish, that’s quick and easy option and it makes for a great meal. Besides the protein, it’s packed full of minerals and vitamins that help with your health.

Try to get at least two portions of fish a week, with oily fish being the better recommended option. It’s packed full of omega-3 fatty acids.  These fatty acids help to control cholesterol and keep your body running smoothly. Some of the more notable oily fish include:

• Trout
• Sardines
• Salmon
• Mackerel

With two or three portions of these a week, you’ll have a better diet before you know it.

6. Get More Fiber In Your Meals

Fibrer is an important part of everyone’s diet, and it helps make sure your digestive system works properly. The same can be said for certain carbohydrates. Thankfully, foods high in either of these tend to be high in the other, too. Getting both can be relatively simple, but you’ll need to actually plan for it.

Whole wheat pasta and brown rice are some of the more notable high fiber carbs, and they’re more than worth working into your diet. These don’t provide nearly as many calories as similar foods, all while providing you with the energy you need during the day. Also, the whole grain helps to regulate your blood sugar.

7. Cut Down On Saturated Fat

Everyone believes that they should cut out fat from their diet to improve it. While that’s somewhat true, it’s only the case for a particular type of fat. There are two main types: saturated and unsaturated fat. It’s the first of these you’ll need to cut down on, while the second could be relatively healthy for you.

You can find saturated fats in plenty of foods, including:

• Biscuits
• Fatty cuts of meat
• Hard cheese
• Pies
• Lard

By cutting down on these, you can reduce your saturated fat levels. Avoid them as much as you can. Pick options with unsaturated fats instead, such as olive oil, nuts and avocados.

Improving Your Diet: Wrapping Up

Improving your diet often seems like it’ll take a lot of time and effort, but doesn’t have to be the case. With a few practical tips, you make it much easier. Getting more fiber in your meals, not skipping breakfast, having more fruits and vegetables, and similar tips all help.

All you’d need are a few small adjustments to your lifestyle, and your diet will be much better and you’ll even be feeling healthier before you know it.