5 Smart Hacks for Healthy Eating Without Feeling Deprived

Healthy eating benefits everyone. Even if you’re not a pro athlete, don’t have diabetes, and aren’t trying to manage your weight, you can discover numerous benefits in how you feel by adjusting your diet to be more nutritious. 

Board-certified endocrinologist Dr. Anastasios Manessis and dietician Brandon Caraballosa make sure you’re on the right track toward healthier eating with nutrition counseling at neXendo Wellness in Long Island City and Murray Hill, New York. With their help, you can continue meeting your health and wellness goals without feeling deprived by your diet. 

Just looking for a few tips to try on your own? Here are five healthy eating hacks:

1. Increase the protein in your diet

Protein busts hunger and can make you feel full faster than other macronutrients. A protein-rich meal keeps you feeling full for longer, prolonging the time between the meal and your next snack. 

If you’re trying to come up with ways to increase protein in a meal, here are a few ingredients to add:

• Lean meat
• Seafood
• Cheese
• Nuts
• Yogurt

These ingredients make your meal more hearty and often enhance its flavor or texture, too. You won’t feel like you’re restricted to only veggies and fruits, which can leave you feeling hungry shortly after you’ve finished eating. 

2. Follow the 80:20 rule

If the thought of saying goodbye to your after-dinner ice cream or Friday night pizza is too much to bear, we have good news — you don’t need to cut out these treats entirely. We recommend something called the 80:20 rule, which allows you to focus on eating healthy 80% of the time while indulging in your favorites for the other 20% of your meals and snacks. 

3. Drink lots of water

We won’t go into the countless benefits of drinking plenty of water, but one of the many advantages is feeling less hungry. Sometimes, your brain misinterprets hunger for thirst. If you’re considering a mid-day stop through the drive-thru for a quick snack, consider taking the time to drink a glass of water and then re-evaluating your hunger. That way, you’re not giving yourself a flat-out “no,” and you might even fill up in the process. 

4. Don’t force yourself to eat foods you don’t like

Just because you’re aiming to make healthier choices in your diet, that doesn’t mean you need to eat particular foods just because you know they’re healthy. If you don’t like spinach, for example, there are plenty of healthy recipes without it. 

If you know you’re a picky eater, consider sitting down with Mr. Caraballosa to discuss ways of working around any ingredients you’d rather not consume. 

5. Eat plenty of fruits and veggies

Fruits and vegetables are necessary for any healthy diet. The key benefit is that eating fruits and vegetables, which have low caloric density, helps you feel full while eating less because you’re filling up with water. Because they’re so low in calories, you can eat lots of them. They’re versatile, too, so you can prepare them in countless ways. 

Are you ready to sit down with a nutritionist and discuss healthy eating for wellness? Book your visit online or over the phone at neXendo Wellness today.