As a registered Dietitian and foodie, I love healthy foods that taste good. I love eating, preparing, shopping and even looking at food. I often get questions about the best foods to eat and best diet plans to follow. The truth is there are some foods and diet plans that are better than others, but there is more to it than that. In order to make things simpler in my life and for all those who ask, I came up with 5 simple tips that I use in my life to keep my diet delicious and nutritious.

How To Make Sure Your Healthy Foods That Taste Good Don’t Get Boring

1. Eat a Variety – Though it may sound like a broken record, eating a variety of foods – especially fruits and vegetables – keeps your taste buds and your body happy. Just as we get tired of listening to the same music or watching the same television show, healthy foods that initially taste good can get boring. Eating a variety of foods allows our bodies to reap the benefits of several different vitamins and minerals found in food.
2. Practice Portion Control – Proper portions are something that many people struggle with, including myself. Sometimes the serving size found on nutrition labels is disregarded. A handy trick I like to do when in doubt is to pull out the measuring cups and spoons. After doing this frequently, you will be able to eyeball the proper portions, and the measuring cups and spoons can be returned to the drawer.
3. Shop Smart – For me, going to the grocery store is an adventure. It is always my goal to see how colorful I can make my cart with fresh produce while limiting the number of packaged products. When I pick up a packaged product, I flip to the nutrition label and give it a thorough read. I strive to find items with the smallest ingredient list, minimal amounts of added sugar, sodium, saturated fat and absolutely no trans-fat. If it passes my inspection, it earns the privilege of getting into my cart.
4. 4. Serve Up Some Seafood – The body thinks seafood is so yummy that it wants it to be in the tummy at least two times each week. The healthy omega-3 fats seafood has to offer in addition to several other nutrients is why the body needs seafood at least twice a week. An easy way to incorporate seafood is by swapping pork, beef or processed meat for salmon, shrimp or crab in foods like tacos, salads or sandwiches.
5. 5. Choose Healthy Fats – Unsaturated fats and more specifically monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are the body’s most beneficial fats. Keeping our heart healthy is their primary goal despite their delicious taste. Some of my favorite healthy fats are avocados, chia seeds, olive oil, nuts and dark chocolate. Nuts are my favorite because they are so NUTritious. Try topping salads with nuts, adding nuts to smoothies and desserts, eating nuts as a snack and of course eating nut butters, especially if they are gourmet..

So, as you can see, finding those healthy foods that taste good is only part of the solution.  If you stay limited to just a few types of food your body and taste buds will get bored.  You will start to crave less healthy foods.  In today’s world there is a huge variety of healthy, tasty products on the market.  From fruits and veggies, animal and plant-based proteins, to nut and seeds, with a little research at the grocery store your fridge and pantry can be well-stocked to keep you on a healthy and interesting meal plan.