A healthy diet can have many benefits on how you feel, body functions and helps reduce risks of many chronic diseases. 

However, bringing some changes in your eating habits and diet choices you make can sometimes make a big difference in your overall health and well-being. These changes can seem very overwhelming, but you can even start your way with smaller changes and still notice a difference. 

It can be as small as switching your pancake mix to almond or cashew flour, it all about doing what works the best for you. 

Here are 15 simple changes that you can bring to your diet for your health and wellness.

Slow down 

The pace of your eating often influences how much you eat and how likely you are to gain weight. 

How much you eat to feel full, your appetite is controlled by hormones. The same hormones also signal your brain if you are hungry or full. It can take about 20 minutes or so, for the brain to receive these signals so you can act accordingly. That’s why eating slowly can give your brain the time to decide if you need to eat more or if you are full. 

Besides, eating slowly also gives you more time to chew, which is also linked to helping you maintain weight. 

Pick whole-grain bread 

By making this simple choice of picking whole grain bread instead of refined-grain one you can make your diet healthier.

Whole grains are often linked with a variety of health benefits. They are a good source of fiber, B vitamins, and many minerals like zinc, iron, manganese, and magnesium. 

Add Greek yogurt to your diet 

Greek yogurt is creamier and thicker than regular yogurt. It is made by straining and removing the excess whey or the watery part of milk. That’s how you get yogurt that’s richer in fat and protein. 

You can add it to your smoothies, make healthier dips, or have it as a snack mixed with some fruits, berries, fair trade cashews, almonds, or other nuts and seeds that you like. 

Don’t shop without a list 

There are two tips you need to remember when you are planning to go grocery shopping, have your shopping list ready in advance and don’t go grocery when you are hungry. 

This will help you follow through with your diet plan and make good decisions. 

Eat eats, preferably for breakfast 

Eggs make a very healthy breakfast option. They are packed with high-quality protein and other important nutrients that help you get energy for the rest of your day. 

Eggs help you feel full until your next meal and fortunately, you don’t need to look very far for some delicious egg recipes. 

Add more protein to your diet 

Protein is a significant nutrient for many reasons like its ability to influence your hunger and satiety hormones. It also helps you retain muscle mass, improve metabolism, and helps your burn an optimized number of calories while working out. So, make sure to add a good source of protein in every meal and possible snack.

Drink enough water 

Drinking enough water in the day should be an important part of your health. 

Drinking ample water may help with weight loss, weight maintenance, and boost the calories you burn. Drinking water before every meal tends to reduce your appetite and calorie intake in the subsequent meal. 

It would also be a good idea to keep your water bottle with you when stepping out for you can stay hydrated. 

Bake or roast your meals instead of frying or grilling

How you prepare your meal has a big impact on how it effects your health. 

Frying, grilling, broiling, and deep-frying are all popularly used ways to prepare meat and fish. However, these types of cooking methods tend to form potentially toxic compounds and take away the nutrient value of the food. 

The healthier ways of preparing your meals would to baking, simmering, broiling, poaching, slow-cooking, and pressure cooking. 

Replace your go-to fast food restaurant 

Most people these days have a busy schedule and they have their go-to restaurant to easily grab some food. However, eating out doesn’t have to mean unhealthy food. It would be a great idea to replace your go-to fast food restaurant to the one with healthier food options on the menu. So, you can easily get healthy food on the go without feeling guilty about it. 

Try new healthy recipes    

Keeping a healthy diet involves more home-cooked meals because you might not be able to get the best options with the healthy replacements in any restaurant. 

Hence, try to build the habit of looking at new healthy recipes or find ways how you can make your existing recipes healthier with few alternatives. This may also keep you motivated to keep up with a healthy lifestyle. 

Eat your greens first 

A good way to make sure you eat your green and leafy vegetables are to eat them first. This will help you ensure you eat your green while you are the hungriest and then go to other components of your meal that might be less healthy options. This way you can eat fewer and healthier calories without compromising your health. 

Cut down on the sugary beverages 

Drinking sugary beverages might be the unhealthiest things you are consuming with an unnecessarily high-calorie count. 

They are packed with liquid sugar and are often linked with many diseases like heart disease, obesity, and diabetes. However, you can replace the sugary beverages with sugar-free alternatives or you can simply go for still or sparkling water. 

Eat popcorn instead of chips 

It might come as a surprise to you, but popcorn is a whole grain and they packed with nutrients and fiber. Whole grains may have many health benefits including reduced risk of inflammation. 

We all like to binge on snacks when watching a show or movie. However, try to switch to popcorn instead of unhealthy snacks like chips. If you want to be really mindful about what you eat, try making your own popcorn at home instead of using the microwave variety, as they are loaded with fat, sugar, and salt. 

Eat your fruits instead of drinking them 

Fruits are very healthy and loaded with fiber, vitamins, antioxidants, and water. The sugars in fruits are typically digested very slowly and they don’t cause a big spike in your blood sugar levels. 

However, you can’t say the same for fruit juices. Most fruit juices you get in stores aren’t made with real fruit and they contain high levels of sugar. Hence, it would be a healthier option to either eat your fruits or add them to your vegetable smoothie to enhance its taste. 

Drink your coffee black 

Coffee is one of the most popular beverages around the world and it can healthy when consumed in moderation. It is in fact a great source of antioxidants and is linked with many health benefits. 

However, due to many commercial and coffee chains, a lot of people take their coffee with additional ingredients like sugar, heavy cream, syrup, sweeteners, and milk. A lot of these drinks are like dessert in a cup. That said, it’s healthier to avoid these unnecessary calories and take your coffee black.