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Healthy Habits to Steal From Nutritionists

Updated on March 04, 2024

Our resident experts share easy tips she and her fellow nutritionists swear by to maintain a healthy diet.

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Smart Strategies for Better Health

Nutritionists teach people how to eat healthy, and of course, they practice what they preach. But everyone has their own ways to stay on track with a healthy lifestyle. Here are some registered dietitian nutritionists’ (RDNs) personal secrets to success.

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Frontload Your Calories

“There is truth to the old adage to eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper when it comes to managing your weight. Emerging research is suggesting that consuming the majority of your calories later in the day may not be kind to your waist and increase the storage of fat in your body. Rise and dine to a healthy breakfast and tailor your calorie intake during the day so that you are eating less at night.”

-Dr. Joan Salge Blake, EdD, RDN, LDN, FAND author of Nutrition & You

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Cook at Home

“I eat 99-percent of my meals at home. That way, I know exactly what I’m eating, and eating ‘my food’ ensures that I’ll feel good afterwards. I can also build a much more nutritious plate at my house than I could if I was eating out somewhere. And it saves money, which of course I love.”

-Sara Haas RDN, LDN, consultant culinary dietitian based in Chicago, Illinois

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Prioritize Veggies

“This means making sure vegetables of all sorts — especially leafy green and cruciferous varieties — are the center of my plate. This translates to eating leftovers over a bed of greens, bumping up veggies in any recipe (like pizza, pasta and burritos), or starting a meal with soup or salad to ensure I consume plenty of phytonutrients and fiber every day.”

-Julieanna Hever, MS, RD, CPT, Plant-Based Dietitian and author of Plant-Based Nutrition (Idiot's Guide) and The Vegiterranean Diet

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