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Before we jump in with the first R.A.M Nutrition blog post of the year, let’s take some time to introduce clients and readers to our philosophy on healthy eating. There are hundreds, if not thousands of diets, many of which claim to be the best, the healthiest, or a magic fix for health conditions or weight loss. As a registered dietitian, I see how frustrating it is for the public to sort through the information and misinformation that is out there about nutrition. R.A.M Fitness and Cycling shares my Cause and effect essay belief that healthy eating is very important, but it doesn’t have to be hard!

Read below to hear what you will find in the nutrition guidelines and future blog posts offered at R.A.M Fitness and Cycling.

The R.A.M acronym is a great way to remember what you should be looking for in any nutrition plan.

R– Real Food. The R.A.M Nutrition Plan is based on real, minimally processed foods.

A– Achievable. The R.A.M Nutrition Plan is a way of eating that can be followed long-term, and fits into our clients’ busy schedules. It is not a restrictive, short-term “diet”, it is a healthy pattern of eating that is built to last!

M– Maximizes general health and athletic performance. The R.A.M Nutrition Plan translates the latest in nutrition scienceinto simple healthy eating suggestions, so that our clients can achieve their health and fitness goals.

Now that you know what you can expect from any R.A.M Nutrition advice, let’s discuss healthy eating goals for 2016.

When 2016 rolled around, did you choose “eat healthier” as a New Year’s Resolution? Improving your eating habits IS a great idea- but it’s a bit vague. When setting healthy eating goals, I encourage clients to set goals that are specific, measurable, and achievable.

Let’s try to narrow it down to be more specific. Don’t forget you can set a few goals! Instead of “eat healthier”, try starting with “eat out less”, or “eat more fruits and vegetables”. Our goals are better, but they still need a little work. We need to make sure our goals are measurable and achievable.

Take stock of your current routine, and where you would like to be in a few weeks. Do you buy lunch in your work cafeteria many days, and go to restaurants every weekend? Your first specific, measureable, and achievable goal may look like this: Pack a lunch at least 3 days a week. Make sure you have a plan for how you are going to measure and achieve this. You could record the days you bring a lunch on your desk calendar. Or, set an alarm on your desktop or cell phone to check in on Wednesdays at noon, so that you can see how you are doing for the week.You could try keeping a list of quick lunches to throw together the night before work, or create a shopping list for portable meals and snacks.

Your more specific goal around fruit and veggies could be: Incorporate a fruit into breakfast and your morning snack, eat least 2 vegetables at lunch and 2 vegetables at supper. Again, compile a list of ways you can achieve this. Love fresh vegetables? Stick it in your calendar to roast up several different kinds of vegetables on Sunday night to reduce work during the week. Frozen vegetables are also packed with nutrients just like fresh vegetables, so you could try steaming some in the microwave to meet your goal.

Some other examples of specific goals could include:

  • Eat a breakfast containing protein, fat, and healthy carbohydrates each day.
  • Make a recipe with a vegetable I haven’t tried, at least once a week.
  • Reduce sodium intake by using ½ of the amount of salt in the recipes I try, with a goal of reducing to ¼ the next time I make it.
  • If you find yourself grabbing unhealthy foods at the grocery store, you goal could be: Pack some healthy snacks like nuts, seeds, or dried fruit in my car or gym bag, for those days when I have to run errands after the gym.
  • Reduce added sugar intake by reducing the 2 sugars in my coffee and tea to 1 sugar, with a goal of reducing to no added sugar from beverages after 4 weeks.
  • Skip other added sugars by stashing some healthy snacks at work, rather than grabbing a muffin or donuts with my coffee.

Don’t forget, once you achieve your smaller, more achievable goals, you can always set another goal for more improvement.

These are just a few examples of specific, measurable, and achievable goals – I encourage you to set

your own that work for you. Having difficulty deciding where to start, or how to set a more specific goal? Watch for future blog posts on nutrition recommendations, talk to a Registered Dietitian, or sit down for a goal-setting consultation with your coaches at R.A.M Fitness and Cycling.

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