Tiny Diet Tweaks That Make a Big Difference

We've all seen this pattern in ourselves or a friend: we get frustrated with our tight jeans, reach the point of "enough is enough" and decide to change our lives with a strict diet.

For a few months, things have been great. We may feel better. We may lose significant weight. And then, despite our best intentions, we fall off the bandwagon.

Study after study shows that this pattern is ubiquitous among dieters, regardless of which fad diet they choose. "We're very successful at helping people lose weight using different types of diets, but what we can't do is help them lose that weight," says Leslie Lutz, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology. University of British Columbia. “At six months, people seem to plateau when their weight loss is over. Then people regain all their weight over time—50 percent of it within the first year.”

A big part of the problem is that extreme diets make us miserable. Dieters typically report strong feelings of poverty and low satisfaction, Lutz says, and their dissatisfaction increases over time as their dietary restrictions begin to feel more burdensome.

So, how about ditching the extreme diets and focusing on small, incremental improvements to your routine — "tweaks" that improve health but don't feel catastrophic, and that you can stick with long-term?

Taylor Wolfram, MS, RDN, LDN, a dietitian in private practice in Chicago, Illinois. This is an approach favored by The goal should be habit formation, not quick fixes. "I like to tell clients, 'Don't make a change you can't sustain forever,' because I want to focus on sustainability," says Wolfram. “Step away from the iceberg a little at a time. So you're going to make a small change, and once you get it down and it feels like a manageable habit, well, add something else.

But can "small tweaks" really make a difference in your health? Absolutely, says Lutz. In a weight-loss study conducted by researchers at Tufts University, overweight volunteers were divided into two groups: one group was put on a relatively light diet and restricted their calorie intake by 10 percent, and the other was put on a calorie-restricted diet. 30 percent. Volunteers on the more extreme diet lost weight faster for the first six months—but after six months their weight began to gain again. In contrast, light dieters kept their weight stable after the six-month mark. In the end, both groups lost about the same amount of weight after the one-year period compared to when they started.

If "tweaks" are an effective way to improve health, which "tweaks" have the biggest impact? To find out, we surveyed six registered dietitians with this question: "If you could convince all Americans to make one small change in their eating habits or their mindset about food, what would it be?" Here's what they said:

[1] Eat a cup of vegetables at lunch.

Sharon Palmer, R.D.N., "Plant-Powered Dietitian" and author of The Plant-Powered Diet

According to Palmer, increasing a vegetarian diet is the single most powerful change most Americans can make to their health.

"Vegetables are high in fiber, high in phytochemicals, high in antioxidants, and low in calories," says Palmer. Not only are they highly nutritious, but prioritizing vegetables leaves room for less healthy alternatives. "By eating more vegetables, you're cutting out other unhealthy foods in your diet," says Palmer.

Unfortunately, only nine percent of Americans eat the recommended daily amount of vegetables. A major reason for this, Palmer says, is that many people don't start eating their daily vegetables until dinnertime, making it impossible to eat enough. Start eating at least lunchtime (or breakfast!) to get all the vegetables your body needs.

Salad or carrot sticks, steamed broccoli or roasted kale – the options are endless. Eat your vegetables raw or cooked; Either way you will reap the benefits.

[2] Add leafy greens to a serving

per day

Taylor Wolfram, MS, RDN, LDN, private practice dietitian in Chicago, Illinois

Leafy greens are packed with vitamins and nutrients, especially vitamins A, C, K and folate, says Wolfram. Some are also high in calcium. Leafy greens are very versatile, so it's easy to incorporate their nutritional benefits into your diet.

"You can have them raw in a salad, or put them in a base you're cooking, like soup, stew, tacos, or a casserole," says Wolfram.

Aim to get at least one serving of leafy greens per day, but set a manageable goal compared to where you're starting, Wolfram says. If leafy greens are a new addition to your diet, start with one serving per week and increase from there. Also, choose vegetables that you like. If you don't like kale, eat spinach instead, says Wolfram. Then experiment with different ways to prepare your greens (Wofram's favorite method is to saute them with a little garlic and olive oil). "It's really important to find food that you think tastes good and prepare it in a way that you enjoy," she explains.

[3] Avoid categorizing food

In terms of protein, carbohydrates or fat.

Julianne Hever, M.S., R.D., C.P.T., "Plant-Based Dietitian," author of Plant-Based Nutrition (Idiot's Guide) and The Vegetarian Diet

"Over the past century, we've adopted the use of the nutritional biochemistry terms 'protein,' 'carbohydrate,' and 'fat' as food groups," Hever says. "This has led to the characterization of foods based on their major macronutrients, and the concept is used for fad dieting techniques such as eliminating carbohydrates or fats or the never-ending pursuit of 'enough protein'."

Unfortunately, looking at macronutrients alone can be very misleading. For example, donuts and whole grain bread are "carbohydrates," but donuts have very little nutritional value, while whole grain bread actually has very little. Focusing on macronutrients doesn't tell the whole story.

Instead of worrying about the macronutrients in each meal, focus on eating a variety of plant foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes (like beans and lentils), nuts, and seeds. If you fill your plate with a variety of whole plant foods, you'll naturally get the protein you need, and you'll eat the right kinds of fats and carbohydrates.

"We know from the scientific literature that eating lots of plant foods, reducing/avoiding animal products, and highly refined food products like sugars and oils are the keys to optimal health," Hever says.

[4] Move to unsweetened beverages.

Marisa Podell, MS, RD, private practice dietitian in Los Angeles, California

Sweet drinks—soda, sweetened coffee, sweetened tea, juice, and even sweetened plant-based milks like soy or almond milk—contain lots of extra calories from sugar, but they're not very satisfying and won't make you feel good. About as many calories as you eat in solid foods, Podell says. This makes sugary drinks a major contributor to the risk of obesity. Since many Americans consume at least one sugary drink daily, finding unsweetened alternatives is a high-impact change that can make a big difference in your sugar intake and your overall health.

Baby steps are okay. For example, you can start by cutting your usual weekly soda consumption in half. As for what to drink instead, water is always ideal. But if water isn't cutting it, try sparkling water in place of soda or unsweetened herbal tea instead of sweetened tea, Podell says.

A note of caution: Don't assume that fruit juice is a good substitute for other sugary drinks. "The fiber is removed when the fruit is juiced," Podell says. "Fruit has a lot of health benefits when the fiber is still there, but it's always better to eat fruit in whole food form." To get that fruity breakfast drink you've been craving, opt for a smoothie made with whole fruit instead of juice.

[5] Read ingredient labels.

Eliza Savage, M.S., R.D., C.D.N., private practice dietitian in New York, New York

"Too often, I see patients eating 'alternative' foods that they believe are healthy, but are actually loaded with artificial sweeteners, fillers, and other questionable ingredients," says Savage.

When you read the ingredients label, look for simple, familiar ingredients. If you cannot recognize or understand many of the ingredients, choose a different product. An unintelligible ingredient list is a sign that a food is highly processed and contains unhealthy additives.

Better yet, Savage says, choose more foods that don't have nutrition labels — foods like fruits and vegetables. "By simplifying the ingredients, Americans can improve their overall nutritional choices and take responsibility for what they eat (and not)," says Savage.

[6] Replace white bread

For whole grains.

Kerry Gans, MS, RD, CDN, author of The Small Change Diet

Guns says whole grain bread has more fiber than white bread. "The more fiber in your diet, the more satiated you are and the less likely you are to overeat." Whole grain bread contains more protein, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants than white bread.

While eating refined grains (like white flour, white bread, and white pasta) has been linked to health problems, whole grains are a completely different story. Multiple studies have found that eating more whole grains can significantly reduce the risk of conditions like heart disease and obesity.

Look for a brand that clearly states it's 100 percent whole grain, says Gans. Once you get used to whole grain bread, you can move on to other grain swaps. For example, try subbing whole grain (brown) rice for white rice. Or try whole grain pasta instead of white pasta.