Sprinkling flax seeds onto a salad isn’t a better way of hiding the flavor of flax seeds. The nutty taste of the seeds will likely still come through. Casseroles are considered a complex dish and can easily hide the flavor of flax seeds.

This macronutrient is digested slowly in your gut and also helps add bulk to foods, which gives you the satisfaction of chewing and a feeling of a full stomach. Leafy greens, carrots, and celery are all excellent choices, but artichokes sit at the top 15 low carb bread recipes of the pack. That’s because a single medium artichoke serves up 40 percent of your daily required fiber intake. Plus, artichokes are also one of the foods highest in the soluble fiber, inulin, which acts as a prebiotic, feeding your good gut bacteria.

Serving sizes vary among different types of protein foods. For example, a serving of meat or fish is 3 oz while serving of beans or cottage cheese is 1/2 cup . If you turn to food for comfort when you’re feeling sad, lonely, or bored, you might be engaging in emotional eating. This can result in eating when you’re not hungry, eating foods that aren’t healthy for you, and overeating.

According to a 2016 study, losing 5% of your body mass could significantly lower high blood pressure . When you experience stress, you might also be more likely to engage in other behaviors, such as drinking alcohol consequences of intermittent or eating unhealthful food that can adversely affect blood pressure. If you’ve ever downed a cup of coffee before you’ve had your blood pressure taken, you’ll know that caffeine causes an instant boost.

That said, when it comes to losing weight, what you eat is key—and studies show there are plenty of weight loss strategies that have nothing to do with exercise. Your calorie requirements reduce with age as your metabolism slows and your muscle mass shrinks, so get used to putting less on your plate. And even those figures are optimistic, since people tend to overestimate their consumption of healthy foods and underestimate the portion sizes of the stuff they know is unhealthy.

If you want to eat fewer carbs, avoiding sugar-sweetened beverages should be one of the first things you do. Protein is an important nutrient for optimal health, but not all protein sources are equal. Fortunately, this is easy to do if you follow the simple tips above. What’s more, they could also help ramp up your intake of protein. It requires no refrigeration, so it’s wonderful for travel.

There are several types on the market, including whey, soy, egg, and pea protein. However, a shake or smoothie can be a great breakfast option, especially if you choose nutritious ingredients. Many smoothies contain a lot of fruit, vegetables, or juice, but very little protein.

If any diet or food promises a quick fix or magic cure, it’s probably not evidence-based. If you’re really not sure, talk to a trusted source, like a registered dietitian or nutritionist. This will often result in you eating more at your next meal to make up for the missed meal. Drink no more than 1 alcoholic beverage daily if you’re a woman, or no more than 2 alcoholic beverages daily if you’re a man. One alcoholic beverage is 12 fl oz of beer, 5 fl oz of wine, or 1.5 fl oz of spirits. Try having a side salad or raw vegetable slices with your meal if you don’t want to cook vegetables.

All sugar, whether natural or processed, is a type of simple carbohydrate your body uses for energy. Fruits, vegetables and dairy foods naturally contain sugar. Fasting for short cycles may help a person lose weight. According to a 2015 study, intermittent fasting or alternate day fasting can help a person lose weight weight loss meal plan and maintain their weight loss. One study assigned people with high blood pressure to a low-polyphenol diet or a high-polyphenol diet containing berries, chocolate, fruits, and vegetables . Still, since both smoking and high blood pressure raise the risk of heart disease, quitting smoking can help lessen that risk.

Make sure to budget for the calories that your splurge will cost if you’re keeping track of calories with an app or food diary. For example, if you know that 2 slices of pizza will be about 600 calories, then you might eat a light lunch so you have more calories to spare. There’s no perfect amount of water for everyone to drink. If your urine is pale yellow and you don’t feel thirsty, you are well-hydrated.

To curb sugar cravings, stock up on protein-rich whole foods, such as meat, fish, eggs, full-fat dairy products, avocados, and nuts. As long as you’re eating healthy foods most of the time, it’s fine to have a treat, such as a donut, a couple of slices of pizza, or a milkshake now and then. Try to keep your treats to once or twice per week and plan them ahead of time to reduce the chances that you’ll overdo it. Making simple swaps can help to improve your eating habits in an easy, painless way.

The CDC reports that about 90% of Americans consume more sodium than is recommended for a healthy diet . Sodium sneaks its way into most processed and packaged foods, including soups, breads, and these other surprisingly salty foods. When and if you do succumb to salt, drink a lot of water to help flush it out. If you drink sugar-sweetened coffee, tea, soft drinks, or energy drinks, switch to water or another zero-calorie beverage. Your sweet drinks have lots of added sugar, which can make you gain weight and raise your risk for diabetes. A high protein intake offers several potential health benefits and could help increase weight loss, enhance muscle growth, and improve your overall health.

A 2015 study found cottage cheese to be as filling and satisfying as eggs . Some jerky and snack sticks come from grass-fed beef, bison, and other free-range animals. Choosing jerky from grass-fed animals will provide better quality meat with higher amounts of healthy omega-3 fats .

If you like sweet cookies, try sweet strawberries or blueberries. Think about all the foods you can eat, instead of dwelling on the foods you are trying not to eat. Make sure there isn’t a lot of unhealthy food in your house that can tempt you. Cravings for junk food usually stop after about 2 weeks of eating healthy. Claudia Carberry is a Registered Dietitian specializing in kidney transplants and counseling patients for weight loss at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. She is a member of the Arkansas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.