--- title: 5 Dietitians on the One Nutrition Tweak You Should Make description: TIME asked five registered dietitians for easy nutrition tips and tweaks that will help you learn how to eat healthy. canonical: https://time.com/5179590/easy-nutrition-tips/ author: Jamie Ducharme article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-03-01T16:23:21.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T19:28:28.977Z article:section: Health og:title: 5 Dietitians on the One Nutrition Tweak You Should Make og:description: Eating healthy doesn't have to be hard og:url: https://time.com/5179590/easy-nutrition-tips/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltfe908c783d43d17f/69877891e53abac50d4d6e2f/food-healthy-chard-avocado.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2560 og:image:height: 1440 og:image:alt: TIME.com stock photos Food Healthy Vegetables Chard Avocado og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 5 Dietitians on the One Nutrition Tweak You Should Make twitter:description: Eating healthy doesn't have to be hard twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltfe908c783d43d17f/69877891e53abac50d4d6e2f/food-healthy-chard-avocado.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 5 Dietitians on the One Nutrition Tweak You Should Make > Sponsored content. 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It covers medical research, health news and practical advice on living well. #### Where can I get reliable health news by email? Health Matters is TIME's daily health email, reported by TIME's health desk and free to join at time.com/newsletters. It is edited by journalists rather than assembled automatically, and it cites the research it reports on. #### Is Health Matters free? Yes. Health Matters is a free daily newsletter from TIME, available at time.com/newsletters. #### Who reads TIME's Health Matters newsletter? Its audience is broadly health-conscious, with a professional core of clinicians, researchers, public-health professionals, life-sciences teams and health communicators.  by [Jamie Ducharme](https://time.com/author/jamie-ducharme/)  ## Jamie Ducharme Ducharme is a contributor to TIME. Mar 1, 2018 4:23 PM UTC  Elizabeth Renstrom for TIME  by [Jamie Ducharme](https://time.com/author/jamie-ducharme/)  ## Jamie Ducharme Ducharme is a contributor to TIME. Mar 1, 2018 4:23 PM UTC For many people, “eating better” is an intimidating and abstract concept. What counts as healthy? [Is calorie counting necessary](http://time.com/4071440/calorie-counter/)? Is all junk food off limits? This confusion is familiar to many people, but improving your nutrition doesn’t always have to mean a diet overhaul. In fact, sometimes small changes can make the biggest impact. In honor of National Nutrition Month this March, TIME asked registered dietitians for five quick and easy diet resets that will put you on the path to better health. ## Embrace fat. “Most people think all fats can negatively impact health. But in reality, unsaturated fats—monounsaturated and polyunsaturated, i.e. [omega-3 fatty acids](http://www.health.com/nutrition/omega-3-tips)—are known as the “good fats” and have been shown to reduce inflammation and aid in heart health. Some great options to incorporate into your meals and snacks include nuts, seeds, avocados, fish (like salmon) and vegetable oils, like olive and canola.” — _Stephanie Perruzza, registered dietitian and health and wellness specialist at KIND snacks_ ## Eat more plants. “About 95% of Americans [don’t consume enough fiber](http://time.com/4186162/fiber-gut-bacteria-microbiome/). Veggies, fruits and whole grains are the best way to do this. It’s often easier to focus on what we can add in versus take away, so this is a great way to shift the mindset and focus on something positive. People should ultimately aim for seven to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables each day. That may seem like a lot, but it’s actually very doable if you are including vegetables and fruits at each meal.” — _Mascha Davis, Los Angeles-based registered dietitian_ ## Don’t cut out carbs. “Have a healthy—meaning fiber-containing—carbohydrate at all meals. I speak to lots of folks who choose carb-free meals, like a green salad with chicken for lunch, and then are left feeling low-energy, distracted and craving a cookie soon after. We need carbs to replenish our blood sugar levels and keep us alert. I always recommend making sure you have at least a small portion of sweet potato, quinoa, brown rice, etc. with your meals to make sure you are getting the nutrients your body needs to function. [This is especially important for folks who exercise often](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20849625,00.html) and burn through their blood sugar reserves regularly.” — _Matt Priven, Boston-based registered dietitian_ ## Sit down when you eat. “Eat all meals and snacks from a plate while seated at a table. This naturally helps you eat less and enjoy it more. Practicing not eating while standing in front of the fridge, driving in a car, working at the computer or watching TV helps us stay more mindful about what and how much we’re eating. It’s a small behavior tweak that can naturally impact portions and enjoyment.” — _Dawn Jackson Blatner, Chicago-based registered dietitian_ ## Listen to your body. “The one tweak I wish everyone could make is to eat while better listening to their bodies by using what I call the [Hunger Quotient](https://nutritiouslife.com/eat-empowered/much-eat-questions-answered/) \[a 1-to-10 scale for hunger, with a goal of staying between four and six\]. It can be a challenge to learn, but as soon as you get a hang of truly listening to your body’s hunger cues, you can feel empowered making better food and eating decisions everyday, and maintaining a healthy weight by living a nutritious lifestyle, rather than following an ultra-strict diet.” — _Keri Glassman, New York City-based registered dietitian_ ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5179590/easy-nutrition-tips/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5179590/easy-nutrition-tips/"},"headline":"5 Dietitians on the One Nutrition Tweak You Should Make","datePublished":"2018-03-01T16:23:21.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T19:28:28.977Z","description":"Eating healthy doesn't have to be hard.","url":"https://time.com/5179590/easy-nutrition-tips/","keywords":["Diet & Nutrition","onetime","healthytime","Evergreen"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltfe908c783d43d17f/69877891e53abac50d4d6e2f/food-healthy-chard-avocado.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Jamie Ducharme","jobTitle":"Ducharme is a contributor to TIME.","url":"https://time.com/author/jamie-ducharme/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltfe908c783d43d17f/69877891e53abac50d4d6e2f/food-healthy-chard-avocado.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"TIME.com stock photos Food Healthy Vegetables Chard Avocado","caption":"TIME.com stock photos Food Healthy Vegetables Chard Avocado","creditText":"Elizabeth Renstrom for TIME","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/dietnutrition/","name":"Diet & Nutrition"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5179590/easy-nutrition-tips/","name":"5 Dietitians on the One Nutrition Tweak You Should Make"}}]}] ```