Good dietary alternatives for better nutrition

Are you trying to eat more healthily but don't know where to start? Just a few easy food swaps can give your diet a nutritional boost.

Many of us make big promises to ourselves in January, but by the time we get to March, our old eating habits start to creep back in. Maybe you've had too much to eat - or maybe you haven't really thought about what it means to eat "right". Good eating habits involve more than just preparing the right food - it's also about eating the right food at the right time.

Therefore, here are 7 tips that can help you "eat right".

1 Protein shake instead of a bowl of breakfast cereal

A bowl of cereal with milk is quick and easy, but you can pack far more nutrition into a protein shake that's just as easy to prepare.

Here's why it's better: A protein shake containing protein powder, milk or soy milk, and fruit gives you more protein, which keeps you fuller for longer, and the fruit adds vitamins, minerals, and satiating fiber. And since you drink the milk — instead of leaving it at the bottom of your breakfast bowl — you also get a good dose of calcium.

2 Plain yogurt and fruit instead of pre-mixed yogurt.

Ready-made fruit yogurt contains very little fruit and often a lot of sugar. It doesn't take long to cut up some fresh fruit and add it to plain low-fat yogurt, then sweeten it a little with a little honey or maple syrup. You can also thaw some frozen fruit in the microwave and add it to your yogurt.

That's why it's better: You get more fruit (and more fiber), more protein and less sugar.

3 Spinach salad instead of iceberg salad.

Green leafy vegetables are great, but some — like spinach — are nutritional superstars. Instead of lettuce, try making salads with baby spinach.

Why it's better: A serving of spinach contains three times as much potassium, calcium and vitamin C and 50% more vitamin A than a serving of iceberg lettuce.

4 Beans instead of rice or pasta.

Starchy rice or regular pasta don't contain the same amount of vitamins, minerals, and fiber as whole grains. Although brown rice or whole wheat noodles would be better, beans contain even more nutrients.

Here's why it's better: If you replace the rice or pasta with beans, you'll get more iron and protein.

5 Edamame soybeans instead of chips

If you're craving something delicious as a snack, try some edamame soybeans instead of salty chips. Look for bags of frozen edamame beans in pods at your grocery store - after a five-minute soak in boiling water, they're ready to eat.

Why it's better: A 100-gram serving of shelled edamame soybeans (about the size of a tennis ball) contains about 9 grams of fiber, 11 grams of protein, and about 10% of your daily vitamin C and iron needs—and a total of about 120 calories. Show me a type of chip that can do that! It also takes time to remove the beans from the pods, which slows down how quickly you eat.

6 Canned salmon rather than canned tuna.

Don't get me wrong — canned tuna is a great food, and certainly one of the easiest ways to get more fish in your diet. But canned salmon (which works well in most recipes that include tuna) has a nutritional advantage in that it contains more healthy fats.

Why it's better: Wild-caught salmon (and almost all canned salmon is wild salmon) contains a higher proportion of omega-3 fatty acids compared to farmed salmon. Salmon is a fattier fish than tuna, and a serving of salmon has twice the omega-3 fatty acids as tuna.

7 Avocado instead of mayonnaise or other fats.

Avocado can be a great substitute for less healthy fats in all kinds of dishes. One of my favorite ways to use it is to replace mayonnaise used in tuna salad (or salmon salad). Mashed avocado can replace fatty dressings and sauces — it makes a great dip for raw vegetables and is delicious with grilled fish or chicken.

Why it's better: Avocado is a good source of monounsaturated fatty acids — similar to those found in other healthy fats like olive oil and nuts.

8 Berries instead of orange juice.

If you're trying to work more fruit into your diet, whole fruit is the way to go. The calories in fruit juice can add up quickly, and juice doesn't fill you up.

Why it's better: Fiber is what makes whole fruit more filling compared to fruit juice, and berries are one of the types of fruit that contain the highest amount of fiber. The 50 calories found in a serving of raspberries contain seven grams of fiber.

9 Vegetarian burgers instead of beef.

If beef burgers are a regular part of your menu, try swapping them out for a veggie burger made with soy protein and beans. When crumbled on top of a salad or on a whole-wheat bun with lots of onion, lettuce, and tomato, they're a pretty good substitute for the real thing.

Here's why it's better: You get your protein from a plant source, which means much less fat and saturated fat than what you'd otherwise get from ground beef.

Susan Bowerman is the Director of Nutrition Training for Herbalife Nutrition. Susan is a registered dietitian and certified specialist in Sports Dietetics.