We sometimes get so caught up in weight loss and fads that we lose sight of what’s really important – our health! Here are a few tips to help you improve your nutrition, no matter your goal.

Write it down

Tracking your nutrition will allow you to get an understanding of where you are and where your nutrition may be lacking. You can either use an app like My Fitness Pal to track everything for you, or you can just write it down and manually add up your nutrients.

I recommend logging for at least 3 days before ever adding up the nutrients such as calories, carbs, fats, and proteins – this will allow you to get used to the process. And, you’ll get an accurate representation of what and how much you eat on a regular basis so you can start making small adjustments to improve your macronutrients.

After the initial 3 days, log for 3 more days, this time add up the calories and nutrients. Use that information to determine the changes you’d like to implement and begin by making one or two small adjustments (try to eat more protein, try to eat less saturated fat, or whatever you see in your log that needs improvements).

Eat the bulk of your nutrition during the day

For overall health and to reap the most benefit from your nutrition, it is smarter to eat the bulk of your nutrition when your body is using it throughout the day.

Personally to address this problem, I’ve made two major changes. First, I try to eat more during the day. My goal isn’t to reduce the amount I eat, but to simply time it better. I bring one meal to work that includes carbs and meat, and then have several snacks of fruits, raw veggies, and string cheese. Then, in the evening I center my dinner around protein and vegetables, with little grains or carbs. Finding an herbal tea that you love can be a good substitute for your late night snack if you eat out of boredom or habit.

Make drinking water a habit

Drinking more water is a no-brainer not only for weight loss, but for better digestion and better overall health as well. We all know that we should be drinking water throughout the day, but it’s usually just a matter of remembering to do it.

An easy way to make water a habit throughout your day is take it with you…everywhere! I am the type of person who always carries around a gallon jug of water. Okay, maybe lugging around a whole gallon isn’t for everyone, but carrying a reusable bottle of H2O with you will remind you to drink water more often. It’s easy to make a habit of it if you work at a desk and always have water at work, but try having it handy around the house, on your nightstand, and take it with you in the car when you go out on the weekend.

Nutrition doesn’t have to be an impossible puzzle. Attacking nutrition one angle at a time will help you reach any goal — weight loss, improved strength, better athletic and day-to-day performance, and most importantly better health.

What tricks do you use to improve your nutrition?

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