In the new year, wouldn't it be nice to eat healthier? If you're trying to lose weight, you probably look at the calories and fat grams a product contains, but what about nutrients? Some people get so caught up in losing weight that they forget how important nutrients are. Many low-fat/low-calorie products are manufactured in a way that they are stripped of their nutrients. In this week's blog, we're going to discuss the importance of reading nutrition labels and what you should be looking for.

There are several reasons to read nutrition labels. First of all, they tell you what's in a product. More importantly though, they tell you what's not in it. While looking to see how many calories are in a container of fat-free yogurt, why not also look to see what vitamins and minerals the product contains. With many brands, you'll find that there aren't any. If you look closer, you'll find that these products are usually loaded with sugar. How can this possibly be healthy? The purpose of a nutrition label is more than just providing you with calorie and fat information. It's there to help you make healthy choices.

When looking at a nutrition label, you should see a list of vitamins and minerals. If you don't see this list, it means the product doesn't have any. Healthy products will contain different vitamins and minerals depending on what they are. For example, yogurt will contain calcium and frozen berries might contain vitamin C. Of course, you should also look at the amount of protein the food contains as well as the sodium, fiber and carbs. In other words, the entire nutrition label should be considered before buying the product. This can be time consuming, but thankfully there are websites and books that allow you to look up this information before heading to the grocery store.

What are you waiting for? Grab a water bottle and start researching your favorite foods. Chances are you'll need to make few changes to your grocery list.

This week's blog entry isn't meant to criticize the nutritional value of meat. In fact, I feel that lean proteins are essential for a healthy lifestyle. Instead, this week's entry is meant to inspire you to find new ways to increase your vegetable and fiber intake. In this week's blog, we'll discuss the importance of meatless meals and what they can do for your body and wallet.

Meatless meals allow you to pack high levels of nutrition into one meal. Instead of preparing a meal where the vegetables and whole grains play supporting roles, you can prepare a meal where they get the lead role. Just imagine how healthy the meal could be. You could prepare a vegetable stir fry served over a bed of whole wheat pasta or brown rice. You could even have a Southern meal of green beans with new potatoes and cornbread. Of course, you can't forget salads and soups. Meatless meals can be loaded with fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals. All you need to do is choose healthy ingredients.

Now, we must not forget another important factor. Meatless meals can be more affordable. If there's anything we need right now, it's more affordable meals. With the cost of groceries continuously on the rise, meatless meals can help you afford healthier ingredients. By eating one or two meatless meals a week, you'll have more money to spend on lean protein. This ensures that you're able to choose healthier cuts of meat, rather than settling for what's on sale.

If you're a meat lover like I am, you may be intimidated by meat-free meals. You don't have to be though. There are hundreds of meatless meals that satisfy your cravings for meat. For example, bean burritos and Portobello burgers are very satisfying. By no means am I asking you to eat tofu. I'm just asking you to consider recipes that are meat-free.