5 Nutrition Habits to Build Just in Time for Summer

June 21, the official start of summer, is just around the corner. That might not be enough time for a dramatic health transformation, but it's more than enough time to build five habits that will genuinely change how you feel through the summer – and beyond. None of these requires a program or a massive overhaul: they attach to things you're already doing! And the research behind each one is actually quite compelling.

1. Add a Piece of Whole Fruit to at Least One Meal Per Day

The evidence on whole fruit is among the most consistent in nutrition science. Large prospective studies have found that each additional daily serving is associated with meaningful reductions in cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes risk.

But the operative word here is whole - juice doesn't carry the same benefit.  In fact, while whole fruits can help reduce type 2 diabetes risk, fruit juice consumption can increase it!  That’s because the fiber is gone - and it's the fiber that is doing most of the work: slowing sugar absorption, feeding beneficial gut bacteria, and delivering a dense package of polyphenols and antioxidants that juice simply can't replicate. 

The habit: put fruit on your breakfast plate. Berries in oatmeal, a banana alongside eggs, sliced peaches or plums with yogurt. The barrier is low; the return is high - and summer produce is about to hit its peak.

2. Increase Your Daily Water Intake — Deliberately

Studies using objective hydration measures have found that most adults fail to meet adequate daily fluid intake thresholds - and that mild dehydration of just 1–2% body weight impairs cognitive performance, mood, and physical endurance. Thirst is a lagging indicator; by the time you feel it, you're already behind. This matters more as temperatures climb, because heat increases fluid loss before you notice it.

The habit: a glass of water first thing in the morning, a full glass with each meal, and a water bottle within reach during the workday. That scaffolding alone can meaningfully increase daily intake for most people without requiring any real effort.

3. Eat your Vegetables... First

The evidence on meal sequencing is interesting and fairly robust. Multiple randomized controlled trials have found that eating vegetables first, and especially before carbohydrates at a meal, reduces the post-meal blood glucose spike by as much as 37%. This happens because the fiber in vegetables slows stomach emptying, which slows glucose entry into the bloodstream. Protein eaten earlier also triggers satiety hormones before the carb-heavy portion of the meal arrives.

The habit: fill half your plate with non-starchy vegetables first, then add protein, then your starch. Eat the meal in roughly the same order. The meal doesn't change - just the order and the proportions.  Bonus points: when eating out, do all you can to resist that bread basket!

4. Eat a Handful of Nuts Every Day

Few single dietary habits have evidence this positive and this consistent across study types. The landmark PREDIMED trial found that a Mediterranean diet supplemented with about one ounce of mixed nuts daily reduced major cardiovascular events by roughly 30%. The Nurses' Health Study, following over 76,000 women for 30 years, found a 35% lower risk of coronary heart disease in regular nut eaters. The mechanism involves unsaturated fats, fiber, plant sterols and antioxidants (sound familiar?) all working simultaneously. 

The common concern - that nuts will cause weight gain - hasn't held up. Multiple trials and a large meta-analysis found no significant association between daily nut consumption and weight gain over time, likely because nuts are highly satiating.

The habit: one small handful daily — about 20 almonds or 14 walnut halves — as a snack or alongside whatever you're already eating.

5. Snack Like it Matters

Because it does.  EVERYTHING we put into our bodies has an impact on our biochemistries.  We may (justifiably) obsess about the impacts of medications:  Where do they go?  What do they do?  What are their side effects?  We should look at food in the same way:  Those potato chips and Cheez-Its, where do they go?  What do they do? And what are their side effects? 

Step One Foods was not designed to solve it all.  But it was designed to be a purposeful, safe option, especially when you’re reaching for a snack or want to start your day off right.  Every ingredient thoroughly vetted, every targeted nutrition benchmark reached in every serving of every product.  Only proven health improvements and side... benefits. 

The habit: make your snacks purposeful.  Whether it’s that handful of nuts, a Dark Chocolate Walnut Bar, or the Barbecue Puff.  Your heart will thank you.

Bottom Line:

We have four weeks between now and June 21.  That’s enough time for all five of these habits to take hold and start feeling automatic. What a fantastic way to set yourself up for a better summer - and year ahead!  Minimal to no effort required.