The words "wedding diet" have never really freaked me out. After all, as a health and fitness writer, I've always eaten pretty healthily. It's hard not to: Every day, I interview super-talented registered dietitians who remind me of the importance of fruits and veggies, the brain benefits of omega-3s, and the easy traps of junk food and artificial sugars.

But when I got engaged in October (!), the bride-to-be in me started to wonder: Am I really eating as well as I think? (TBH, I could pretty much live on pizza and red wine if it came down to it.)

At the end of the day—engaged or not, five months out from a wedding or not—a healthy diet is a healthy diet. But leading up to a wedding, engaged gals tend to all share the same concerns: I don't want to be bloated! I need lots of energy! I want to feed my muscles (and show them off)! If I drop a few pounds in the process? Even better.

So what did I need to do to clean up a healthy diet in time for "I do?" I asked four of my fave dietitians that very question. Here are their thoughts:

Think: Omega-3s

"Omega-3s are very good for skin and health. These are good for busting the bloat and keeping you regular—all things you want in order to look your best on your wedding day. You can easily get more omega-3s by incorporating more flax seed, chia seed, and walnuts into the diet. Flax seed also can help with satiety, as they bulk up in water. This can help prevent you from overeating." —Dana Hunnes, Ph.D., R.D., an adjunct assistant professor at UCLA's Fielding School of Public Health.

Play the long game with your skin.

"This is a time to get your skin in gear, and that means nixing junky, inflammatory foods (think: sugar and white carbs) for foods that help keep your hair and skin beautiful. I put many brides-to-be that I counsel on a plant-based diet 12 weeks out to achieve this—lots and lots of fruits and vegetables, plant-based proteins like tofu and beans and small amounts of whole grains like quinoa, buckwheat, and oats. Great skin does not occur overnight. If your diet is full of inflammatory foods, like sugar and white grains; and low in fruits and vegetables, it will take time to build up that glowing-skin arsenal." —Kristin Kirkpatrick, R.D., a wellness manager at the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute and author of Skinny Liver (Kick-start your new, healthy routine with Women's Health's 12-Week Total-Body Transformation!)

Color rules

"The more color, the more vitamins and minerals you will consume, so lots and lots of fruits and vegetables! You can also start boosting your consumption of tomatoes or carrots. One study found that consumption of high carotenoid foods for six weeks helped improve the appearance of skin."—Kirkpatrick

Add more tomatoes to your diet with this creamy tomato soup:

preview for Creamy Tomato Soup

Pile on the protein

"Fill up on lean proteins, and veggies, while staying satisfied also with healthy fat like nuts, seeds, and avocado. The protein and fats provide satiety, which keeps you satisfied and reduces cravings, and the fat also helps your skin glow. Veggies are packed with water and fiber to keep you full, and their antioxidants are good for skin glow, too." —Keri Glassman, R.D., founder of Nutritious Life

If you're interested in losing a few extra pounds, now is the time 

"If you want to lose a few pounds, you can eliminate carbohydrates with dinner. Refined carbs like white rice, white bread, and white wraps can spike your blood sugar, increase cravings, and can turn into fat if you don't burn it off. Cutting down on carbs and increasing protein can decrease your appetite so you end up eating fewer calories." —Ilyse Schapiro, R.D., author of Should I Scoop Out My Bagel?

Related: 7 Women Share How They Felt About Losing Weight For Their Weddings

Be good to your gut

"Incorporating natural diuretic foods into the diet (like asparagus or pineapple) can help reduce bloat and help you feel best on your wedding day. Eliminating or reducing your dairy intake is also a good idea. Dairy in some people can lead to bloat, gas, GI discomfort, phlegm, and in other people, acne from hormones. You can get all the calcium you need from non-dairy beverages and protein." —Hunnes

"Probiotic assistance may help to take bloat away, but it can take a few weeks to get used to it and in that time, you may have a little gas as your body adjusts, so give your body a month to adjust. Don't forget about probiotics' buddy, prebiotics, either. Prebiotics help probiotics do their job—they are non-digestible carbohydrates found in foods like Jerusalem artichoke, bananas, asparagus, and whole grains. Having these prebiotic sources a month before may help with both sleep quality and stress management." —Kirkpatrick

Watch the salt

"This week, you may want to reduce your intake of foods with sodium in them. For example, most breads have 150 or more milligrams of sodium per slice. You will want to banish the salt shaker the week before your wedding, and you will want to eat as cleanly as possible." —Hunnes

Feed your brain

"The nerves and jitters might be settling in here, so focus on foods that help with increasing neurotransmitters. Snack on nuts. One study associated nut consumption with increases in serotonin and increased feelings of happiness." —Kirkpatrick

Choose your fruits and veggies wisely

"Especially include avocado in your diet, which is rich in fiber and potassium. The potassium helps to de-bloat and avocados are rich in healthy fats to keep you satisfied. Vitamin C (like what you find in an orange, one cup of strawberries, or a red pepper) helps to produce carnitine, which helps you burn fat for energy. Papaya has digestive enzymes to help break down proteins, so they are digested faster." —Schapiro

Related: How Many Avocados Is It Safe To Eat Per Week?

Don't skip meals!

"Eat breakfast within 60 to 90 minutes of waking up and then every three to four hours after that. This will keep your metabolism going, your energy up, and blood sugars stable which you will need in the last few days before the wedding.  As things get hectic, you have to stay on top of your food, so you don't fall apart or feel tempted by junk food." —Schapiro

Stay slim

"This day is all about feeling great in your dress and achieving a flat belly. Try bananas with nut butter for breakfast. In case the rehearsal dinner was a little too high in sodium, the potassium in bananas will help to counteract the sodium and reduce bloat. You can also sip peppermint tea to help calm the 'gut nerves' and provide yourself with some hydration. Opt for hydrating cucumber water as well. If you have to go to the bathroom and you're constipated, a good run may do the trick here, and a small dish of papaya, too." —Kirkpatrick

Drink wisely

"The goal is to stay well hydrated, keep your energy up, your skin looking great, and your belly not feeling bloated!  Be sure to drink plenty of fluids. Be careful of carbonated beverages if they bloat you. Aim to fill up in the a.m. so you won't have to go to the bathroom too many times in your wedding dress!" —Glassman

Skip high-fiber foods

"Avoid foods high in fiber or that are gaseous such as broccoli if they tend to bloat you." —Glassman

Eat!

"The jitters may be creeping in, but that is not an excuse not to eat. Start with a healthy breakfast of whole wheat toast and either eggs or a nut butter to give you energy. Have mini meals throughout the day to keep you going. You can try nuts, a peanut butter sandwich, a small turkey sandwich, grilled chicken plus half of a sweet potato, or have a piece of grilled chicken with some veggies (if they don't' bloat you). Once the wedding starts, eat some of the food at cocktail hour and definitely eat dinner. You don't want to get 'hangry.'" —Schapiro

Headshot of Cassie Shortsleeve
Cassie Shortsleeve
Freelance Writer

Cassie Shortsleeve is a skilled freelance journalist with more than a decade of experience reporting for some of the nation's largest print and digital publications, including Women's Health, Parents, What to Expect, The Washington Post, and others. She is also the founder of the digital motherhood support platform Dear Sunday Motherhood and a co-founder of the newsletter Two Truths Motherhood and the maternal rights non-profit Chamber of Mothers. She is a mom to three daughters and lives in the Boston suburbs.