Most people set a goal to eat better at one time or another. Whether it’s a New Year’s resolution or you just want to look good in a bathing suit for that upcoming beach vacation, we all vow to improve the quality of our diet at some point in our lives.

While it can be challenging to give up salty snacks and sweets for lean proteins and vegetables, there is a powerful reason to keep trying: your hair. Nutritious and vitamin-rich foods are the foundation of a healthy body and strong hair. Try this hair-friendly fare tonight:

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1. Spinach

Nutrient-packed spinach contains iron, folate, beta carotene, and vitamins A and C—all of which help moisturize your hair. Whether you like it sautéed with a little olive oil, or you prefer it raw in a salad, work spinach into your diet as much as possible to strengthen hair and avoid breakage.

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2. Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes and other orange vegetables like carrots and pumpkins contain beta carotene. This antioxidant turns into vitamin A in the body and helps prevent dull, dried out hair. Vitamin A also assists scalp glands in making sebum (oil) that hydrates hair and promotes shine.

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3. Greek Yogurt

Good any time of the day, Greek yogurt really packs a punch in the hair department. Full of protein and a great source of vitamin B5, yogurt helps build hair from the inside out. Protein is a fundamental element of hair itself and vitamin B5 promotes blood flow to the scalp to encourage growth. Go ahead and have as much Greek yogurt as you want. Your hair will thank you.

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4. Salmon

Salmon is full of omega-3 fatty acids. Your body cannot produce these good fats by itself, so you need to consume them in the foods you eat. Not only do they protect you from disease, omega-3 fatty acids are necessary for hair growth. Bonus: they also give hair body and shine.

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5. Poultry

Lean cuts of chicken and turkey are fantastic sources of protein—the building blocks of hair. If you are protein deficient, your hair will enter the resting phase of growth because it doesn’t want to deplete the body of a scarce resource. In the resting phase, also called the telogen phase, hair temporarily stops growing and begins to shed. Help your body reduce hair loss by consuming enough protein in your diet.

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6. Eggs

Eating eggs gives your body protein and iron, both essential for healthy hair. Eggs contain biotin, a B vitamin that supports hair growth and scalp health. Another benefit of biotin is that it fortifies brittle hair to lessen breakage.

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‍7. Cinnamon

Cinnamon supports healthy circulation, including blood flow to the scalp. Oxygen and nutrient rich blood helps feed hair follicles to stimulate growth. Dive on in to some cinnamon oatmeal and try to stay away from those cinnamon buns.

Let’s keep those goals to eat better. With a little luck and some hard work, they may even turn into healthy habits that give us a sleek physique—and great looking hair. For more information about hair loss and what you can do about it, click here.

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