Buzz
There is an overwhelming amount of information on how to eat correctly! You may have heard various tips on what to eat and what to avoid, but there are a few simple principles that can guide your decisions. First, ensure your diet includes healthy food and beverages. Next, try to adjust your eating habits, such as cooking at home, reading food labels, and switching to healthier options. Additionally, adjusting the timing of your main meals and snacks can be helpful.
Steps
Adjust your eating habits
Swap unhealthy foods for healthier alternatives. Making simple changes can help improve your eating habits without feeling deprived. Consider what unhealthy ingredients are in your favorite foods and find a healthier option that still satisfies your cravings. This might just mean choosing a lower-fat version of the same dish or opting for a better alternative that still satisfies your hunger.
- For example, if you love French fries with dip, try substituting the fries with carrots or baked potatoes, and replace the creamy dip with fresh avocado or a lower-fat yogurt-based dip.
Develop the habit of reading product labels. Reading food labels can help you avoid products containing harmful ingredients, such as added sugars and trans fats. Always check the nutritional information on the packaging, and if you see high levels of fat, sugar, sodium, or all three, don’t buy it!
- Some products advertise on the front that they are low in fat, free from added sugars, trans fats, or low in sodium. However, you should still check the nutritional facts to make sure the product is truly healthy.
- Always read the ingredient list on the product label! If you are trying to avoid an ingredient like sugar, vegetable oils, or wheat, you can easily identify which products to avoid by reading the ingredient list.
Measure your food to ensure proper portion sizes. Packaged foods will have a standard portion size listed. To make sure you’re consuming the right amount of calories and fat for each serving, you need to measure your food as indicated on the packaging. You will need either a scale or measuring cups, depending on the food.
- For example, if you're cooking a box of macaroni and cheese, the serving size is 1 cup (240 g) of cooked pasta and cheese. Use measuring cups for accuracy.
- Portion sizes today are much larger than before, so make sure to check the packaging of packaged foods to avoid overeating.
Don’t keep unhealthy foods around. Resist the temptation of junk food or unhealthy snacks by not buying them in the first place! If you don’t have unhealthy foods within reach, you won’t be tempted. You may want to take a look at your pantry and fridge to remove unhealthy items.
- If you live with others, discuss with them about dedicating specific pantry or fridge spaces to store healthy foods. This will create a safe zone where you can pick healthy options.
Tip: Shop for food in the outer aisles of the supermarket. The outer aisles of most supermarkets typically carry the healthiest foods, such as fruits, vegetables, meats, fish, and dairy products.
Practice mindful eating to eat less and enjoy more. Mindful eating habits can help you eat less and slow down. It’s also a great way to fully enjoy your meals. Always sit down properly at the table and try to time your meal to last about 20 minutes. Other strategies you can try include:
- Eliminating distractions during meals, like turning off the TV and putting away your phone.
- Taking time to look at and smell the food before you start eating.
- Using your non-dominant hand to hold the utensils or eating with chopsticks.
- Chewing slowly and savoring each bite.
Consult a therapist to manage emotional eating habits. If you find yourself turning to food for comfort when feeling sad, lonely, or bored, you may be dealing with emotional eating. This can lead to eating when you're not hungry, consuming unhealthy foods, or overeating. Learning to manage emotions without food can help you develop healthier eating habits. Seek out a therapist with experience in helping people with emotional eating habits and schedule an appointment.
- For example, a therapist can teach you how to recognize your emotions and then find activities that can improve your mood, such as taking a walk, practicing deep breathing exercises, or listening to music.
- Ask your doctor for a referral to a therapist. In some cases, you may need a referral from your doctor to have therapy sessions covered by insurance.
Choose healthy foods and beverages
Include plenty of fruits and vegetables in every meal. Fruits and vegetables are rich in nutrients and fiber, and they tend to be lower in calories than most other food groups, especially organic fruits and vegetables (which are free from pesticides). Aim for 1-2 servings of fruits and vegetables to fill half of your plate at each meal. This will help you feel full faster and stay full longer.
- You can steam, stir-fry, roast, or boil vegetables—choose your favorite method of preparation!
- If you prefer not to cook your vegetables, try preparing a fresh salad or eating them raw as a side dish.
- If you're in a rush, grab portable fruits like an apple or banana, or take along a pre-packed fruit cup for convenience.
Choose whole grains and limit refined carbohydrates. Whole grains are a healthier version of carb-rich foods because they contain more nutrients and fiber. They also provide a sense of fullness and keep your energy levels stable for longer. Opt for whole-wheat bread and pasta, and choose brown rice instead of white rice and white bread. Other healthy whole grains you can incorporate into your meals include:
- Quinoa
- Barley
- Whole grain bread
- Oats
Include a lean protein portion in every meal. Protein should make up about 1/4 of your meal. Foods rich in protein include meat, fish, eggs, and beans. Some dairy products, like cottage cheese and Greek yogurt, are also high in protein. Choose lean protein sources like skinless chicken breast, tilapia, ground turkey, beans, tofu, and egg whites. This will help you reduce the amount of fat and cholesterol in your diet, contributing to better overall health.
- Check the serving sizes listed on food packaging. Serving sizes for protein foods vary. For example, a serving of meat or fish is typically 85 grams, while a serving of beans or cottage cheese is 1/2 cup (120 grams).
Tip: You can reduce the fat content in meat by draining excess fat and removing the skin before eating.
Avoid consuming excess oils and fats. The recommended fat intake for a balanced diet is between 20% and 30%. For someone on a 2,000-calorie diet, this translates to around 44g to 77g of fat per day, as each gram of fat equals 9 calories. It’s best to focus on healthy fats, such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, while minimizing or avoiding unhealthy fats like saturated and trans fats. Aim to include 2-3 servings of olive oil, nuts, seeds, or avocado daily to boost beneficial fats.
- Try to keep saturated fat intake to less than 10% of your daily calories. For instance, if you follow a 1,700-calorie diet, limit saturated fats to no more than 170 calories a day, which equals approximately 19g.
- Make sure to check food labels for trans fat content. Avoid buying or consuming items with trans fats, which are commonly found in margarine, shortening, powdered creamers, and many processed snack foods like packaged pastries.
Drink water primarily and limit or avoid sugary beverages. Water is the essential fluid your body needs. Technically, you don’t need anything else, but if you prefer other drinks, they should be consumed in moderation. Limit fruit juice to no more than 240 ml per day, and avoid sugary sodas and drinks with artificial or natural sweeteners.
- There is no universal standard for the ideal amount of water each person should drink. Drink when you're thirsty. If your urine is light yellow and you don't feel thirsty, your hydration levels are likely sufficient.
- You may consume alcoholic beverages in moderation. Women should limit themselves to one unit of alcohol per day, while men can have up to two units. One unit is equivalent to 350 ml of beer, 150 ml of wine, or 45 ml of spirits.
Occasionally indulge in your favorite treats, but don’t completely eliminate any food from your diet. While it’s important to regularly choose healthy foods, it's also okay to enjoy yourself once in a while! As long as you maintain a routine of eating well, it’s fine to treat yourself to a donut, a slice of pizza, or a milkshake now and then. Try to limit these indulgences to 1-2 times a week and plan ahead to avoid overindulgence.
- For example, you could have pizza on Friday night or go out for ice cream with the family on Sunday afternoon.
- Be sure to track the calories of your “cheat” meals if you're monitoring your intake with an app or food journal. For example, knowing that 2 slices of pizza equals 600 calories, you might opt for a lighter lunch to balance out the calories.
Schedule your main meals and snacks.
Learn to recognize when you're truly hungry. Being able to spot hunger signals can help you avoid overeating or eating out of boredom. If you're unsure whether you're actually hungry, consider when you last ate and how much food you had. If it’s been more than 3 hours since your last meal, you may genuinely be hungry. If less time has passed, ask yourself if something else might be triggering the urge to eat.
- Many people use the acronym HALT to remind themselves not to eat mindlessly. HALT stands for Hungry, Angry, Anxious, Lonely, or Tired. If you're not hungry, consider if you might be experiencing one of these emotions and find a way to address them without food.
- For example, if you're angry or anxious about something, identifying the source can be helpful. If you're feeling lonely, give a friend a call to hang out. If you're tired, take a short nap to recharge.
Eat regular meals and snacks throughout the day. Spacing out your meals evenly will help ensure your body gets the energy it needs for the entire day. Start your day with a hearty breakfast to fuel up. Then have a mid-morning snack, followed by lunch, an afternoon snack, and finally dinner.
- Don't skip meals! Skipping meals often leads to overeating later in the day to compensate for the missed meal.
Tip: Aim to have a larger breakfast, followed by smaller meals and snacks throughout the day. This approach helps maintain your energy levels.
Have an early dinner to allow your digestive system time to rest. Our bodies don’t need fuel when they’re resting, like during sleep. Eating too close to bedtime can disrupt your sleep and prevent your body from burning food efficiently, which could result in storing it as fat. Try to stop eating at least 3 hours before bedtime and give your body a long break between dinner and breakfast the next day.
- For example, if you sleep at 9:30 PM, try having dinner at 6 PM, then avoid eating until breakfast the next day.
Consider trying intermittent fasting. Intermittent fasting involves eating within a specific window of 8 to 10 hours when your body is most active during the day. This limits your eating time and gives your body extra hours to burn off calories. You may notice you're eating less. Find a window that works best for you and stick to eating only during that time frame.
- For instance, you could have all your meals between 6 AM and 4 PM, such as breakfast at 8 AM, lunch at noon, and dinner at 4 PM.
Advice
- One simple way to eat healthier is to focus on whole foods, such as fruits and vegetables. Whole foods are nutrient-dense and often low in calories.
- Try to cook at home as much as possible. Cooking at home allows you to control the ingredients and portions more easily. Additionally, it’s a great way to save money while ensuring you always have healthy food available when you need it.
- Avoid temporary diets that restrict any macronutrient. While these diets may show quick results, they are not sustainable in the long term.
- Occasionally indulge yourself! As long as you maintain a generally healthy diet, it’s okay to enjoy your favorite treats from time to time, like a scoop of ice cream, a chocolate bar, or a glass of wine.
Warnings
- Consult a doctor if you're unsure whether you are at a healthy weight. A doctor will advise whether you need to lose weight or gain weight.
- Speak to a doctor if you find yourself constantly thinking about food. This may indicate that you're not eating enough. Let your doctor know if you begin to develop an unhealthy obsession with dieting or food.
