How to Eat Better Food and Feel Healthier
Inform yourself., Stock up with healthy items., Don’t break the bank., Organize your kitchen the right way., Give up calories, not comfort.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Inform yourself.
Nutritional information can be overwhelming.
Find reliable sources of advice on your diet and stick with them.
Be critical of health claims and wary of false or incomplete data.
Government health and food agencies can be a good source for general nutrition guidelines.
The FDA, the Department of Health and Human Services, and a wide variety of state and local agencies offer dietary guidelines and nutrition advice.
The 2016 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest that a healthy eating pattern includes a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fat-free or low-fat dairy, a variety of protein foods, and oils.
The guidelines also strongly recommend limiting intake of saturated fats, trans fats, sodium, and added sugars.
It specifically recommends getting fewer than 10% of your daily calories from added sugars and no more than 10% from saturated fats.
Alcohol consumption, if you choose to do so, should be moderate.
The guidelines suggest that women should limit themselves to one drink per day, and men to two per day.
Be careful of sites trying to sell you a specific product, or that make claims that sound too good to be true.
Healthy eating takes more than one miracle product.
Diet and health professionals are also a good source for nutrition information.
Ask your doctor, or speak with a dietician about what foods are right for you specifically. -
Step 2: Stock up with healthy items.
Organic foods and hormone- and antibiotic-free meats and eggs can have you feeling and eating healthier quickly.
Likewise, making sure fresh fruits and vegetables are readily available is a great way to increase your intake of these items.
Emphasize fruits and vegetables in your diet.
They are healthier and less calorie-dense than many other foods.
Fresh is best, but canned foods can help stretch a thin budget.
Choose whole grains for your carbohydrates.
Refined grains, in things like white bread or white rice, lack fiber and cause a response more like sugar in the body.
Refined grains are quickly broken down by digestion and they raise blood sugar levels in the body.
Limit sugar.
New guidelines suggest that added sugars should constitute fewer than 10% of your calorie intake.
Check labels for added sugar in the products you buy.
Avoid saturated fats.
Not all fats are bad
- in fact, some are crucial to good health.
What you want to avoid are saturated and trans-fats.
These are associated with health issues like heart disease., While it’s true that eating healthy can be more expensive these days, you can get the right foods at the right price with some planning.
Coupons: they’re not just for old ladies.
Check grocery store fliers and other places for sales and specials, especially on meats and seafood.
Bulk up.
It’s nearly always cheaper to buy food in bulk, and if you have the storage space and access to a warehouse store like Costco you can really save on things like frozen veggies and meats.
Pass on pre-made meals.
You pay a premium for buying prepared foods like frozen meals and pre-cut fruits.
Take the time to prepare your meal from scratch and you can save significantly.Organic food is nice, but not always necessary.
With some foods like oranges or bananas, pesticides do not come into contact with the part you eat, so you can choose the cheaper, non-organic option.
Choose organic for fruits and vegetables with edible skins, like grapes and apples.
Be aware that tubers like potatoes, on the other hand, can contain pesticides even if you peel them., Having healthy food on hand isn’t enough.
Make it as accessible as possible, so that it’s your first option.
Get fruits and veggies out of the fridge drawer.
Have some cut up and ready to eat in a bowl, sitting right where you’ll see it.
Prepare healthy meals ahead of time.
Make a large portion of a healthy meal on the weekend or your day off, and refrigerate or freeze individual portions for quick, healthy meals all week.
Keep some front and center in your fridge so that you remember it’s there when hunger strikes.You may also want to organize your kitchen utensils and cookware.
Keep utensils and pots and pans on hand that you use all the time. , Eating to feel better doesn’t mean you have to give up comfort foods for a spartan diet of celery and water.
Instead, seek out substitutions to fill that need in a healthier way.
For dessert there are many options.
Rather than cake or a brownie, try some dark chocolate.
It generally has less added sugar and even gives some health benefits.If your pleasure is soda, you could switch to diet soft drinks, but there’s some question as to the effects of artificial sweeteners.
Instead, consider carbonated water, flavored with fruit slices or juice.Snacking can be the bane of healthy eating.
If you’re a fan of potato chips, try substituting popcorn, especially the air-popped variety, which has little or no oil added.
Brined foods like olives or pickles can be a lower-calorie option when you want a salty snack.
If you find yourself reaching for a candy bar, try a protein or granola bar instead.
They offer better nutrition, while still helping out your sweet tooth. -
Step 3: Don’t break the bank.
-
Step 4: Organize your kitchen the right way.
-
Step 5: Give up calories
-
Step 6: not comfort.
Detailed Guide
Nutritional information can be overwhelming.
Find reliable sources of advice on your diet and stick with them.
Be critical of health claims and wary of false or incomplete data.
Government health and food agencies can be a good source for general nutrition guidelines.
The FDA, the Department of Health and Human Services, and a wide variety of state and local agencies offer dietary guidelines and nutrition advice.
The 2016 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest that a healthy eating pattern includes a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fat-free or low-fat dairy, a variety of protein foods, and oils.
The guidelines also strongly recommend limiting intake of saturated fats, trans fats, sodium, and added sugars.
It specifically recommends getting fewer than 10% of your daily calories from added sugars and no more than 10% from saturated fats.
Alcohol consumption, if you choose to do so, should be moderate.
The guidelines suggest that women should limit themselves to one drink per day, and men to two per day.
Be careful of sites trying to sell you a specific product, or that make claims that sound too good to be true.
Healthy eating takes more than one miracle product.
Diet and health professionals are also a good source for nutrition information.
Ask your doctor, or speak with a dietician about what foods are right for you specifically.
Organic foods and hormone- and antibiotic-free meats and eggs can have you feeling and eating healthier quickly.
Likewise, making sure fresh fruits and vegetables are readily available is a great way to increase your intake of these items.
Emphasize fruits and vegetables in your diet.
They are healthier and less calorie-dense than many other foods.
Fresh is best, but canned foods can help stretch a thin budget.
Choose whole grains for your carbohydrates.
Refined grains, in things like white bread or white rice, lack fiber and cause a response more like sugar in the body.
Refined grains are quickly broken down by digestion and they raise blood sugar levels in the body.
Limit sugar.
New guidelines suggest that added sugars should constitute fewer than 10% of your calorie intake.
Check labels for added sugar in the products you buy.
Avoid saturated fats.
Not all fats are bad
- in fact, some are crucial to good health.
What you want to avoid are saturated and trans-fats.
These are associated with health issues like heart disease., While it’s true that eating healthy can be more expensive these days, you can get the right foods at the right price with some planning.
Coupons: they’re not just for old ladies.
Check grocery store fliers and other places for sales and specials, especially on meats and seafood.
Bulk up.
It’s nearly always cheaper to buy food in bulk, and if you have the storage space and access to a warehouse store like Costco you can really save on things like frozen veggies and meats.
Pass on pre-made meals.
You pay a premium for buying prepared foods like frozen meals and pre-cut fruits.
Take the time to prepare your meal from scratch and you can save significantly.Organic food is nice, but not always necessary.
With some foods like oranges or bananas, pesticides do not come into contact with the part you eat, so you can choose the cheaper, non-organic option.
Choose organic for fruits and vegetables with edible skins, like grapes and apples.
Be aware that tubers like potatoes, on the other hand, can contain pesticides even if you peel them., Having healthy food on hand isn’t enough.
Make it as accessible as possible, so that it’s your first option.
Get fruits and veggies out of the fridge drawer.
Have some cut up and ready to eat in a bowl, sitting right where you’ll see it.
Prepare healthy meals ahead of time.
Make a large portion of a healthy meal on the weekend or your day off, and refrigerate or freeze individual portions for quick, healthy meals all week.
Keep some front and center in your fridge so that you remember it’s there when hunger strikes.You may also want to organize your kitchen utensils and cookware.
Keep utensils and pots and pans on hand that you use all the time. , Eating to feel better doesn’t mean you have to give up comfort foods for a spartan diet of celery and water.
Instead, seek out substitutions to fill that need in a healthier way.
For dessert there are many options.
Rather than cake or a brownie, try some dark chocolate.
It generally has less added sugar and even gives some health benefits.If your pleasure is soda, you could switch to diet soft drinks, but there’s some question as to the effects of artificial sweeteners.
Instead, consider carbonated water, flavored with fruit slices or juice.Snacking can be the bane of healthy eating.
If you’re a fan of potato chips, try substituting popcorn, especially the air-popped variety, which has little or no oil added.
Brined foods like olives or pickles can be a lower-calorie option when you want a salty snack.
If you find yourself reaching for a candy bar, try a protein or granola bar instead.
They offer better nutrition, while still helping out your sweet tooth.
About the Author
Lori Cook
Experienced content creator specializing in lifestyle guides and tutorials.
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