Food provides your body with energy (calories) and essential nutrients, helping you to achieve both weight control and reduced risk for disease. Adopting healthy eating habits is crucial in order to achieve these goals and remain at an ideal weight.

Enjoy a range of foods and beverages within recommended calorie limits, such as low-fat or fat-free dairy products, lean meats, fish, eggs, soy products, beans and nuts.

Eat a Variety of Foods

Establishing healthy eating habits isn’t always straightforward. Longstanding patterns may make the changes difficult. Yet making these necessary modifications will reduce your risk for disease; having a diet which provides optimal control of cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure levels will only serve you in bettering health!

Dieting to get all of the nutrients your body needs requires eating foods from all five food groups, while also limiting foods with excessive saturated fat, added salt or added sugar; such foods may be considered “discretionary choices”, and should only be eaten occasionally.

Eat Smaller Portion Sizes

Eating a variety of healthy foods is vital, but portion control should also be prioritized. Eating too much can lead to weight gain and other health complications; excessive portions should not be consumed. A diet including starchy vegetables like potatoes and pasta; lean proteins such as fish and chicken; dairy products (yogurt, cheese) should all form part of a nutritious lifestyle but in moderation.

Determining appropriate serving sizes when eating outside the home may be challenging, with portions that exceed dietary guidelines potentially exceeding recommended consumption amounts. But learning to recognize healthy portions by comparing them with everyday items may help avoid overeating and help avoid unnecessary binges.

Eat More Veggies

Vegetables are low in calories and fat but packed with important vitamins, including fiber. Vegetables may help ease constipation, lower risk for diabetes, provide essential vitamins and minerals needed for good eye health (especially important if you stare at a computer all day). In addition, vegetables provide alternatives to meat consumption for vegans or those with food allergies who don’t eat meat regularly.

Try to consume 2 to 4 cups of vegetables daily, keeping sliced veggies handy as quick snacks and adding leafy greens to smoothies. Select canned vegetables without added salt while drain and rinse frozen veggies to reduce their sodium content.

Eat More Whole Grains

An optimal diet includes whole grains, which have been found to lower risk for heart disease and diabetes. Studies also indicate that increasing consumption of whole grains may lower digestive cancers such as mouth, esophageal, and stomach.

Choose whole grain foods low in added sugars, sodium and saturated fat. Review the Nutrition Facts table to see how much fiber each food contains.

Opt for breads and cereals that list “whole wheat” or “whole grain” as their first ingredient. When cooking at home, try using whole grains like brown rice, quinoa or bulgur wheat as side dishes or soup ingredients.

Eat Less Processed Foods

When eating healthily, it’s essential to limit processed food consumption as these contain excessive sodium, sugar and fat that may increase risk for weight gain, heart disease and diabetes.

Reduce processed food consumption is no easy feat, but it is possible. Making healthier swaps, cooking meals at home and shopping outside the conventional aisles are all ways of cutting back on processed foods.

Reading food labels when shopping can also help, with shorter ingredient lists and lower amounts of sodium, sugar and fat being preferable. Maintaining a food journal can also provide insight into areas for improvement regarding healthy eating habits.

Eat Less Sugar

According to experts, most nutritionists advise eating less added sugars such as those found in sodas, candy bars, baked goods and breakfast cereals. Less than 10% of your total daily caloric intake should come from added sugars (based on an approximate 2,000-calorie daily diet).

Avoiding added sugars can help lower your risk of obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes. While completely cutting out added sugar from your diet may be difficult for many individuals, gradually cutting back and including natural sources like fruits and milk in your daily regimen can reduce this risk significantly.

Eat More Protein

Protein is an essential nutrient for most individuals and provides energy. Furthermore, protein helps build and repair tissues. Aim for at least 0.8 grams per kilogram of bodyweight when eating protein-rich food.

Carbs and fat are two other macronutrients. Your digestive system turns carbohydrates into glucose (blood sugar) that your cells use as fuel, providing energy.

Introduce protein-rich food at every meal and snack. Easy ways to up your intake include swapping cereal for yogurt, adding eggs to breakfast or keeping ready-to-eat proteins like nuts on hand. Consult a registered dietitian nutritionist in order to establish your exact needs for protein.

Eat More Healthy Fats

Fat may seem like the enemy, but not all fats are created equal. Consuming healthy fats can help you feel full for longer while lowering the risk of heart disease.

Choose monounsaturated fats found in olive oil, avocados and nuts and polyunsaturated fats such as omega-3s and omega-6s instead of saturated fats for your cooking oil needs. Furthermore, choose plant-based oils rather than butter or lard for healthier meals, and limit processed meat consumption and processed foods.

Always keep in mind that fats contain high caloric intake; be mindful when selecting and serving fats. Also read food labels carefully in order to compare sodium, sugars and saturated fats.

Eat More Fruits

Eating a well-balanced diet is a key component of developing healthy eating habits. A nutritious diet provides our bodies with all of the necessary vitamins and minerals that we require for healthful functioning and disease protection.

Fruits provide essential vitamin C to the body, helping it fight infections effectively and providing fiber and other beneficial plant compounds that protect from illnesses.

At least five servings of fruits and vegetables should be consumed each day to reduce one’s risk of heart disease, cancer, inflammation, and diabetes. When possible opt for fresh or frozen fruit over processed juices that may contain high levels of sugar.