Tips for healthy eating

This page contains notes on how to make healthy Personal eating choices for my Family and me. In addition to trying to eat healthy, I also take Vitamins and supplements and try to follow my Tips for managing stress.

General principles

• Have a plan for what you will eat each day. When decisions are made last minute, there are fewer healthy options available.
• Eat a variety of foods rather than relying heavily on a small number of foods.
• Include vegetables and fruits regularly.
• Choose whole grains more often than highly refined grains.
• Include healthy sources of protein such as beans, lentils, fish, poultry, nuts, seeds, eggs, and other appropriate foods.
• Limit foods that are high in added sugars, sodium, and saturated fat.
• Pay attention to portion sizes, particularly with calorie-dense foods.
• Drink water regularly.
• Try to make healthy eating a sustainable routine rather than relying on short-term restrictive diets.

Fruits and vegetables

• Include different types and colors of vegetables.
• Keep fruit available for convenient snacks.
• Frozen fruits and vegetables can be nutritious and convenient alternatives to fresh produce.
• Look for ways to add vegetables to foods I already eat.
• When possible, choose whole fruit rather than fruit juice.

Drinks

Water is a good default beverage.

Other choices can include:

• Unsweetened tea
• Coffee without large amounts of added sugar
• Milk or appropriate alternatives

Limit frequent consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages.

Healthy snacking ideas

• Fruit
• Vegetables with hummus
• Unsalted or lightly salted nuts
• Yogurt
• Whole-grain crackers
• Air-popped popcorn
• Apple with peanut butter
• Hard-boiled egg

Grocery shopping

• Make a shopping list before going to the store.
• Avoid shopping while extremely hungry.
• Keep easy-to-prepare healthy foods at home.
• Compare Nutrition Facts labels between similar products.
• Check serving sizes when comparing labels.
• Keep frozen vegetables available for days when there is little time to cook.
• Buy healthy foods that I actually enjoy eating rather than foods I think I "should" eat but consistently avoid.

Eating away from home

• Look at the menu before arriving when practical.
• Consider portion size when ordering.
• Choose vegetables or fruit as a side when available.
• Ask for sauces or dressings on the side when useful.
• Don't assume that foods described as "healthy" are necessarily low in sodium, sugar, or calories.
• Enjoy occasional treats without treating one meal as having ruined an otherwise healthy eating pattern.

Meal ideas

Breakfast

• Oatmeal with fruit and nuts
• Eggs with whole-grain toast and fruit
• Plain yogurt with fruit and nuts

Lunch

• Salad with chicken, beans, or another protein
• Whole-grain sandwich with vegetables and fruit
• Leftovers from a healthy dinner

Dinner

A simple approach is to build a meal around:

• Vegetables
• A source of protein
• A whole grain or other appropriate carbohydrate

Examples:

• Salmon, roasted vegetables, and brown rice
• Chicken, vegetables, and a baked sweet potato
• Bean chili with vegetables
• Whole-grain pasta with vegetables and a protein

Things that help me eat well

This section is for lessons I discover about my own eating habits.

• I make better choices when I have healthy food available at home.
• Preparing some food in advance makes healthy meals easier during busy days.
• Having a few simple meals I know how to prepare is more useful than collecting complicated recipes.
• If healthy snacks are convenient, I am less likely to choose something simply because it is easy.
• A sustainable eating pattern works better than trying to eat perfectly.

Things I want to try

• Learn several simple vegetable recipes.
• Eat a greater variety of vegetables.
• Try a new healthy recipe each month.
• Find healthier alternatives for some foods I eat frequently.
• Learn more about reading nutrition labels.

Related pages

• Fitness and nutrition
• Habits
• Short-term goals
• Vitamins and supplements