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.