What are healthy eating habits

Healthy Eating

Confused by all the conflicting nutrition advice out there? These simple tips can show you how to plan, enjoy, and stick to a healthy diet.

What is a healthy diet?

Eating a healthy diet is not about strict limitations, staying unrealistically thin, or depriving yourself of the foods you love. Rather, it’s about feeling great, having more energy, improving your health, and boosting your mood.

Healthy eating doesn’t have to be overly complicated. If you feel overwhelmed by all the conflicting nutrition and diet advice out there, you’re not alone. It seems that for every expert who tells you a certain food is good for you, you’ll find another saying exactly the opposite. The truth is that while some specific foods or nutrients have been shown to have a beneficial effect on mood, it’s your overall dietary pattern that is most important. The cornerstone of a healthy diet should be to replace processed food with real food whenever possible. Eating food that is as close as possible to the way nature made it can make a huge difference to the way you think, look, and feel.

By using these simple tips, you can cut through the confusion and learn how to create—and stick to—a tasty, varied, and nutritious diet that is as good for your mind as it is for your body.

The fundamentals of healthy eating

While some extreme diets may suggest otherwise, we all need a balance of protein, fat, carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, and minerals in our diets to sustain a healthy body. You don’t need to eliminate certain categories of food from your diet, but rather select the healthiest options from each category.

Protein gives you the energy to get up and go—and keep going—while also supporting mood and cognitive function. Too much protein can be harmful to people with kidney disease, but the latest research suggests that many of us need more high-quality protein, especially as we age. That doesn’t mean you have to eat more animal products—a variety of plant-based sources of protein each day can ensure your body gets all the essential protein it needs. Learn more »

Fat. Not all fat is the same. While bad fats can wreck your diet and increase your risk of certain diseases, good fats protect your brain and heart. In fact, healthy fats—such as omega-3s—are vital to your physical and emotional health. Including more healthy fat in your diet can help improve your mood, boost your well-being, and even trim your waistline. Learn more »

Fiber. Eating foods high in dietary fiber (grains, fruit, vegetables, nuts, and beans) can help you stay regular and lower your risk for heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. It can also improve your skin and even help you to lose weight. Learn more »

Calcium. As well as leading to osteoporosis, not getting enough calcium in your diet can also contribute to anxiety, depression, and sleep difficulties. Whatever your age or gender, it’s vital to include calcium-rich foods in your diet, limit those that deplete calcium, and get enough magnesium and vitamins D and K to help calcium do its job. Learn more »

Carbohydrates are one of your body’s main sources of energy. But most should come from complex, unrefined carbs (vegetables, whole grains, fruit) rather than sugars and refined carbs. Cutting back on white bread, pastries, starches, and sugar can prevent rapid spikes in blood sugar, fluctuations in mood and energy, and a build-up of fat, especially around your waistline. Learn more »

Making the switch to a healthy diet

Switching to a healthy diet doesn’t have to be an all or nothing proposition. You don’t have to be perfect, you don’t have to completely eliminate foods you enjoy, and you don’t have to change everything all at once—that usually only leads to cheating or giving up on your new eating plan.

A better approach is to make a few small changes at a time. Keeping your goals modest can help you achieve more in the long term without feeling deprived or overwhelmed by a major diet overhaul. Think of planning a healthy diet as a number of small, manageable steps—like adding a salad to your diet once a day. As your small changes become habit, you can continue to add more healthy choices.

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Setting yourself up for success

To set yourself up for success, try to keep things simple. Eating a healthier diet doesn’t have to be complicated. Instead of being overly concerned with counting calories, for example, think of your diet in terms of color, variety, and freshness. Focus on avoiding packaged and processed foods and opting for more fresh ingredients whenever possible.

Prepare more of your own meals. Cooking more meals at home can help you take charge of what you’re eating and better monitor exactly what goes into your food. You’ll eat fewer calories and avoid the chemical additives, added sugar, and unhealthy fats of packaged and takeout foods that can leave you feeling tired, bloated, and irritable, and exacerbate symptoms of depression, stress, and anxiety.

Make the right changes. When cutting back on unhealthy foods in your diet, it’s important to replace them with healthy alternatives. Replacing dangerous trans fats with healthy fats (such as switching fried chicken for grilled salmon) will make a positive difference to your health. Switching animal fats for refined carbohydrates, though (such as switching your breakfast bacon for a donut), won’t lower your risk for heart disease or improve your mood.

Read the labels. It’s important to be aware of what’s in your food as manufacturers often hide large amounts of sugar or unhealthy fats in packaged food, even food claiming to be healthy.

Focus on how you feel after eating. This will help foster healthy new habits and tastes. The healthier the food you eat, the better you’ll feel after a meal. The more junk food you eat, the more likely you are to feel uncomfortable, nauseous, or drained of energy.

Drink plenty of water. Water helps flush our systems of waste products and toxins, yet many of us go through life dehydrated—causing tiredness, low energy, and headaches. It’s common to mistake thirst for hunger, so staying well hydrated will also help you make healthier food choices.

Moderation: important to any healthy diet

What is moderation? In essence, it means eating only as much food as your body needs. You should feel satisfied at the end of a meal, but not stuffed. For many of us, moderation means eating less than we do now. But it doesn’t mean eliminating the foods you love. Eating bacon for breakfast once a week, for example, could be considered moderation if you follow it with a healthy lunch and dinner—but not if you follow it with a box of donuts and a sausage pizza.

Try not to think of certain foods as “off-limits.” When you ban certain foods, it’s natural to want those foods more, and then feel like a failure if you give in to temptation. Start by reducing portion sizes of unhealthy foods and not eating them as often. As you reduce your intake of unhealthy foods, you may find yourself craving them less or thinking of them as only occasional indulgences.

Think smaller portions. Serving sizes have ballooned recently. When dining out, choose a starter instead of an entree, split a dish with a friend, and don’t order supersized anything. At home, visual cues can help with portion sizes. Your serving of meat, fish, or chicken should be the size of a deck of cards and half a cup of mashed potato, rice, or pasta is about the size of a traditional light bulb. By serving your meals on smaller plates or in bowls, you can trick your brain into thinking it’s a larger portion. If you don’t feel satisfied at the end of a meal, add more leafy greens or round off the meal with fruit.

Take your time. It’s important to slow down and think about food as nourishment rather than just something to gulp down in between meetings or on the way to pick up the kids. It actually takes a few minutes for your brain to tell your body that it has had enough food, so eat slowly and stop eating before you feel full.

Eat with others whenever possible. Eating alone, especially in front of the TV or computer, often leads to mindless overeating.

Limit snack foods in the home. Be careful about the foods you keep at hand. It’s more challenging to eat in moderation if you have unhealthy snacks and treats at the ready. Instead, surround yourself with healthy choices and when you’re ready to reward yourself with a special treat, go out and get it then.

Control emotional eating. We don’t always eat just to satisfy hunger. Many of us also turn to food to relieve stress or cope with unpleasant emotions such as sadness, loneliness, or boredom. But by learning healthier ways to manage stress and emotions, you can regain control over the food you eat and your feelings.

It’s not just what you eat, but when you eat

Eat breakfast, and eat smaller meals throughout the day. A healthy breakfast can jumpstart your metabolism, while eating small, healthy meals keeps your energy up all day.

Avoid eating late at night. Try to eat dinner earlier and fast for 14-16 hours until breakfast the next morning. Studies suggest that eating only when you’re most active and giving your digestive system a long break each day may help to regulate weight.

Add more fruit and vegetables to your diet

Fruit and vegetables are low in calories and nutrient dense, which means they are packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber. Focus on eating the recommended daily amount of at least five servings of fruit and vegetables and it will naturally fill you up and help you cut back on unhealthy foods. A serving is half a cup of raw fruit or veg or a small apple or banana, for example. Most of us need to double the amount we currently eat.

To increase your intake:

How to make vegetables tasty

While plain salads and steamed veggies can quickly become bland, there are plenty of ways to add taste to your vegetable dishes.

Add color. Not only do brighter, deeper colored vegetables contain higher concentrations of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, but they can vary the flavor and make meals more visually appealing. Add color using fresh or sundried tomatoes, glazed carrots or beets, roasted red cabbage wedges, yellow squash, or sweet, colorful peppers.

Liven up salad greens. Branch out beyond lettuce. Kale, arugula, spinach, mustard greens, broccoli, and Chinese cabbage are all packed with nutrients. To add flavor to your salad greens, try drizzling with olive oil, adding a spicy dressing, or sprinkling with almond slices, chickpeas, a little bacon, parmesan, or goat cheese.

Satisfy your sweet tooth. Naturally sweet vegetables—such as carrots, beets, sweet potatoes, yams, onions, bell peppers, and squash—add sweetness to your meals and reduce your cravings for added sugar. Add them to soups, stews, or pasta sauces for a satisfying sweet kick.

Cook green beans, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and asparagus in new ways. Instead of boiling or steaming these healthy sides, try grilling, roasting, or pan frying them with chili flakes, garlic, shallots, mushrooms, or onion. Or marinate in tangy lemon or lime before cooking.

Why Are Healthy Eating Habits Important?

Whole foods including fruits, veggies, and whole grains can have benefits for your body and mind.

If you’ve ever asked someone how to be healthy, you’ve probably heard this advice: Eat a healthy diet. Really, though, what does that even mean? If you ask many followers of the trendy ketogenic diet, it means shunning sweet potatoes and quinoa in favor of cheese and coconut oil. For another person, it might mean avoiding sugary foods like ice cream and candy at all costs. And someone else may tell you to avoid all dairy and nix gluten.

The problem is, this back-and-forth about what’s truly healthy can cause a whole lot of confusion, not to mention prompt people to try unsustainable and unnecessarily restrictive diets in the name of health. If that’s you, there’s no need for embarrassment: Just be relieved to learn that healthy eating is far simpler than you may think.

Healthy vs. Unhealthy Eating Habits: What’s the Difference?

A plant-based eating pattern is the way to go. “Studies show that people who consume a more plant-based diet have a lower risk of all the chronic diseases,” says Heller. Case in point: A study published in August 2019 in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that people who stick with plant-based eating patterns have a 16 percent lower risk of developing heart disease, possibly because these diets tend to include more heart-healthy fiber and nutrients like potassium, while limiting intake of saturated fat and cholesterol. The definition of plant-based eating can vary, but can include vegan (no animal products), raw vegan (no animal products and only raw foods), vegetarian (no meat), or even flexitarian (eating vegetarian most of the time).

Also key: cultivating a happy relationship with food. “Food is not the enemy,” says Galvin. Rather than focus on what you shouldn’t be eating, think about what you can add to your plate that will improve your health, like nuts for heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acids or raspberries for their fiber and antioxidants.

Why Should I Make Healthy Food Choices?

Food is one of the most important tools for a life lived well — and long, says Galvin.

A Healthy Diet Can Help Prevent Disease

“In the United States, the top leading causes of death are related to chronic disease, which comes from having an unhealthy lifestyle,” she says. Smoking, poor nutrition, lack of exercise, and excessive alcohol use are the top causes of chronic disease, which includes heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Food Choices Affect Your Mental Health

Eat a Healthy Diet, and You May Lose Weight

Being overweight or having obesity are associated with increased risk of these health conditions, per the CDC, so weight loss can be important if you have a high body mass index (BMI). Fortunately, following a high-quality diet in which you pay attention to portion sizes can also help you reach a healthy weight, according to the Mayo Clinic. Another piece of the puzzle: eating mindfully. Stop eating when you’re full, and don’t eat too fast or for emotional reasons, notes Mayo.

Why Should I Strive for a Healthy Lifestyle?

Again, it comes down to the length and quality of your life. In a review published in June 2017 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a healthy diet was found to decrease the risk of early death from any cause by 56 percent. Researchers defined a healthy diet as one that focuses on eating whole grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and fish. On the other hand, a higher intake of red or processed meats increased the risk of early death by twofold.

How to Improve and Change Your Eating Habits

If your goal is to eat healthier, it can feel overwhelming to think that you have to change up your eating habits all at once. Here are six tips on how to start.

1. Make a Plan for Your New Healthy Diet

The first step is to develop a concrete and specific plan of action, says Heller. For instance, tomorrow morning when it’s time to eat breakfast, plan to skip the fast-food breakfast sandwich and eat a piece of whole grain toast with peanut butter at home.

2. Save Your Lunch Money

Bringing your lunch to school or work has more than one perk. It’s a good way to save money and use up what you have in the house, and it will likely be more nutritious. One easy way to do that, suggests Heller: Pack leftovers from last night’s dinner.

3. Keep Unhealthy Foods Out of Sight

Purge your pantry and fridge of any unhealthy food, and start thinking about getting only the good stuff into your kitchen. That way, you’ll have more of a chance of eating healthy and much less of a chance of eating junk. Make a shopping list so that you can pick up all the vegetables, fruit, and other plant-based foods that you need for the next three days, says Heller.

5. Take Baby Steps

Set small, doable goals, says Galvin. For instance, you’re going to eat three more servings of vegetables this week. How can you make that happen? Maybe that’s by adding one extra serving of veggies to dinner just three nights this week. Or, you’re going to make one meal that’s bean-based, like chili for lunch just one day this week.

6. Start a Journal to Monitor Food Choices

A food diary is one way to eat healthier, says Heller. It’s not to track calories or carbohydrates — instead, writing down your food habits will help you better understand the why behind what you ate. Getting to this root reason is a critical step toward behavioral change. For instance, you came home after work and binged on chips and salsa while preparing dinner. Revisiting your food diary can help you understand that it was because you skipped breakfast and ate a small, rushed lunch—you were really hungry when you got home and couldn’t wait!

Establishing Healthy Eating Habits in Children

If you’re perplexed by the fact that Junior has declared he hates broccoli after liking it last week, or that he finds anything but chicken nuggets or boxed mac ‘n’ cheese offensive, you’ll be happy to know you don’t have to force healthy eating habits on your child. What works better? Modeling those healthy habits yourself.

“Home is where we can make the most impact on what our children are eating,” says Heller. That means getting them involved in food shopping and preparation in age-appropriate ways. Make good-for-them food accessible by putting apples and oranges in a bowl on the kitchen counter; give them a variety of foods to snack on when they get home from school and they’re naturally ravenous (baby carrots, edamame); and make an effort to have family dinner together. The last point is especially important. Families who eat together generally consume healthier diets, including more fruits and veggies, and less fast and takeout food, according to a study published in November 2018 in JAMA Network Open.

What Are Some Healthy Foods to Eat Every Day?

There are so many healthy foods, and you can choose the ones you like, without worrying about the latest “superfood.” Remember: “There is no bad fruit, vegetable, nut, seed, legume, or whole grain. They’re all good and there’s no single one that’s magical,” says Heller. Here are a few indisputably healthy foods to incorporate into your meals and snacks:

What Are Some Diets That Promote Balanced Eating?

Following a diet that promotes balanced eating rather than a trendy diet that lays out several rules and restrictions, and possibly cuts entire food groups, is a more sustainable approach, says Heller. These include the Mediterranean diet, the DASH diet, the MIND diet (a combination of DASH and Mediterranean that’s focused on brain-friendly foods to help prevent Alzheimer’s disease), as well as a vegetarian diet (if you choose to avoid meat).

One Last Thing on the Importance of Healthy Eating

Filling your plate with plant foods like vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains will help protect your body against chronic disease, including heart disease and diabetes. Avoid fad diets, which are short-lived and unsustainable.

“Our body’s mission is to keep us alive,” says Heller. “We can help our body do that by supplying it with the nutrients it needs to keep it healthy, so you can feel great every day.”

Healthy Habits To Improve Your Wellbeing

We all have behavioural habits — actions that we take every day. Whether it’s brushing your teeth, drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning or a mid-afternoon sweet snack, your daily actions can contribute to your overall health and wellbeing.

A habit can be broken down into three parts. First, there’s a cue — a trigger in your internal or external environment to take action. Then there’s the action, which is followed by the reward.

If, for example, you find that you’re regularly reaching for sugary treat in the afternoon, the trigger might be that you’ve skipped lunch, or you simply want to take a break from work or study. It might feel like the easiest solution is to take a few minutes out by reaching for sweet processed food to snack on. Your reward then comes in the form of a sugar hit.

As much as these actions become habitual, there are always many choices available to you. If all of your habits add up to create your lifestyle, it’s worth focusing on healthy habits that will help you to feel your best!

What are healthy habits?

Healthy habits are the actions you take every day, often without thinking about them, that improve your health.

You may have many daily habits that you don’t even consider because they are so much a part of your routine. Some of these may help to improve your wellbeing, others might not.

Ultimately, your daily habits are a choice! While it is not easy to change a less healthy habit, it is definitely possible.

Try these habits to improve your health

If you haven’t been feeling like the best possible version of yourself, you can change your behaviour to choose actions that will make you feel better. Start with small actions that match up to the cue of the habit you want to change.

Here are some healthy habits that may help to improve your health, fitness and overall wellbeing:

Healthy eating habits

It’s so easy to grab “convenience food” if you lead a busy life, without considering the impact this can have on overall health. Establishing healthy eating habits can give you more energy overall, as well as helping to make your training more effective.

Here are a few healthy eating habits you can implement:

Carry a water bottle

Staying hydrated is important for your digestive health, your skin, and your fitness too! If you carry a water bottle you’ll be reminded to drink regularly, and you won’t be tempted to purchase a less healthy drink to satisfy your thirst.

Have healthy snacks on hand

When you’re training regularly, you may find that you get hungry more often! Making sure you have a healthy snack like a handful of almonds, a piece of fruit or a bliss ball on hand can prevent you from heading for the vending machine.

It takes a small amount of forward planning to put a snack into your bag for the day, but it’s totally worth it when you do get hungry!

Buy fruit and vegetables

It’s much easier to make a healthy choice when you have one in the fridge ready to go. When you are at the supermarket, make a point of going to the fruit and veg section at every visit.

Even if you’ve just popped in for milk, pick up a piece of fruit or a vegetable snack while you are there! This means when you are hungry or preparing your next meal, you’ll have nutritious ingredients ready to include.

Cook new recipes regularly

Try to make one new recipe each week — you might find something that you enjoy! It’s easy to get into the habit of making the same meals each week, but this can get boring and you could even be missing out on important nutrients found in a wider variety of foods.

While making healthy food choices is important, it’s equally important to enjoy your food. Why not try one of the nutritious recipes prepared by Sweat’s nutritionists that cater for a wide range of eating preferences and seasons?

Healthy sleep habits

Sleep is so essential for workout recovery but also for many other factors including your immunity, ability to concentrate and mental health. You can create habits to improve the quality and amount of sleep you get each night — here are a few habits to help you sleep better.

Set an alarm to prepare for bed

It’s easy to get caught up finishing off tasks or binge-watching a new series and before you know it, it’s hours past the time you intended to get to bed.

Try making yourself accountable by setting an alarm to start preparing for bed. This might sound counter-intuitive, but the time that you go to bed is just as important as the time that you want to get up!

Include exercise in your day

Getting exercise each day will help you to sleep better at night. Exercise produces a range of hormones and endorphins that can improve your overall wellbeing, facilitating a better night of sleep.

Healthy lifestyle habits

Your thoughts shape your actions, so it’s also important to focus on how you can make healthy thinking part of your day.

Practise discipline

While you won’t always feel motivated to do a workout or choose a healthy meal over a less healthy one, you can use discipline to reinforce the choices that bring you closer to your larger goals.

Discipline isn’t willpower. It involves setting up your choices in advance so that when motivation fails, the behaviours that you want to follow are automatic.

Be grateful every day

Expressing gratitude can be an effective way to boost your mood and help you to maintain a positive mindset. Practising gratitude doesn’t take a lot of time or effort and it has been shown to positively affect relationships and overall wellbeing — why not give it a shot?

Start a mindfulness practice

A mindfulness practice can help to keep you grounded when life gets stressful. There are lots of different ways that you can practice mindfulness and meditation, so try a few to see what suits you best.

Maintain a positive mindset

It’s not always easy to stay positive when you experience a setback. Treating setbacks as opportunities to learn and grow can help you to stay positive and bounce back faster.

If you have an injury, you might need to find a training style that’s safe for you to do while it heals. If you get sick, use this as an opportunity to catch up on books you want to read or podcasts you’d been meaning to listen to.

Healthy exercise habits

You don’t have to put aside a lot of time to exercise. A 2020 study by Harvard University in the US found that moderate to vigorous exercise for just 30 minutes a day is one of the key habits that can improve your overall health, and help to prevent lifestyle diseases like cardiovascular disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes.

Finding time for fitness when you lead a busy life can be challenging, but it’s worth it. Here are some fitness habits to strive for:

Warm-up and cool down

When you’re pressed for time, skipping your warm-up and cool down seems like a way to save time. However, taking five minutes for your warm-up and cool down is important to help reduce the risk of injury as well as ensure you body is ready for the workout ahead.

Your warm-up prepares your neuro-muscular system for exercise, so it’s important not to skip it! Cooling down is also important to return your body to its resting state gradually. Your cool down helps to regulate blood flow as your heart rate slows and helps to prevent possible dizziness.

Do strength training

Strength training helps to build lean muscle, improve bone density and prevent injury. You can do strength training at home or at a gym depending on what suits your lifestyle.

Building lean muscle has many benefits that include improving your metabolism, increasing strength and muscle tone.

Make time for cardio

Not everyone loves to do cardio, but it is worthwhile! Try combining low-intensity cardio with something else on your to-do list by commuting to work or using the time to catch up with a friend.

Stretch and recover

Your workout recovery is just as important as your workouts are. You can speed up muscle recovery with active recovery sessions and timely rest days. Resistance training puts stress on the muscles, breaking down tissue and stimulating repair and growth that ultimately makes the muscle stronger.

That’s why it’s important to have a post-workout snack and allow time to recover between workouts. If you follow a workout program, make sure it includes regular scheduled rest days.

These are just some of the healthy habits that you can implement to improve your wellbeing!

No matter what health and fitness goals you set for yourself, there are healthy habits you will need to put in place to reach those goals. To make a lifestyle change that sticks, you’ll need to make small, sustainable changes.

When you want to implement a new habit, connect it to a cue that already exists in your day, and make sure there is a reward that will help to reinforce that habit.

If you’ve decided to make a commitment to work towards a healthier lifestyle, you aren’t alone! You can share your journey and find inspiration from other women with the same goals in the Sweat Community.

Is there a healthy habit that has improved your life? Share it below!

* Disclaimer: This blog post is not intended to replace the advice of a medical professional. The above information should not be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or medical condition. Please consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, sleep methods, daily activity, or fitness routine. Sweat assumes no responsibility for any personal injury or damage sustained by any recommendations, opinions, or advice given in this article.

20 Healthy Eating Habits To Make Part Of Your Life

Healthy eating is something that we all aspire to, but it isn’t always easy to put it into practice! Whether it’s because we use being busy as an excuse for less healthy eating, or there’s a string of social or work occasions where there are unhealthy foods, it’s easy to let the best of intentions fall by the wayside.

We know that quick fixes won’t last, so how can you maintain a healthy eating pattern in the long term? The answer is to develop sustainable healthy habits, so that healthy eating becomes a natural part of your life. When healthy behaviours become habits, your overall health and wellbeing can improve.

20 Healthy eating habits to follow

These 20 healthy eating tips from Sweat trainers can help you to get back on track and make healthy food choices part of your daily life.

1. Commit to making a small change for 30 days

Small changes can make the biggest difference! Think of one eating habit you can change that will benefit your health and stick to it for a full 30 days. Here are some ideas:

This might be difficult at the start and the first week will be the hardest! Challenge yourself to commit to the full 30 days and watch for the signs that your health is on track.

2. Start simple

Rather than cutting certain foods out of your diet, try swapping them for something else. Instead of eating highly processed foods, go for something unprocessed. Instead of a chocolate bar, you can choose a piece of fruit. Switch a packet of chips for hummus and veggies, or swap takeaway for a homemade meal. Instead of an energy drink, soft drink or soda, you could choose sparkling water or kombucha.

3. Find healthy foods that you really enjoy

Kelsey Wells’ number one tip is to find healthy foods that you love to eat! Instead of forcing yourself to eat something you hate just because you know it’s healthy, choose foods that you actually enjoy eating and fill your diet with these.

For example, if you really don’t like kale, that’s okay, there are other foods that are just as good for you! Healthy eating should always be enjoyable and never a chore.

4. Eat fruit when you want something sweet

Fruit is a great alternative to desserts which may contain high amounts of refined sugar and saturated fat. Sliced fruit with plain yoghurt and cacao nibs is just one idea of a healthy option you can have to satisfy your sweet tooth.

There are also heaps of healthy dessert recipes on the Sweat blog, including apple donuts and nice cream.

5. Eat protein with every meal

Making sure that you eat protein at every meal will not only help you reach your recommended protein intake but it is proven to help you to feel fuller for longer. This can be helpful if you have a fat loss goal.

Adequate protein is also especially important for people who are training as it is required to build and repair muscle tissue. Learning how to combat protein myths and understanding how to build muscle on a plant-based diet while you balance all of your energy needs is important to ensure that you have the energy you need for your workouts.

6. Stay hydrated

Drinking water is so important! Making sure that you are hydrated can also prevent you from overeating or snacking when you think you’re hungry, but are actually thirsty. Plus, you’ll get more out of your training when you are properly hydrated.

7. Increase your vegetable intake

Filling your plate with extra vegetables will help you to get all the essential vitamins and minerals you need, whilst providing energy and adding volume to your meals so that you feel full and satisfied.

You can also find ways to sneak extra veggies into your snacks! For example, try adding spinach to your fruit smoothie (we promise you can’t taste it!). Hummus makes a tasty dip, you can try enjoying it with chopped celery, carrot and capsicum rather than crackers.

8. Don’t categorise foods as good or bad

Healthy eating should be just one part of a sustainable approach to being healthy, not a quick fix or fad. Having a restrictive mentality about food can encourage unhealthy eating practices and isn’t sustainable in the long term. Instead, make nutritious choices as much as possible, but don’t punish yourself for enjoying a treat every now and then. One meal won’t derail your healthy lifestyle — healthy eating is all about balance!

9. Find a meal plan that you like

For some, sticking to a meal plan is a fool-proof way to eat healthily. Find one that suits your lifestyle, diet and taste and that is designed by a nutritionist or dietitian so you can be confident that you are making the right choices.

10. Plan and prepare

Take some time out to prepare your meals for the week, either by writing down a plan and/or actually cooking your food so it’s ready to go. Planning and preparing some of your meals for the week can take away the burden of deciding what to eat and prevent you from making less healthy choices when you’re out and about or don’t have healthy food on hand.

You could even commit to something as small as packing your bag with an apple and some nuts each night so you know you’ll have something nutritious on hand every day.

11. Learn to read food labels

Knowing exactly what is in your food can help you to make healthy choices. Of course, it is always best to choose whole foods, but if you do buy packaged food, here’s what to look for:

12. Practice mindful eating

There are so many benefits to eating with more awareness for both your body and your mind. Try these tips:

13. Make a healthy choice first

Chontel Duncan’s top healthy eating tip is that when you want to reach for a less-than-healthy snack, eat a healthy snack first! For example, if you’re craving a salty snack like potato crisps, try a handful of unsalted peanuts or smoked almonds. If you still feel hungry for chips afterwards, have some. But it’s most likely that you won’t want them any more!

14. Find healthy ways to manage stress

Many people turn to food for comfort when they feel stressed or overwhelmed — you can even buy “emergency chocolate” these days for a quick hit of sugar. However, there are many ways to deal with stress that give you a better outcome. Some examples are meditation, taking a walk, reading a good book and checking in with friends.

15. Cook at home

When you prepare your own food, you know exactly what has gone into it! It’s also easier to manage your portion sizes when you cook at home. You can choose organic or fresh vegetables and fruit, whole grains, and even prepare your own sauces to make the food that you eat healthier. Establishing healthy habits like preparing your meals at home is one step you can take towards giving your body what it needs so you feel at your best more of the time.

16. Variety is key

The different colours in fruit, grains, seeds, vegetables and legumes are linked to the different minerals, vitamins, antioxidants and phytochemicals they contain.

The more colour you can put on your plate, the wider the variety of nutrition in your meal! This Sticky Beef Bliss Bowl or this Vegetarian Rainbow Quinoa Bowl are both great examples of nutritious, colourful meals.

17. Try new things

While it’s easy to eat the same foods each week, mixing it up can increase the variety of nutrients your body is getting. Plus, trying new foods is fun! You could recreate dishes from different cultures, buy vegetables, fruits (have you tried jackfruit?) or grains you haven’t tried before, or try making vegetarian food once a week.

18. Stock your kitchen with healthy food

When there’s only healthy food in the cupboard, you’re less likely to make the effort to drive to the shops to get that ice cream fix! Make sure that you buy plenty of healthy food and snacks to eat throughout the week so that you feel satisfied after each meal. When you fill-up on whole grains, fruit and veg, lean meat, nuts and legumes you’ll be less likely to crave unhealthy processed foods.

19. Choose whole grains

Whole grain options may be more nutritious than white bread, pasta and rice because they are high in fibre which means that they will keep you full for much longer.

You can boost your nutrition by incorporating a variety of different grains into your diet. Oats, barley, rye, buckwheat and quinoa are all examples of different grains you can include in a balanced, healthy diet.

20. Learn to eat healthy at social events

Social events can be some of the hardest times to eat healthy, especially when you’re tempted with all kinds of greasy, highly-processed foods and desserts. First of all, it’s okay to enjoy these foods sometimes!

If you know you have a lot of these types of events in a row, there are some things you can do to eat healthily:

When you step away from fad diets and incorporate sustainable healthy eating habits into your life, it’s going to take time to adjust! Change is always difficult, but if you can stick to it and fuel your body with nutritious, balanced food choices, over time you will have more energy and healthy eating will become a habit.

Make healthy eating habits a part of your lifestyle

Try these tips for yourself and share what works for you with the Sweat Community — we love to hear how you’re going. Sharing advice and getting support can help sustain you on your health and fitness journey, especially if you’re returning to training after a break and starting to move again.

Making healthy eating into a habit is worth it! Plus, you can try meal prep to make healthy eating easier, more convenient and more sustainable in the long term. Do you have a healthy eating tip that’s helped you to establish a healthier habit? Share your experience in the comments below!

* Disclaimer: This blog post is not intended to replace the advice of a medical professional. The above information should not be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or medical condition. Please consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, sleep methods, daily activity, or fitness routine. Sweat assumes no responsibility for any personal injury or damage sustained by any recommendations, opinions, or advice given in this article.

11 Healthy Eating Habits

Easy healthy eating habits are an important part of the healthy living diet. They can make or break your success when it comes to health and weight loss.

What to eat and not eat are top of mind when it comes to health and weight loss, but little thought is usually given to how food is prepared and consumed. Best food preparation practices and how and when you eat are just as important as choosing quality nutritious foods for your body.

Healthy Eating Habits to Make Part of Your Life

Nutritious food, proper food preparation, and easy healthy eating habits are the three pillars of a good meal plan. Good eating habits are not about rules or being perfect. They are about making mealtime more enjoyable and healthful for your mind and body in the long-term. They are about helping you digest well and assimilate the most nutrients from your food.

Feel free to adapt the suggestions below to fit your needs and lifestyle.

1. Adopt a Healthy Living Diet.

The healthy living diet is an easy healthy eating plan suitable for most people. It can be adapted for weight loss (or gain) and special needs with a little tweaking. It includes a wide array of nourishing foods and beverages as well as some leeway for not-so-good for you foods you like.

Find out what to eat on this healthy living diet plan here. If this plan isn’t right for you, find one that is and stick with it.

2. Make your first meal of the day nutritious.

Of course, your body deserves to be fed healthy food at every meal, but if your overall diet is less than life-giving, then a good meal to focus your attention on first is the first meal you eat. When you break your fast, enjoy a nutritious meal that gets your body off to a good start.

Have protein such as eggs or quinoa with avocado and vegetables. Or enjoy a bowl of steel-cut oatmeal with berries and a tablespoon of ground flax seeds mixed in. Include superfoods during your first meal of the day. If you are in a rush or just don’t feel like solid food, healthy drinks, such as green smoothies or plant-protein meal replacement shakes. offer a rich supply of nutrients in a pinch. Real whole foods may be better, but a donut is much worse.

Whether eating breakfast within an hour of waking is a healthy eating habit or not is debated health and nutrition experts.

Some research shows that eating an early breakfast shortly after you wake up is best. Other research shows that if you wait until 11 AM and exercise first, you will burn more fat all day and do better by your insulin levels. Whether you choose to eat an early breakfast or wait, eat your first meal when you are hungry and not just because it is time or you think you should.

A good practice is to start your day with a glass of water or lemon water or other hydrating beverage, preferably one without sugar or artificial sweeteners. Then eat afterwards when you feel hungry.

3. Follow the 80-20 rule.

An easy healthy eating habit is to have 80% of your calories from food and drinks come from healthy sources and to stop eating when you are 80% full.

On this meal plan you primarily eat whole, minimally processed healthy whole foods. At least 80% of your calories come from a wide variety of real foods that nourish your cells. If you want to know what those foods are, Jack LaLane said it best:

If God didn’t make it, don’t eat it.

In today’s world this is a very difficult standard to achieve. That’s why we have the 80-20 rule. It takes the edge off temptation and guilt, while still providing a nutritious diet.

You may indulge your ‘junk food tooth’ for up to a total of 20% of your calorie intake. Calorie counting is not necessary when you primarily eat nutritious, whole foods, but for illustrative purposes let’s use this example. If you consume 1800 calories a day, up to 360 calories may come from processed foods and beverages. Beware. Those calories add up quickly. If you have health concerns, it may be better if you follow the 90-10 rule and keep sugar and processed foods to a minimum.

Also follow the 80-20 rule for how much you eat. Stop eating before you are full. This healthy eating habit helps prevent excess calorie consumption and allows your stomach to do its job of churning and breaking down food without discomfort.

4. Practice traditional food preparation methods.

Indigenous peoples naturally follow a healthy diet. They don’t just eat healthy foods, they know how to prepare them in nourishing ways. There is great wisdom in traditional food preparation. It neutralizes nutrient-blocking compounds, aids absorption, and preserves the quality of foods.

Some traditional practices are easy to incorporate into your cooking and healthy eating routine.

For delicious recipes and interesting information about dietary traditions and wholesome ways to prepare food, I highly recommend Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon. It’s my favorite cookbook.

5. Think convenience.

Another healthy eating habit is to have nutritious foods and beverages on hand. Then they are ready to go and you are more likely to eat them instead of reaching for unhealthy fast food.

The hearty soup shown here contains 13 bean soup mix (soaked overnight first), diced tomatoes, vegetable stock, mushrooms, onions, dulse flakes, a variety of vegetables, a big handful of kale, salt, curry powder and turmeric. It’s also good with cut-up potatoes and a bit of leftover meat.

6. Eat meals within a 8-10 hour time frame.

Intermittent fasting is all the rage right now and with good reason. Eating two or three daily meals within an 8-10 hour window on most days has numerous health benefits. This healthy eating habit improves insulin sensitivity, weight control, and mitochondrial function.

Limiting your feeding window may take some getting used to if you are in the habit of eating whenever you want.

Ease into this healthy eating habit by cutting back an hour of eating time every few days. At a minimum, aim for 12 hours of fasting between your last meal or snack and breakfast. It is best to stop eating at least three hours before bedtime. Feel free to drink water, tea or coffee (unsweetened) whenever you want.

Learn more about intermittent fasting in this short video.

7. Prepare food with positive energy.

Everything is energy. Food prepared with negativity holds that energy. Food prepared with love and positive thoughts is a blessing.

If you are familiar with Dr. Emoto’s experiments with water crystals, you’ll remember that the words and thought transmitted to the crystals made them either beautiful and vibrant or ugly and sick looking. You are made up of about 75% water and so is most of your food.

Again, we can look to the wisdom of the ancients who blessed their food before eating it. They blessed and thanked the spirits of the animals and plants that provided it. Prepare your meals and eat them w ith a same spirit of gratitude.

If you are angry or stressed, calm yourself before eating. Stress interferes with digestion and increases cravings for carbohydrates and junk food.

Develop a healthy eating habit for your mind as well as your body. Feed your mind with a steady diet of nourishing, supportive, loving thoughts and positive emotions.

8. Sit at the table for mealtime.

Sitting at the table with family and friends isn’t just for the movies. It is a healthy eating habit that nurtures mind, body, and spirit.

If you have a family, sit and eat a meal together at the table at least a few times a week without electronic distractions. Put aside your cell phones and turn off the TV.

Mealtime is the perfect tome to nourish your relationships, your spirit and your body at the same time. Research shows that children who eat with their families at least five times a week do better at school, have better eating habits, and are at less risk for substance abuse and weight problems.

Sharing a meal with friends and loved ones is the perfect opportunity to bond and build a sense of community. It fosters communication and a sense of well-being. Enjoying a relaxing healthy meal together also increases levels of the feel-good love hormone, oxytocin.

On the other hand, munching mindlessly in front of the TV makes eating more unconscious and is a good way to consume more food than you need.

Eating on the run or eating quickly is a recipe for indigestion ad overeating, especially if you’re feeling stressed.

9. Remember why you eat.

We are talking about the health reasons here. The main reason you eat is to provide all the cells of your body with the nourishment and fluids needed for optimal functioning. Your cells need nutrients to do their jobs, to keep themselves healthy, and to replace themselves with new healthy cells.

If you are eating to alleviate stress, anxiety, food addiction, or boredom, take note. Emotional eating often leads to eating too much, too often, and too much of the wrong foods. At the same time, stress eating can cause poor digestion and assimilation of nutrients because your body’s energy is being diverted to parts needed for fight or flight.

10. Try new healthy foods, beverages, and spices.

Most of us are in the habit of eating the same foods, perhaps in a different form, week in and week out. Have you ever counted how many different foods you eat? To keep it simple, count all your wheat-based cereals, breads, cakes, and pastries count as one. Milk- based milk, ice cream, yogurt, and cheeses count as one. For a lot of people, these two foods account for half their diet!

Trying new foods, beverages, and spices once a week or even once a month helps you expand your palate, get a wider variety of nutrients, and excites your taste buds. Your taste buds can communicate up to 100,000 flavors to your brain through neurochemicals. As you age, sensitivity to taste changes, so what you found too intense to like as a child, may now seem delicious. Likewise, the blander foods you liked as a child may now seem tasteless.

A good way to try new foods and drinks is to

11. Eat mindfully and slowly.

Do you wolf your food so fast that your brain can’t signal you to stop eating before you are full? It takes around 20 minutes for your brain to send the signal to the body that it is full.

Are you so distracted by the TV or computer that you lose track of what you are eating and how much? If so, gift yourself time to just focus on your meal.

Chew thoroughly to start the digestion process in your mouth. This mixes your food with the enzyme in your saliva that breaks down carbohydrates. Stop eating after several bites and take a breath. When you are about 80% full stop eating. You’ll eat less, enjoy it more, and your digestion will thank you.

Here is a simple mindfulness eating meditation to try:

Look at your plateful of food. Put a mouthful on your fork and notice how it looks and feels. Put it in your mouth and notice the taste and texture as you chew it. Notice how it feels as you swallow. After several mouthfuls, notice how your body responds to the food. Do you feel nourished and energized or yucky and blah?

You can start your meals like this or even an occasional full meal.

These easy healthy eating habits are an important part of your wellness lifestyle. How you eat and what you put in your body play a major role in the health of all your cells.

In addition, your relationship with food goes beyond what you eat. It is about listening to your body, preparing nourishing foods in healthful ways, guarding your thoughts and attitudes, and viewing eating as a positive, healthful experience.

Related Pages

Healthy Eating Habits page updated 02/2020

For Educational Purposes Only. This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or medical condition. Please consult with your health provider before using natural remedies and/or complementary therapies if you are pregnant, nursing, or you are being treated for a medical condition. Be aware that certain herbs and supplements interact with medications.