5 Essential Tips For Maintaining Healthy Eating Habits

5 Essential Tips For Maintaining Healthy Eating Habits

According to Harvard’s T.H Chan School of Public Health, the majority of Americans could quickly answer the question: What does healthy eating look like? Indeed, everyone knows and understands the main factors of a healthy diet: 

• More fruits and vegetables
• Less red meat
• Less processed foods
• Avoid fast-food restaurants

Why Eating Healthy Can Be Challenging

Despite knowing what a healthy diet consists of, fewer than 25% of Americans adhere to the American Heart Association's dietary guidelines, and over 42% of the population is obese, increasing the risk of fatal heart disease. This suggests that the issue of maintaining healthy eating habits isn't just about knowledge but also about other factors.

According to a nutrition professor at Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health, one of the challenges is people's misconceptions about healthy eating. Many see it as too limiting, focusing on fat-free, low-fat, low-calorie, and low-sugar choices. Additionally, some believe that healthy foods are costly and complicated to prepare.

The perception that healthy eating is too difficult to manage is also prevalent. Many think that healthy food is too expensive or too time-consuming to make. The primary reason cited for not following a healthy diet is taste, with many Americans believing that healthy food isn't enjoyable.

Convenience is another important factor in maintaining healthy eating habits. Buying pre-packaged meals seems easier when working long hours rather than preparing meals from scratch. However, there are ways to establish and maintain a healthy eating routine without added stress. Here are some tips to get started!

Making the changes: Overcome the misconceptions about healthy eating

Master The Art Of Healthy Meal Planning

Planning your meals ensures you can maintain a well-balanced and nutritious diet that fuels your body with goodness. Indeed, meal planning has many advantages that can transform the way you think about food. 

First, following a meal plan can save you a ton of money because you can focus on seasonal products and make your ingredients last longer.

For example, you can cook multiple batches ahead, which means you get the most out of your ingredients while ensuring you only buy what you need. This makes healthy food cheaper. 

Exploring Plant-Based Alternatives For Healthier Eating

Plant-based eating has gained popularity for its numerous health benefits. So, incorporating more plant-based alternatives into your meals is definitely a good idea. You can still stick to the food you love but add a healthier twist with a veggie version, such as making veggie burgers for dinner this week. 

First, plant-based meals are rich in essential nutrients, including more vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants than meat-based options. They are also lower in saturated fat and more environmentally friendly, helping reduce your risk of heart diesese.

What's great is that you can still indulge in your favorite meals even if you choose to have one vegetarian dish each week. Plant-based meat substitutes work just as well in your favorite meat recipes. For instance, I prefer having plant-based sausage for breakfast, the day's most important meal.

Cooking Homemade Meals For A Healthier Diet

We get it: You don’t have time to cook from scratch. While true, you can seize the opportunity to prepare batches ahead, which you can freeze for when you need them. 

Homemade food is also easier to digest, as it doesn’t include preservatives or additives in store-bought food. A recent study showed the difference between homemade noodles and shop-bought ones, revealing that the homemade version was digested within a couple of hours. 

Here’s a crucial lesson for eaters trying to reduce bloating, digestive issues, and even cancer in the digestive tract: Preservatives can affect your digestion and metabolism. So, essentially, what makes typical quick food unhealthy is the addition of preservatives.

In other words, whether you are a noodle, pasta, or pizza fan, you want to start making and freezing your own dough to use when needed. 

Elevate Your Healthy Eating With The Power Of Spices

Spices can make or break a meal. Not only do they add flavor, but they also bring a range of health benefits. For a start, your body will benefit from adding spices instead of sauces. Spices are rich in antioxidants, helping combat inflammation in the body.

They are metabolism boosters like chili peppers and can support digestion. Adding ginger or turmeric to your meals will soothe any digestive discomfort. 

More importantly, you can also enjoy a meal not loaded with sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats in store-bought sauces.  

Boost Your Healthy Eating With Increased Protein Intake

If you're feeling hungry after switching to a healthier diet, it could be because you're not getting enough protein in your meals. Protein can be found in various foods, including fish and mushrooms, and can help you feel full for extended periods. Additionally, protein supports and builds healthy muscle growth and repair while boosting metabolism. For this reason, many people incorporate protein into their fitness and health routine.

Protein is also essential for weight loss! Our bodies burn more calories digesting protein than carbohydrates. More importantly, protein helps you stay full longer, a common reason diets fail. You shouldn't feel hungry by consuming a protein-rich diet with plenty of greens and minimal carbohydrates.

Therefore, increasing your protein intake while reducing your carb intake is a good idea. It's important to remember that your body needs carbohydrates, so it's best to achieve a balance and maintain a healthy weight by adding sources of protein like poultry, fish, legumes, tofu, and healthy snacks like nuts to your meals.

It is advised to avoid added sugars from sugary drinks, full-fat milk, and other beverages that are really high in calories claiming to have protein. Achieving a healthy weight is crucial, and this can be done by following a balanced diet and staying physically active.

To Sum It Up

To sum up, adopting healthy eating habits is not a quick fix but a long-term lifestyle change. Embrace a sense of adventure when it comes to healthy eating. Be open to trying new foods, ingredients, and recipes. This approach can make healthy eating enjoyable, accessible, affordable, and tasty. Remember, healthy eating is a journey, not a destination.