Beginner's Guide to Eating Healthy
Updated: Feb 24, 2021
If you want to eat healthy, or healthier, how do you know where to start? Well, I've created a beginner's guide to help you do that.
My beginner's guide to eating healthy is easy to follow, easy to remember, and easy to implement. On top of that, it takes no time or effort to do. Wait, eating healthier is easy and doesn't take more effort? Yep!
Beginner's Guide to Eating Healthy
The beginner's guide to eating healthy focuses on 5 tips that are simple to understand and easy to implement. Make the 5 tips below a habit by doing them for 30 days, and not only will you start to notice a change in your figure, but you will feel better and have more energy.
1. Choose foods low in fat
It's no secret that fat is unhealthy. Not all fats are bad for you; but if your goal is to eat healthier, your #1 concentration should be to cut the fat. How do you choose foods low in fat? Here's a couple tips:
Compare food options and choose the one with the lowest fat content. You can do this every time you eat, and most importantly when shopping or at a restaurant. Think pretzels instead of chips (see comparison of nutrition facts in the image below). White meat instead of red meat. Tomato sauce in lieu of cheese sauce. Compare labels, and go with less fat.
Track the amount of fat you eat in a day. The recommended daily intake for fat in adults is 20% to 35% of total calories from fat, which is about 44-77 grams of fat per day if you eat 2,000 calories a day. If you're consistently eating more than the daily recommended amount of fat, determine what foods you can cut from your diet or replace them with healthier options.
2. Snack right
Most people snack because they are hungry between meals. So if you're going to snack, eat something that satisfies your hunger, tastes great, and doesn't clog the arteries and add to the waistline. Aim for whole foods in lieu of processed foods rich in fat. Some ideas: raw vegetables with hummus, raw or roasted nuts, yogurt, fruit, rice cake, cottage cheese, a smoothie.
3. Don't buy unhealthy snacks
Just don't buy them. It's as simple as that. When you buy something and bring it home, you WILL eat it. If it's not in the house, you CAN'T eat it. Go to the grocery store content (not hungry or craving a snack) and shop smart. Don't buy cakes, chips, cookies, candy, etc. Just don't buy it, and you will have less chance of eating it.
4. Don't eat at least 2 hours before going to bed
You may have heard this one before, and it's true. Your body slows down when you sleep, including your digestive system. When your body slows down it's metabolism and there's unprocessed food in it's system, that food gets stored as fat. But going to sleep hungry isn't the solution either. Minimize snacking and meals 2 hours before going to sleep, and you not only will sleep better, but you will likely lose weight too (if your other eating habits remain unchanged).
5. Break bad eating habits
Many people associate eating with another activity, like watching tv or a movie, going to a game, or taking a flight. Break these bad habits, and replace the act of eating unhealthy foods with something else. For many people, it's not the food they crave, but the experience and association of eating that food with the event.
For example, if you associate eating buttery popcorn with going to the movies, replace the buttery popcorn with plain popcorn, or another low-fat snack. And skip the large bucket for a small. When flying, pack food from home, which will be a healthier option than the food offered by the airline. Going to a game? Eat a meal before you go so you're not starving for the hot dogs, pizza, and other fat-loaded foods offered at the concessions. It will save you money too. If you need to snack on something salty, choose peanuts and/or sunflower seeds instead of nachos, cakes, and ice creams.
Final Tip
If you're still reading this, it's because you want to improve your health. Feel good about that, and know that it's never too late to make a change. Start eating better today by making small changes similar to the recommendations described above. Over time, those small changes will compound, become habits, and lead to massive results.
Feel free to send me a message about how eating healthier has affected your life. I'd love to hear how eating healthier has improved your well being. Or send me a tip that you've found helpful to eating healthier.
For hacks on how to help you create healthy habits, check out How To Build Healthy Habits. If you have a tip, question, or comment about healthy eating habits, please share it in the comments section or post it on our facebook page.