Breaking it down
Let’s start with the basics.
According to the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, a healthy eating plan:
- Emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk products.
- Includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts.
- Is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars.
- Emphasizes foods that are rich in nutrients and focuses less on "taking away bad foods."
Everything the guidelines recommend belong in our basic food groups.
How to shop for healthy foods
These "real" foods tend to have a shorter shelf life and are found in easy-to-access sections of the grocery store: the outer aisles and against the walls.
Items shelved on the inner aisles of the grocery store typically last longer because they’ve been more processed. This is where you’ll usually find foods with added sugars, chemicals, and unwanted fats, along with more nutrient-empty foods – also known as “ultra processed.”
If you started shopping “outside the aisles” and steer clear of what is being sold inside the aisles, you’re well on your way to healthier eating.
Tips and tricks for eating healthy
Change your focus.
When you change what you eat, don’t think about what you’re missing. Instead, think about all the new things you’re trying and strive to eat as many colors as possible (natural colors; not processed).
Get fresh, frozen, or canned fruits.
A fruit is a fruit is a fruit. If it’s not something you typically have in your diet, starting anywhere is great. Don’t put pressure on yourself. You can find more exotic fruits when they’re frozen too! Try out some kiwi and mangoes. If you get fruits in a can, the healthier ones are packed in water or their own juice.
Get fresh, frozen, or canned vegetables.
Frozen peas will taste different than canned ones. Which are your favorites? Add spices and herbs, and mix with other vegetables. Get something you’ve never seen before. You can steam, sauté, or roast vegetables. And you may find you like your new veggies without anything added at all. Commit to trying a new vegetable every week.
Read the ingredients before buying.
Can you identify most of the ingredients? If you can identify all of them, even better! The longer the list of ingredients, the more likely it is processed and thus packed with more sodium, fats, or chemicals.
Try healthier versions of the recipes you already love.
If you love fried fish or chicken, try baking it with panko bread crumbs next time, or even air frying it. Instead of a fatty red meat, replace it with lean ground turkey. Is sour cream your favorite dip? Switch it up with plain fat-free Greek yogurt and dill.
Tips for comfort food:
- Eat comfort foods in smaller amounts and less often. If you usually have them five nights a week, cut back to two nights a week and then one.
- Cut your portions and add vegetables to make up for it.
- If they are made with an in-the-aisle box, try making it from scratch.
- Jazz up your recipes with your newly discovered, healthier options.
- Use low-fat milk instead of cream.
- Throw in tomatoes, fresh spinach, or olives.
- Take out vegetable oil and replace it with a healthier one, like avocado or olive oil.
Eating healthy is about creating a healthier you, one bite-sized fruit at a time. One day, you’ll look back and be amazed at the many small adjustments you’ve made to eat healthy and be healthy.
