It doesn’t take a nutrition expert to understand the basics of what it means to eat healthy: Eat more fruits and vegetables and less processed foods.
On paper, it’s easy. But in practice, making consistent healthy food choices can be hard, acknowledges Dr. Elizabeth Hopson, a family medicine physician at Houston Methodist. In today's modern world, the biggest problem, according to Dr. Hopson, is the lack of time.
“People are really busy, and it takes a lot of time to plan, shop and prepare food," she says. "Not only that, it can be cognitively intensive as well.”
The problem when trying to overhaul our diets is making too many changes at once that we can’t sustain with our current lifestyles, Dr. Hopson notes. What started as good intentions can quickly turn sour, leaving us with rotting food in the fridge and quashed motivation.
The key, she says, is to start small: easy changes that you can gradually incorporate into your lifestyle. Consider one or two of Dr. Hopson’s following tips and go from there.
1. Try to get at least 7 hours of sleep per night
Wait, sleep? Wasn't this a blog post about healthy eating tips? Turns out, the two are related.
“There are studies indicating that sleeping less than six hours a night can cause an increased caloric consumption of about 300 calories,” says Dr. Hopson. “Studies have also shown that less sleep leads to poorer food choices. That is why I tell my patients, 'let’s focus on getting good sleep first, then it may be easier to focus on making healthier choices.'”
Just like diet, sleep is extremely important to our overall wellbeing. More so, recent studies have suggested that sleep has more of an effect on our food choices than we once thought. The theory is that a lack of sleep leads to an increase in the hunger hormone, ghrelin, and a decrease in the satiety hormone, leptin. So not only are you tired, you’re more than likely hungry, too.
Most adults need at least seven hours of sleep nightly, according to the CDC, while some need even more to feel rested — up to nine hours is still within the normal range.
(Related: How Much Sleep Do You Really Need?)
2. Make your snacks both filling and fueling
After sleep, the next easiest thing to optimize in your diet would likely be your snacks, says Dr. Hopson. Chips have that satisfying crunch and savoriness (Cool Ranch Doritos are my personal favorite), but they’re neither nutritious nor filling, which is kind of the whole point of a snack.
(Related: What Are Empty Calories & Which Foods Are They Hiding In?)
A good snack, as recommended by Dr. Hopson and most dietitians, are those that leave your body fueled and feeling fuller for longer. Often, that means incorporating some sort fiber-rich food like a fruit or whole grain alongside a good source of protein and a healthy fat to help slow digestion and prevent spikes in blood sugar, says Dr. Hopson.
“Protein helps maintain our muscle mass and body structure, is slower to digest and helps prevent spikes in blood sugar,” she says. “Healthy fats from nuts, olives, seeds and avocados also do this, in addition to containing omega 3s, which are thought to be anti-inflammatory and heart-healthy.”
Some options: Put peanute butter on apple slices to hit all three nutrients (fiber, protein and fat); spread avocado on whole wheat toast; add peach slices to cottage cheese for a sweet-and-salty option; dip carrots or whole-grain crackers in your favorite hummus; top peanut butter-filled celery sticks with raisins to create the classic “ants on a log” snack; or eat popcorn with a handful of nuts and a piece of fruit.
3. Add a colorful vegetable to every meal
Here’s a sobering statistic: Almost 90 percent of the U.S. population does not meet the recommended intake for vegetables, which means most people are missing out on their health benefits, including vitamins and antioxidants that Dr. Hopson notes have a protective effect on immune health and reduced cancer risk. Not only that, but vegetables also contain fiber — an often overlooked nutrient that the body cannot digest but is critical for managing blood sugar, digestion and cholesterol, she adds.
Think about what you’re about to cook and try to figure out how to add at least one non-starchy colorful vegetable to it and see how you like it. Non-starchy vegetables are those that are typically lower in carbohydrates, which include dark leafy greens like spinach and kale; cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, collard greens and cabbage; as well as red and orange vegetables like tomatoes, peppers and carrots. Starchy vegetables include potatoes, corn, peas, beans and winter squash and are higher in carbohydrates (sugars).
Ultimately, half your plate should be filled with a combinations of fruits and non-starchy vegetables, while the other quadrants should each contain a lean source of protein and a fiber-rich carbohydrate like beans or whole grains.
However, if that’s not something you currently do, don’t try to overhaul your meals. Instead, work your way up to it by incorporating at least one extra veggie than you normally would. Once you master that, try adding more until they take up half your plate.
4. Think of healthy eating as more of a lifestyle than a diet
Oftentimes, the word “diet” is synonymous with restrictions — eat this, not that. This is characteristic of many of the fad diets you see today.
For instance, the keto diet prohibits most carbohydrate-rich foods, including otherwise healthy ones like beans, whole grains and most fruits. The paleo diet also restricts similar foods, including rice, lentils, beans and whole grains. Whole30 is another popular diet that's arguably the most restrictive — the idea is to eliminate practically every food group over 30 days then gradually reincorporate them to determine whether you’re sensitive to certain foods.
The problem with most of these diets is they’re not sustainable for most people-long term, says Dr. Hopson. They can also carry certain health risks, she adds. The keto diet, for example, depending on how closely you follow the guidelines, has the potential to raise your LDL, or bad cholesterol, which may be more harmful to your health than good, Dr. Hopson notes.
“So many people are just wanting to do something quick for three to six months in order to achieve their goal, whether that’s weight loss or to gain more muscle,” says Dr. Hopson. “However, you have to think of healthy eating as more of a way of life, not coming on and off certain diets. Several studies have shown that certain lifestyle habits — such as sharing a meal with others, exercising or trying to manage stress — all factor into this.”
The Mediterranean diet is one example of healthy eating that’s more of a lifestyle than a diet. Dr. Hopson often recommends it to patients, depending on their health goals, she says.
“The Mediterranean diet is one of the diets that is best supported by medical evidence to reduce cardiovascular disease and improve cognitive function over time,” says Dr. Hopson. “This diet wasn’t made by a specific doctor or researcher but rather draws from historical behaviors like communal dining and patterns of eating that focus on fresh produce, healthy fats found in olive oil and nuts as well as having enough sources of lean protein like fish or beans.”
(Related: PODCAST: The Mediterranean Diet Is More Than a Diet, It's a Lifestyle)
The Mediterranean basin is home to two of the five original Blue Zones — a term coined to describe areas around the world where people live the longest active lives, consistently reaching age 100. Common threads among these blue zones include daily movement (i.e., cardio), lower stress levels, a diet of mostly plants, alcohol in moderation and community.
5. Reduce your ultra-processed food intake — if only a little
If there was one thing to ever eat less of, it would have to be ultra-processed foods, according to Dr. Hopson. Even without knowing the definition, you probably have one accurate image in your head: junk food. However, ultra-processed foods encompass more than just chips and snacks.
Ultra-processed foods have one or more ingredients that wouldn’t be found in a kitchen, such as chemical-based preservatives, artificial colors, sweeteners and flavors, as well as cooking techniques that cannot be replicated at home.
Examples of ultra-processed foods that many of us have consumed at some point in our lives include:
Sodas
Pretzels
Instant noodles
Frozen meals
Hot dogs and deli meats
Meal replacements
Mass-produced packaged bread
Some protein bars
Jarred sauces
Flavored yogurts
Processing a food in general is not inherently a bad thing. Anything you do to a food that alters it from its raw, natural state is technically considered processing — frozen and canned vegetables are technically processed foods. However, most of these foods retain the majority, if not all, of their nutritional content compared to the raw, unfettered versions. Some foods actually need to be processed to be considered edible. You cannot eat uncooked beans or wheat, for instance.
What sets ultra-processed foods apart from processed foods lies in their lack of nutritional value. Many have replaced lost nutritional content with added sugars, sodium and sometimes unhealthy fats.
In addition, ultra-processed foods not only leave less room in our diet for more nutrient-dense foods, studies have shown that they can also increase the risk for certain food-related chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease, dementia, gut issues and even certain cancers, such as colorectal cancer.
Unfortunately, estimates suggest most of America’s energy intake today comes from ultra-processed foods. That makes sense for a number of reasons, Dr. Hopson notes.
“Ultra-processed foods are fast, and one of the main barriers to healthy eating is lack of time,” she says. “They’re also often cheap, and high food costs can be another healthy eating barrier. I don’t want to discourage people from ever eating these foods because I know those are limitations for people.
Dr. Hopson acknowledges such foods “can also be delicious and sometimes comforting for a lot of people. We eat for all kinds of different reasons, not just sustenance."
The key is to eat these foods in moderation and try to swap them out for less processed alternatives when possible, she notes. It’s unreasonable to avoid ultra-processed foods altogether, but even a small reduction in ultra-processed foods can offer health benefits, she says.
Some tips for reducing your intake of ultra-processed foods include sticking to the outer perimeter of the grocery store; seeking out foods with as few ingredients as possible and those listed having names you can actually pronounce; and even putting physical distance between you and these foods by placing them farther back in the pantry.
6. Balance your protein sources with leaner options
When focusing on protein, the source matters, says Dr. Hopson. Most people get their protein from eggs, meat and poultry, which, while not inherently bad, is not ideal because too much carries health risks. Men significantly exceed the recommended intake of these foods, while both genders don't get the recommended intake of healthy protein sources like dairy, seafood and legumes (i.e., beans).
“Protein and fiber are usually what’s lacking in people’s diets, and an easy way to increase both is by eating more plant-based proteins, like beans, nuts, seeds and lentils,” she says. “If you do eat meat, I would recommend leaner meats like fish due to their healthy fatty acids, but really the most important part is eating them in moderation.”
“Dairy may not be well tolerated in all populations, but it is important to get enough calcium and vitamin D in the diet,” Dr. Hopson adds. “Dietary calcium and vitamin D sources, along with protein sources help support our muscles and bone function.”
So how does this tip translate to your meals? Think about what kind of protein you typically eat at meals and consider whether it’s a lean source or not. The good news is there are lots of lean proteins out there, including:
Beans
Eggs
Fish and seafood
Lean beef and pork (labeled loin or round in the grocery store)
Lentils
Non-fat or low-fat dairy
Nuts and seeds
Peas
Skinless chicken and turkey breast meat
Soy proteins like edamame, tofu and tempeh
As Dr. Hopson notes, anything in moderation is probably OK, but if you’re routinely choosing fattier cuts like bacon, sausage or other marbled meats like shoulder and ribs, then you’ll want to consider swapping them for these leaner options to create more of a balanced pattern of eating.
7. Talk to your doctor if you have any specific medical needs or goals
Eating for your health shouldn’t be hard — but it is. That’s why Dr. Hopson recommends talking to your doctor if you have any specific medical needs or goals you’re wanting to get out of what you eat, whether that’s weight loss, blood sugar management, lower cholesterol, improved gut health, reduced risk of heart disease or something else.
“While people can be healthy on their own, it is also reasonable for patients to talk with their physicians if they have questions about how their specific diet will impact their health,” she says.
For example, the keto diet is one of the most popular diets for weight loss, but studies have also shown it has the potential to raise bad cholesterol, cause certain nutrient deficiencies and potentially lead to weight cycling — or the repeated loss and gain of bodyweight.
That said, the keto diet has been used to treat drug-resistant epilepsy since the 1920s, while the low-FODMAP diet — a popular elimination diet akin to Whole30 — has been dubbed the “gold standard” for IBS treatment.
“Sometimes with nutrition, what people need or what they’re trying to achieve is more specific than what internet advice can offer,” Dr. Hopson says. “Heart disease and cancer are the biggest risks with everyone as we age, so we do think about those diseases broadly with dietary recommendations, but as for specific goals, like weight loss or improved gut health, most primary care physicians would be happy to talk about them with patients.”
