Eating better can feel like a daunting task. Maybe you want to shed some extra pounds or try to manage health conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure. Your goal may be to boost your energy levels or improve your mood. No matter your reason, changing your diet can be challenging. So, how do you begin to eat better?
This guide How to Eat Better will help you with that first step by providing valuable insights on improving your diet. For example, you’ll learn how AI can help you make better food choices with instant calorie estimates and more.
One helpful resource you can use right now is DietAI’s AI calorie counter. This tool can help you reach your goals by providing accurate information on calories and other food details to help you make informed dietary choices.
Table of Content
Benefits of Healthy Eating
1. Healthy Eating Can Help You Live Longer
The foods you eat can affect your longevity and how well you function as you age. Research shows that eating a healthy diet rich in whole foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and legumes, can help you live longer and improve your quality of life as you age. (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health 2022).
2. Healthy Eating Keeps Skin, Teeth, and Eyes Healthy
Consuming a balanced diet that includes a variety of nutrients can help keep your skin, teeth, and eyes healthy. For instance, food rich in antioxidants, such as berries, dark chocolate, artichokes, and kale, can help protect your body against oxidative stress, which can damage cells and contribute to aging. Eating a healthy diet can also reduce your risk of developing infections and inflammatory conditions that can affect the health of your skin, gums, and other tissues.
3. Healthy Eating Supports Muscles
Eating a nutritious diet can help keep your muscles healthy and strong. This is especially important as you age, as muscle loss can contribute to frailty and increase the risk of falls and injuries. Protein is vital for maintaining muscle mass, and evidence suggests that older adults may benefit from consuming even more protein than is currently recommended. 4 Eating healthy foods, including lean meats, dairy, beans, legumes, and nuts, can help you get the nutrients your muscles need to stay healthy.
4. Healthy Eating Boosts Immunity
Eating a diet high in nutritious foods can help bolster your immune system and reduce your risk of infections. Evidence suggests that specific vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, vitamin D, zinc, and protein, can help support your immune system. Incorporating a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats into your meals can help you get the nutrients your body needs to fight illnesses.
5. Healthy Eating Strengthens Bones
Bones are living tissues that constantly change throughout life. Following a nutritious diet can help keep your bones healthy and strong. For example, calcium and vitamin D are essential for bone health, and research suggests that eating enough protein is vital for maintaining healthy bones as you age. 6 Besides preventing osteoporosis, eating a healthy diet may reduce the risk of bone fractures and enhance recovery in older adults who experience them.
6. Healthy Eating Lowers Risk of Heart Disease, Type 2 Diabetes, and Some Cancers
The foods you eat can affect your risk of developing chronic diseases. Eating a nutritious diet can help lower the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, some cancers, and other illnesses. For instance, research shows that following a Mediterranean diet may reduce the risk of heart disease by promoting healthy cholesterol levels and reducing inflammation. 7 Another study found that older adults who adhered to a healthy diet were less likely to develop type 2 diabetes. Following a nutritious diet may also help reduce the risk of cancer.
7. Healthy Eating Supports Healthy Pregnancies and Breastfeeding
Eating a healthy diet is crucial for supporting fertility and ensuring a healthy pregnancy. Research shows that following fertility diets, such as the Mediterranean and DASH diets, may improve fertility and pregnancy outcomes. 8 Eating a nutritious diet during pregnancy can support the health of both the parent and the baby. It can also reduce the risk of complications, such as gestational diabetes, and promote healthy fetal development.
8. Healthy Eating Helps the Digestive System Function
Eating a nutritious, fiber-rich diet can help keep your digestive system healthy. Fiber improves digestion by promoting regularity and encouraging the growth of healthy gut bacteria. Foods that are high in fiber include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds.
9. Healthy Eating Helps Achieve and Maintain a Healthy Weight
Eating a balanced diet can help you achieve and maintain a healthy weight. Research shows that following a nutritious diet helps with weight loss and maintenance. For instance, one study found that participants who followed a Mediterranean diet enriched with nuts experienced significant weight loss and improved metabolic health after 6 months. A healthy diet may also help reduce cravings and promote metabolic changes supporting a healthy weight.
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25 Expert Tips on How to Eat Better
1. Fill Your Plate with Healthier Carbs
Carbohydrates are an essential part of a healthy diet. Aim to eat more wholegrain and higher fibre varieties of starchy foods, such as wholewheat pasta, brown rice, and oats. These foods help to keep you full and are better for gut health than white or refined starchy carbohydrates. Try to include at least one starchy food with each main meal.
Some people think starchy foods are fattening, but gram for gram, the carbohydrates they contain provide fewer than half the calories of fat. Keep an eye on the fats you add when cooking or serving these foods because that's what increases the calorie content—for example, oil on chips, butter on bread, and creamy sauces on pasta.
2. Go For Smaller Plates
The size of your dinnerware can affect how much you eat. Eating from a large plate can make your portion look smaller, while eating from a small plate can make it look bigger. According to one 2017 study, eating from a smaller plate was associated with increased feelings of satiety and reduced energy intake among participants with a moderate body weight.
Also, if you don’t realize you’re eating less than usual, you won’t compensate by eating more at the next meal. Eating from smaller dinnerware can trick your brain into thinking that you’re eating more, making yourself less likely to overeat.
3. Eat More Plants
The last few tips may sound familiar. They come from author and food activist Michael Pollan. After years of research into the food system, his diet philosophy is: Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. Plant-based foods are high in vitamins and minerals but low in calories. So, they help you feel full while adding nutrition, but not inches to your waistline.
But wait. There’s more. According to Harvard University, a vegetable-packed diet can help protect against heart disease, stroke, cancer, and high blood pressure. Vegetables are packed with nutrients, including potassium, fiber, folic acid, and vitamins A, E, and C. They also positively impact digestion and blood sugar control.
4. Get Your 5 A Day
It's recommended that you eat at least five portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables daily. These can be fresh, frozen, canned, dried, or juiced. Getting your five A Day is easier than it sounds. Why not chop a banana over your breakfast cereal or swap your usual mid-morning snack for a piece of fresh fruit? A portion of fresh, canned, or frozen fruit and vegetables is 80g.
A portion of dried fruit (which should be kept to mealtimes) is 30g. A 150ml glass of fruit juice, vegetable juice, or smoothie also counts as 1 portion, but limit the amount to no more than 1 glass a day, as these drinks are sugary and can damage your teeth.
5. Get Fishy
Fish is a good source of protein and contains many vitamins and minerals. Aim to eat at least 2 portions of fish a week, including at least 1 portion of oily fish. Oily fish are high in omega-3 fats, which may help prevent heart disease. Oily fish include: salmon, trout, herring, sardines, pilchards, and mackerel.
Non-oily fish include haddock, plaice, coley, cod, tuna, skate, and hake. You can choose fresh, frozen, or canned fish, but remember that canned and smoked fish can be high in salt. Most people should be eating more fish, but there are recommended limits for some types of fish.
6. Stay Hydrated
You can go about three weeks without food, but only about three days without water. So, water is essential. It helps our body function properly. Drinking more water is never going to be a bad thing.
7. Eggs are Awesome
According to Healthline, eggs are one of the most nutritious types of food on the planet. Think about it, one egg contains all the nutrients needed for an embryo to grow into a chick. Eat more eggs because they lead to eating less, contain at least a little of the nutrients you need, including healthy fats, and raise good cholesterol.
8. Reduce Saturated Fats and Sugars
Saturated fat. You need some fat in your diet, but paying attention to the amount and type of fat you eat is essential. There are 2 main types of fat: saturated and unsaturated. Too much saturated fat can increase the amount of cholesterol in the blood, which increases your risk of developing heart disease.
On average, men should have no more than 30g of saturated fat a day. On average, women should have no more than 20g of saturated fat daily. Children under 11 should have less saturated fat than adults, but a low-fat diet is unsuitable for children under 5. In addition, full-fat dairy products, such as cheese, fromage frais, and yoghurt, are recommended up to the age of 2 years.
Saturated fat is found in many foods, such as fatty cuts of meat, sausages, butter, hard cheese, cream, cakes, biscuits, lard, and pies. Avoid eating less saturated fat and choosing foods that contain unsaturated fats, such as vegetable oils and spreads, oily fish, and avocados. For a healthier choice, use a small amount of vegetable, olive oil, or reduced-fat spread instead of butter, lard, or ghee.
When eating meat, choose lean cuts and cut off any visible fat. All types of fat are high in energy, so they should only be eaten in small amounts. Sugar Regularly consuming foods and drinks high in sugar increases your risk of obesity and tooth decay. Sugary foods and beverages are often high in energy (measured in kilojoules or calories), and if consumed too usually, can contribute to weight gain.
They can also cause tooth decay, especially if eaten between meals. Free sugars are any sugars added to foods or drinks or found naturally in honey, syrups, and unsweetened fruit juices and smoothies. You should cut down on this sugar rather than the sugar found in fruit and milk. Many packaged foods and drinks contain surprisingly high amounts of free sugars.
Free sugars are found in many foods, such as sugary fizzy drinks, sugary breakfast cereals, cakes, biscuits, pastries and puddings, sweets and chocolate, and alcoholic beverages. Food labels can help. Use them to check how much sugar foods contain. More than 22.5g of total sugars per 100g means the food is high in sugar, while 5g or less per 100g implies the food is low in sugar.
9. Favor Foods with Healthy Fats
My eighth-grade science teacher used to tell us, “fat is where it’s at”. But, I think he meant to say “healthy fat is where it’s at”. Choose fats from healthy oils, fish, avocado, seeds, and nuts, to name a few. EatRight says healthy fats help your brain and nervous system function, lower cholesterol levels, support heart health, and protect against inflammation.
10. Opt for Healthy Oils
The nutrition labels on oils can be scary. Those fat values are so darn high. But don’t be scared. Healthy oils like olive or avocado oil help your body absorb the beneficial nutrients of other foods. They also contain antioxidants, reduce inflammation, and even help protect against strokes and heart disease. I use extra virgin olive oil for pretty much everything. However, coconut and avocado oil are also healthy options. Stay away from process oils like vegetable, canola, and sunflower oil. These have been refined, removing some of their nutritional value.
11. Skip "Diet" and "Low-Fat" Foods
Don’t fall for the marketing tricks of “diet” or “low-fat” foods. First, foods with these labels are most likely highly processed with additives and preservatives. Have you ever seen a banana or a head of kale labelled as low-fat? Nope. In addition, trade-offs were likely made to make this food taste good. If it’s labelled low-fat, it’s probably high in sugar. If it’s a diet, it’s probably packed with artificial sweeteners that offer no nutritional value to our bodies.
12. Eat Less Salt
Eating too much salt can raise your blood pressure. People with high blood pressure are more likely to develop heart disease or have a stroke. Even if you do not add salt to your food, you may still overeat. About three-quarters of the salt you eat is already in the food when you buy it, such as breakfast cereals, soups, breads, and sauces.
Use food labels to help you cut down. More than 1.5g of salt per 100g means the food is high in salt. Adults and children aged 11 and over should eat no more than 6g of salt (about a teaspoonful) daily. Younger children should have even less.
13. Drink Black Coffee
This one could take some time depending on how much you currently gussy up your coffee (if you even drink coffee). Skip the sugar and drink your coffee black. This will be easier if you drink lighter roast coffees. These will be less bitter and easier to drink without adding anything to them. Your best bet is your local coffee shop. I’ve found Starbucks coffee to be super dark and bitter, so you should work up there.
14. Slow Down and Savor Your Food
Studies have shown that faster eating is related to a higher body mass index. So, slow down. Ever wonder how we can overeat only to feel full 20 minutes later? When you eat too fast, there isn’t enough time for your belly to tell your brain that you’re full. Give your brain time to catch up by eating more slowly and mindfully. You’ll enjoy your food and the eating process more.
15. Get Moving
As well as eating healthily, regular exercise may help reduce your risk of getting severe health conditions. It's also vital for your overall health and well-being. Being overweight or obese can lead to health conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, heart disease, and stroke. Being underweight could also affect your health.
Most adults need to lose weight by eating fewer calories. If you're trying to lose weight, aim to eat less and be more active. Eating a healthy, balanced diet can help you maintain a healthy weight. Check whether you're a healthy weight by using the BMI healthy weight calculator. Lose weight with the NHS weight loss plan, a 12-week weight loss guide that combines advice on healthier eating and physical activity. If you're underweight, see underweight adults. If you're worried about your weight, ask your GP or a dietitian for advice.
16. Try Eating with Your Non-Dominant Hand
I don’t like gimmicks or tricks, but this is a fun one that may be worth a try. Instead of using your dominant hand, try holding your fork and eating with your non-dominant hand. It will help you eat more slowly. Plus, it will help you train to be ambidextrous.
17. Check Menus Before Dining Out
If you eat out sparingly, then you may use your restaurant meals as a treat (like I do). So, I’m not always looking for the healthiest option. But, if you do eat out a lot, make sure you check the restaurant menu for healthy options before going. This way, you are prepared with your order in case you get side tracked by your conversation. Most restaurants these days have plenty of healthy and healthy-ish options.
18. Limit How Often You Dine Out
When you cook at home, you fully control what goes into your food. This isn’t true when eating out. Most (not all) restaurants aren’t focused on making their customers feel healthy. They are more interested in making their customers satisfied at a profit. This may mean large portions, more salt, and unhealthy oils.
19. Don’t Skip Breakfast
Some people skip breakfast because they think it'll help them lose weight. But a healthy breakfast high in fibre and low in fat, sugar, and salt can form part of a balanced diet and help you get the nutrients you need for good health. A wholegrain lower sugar cereal with semi-skimmed milk and fruit sliced over the top is a tasty and healthier breakfast.
20. Try a New Healthy Recipe Each Week
One of the best ways to maintain a healthy diet? Learn to cook simple, wholesome food at home. Pick a day each week to cook a new, healthy recipe. You’ll be cooking without recipes in no time.
21. Roast or Grill Instead of Frying
Roasting or grilling meats, vegetables, and potatoes can yield amazingly delicious foods. Plus, frying food at home is pretty messy. Who likes having a pot full of hot oil just sitting out? Try this roasted chicken recipe instead of making fried chicken. You’ll be sold on roasting because it is easy, delicious, and healthier.
22. Portion and Store Leftovers Before Eating
Setting aside leftovers before eating is a lifesaver. It is a foolproof method for portion control. Just doing this tip will save you so much internal angst and debate about whether you should have that extra serving at the dinner table. Plus, you’ll have lunch made for the next day. Which brings me to the next tip…
23. Turn One Meal Into Multiple Meals
For a healthy diet to be sustainable, it must be simple and satisfying. One way to crank up the simplicity of your diet is always to scale up the meals so you have leftovers. You shouldn’t have to cook every day. Making a healthy grain salad like this one for dinner for you and your partner? Double the recipe. Put out two dinner plates and two resealable containers. Distribute the grain salad evenly into the four containers. Now you have dinner and lunch for the next day.
24. Make and Follow a Meal Plan
A meal plan isn’t for everyone, but it can be helpful if you are just starting on your healthy cooking journey. Plan each week or multiple weeks by noting the dishes you want to make each day. Then develop a shopping list, get groceries, and follow your plan.
25. Read Nutrition Labels
Nutrition labels can seem complicated. The critical things can get lost in the percentages, weights, calories, serving sizes, vitamins, minerals, and more. So, how do you know what to focus on? Keep it simple and scan for these things to start with label reading: Zero or minimal added sugar – this is under carbohydrates. No trans fat. An ingredient list on the shorter side with foods you can mostly pronounce.
6 Healthy Food Swaps
1. Crunch on Popcorn Instead of Other Salty Snack Foods
Popcorn is a whole grain that can satisfy your cravings for crunchy, salty snacks. Just be sure to keep the toppings healthy and within reason. The best way to ensure popcorn stays nutritious is to pop the kernels yourself instead of reaching for a microwavable bag. Those bags are loaded with salt and fat. Try drizzling your popcorn with extra virgin olive oil for a healthy alternative to butter.
2. Choose Fresh or Frozen Fruit Instead of Sweetened Dried Fruit
Don’t be fooled by sweetened dried fruit. Opt for fresh or frozen fruit instead. If a piece of fruit needs to be topped with sugar before being eaten, it’s not a high-quality piece of fruit to begin with.
3. Find a New Favorite Healthy Take-out Spot
If you need to order takeout, find a healthier option you love. I’m sure there is one near you. Think sushi (but not fried and loaded with sauces) instead of Chinese food, grilled instead of fried chicken, and tacos instead of pizza. If I’m away from home and need a quick, healthy bite to eat, I always look for a Panera or Chipotle. They both have relatively healthy menu options that use real food. At home, we have a nearby sushi spot that has a great selection of simple and fresh rolls.
4. Switch to Whole Grain Bread Instead of White Bread
Whole grains have more nutrients, fiber, and protein than enriched or processed grains. They will leave you feeling fuller. Plus, whole grains do not cause as large a spike in blood sugar after eating. When choosing bread, opt for whole grain or whole wheat. You’ll be happy you did after your meal.
5. Choose Roasted or Grilled Potatoes Over French Fries
If you think French fries must be fried to be amazingly delicious, you’ve never had properly roasted potatoes. Roasted potatoes are browned, crispy, salty, and addictive. Roasted potatoes can be just as tasty. Plus, they’re super easy to make at home. Check out this roasted potatoes recipe from Minimalist Baker.
6. Drink Sparkling or Sugar-Free Water Instead of Sugary Drinks
Remember how we talked about skipping the snack aisle and not keeping unhealthy snacks in your house? Add the sugary drink aisle to your list of aisles to skip over at the grocery store. Sparkling water has been taking off over the past five or so years.
Sales have skyrocketed, and more and more brands are popping up. Just take a look at these graphs. So, if you are looking for a sugary drink alternative, there have never been more options than these sparkling waters. Just make sure whichever one you choose is sugar-free.
How to Get 100% Healthy (10 Tips)
1. Use DietAI for Counting Calories
Calorie counting can be tedious, but it doesn't have to be. With DietAI, you can take a picture of your food, and our app instantly analyzes your meals from a simple photo, delivering accurate calorie and macro information without manual logging. Beyond photo recognition, the app provides comprehensive progress tracking, personalized nutrition insights tailored to your goals, and convenient barcode scanning for packaged foods.
Whether trying to lose weight, gain muscle, or simply maintain a balanced diet, DietAI makes nutrition tracking effortless by eliminating the tedious aspects of traditional food journaling. Download now to effortlessly track your calories and macros with DietAI, the AI-powered app that makes logging meals as simple as snapping a photo. Download today for 80% off!
2. Get Moving
Aim for 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week. If you're pressed for time, break this into three 10-minute sessions. Healthy movement may include walking, sports, dancing, yoga, running, or other activities you enjoy.
3. Eat a Healthy Diet
Eat a well-balanced, low-fat diet with many fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Choose a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, and moderate in sugar, sal,t and total fat.
4. Avoid Injury
Avoid injury by wearing seatbelts and bike helmets, using smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in the home, and using street smarts when walking alone. If you own a gun, recognize the dangers of having one in your home and always take safety precautions.
5. Don't Smoke
Don't smoke, or quit if you do. Ask your health care provider for help. UCSF's Tobacco Education Center offers smoking cessation and relapse prevention classes as well as doctor consultations for smokers trying to quit.
6. Drink Alcohol in Moderation
Drink in moderation if you drink alcohol. Never drink before or while driving, or when pregnant.
7. Ask for Help
Ask someone you trust for help if you think you might be addicted to drugs or alcohol.
8. Practice Safe Sex
Help prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV/AIDS by using condoms every time you have sexual contact. Condoms aren't 100 percent foolproof, so discuss STI screening with your provider. Birth control methods other than condoms, such as pills and implants, won't protect you from STIs or HIV.
9. Take Care of Your Teeth
Brush your teeth after meals with a soft or medium-bristle toothbrush. Also ,brush after drinking and before going to bed. Use dental floss daily.
10. Protect Yourself from the Sun
Stay out of the sun, especially between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. when the sun's harmful rays are strongest. You are not protected if it is cloudy or if you are in the water -- harmful rays pass through both. Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen that guards against UVA and UVB rays, with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher. Select sunglasses that block 99 to 100 percent of the sun's rays.
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Download DietAI Today for 80% Off!
DietAI is an AI-powered app that makes nutrition tracking easy. Simply take a photo of your food, and it will instantly analyze the meal and tell you how many calories and macros are in it. You can even scan barcodes on packaged foods for quick results. With DietAI, you don't have to manually log any of your meals. This helps you avoid the tedious aspects of traditional food journaling, so you can effortlessly track your calories and macros to reach your goals.
How Can DietAI Help You Eat Better?
When you're trying to eat better, tracking your calories and macros can offer valuable insights about your nutrition. DietAI makes this process easier than ever. Whether you want to lose weight, gain muscle, or simply maintain a balanced diet, you'll get personalized nutrition information tailored to your unique goals. As you log your meals with DietAI, you'll learn more about your food choices and how to make better ones over time.
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