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NUTRITION

Evidence Based

THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO HEALTHY EATING IN REAL LIFE

Medically reviewed by Sade Meeks, MS, RD, Nutrition — By Jillian Kubala, MS, RD
— Updated on March 8, 2023
* Importance
* Should you diet?
* Basics
* Limiting certain foods
* Tips
* Bottom line

To eat healthier, start by making small changes. Make each meal or snack contain
nutrient-dense foods, and try to avoid processed foods.

Depending on whom you ask, “healthy eating” may take many forms. It seems that
everyone, including healthcare professionals, wellness influencers, coworkers,
and family members, has an opinion on the healthiest way to eat.

Plus, nutrition articles that you read online can be downright confusing with
their contradictory — and often unfounded — suggestions and rules.

This doesn’t make it easy if you simply want to eat in a healthy way that works
for you.

The truth is, healthy eating doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s entirely
possible to nourish your body while enjoying the foods you love.

After all, food is meant to be enjoyed — not feared, counted, weighed, and
tracked.

This article cuts through the noise to explain what healthy eating means and how
to make it work for you.

Share on PinterestPhotography by Aya Brackett

WHY DOES EATING HEALTHY MATTER?

Before we dive into what healthy eating means, it’s important to explain why it
matters.

First, food is what fuels you and delivers the calories and nutrients your body
needs to function. If your diet is deficient in calories or one or more
nutrients, your health may suffer.

Likewise, if you eat too many calories, you may experience weight gain. People
with obesity have a significantly increased risk of illnesses like type 2
diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, and heart, liver, and kidney disease (1, 2).

Additionally, the quality of your diet affects your disease risk, longevity, and
mental health.

While diets rich in ultra-processed foods are linked to increased mortality and
a greater risk of conditions like cancer and heart disease, diets comprising
mostly whole, nutrient-dense foods are associated with increased longevity and
disease protection (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8).

Diets rich in highly processed foods may also increase the risk of depressive
symptoms, particularly among people who get less exercise (4, 9).

What’s more, if your current diet is high in ultra-processed foods and beverages
like fast food, soda, and sugary cereals but low in whole foods like vegetables,
nuts, and fish, you’re likely not eating enough of certain nutrients, which may
negatively affect your overall health (10).

> Summary
>
> Healthy eating is important for many reasons, including fueling your body,
> acquiring necessary nutrients, lowering your disease risk, increasing your
> longevity, and promoting optimal mental and physical well-being.

DO YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW A CERTAIN DIET TO EAT HEALTHY?

Absolutely not!

Although certain people need — or choose — to avoid particular foods or adopt
diets for health reasons, most people don’t have to follow any specific diet to
feel their best.

That’s not to say that certain eating patterns can’t benefit you.

For instance, some people feel healthiest when following a low carb diet, while
others thrive on high carb diets.

In general, though, eating healthy has nothing to do with adhering to diets or
certain dietary rules. “Healthy eating” simply means prioritizing your wellness
by fueling your body with nutritious foods.

The specifics may be different for each person depending on their location,
financial situation, culture and society, and taste preferences.

> Summary
>
> Healthy eating doesn’t involve any particular diet. Rather, it means
> prioritizing your health by fueling your body with nutrient-rich foods.

THE BASICS OF HEALTHY EATING

Now that you know why healthy eating is important, let’s cover some nutrition
basics.

NUTRIENT DENSITY

When you conceptualize healthy eating, your first thought might be about
calories. Even though calories are important, your primary concern should be
nutrients.

That’s because nutrients, including protein, carbs, fat, vitamins, and minerals,
are what your body needs to thrive. “Nutrient density” refers to the amount of
nutrients in a food in relation to the calories it provides (11).

All foods contain calories, but not all foods are nutrient-dense.

For example, a candy bar or a box of mac and cheese may be incredibly high in
calories but lack vitamins, minerals, protein, and fiber. Similarly, foods
marketed as “diet-friendly” or “low calorie” may be very low in calories but
lack nutrients.

For example, egg whites are much lower in calories and fat than whole eggs.
However, an egg white provides 1% or less of the Daily Value (DV) for iron,
phosphorus, zinc, choline, and vitamins A and B12, while a whole egg packs 5–21%
of the DV for these nutrients (12, 13).

That’s because of the nutritious, high fat yolk that eggs contain.

Plus, although some nutrient-dense foods, such as numerous fruits and veggies,
are low in calories, many — like nuts, full fat yogurt, egg yolks, avocado, and
fatty fish — are high in calories. That’s perfectly OK!

Just because a food is high in calories doesn’t mean that it’s bad for you. On
the same token, just because a food is low in calories doesn’t make it a healthy
choice.

If your food choices are based solely on calories, you’re missing the point of
healthy eating.

As a general rule, try to mostly eat foods that are high in nutrients like
protein, fiber, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals. These foods include
veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, beans, fatty fish, and eggs.

DIET DIVERSITY

Another component of healthy eating is dietary diversity, meaning eating a
variety of foods.

Following a diet that’s rich in different kinds of food supports your gut
bacteria, promotes a healthy body weight, and protects against chronic disease
(14, 15, 16, 17).

Still, eating a variety of foods may be difficult if you’re a picky eater.

If that’s the case, try to introduce new foods one at a time. If you don’t eat
many vegetables, start by adding a favorite veggie to one or two meals per day
and build from there.

Although you may not enjoy trying new foods, research shows that the more you’re
exposed to a food, the greater your chances of growing accustomed to it (18,
19).

MACRONUTRIENT RATIOS

Macronutrients — the main nutrients you get from food — are carbs, fat, and
protein. (Fiber is considered a type of carb.)

Generally, your meals and snacks should be balanced between the three. In
particular, adding protein and fat to fiber-rich carb sources makes dishes more
filling and tasty (20).

For example, if you’re snacking on a piece of fruit, adding a spoonful of nut
butter or a bit of cheese helps keep you fuller than if you were to eat the
fruit alone.

However, it’s fine if your diet isn’t balanced all the time.

Counting macros and following a set macronutrient plan isn’t necessary for most
people — except athletes, people seeking a specific body composition, and those
who need to gain muscle or fat for medical reasons.

Plus, counting macros and obsessing about staying within a certain macro range
may lead to an unhealthy fixation with food and calories or cause disordered
eating tendencies (21).

It’s important to note that some people may thrive on diets that are low in
carbs and high in fat and protein — or low in fat and high in carbs. However,
even on these diets, macronutrient counting typically isn’t necessary.

For example, if you feel your best on a low carb diet, simply choosing low carb
foods like nonstarchy veggies, proteins, and fats more often than high carb
foods will usually suffice.

HIGHLY PROCESSED FOODS

One of the best ways to improve your diet is to cut back on ultra-processed
foods.

You don’t have to avoid processed foods completely. In fact, many healthy foods
like shelled nuts, canned beans, and frozen fruits and veggies have been
processed in one way or another.

In contrast, highly processed products like soda, mass-produced baked goods,
candy, sugary cereals, and certain boxed snack food contain little if any whole
food ingredients.

These items tend to pack ingredients like high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated
oils, and artificial sweeteners (9, 22, 23).

Research links diets high in ultra-processed foods to a greater risk of
depression, heart disease, obesity, and many other complications (9, 24, 25).

On the other hand, diets low in these foods and high in whole, nutrient-dense
foods have the opposite effect, protecting against disease, lengthening
lifespan, and promoting overall physical and mental well-being (5, 6, 7, 8).

Thus, it’s best to prioritize nutrient-dense foods, especially vegetables and
fruits.

> Summary
>
> Include a variety of nutrient-dense, whole foods in your diet, taking care to
> limit highly processed items.

SHOULD YOU CUT BACK ON CERTAIN FOODS AND BEVERAGES FOR OPTIMAL HEALTH?

In a healthy diet, it’s best to restrict certain foods.

Decades of scientific research link ultra-processed foods to negative health
outcomes, including increased disease risk and early death (9, 22, 23, 26, 27,
28).

Cutting back on soda, processed meats, candy, ice cream, fried foods, fast food,
and highly processed, packaged snacks is a smart way to improve your health and
lower your risk of certain diseases.

However, you don’t have to completely avoid these foods all the time.

Instead, try to prioritize whole, nutrient-dense foods like vegetables, fruits,
nuts, seeds, beans, and fish, saving highly processed foods and beverages for
special treats.

Foods like ice cream and candy can be a part of a healthy, well-rounded diet,
but they shouldn’t be a significant part of your calorie intake.

> Summary
>
> You should limit your intake of ultra-processed foods and drinks like candy,
> soda, and sugary cereals, but that doesn’t mean that you have to eliminate
> these items from your diet.

HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY EATING WORK FOR YOU

Food is one of the many puzzle pieces of your day-to-day life. Between
commuting, working, family or social commitments, errands, and many other daily
factors, food may be last on your list of concerns.

The first step to following a healthier diet is to make food one of your
priorities.

This doesn’t mean that you have to spend hours meal prepping or cooking
elaborate meals, but it does require some thought and effort, especially if you
have a particularly busy lifestyle.

For example, going to the grocery store once or twice per week will help ensure
that you have healthy choices in your fridge and pantry. In turn, a well-stocked
kitchen makes choosing healthy meals and snacks much easier.

When grocery shopping, stock up on:

* fresh and frozen fruits and veggies
* protein sources like chicken, eggs, fish, and tofu
* bulk carb sources like canned beans and whole grains
* starchy veggies like white potatoes, sweet potatoes, and butternut squash
* fat sources like avocados, olive oil, and full fat yogurt
* nutritious, simple snack ingredients like nuts, seeds, nut butter, hummus,
olives, and dried fruit

If you’re drawing a blank at mealtime, keep it simple and think in threes:

* Protein: eggs, chicken, fish, or a plant-based option like tofu
* Fat: olive oil, nuts, seeds, nut butter, avocado, cheese, or full fat yogurt
* Fiber-rich carbs: starchy options like sweet potatoes, oats, certain fruits,
and beans — or low carb fiber sources like asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower,
and berries

For example, breakfast could be a spinach and egg scramble with avocado and
berries, lunch a sweet potato stuffed with veggies, beans, and shredded chicken,
and dinner a salmon filet or baked tofu with sautéed broccoli and brown rice.

If you’re not used to cooking or grocery shopping, focus on a single meal. Go to
the grocery store and shop for the ingredients for a couple of breakfast or
dinner dishes for the week. Once that becomes a habit, add more meals until most
of your meals are prepared at home.

DEVELOPING A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP WITH FOOD MAY TAKE TIME

If you don’t have a good relationship with food, you’re not alone.

Many people have disordered eating tendencies or eating disorders. If you’re
concerned that you have one of these conditions, it’s critical to get the right
help.

To develop a healthy relationship with food, you have to have the right tools.

Working with a healthcare team, such as a registered dietitian and psychologist
who specializes in eating disorders, is the best way to start mending your
relationship with food.

Food restrictions, fad dieting, and self-prescribed notions like “getting back
on track” won’t help and may be harmful. Working on your relationship with food
may take time, but it’s necessary for your physical and mental health.

TIPS FOR HEALTHY EATING IN THE REAL WORLD

Here are some realistic tips for you to get started with healthy eating:

* Prioritize plant-based foods. Plant foods like veggies, fruits, beans, and
nuts should make up the majority of your diet. Try incorporating these foods,
especially veggies and fruits, at every meal and snack.
* Cook at home. Cooking meals at home helps diversify your diet. If you’re used
to takeout or restaurant meals, try cooking just one or two meals per week to
start.
* Shop for groceries regularly. If your kitchen is stocked with healthy foods,
you’re more likely to make healthy meals and snacks. Go on one or two grocery
runs per week to keep nutritious ingredients on hand.
* Understand that your diet isn’t going to be perfect. Progress — not
perfection — is key. Meet yourself where you are. If you’re currently eating
out every night, cooking one homemade, veggie-packed meal per week is
significant progress.
* “Cheat days” aren’t acceptable. If your current diet includes “cheat days” or
“cheat meals,” this is a sign that your diet is unbalanced. Once you learn
that all foods can be a part of a healthy diet, there’s no need for cheating.
* Cut out sugar-sweetened drinks. Limit sugary beverages like soda, energy
drinks, and sweetened coffees as much as possible. Regularly consuming sugary
beverages may harm your health (27, 28).
* Choose filling foods. When you’re hungry, your goal should be to eat filling,
nutritious foods, not to eat as few calories as possible. Pick protein- and
fiber-rich meals and snacks that are sure to fill you up.
* Eat whole foods. A healthy eating pattern should be primarily composed of
whole foods like vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and
protein sources like eggs and fish.
* Hydrate the smart way. Staying hydrated is part of healthy eating, and water
is the best way to stay hydrated. If you’re not used to drinking water, get a
reusable water bottle and add fruit slices or a squeeze of lemon for flavor.
* Honor your dislikes. If you’ve tried a specific food several times and don’t
like it, don’t eat it. There are plenty of healthy foods to choose instead.
Don’t force yourself to eat something just because it’s considered healthy.

These tips can help you move toward a healthier diet.

You can also work with a registered dietitian, especially if you’re not sure how
to start improving your diet. A dietitian can help you develop a sustainable,
nutritious eating plan that works for your needs and schedule.

> Summary
>
> Tips like cooking at home, grocery shopping, eating a lot of plant foods,
> choosing filling meals and snacks, and honoring your dislikes can help you
> create and maintain a healthy eating pattern.

THE BOTTOM LINE

If you’re interested in healthy eating, making a few small changes can get you
moving in the right direction.

Although healthy eating may look a bit different for everyone, balanced diets
are generally rich in nutrient-dense foods, low in highly processed foods, and
comprised of filling meals and snacks.

This guide may help those who are starting on a healthy eating journey — and act
as a refresher for those who know nutrition basics but want to go deeper.

If you want detailed, individualized dietary advice, consult an experienced
dietitian.

JUST ONE THING

Try this today: Survey the foods in your fridge and pantry. If you’re low on
veggies, whole grains, or protein sources, it’s time to run to the store. For a
few easy and nutritious meal ideas, check out this article.

Was this helpful?

Last medically reviewed on June 24, 2021

HOW WE REVIEWED THIS ARTICLE:

History

Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our
articles when new information becomes available.

Current Version

Mar 8, 2023

Written By

Jillian Kubala MS, RD

Edited By

Gabriel Dunsmith

Jun 24, 2021

Written By

Jillian Kubala MS, RD

Edited By

Gabriel Dunsmith

Medically Reviewed By

Sade Meeks, MS, RD

Copy Edited By

Christina Guzik, BA, MBA

Share this article

EVIDENCE BASED

This article is based on scientific evidence, written by experts and fact
checked by experts.

Our team of licensed nutritionists and dietitians strive to be objective,
unbiased, honest and to present both sides of the argument.

This article contains scientific references. The numbers in the parentheses (1,
2, 3) are clickable links to peer-reviewed scientific papers.

Medically reviewed by Sade Meeks, MS, RD, Nutrition — By Jillian Kubala, MS, RD
— Updated on March 8, 2023

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