Healthy Eating Guidelines
Top 30 Healthy Eating Habits
On your quest to achieve and maintain good health, developing healthy eating habits is just as important as having a healthy balanced diet. By this I mean that WHEN and HOW you eat should be taken into account as well as WHAT you eat. Don't be daunted by the number of healthy eating habits listed. You don't have to change everything at once. Success can be achieved with regular small steps in the right direction so and if it seems appropriate to introduce one new healthy eating habit a week then so be it. On the other hand, if you really want to' go for it' then by all means introduce these healthy eating habits as quickly as you can. Remember though it's long lasting results we're looking for, not a flash in the pan and then back to your old ways because it all got a bit much to handle! Good health is achieved with a consistent approach. So, here we go: Top 30 Healthy Eating Habits - ALWAYS start the day with a nutritious breakfast
- Eat regular meals - 3 main meals a day with 2-3 healthy, nutritious snacks in between e.g. fruit or yogurt
- Eat your evening meal before 8pm
- Drink 2 liters (or 6-8 glasses) of water a day
- Ladies - limit your alcohol intake to 2 units per day, Men - no more than 3 a day
- Have different colored foods on your plate - it's visually appetizing and is an easy way to ensure a mix of different nutrients
- Avoid unnecessary and unhealthy saturated fats in your diet e.g. chips, crisps, fried food
- Limit other saturated fats e.g. cheese, eggs (2 per week) and red meat (twice a week maximum and trim off all white fat before cooking)
- Ensure you have good fats in your diet (omega 3, 6 and 9) found in oily fish, nuts, seeds and vegetable oils
- Minimize your salt and sugar intake. Check food labels and when possible prepare food yourself so you know what's going into it!
- Limit your intake of caffeine (found in coffee, tea, fizzy drinks and chocolate)
- Eat food before the sell buy date
- Avoid processed food e.g. tins, packets, ready meals
- Avoid fast food e.g. burgers, chips and fried chicken
- Chew food plenty of times before swallowing - it aids digestion and helps prevent over-eating
- Take time to sit down and enjoy your meal properly, especially with friends and family!
- Be conscious of what you are eating - notice the smells, tastes and textures of your food and take pleasure in them
- Listen to your body - if you're starving hungry then eat something! (and make sure it's healthy)
- Likewise if you feel full before you've finished your meal then stop eating - your stomach will thank you for it!
- Have a little of what you fancy - treat yourself occasionally to something you love (chocolate ladies?) and really savour it
- Variety is the spice of life - introduce a new recipe to your repertoire each week
- Drink fresh fruit juices and herbal teas
- Eat wholegrain foods instead of stuff made with white, processed flour
- Buy fresh, organic and locally produced food if possible
- As an alternative to fresh vegetables, buy frozen - they are normally frozen within 2 hours of picking so are still full of nutrients
- Eat some raw food every day, preferably as a starter to a main meal e.g. fruit, salad, crudities, fresh fruit/vegetable juice
- Buy a juicing machine and recipe book and use them often - home made juices are delicious and nutritious!
- If you want an alcoholic drink, try red wine - shown to have health benefits, but only if drunk in moderation!
- Allow an hour after mealtimes to digest food before undergoing any physical activity
- Eat fruits and veg that are in season - they'll be fresher and more tasty
If you have further questions around some of these healthy eating habits, such as "what constitutes a portion of fruit and veg?" or "what are oily fish?" then please take a look at the pages on Healthy Balanced Diet and Healthy Foods to Eat Click here to return from healthy eating habits to the home page.
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