Healthy Eating Do’s and Don’ts: The Complete Guide
Healthy eating is pretty straightforward. However, there’s so much information on it that makes it seem complicated and confusing.
Life is complicated enough, so let’s make your eating habits as simple as possible.
Here is all the healthy eating do’s and don’ts for you to follow and never feel lost again in the nutrition world.
Healthy Eating: Do’s and Don’ts
Let me start with a disclaimer: When it comes to healthy eating, there are no set rules, banned foods, or restrictive practices. Everyone’s body, needs, lifestyle, and goals are different.
However, there are some fundamentals you can follow to improve your overall quality of life.
So, that’s precisely how you should treat this advice - as basic guidelines.
#1 Do: Eat more whole foods.
You’ve probably heard this one: Eat more whole foods.
There’s a reason why some tips become cliches - because they are valid.
The first step towards better nutrition is adding more whole foods to your diet.
You can recognize whole foods easily - there’s just one ingredient. Some examples are chicken breast, apples, nuts, avocados, broccoli, salmon, etc.
#2 Do: Make sure you eat enough protein.
When it comes to macronutrients, protein is king, no matter your current fitness goal.
Protein keeps you satiated for longer, has fewer calories, helps you build muscle, and feels more energetic.
Good sources are chicken, beef, pork, chickpeas, beans, tofu, fish, etc.
If you have trouble eating enough protein or need high-protein meal ideas, download my Protein cheat sheet for free.
You will get more meal ideas and tips on prioritizing protein intake.
#3 Do: Eat healthy fats.
Healthy fats are a must when you want to prioritize healthy eating.
They balance your hormones, help you absorb nutrients, reduce inflammation, and support your immune system.
Good sources of healthy fats are fatty fish (salmon, tuna), avocado, nuts, nut butter, cold-pressed oils, etc.
#4 Do: Eat fruits and veggies.
Fruits and vegetables provide you with the needed micronutrients and fiber.
The best thing about fruits and veggies is you can eat more without the extra calories. Eat at least one serving of fruits and veggies per meal.
To eat more fruits and veggies, try adding them to smoothies, protein shakes, sauces, etc.
Also, try eating more of the fruits and veggies that are currently in season. For example, it’s pumpkin season in the fall - make a pumpkin soup, pumpkin pasta sauce, or baked pumpkin for dessert.
To eat more fruits and vegetables, add them to smoothies, sauces, or use them as toppings and add-ons.
#5 Do: Hydrate.
Hydration is vital for your well-being.
Water helps you flush down toxins and waste from your body, regulates body temperature, improves your mood, and helps your body function properly.
To calculate how much water you need to drink, take your weight in kilos. For every 20 kilos of it, drink a liter of water. I weigh 58 kg, so I try to drink around 3l of water daily.
#6 Do: Prioritize sleep.
Good sleep improves your mood, helps your body and mind relax, and affects your eating habits.
If you don’t get enough sleep, you might overeat, snack on fast food, or support unhealthy eating behaviors.
Your nutrition affects your sleep and vice versa. You should start paying attention to all aspects of your well-being when you want to live healthier.
#7 Do: Reduce stress.
Like sleeping, stress has an impact on your eating habits. If you don’t participate in stress-managing practices, it can impact your whole life.
You may have heard or even experienced stress eating. It occurs when you eat not because of hunger but because you’re dealing with stress through food.
To prevent this, find stress-managing practices that you enjoy and help you calm your mind. Some ideas are journaling, meditating, getting close to nature, or trying a new hobby.
Finding a new hobby helps you unwind and deal with stress in a healthy way.
#8 Do: Eat slowly and mindfully.
Healthy eating isn't only about what you eat but how you eat.
In the modern world, meals become just an extra task on your to-do list.
However, this is another reason for overeating.
When you eat, try to focus only on eating.
Don’t watch TV, read a book, or scroll through social media. I know it is hard - I am still working on that practice myself. However, it is pretty beneficial.
Also, before every bite, take a deep breath. It helps you be present and slow down.
#9 Do: Go for sustainable eating changes instead of restrictive diets.
Instead of cutting entire food groups from your diet, focus on the fundamentals.
Restrictive diets only support self-sabotage, negative talk, and even eating disorders. Even if your willpower is strong enough to go through a FAD diet, you won’t be able to sustain your results.
Why? Because the lifestyle you try to create is not sustainable.
When you start following a diet or new practice, ask: How long can I stick to this? If it’s less than six months, find a more sustainable habit.
For example: For how long can I stick to eating no carbs? A week.
For how long can I stick to eating protein at *almost* every meal? A lifetime.
#10 Do: Aim for a well-balanced diet.
Healthy eating is more a lifestyle than a book full of rules. It is also a mindset.
Let’s be honest: nobody is perfect. You want to go out with friends and eat fast food or ice cream while watching your favorite movie.
And that’s okay. Aim to create a well-balanced diet in which you prioritize the healthy eating fundamentals but leave some space for fun.
What’s healthy for your mind is healthy for your body, too.
#11 Do: Exercise.
Daily movement supports a healthy lifestyle. Regular exercise improves your mood, energy levels, and quality of life.
Daily exercising does not mean spending hours at the gym.
Find an activity you enjoy and can do consistently to make it a part of your routine.
Find a practice you enjoy and try to move more throughout the day. Some examples are taking the stairs, parking away from the store entrance, walking to work, go for a walk in the park.
#12 Do: Make healthy food an easy and convenient option.
Sometimes it may seem that there are no healthy options around you. And you might be right.
That’s why planning, preparing meals and choosing convenient options are a must.
When you prepare for the next day, think about whether you’ll have access to healthy food. If you won’t, prepare something from home. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy - stick to the basics.
I love keeping boiled eggs, cooked rice, prepared protein (chicken, fish, tofu, steak) in the fridge, and frozen veggies in the freezer. You can warm up everything and prepare a nutritious meal.
Also, buy your favorite protein bars and put some in your bag. This way, you’ll always have a high-protein snack on the go.
#13 Do: Plan your meals.
Planning your meals leaves you prepared and makes healthy food a convenient option (the previous point).
Some people don’t like planning their whole week of meals as it seems boring to them. If you fall in this category, prepare and cook your meals for the next 2-3 days.
Like every other habit, experiment and see what works for you. There’s no wrong approach.
#14 Do: Tune into your hunger cues.
You used to be excellent at recognizing your hunger cues as a child.
However, when you become an adult, you eat because: you’re reminded of food, it’s a certain time of the day, you’re bored, etc.
Try to tune into your hunger cues to recognize when you’re hungry and when you should stop eating because you’re full, without overeating.
Eating slowly is the best practice to help you recognize your hunger cues better.
In the beginning, it might feel strange. But the more you do it, the more aware you’ll become.
You will easily recognize when you’re hungry and satisfied and how different foods make you feel.
#15 Do: Eat at the same time.
Your body has a clock of its own. It knows when it’s time to wake up, work, eat, sleep, or do other daily activities.
It’s great to eat at the same time - your body knows it’s mealtime. It also helps you recognize your hunger cues.
#16 Do: Cook more at home.
Healthy eating involves healthy cooking.
It doesn’t matter whether a restaurant claims to serve healthy food. Most of them add much more ingredients to their dishes than it says on the menu (mainly oil and salt).
Cooking at home helps you know every ingredient you put on your plate.
Cooking helps you gain more control over what’s in your food and can also become a hobby.
#17 Don’t skip meals.
Skipping meals is a practice people tend to do when they overeat. They think they don’t deserve lunch if they have a big breakfast.
This is not the case. Skipping meals harms your relationship with food. It also makes you overeat again at dinner because you’re starving all day long.
Even if you’ve had more food than you needed at a certain meal, don’t skip the next one.
Instead, analyze the triggers that led you to this behavior. Then, go on with your day. It’s not the end of the world.
#18 Don’t weigh yourself daily (even if you’re on a diet).
Even if your current goal is to lose weight, you’re on a diet, or counting calories, don’t weigh yourself daily. Your weight fluctuates daily as many factors impact it.
Instead of focusing only on your weight, choose some other progress metrics. This tweet represents some of them:
If you resonate with this message, give me a follow on Twitter.
#19 Don’t restrict foods.
Restricting certain foods or food groups only harms your relationship with food. Restrict foods only if you have allergies or you’ve observed that it makes you feel bad after eating them.
There are no bad or off-limits foods. Every food has a place in a well-balanced diet. Don’t fall for cheap marketing tricks for selling FAD diets.
#20 Don’t use negative talk.
Negative talk won’t take the time back or fix your eating habits. It will make the situation even worse.
So instead of shaming yourself, be more observant and analyze what triggers unwilling behavior.
Also, don’t forget to celebrate your wins. I will leave you with this quote:
“If speaking kindly to plants helps them grow, imagine what speaking kindly to humans can do. ”
#21 Don’t eat close to bedtime.
It’s okay to have a meal at 5, 6, 7, or even 8 pm.
However, eating close to bedtime (1 hour) can affect your sleep and leave you feeling heavy.
Aim to eat at least 2 hours before bed to optimize good digestion and better sleep.
#22 Don’t starve yourself.
Starving yourself only leads to overeating and an unhealthy relationship with food.
If you think you’ll lose more weight when starving, you’re wrong. Your body is smarter than you.
When you starve yourself, your body thinks that food is scarce. That’s why it switches to survival mode and stores more fat.
If you’re hungry, eat real food - high in protein, healthy fats, fiber, and carbs.
Don’t follow “tricks” like drinking water, diet soda, or tea. Instead, eat more high-nutrient foods at every meal.
#23 Don’t believe everything you see on social media.
Social media is both a blessing and a curse. It gives you access to a lot of information and knowledge.
But at the same time, everyone can post on social media and express their opinion. It leads to lots of sales tricks and unprofessional advice.
Whatever information you see on social media - take it with a grain of salt. Do a little research and check whether it’s legitimate before following it.
#24 Don’t give up.
Whatever eating habits you’re trying to adopt, don’t give up. Good nutrition is a life-long game.
12-week programs, boot camps, and any other tricks you try to stick to will have only a temporary effect. You may lose weight, but if you don’t find a way to build sustainable eating habits, you will lose your progress.
That’s why choosing healthy eating is the best decision. It’s not a diet - it’s a lifestyle you can stick to without skipping on life.
Healthy eating is a lifestyle, not a 12-week transformation program. Keep on going and you will find yourself getting better every day.
What is Healthy Eating?
Healthy eating is a way to build sustainable eating habits you can stick to daily. It’s a lifestyle, not a diet.
Benefits of Healthy Eating
The benefits of healthy eating are numerous. Nutrition has a significant impact on every aspect of your life. Prioritizing good food supports your overall quality of all.
Longevity
Decreases the chance of many diseases
Supports a healthy and strong body (physique)
Supports a healthy mind
Reduces stress and anxiety
Supports good sleep
Supports deep focus and work
Helps you have more energy
Better mood
Final Thoughts
After revisiting so many healthy eating do’s and don’ts you may feel overwhelmed.
Start small every time you want to change something in your life or adopt a new habit.
Pick one thing from the list and focus on turning it into a habit.
Don’t worry - you can’t fail. Healthy eating is a lifelong game. If you can’t do something today, you can try again tomorrow.
Let me know in the comments which habit you plan to adopt next.
If you feel lost in the nutrition world and need guidance to live your healthiest and happiest life, check out my 1:1 coaching. I can’t wait to help you build a healthy lifestyle you can stick to daily.
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Comment below: what other guide do you need to feel more confident in your health journey and accomplish your goals?
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I hope this article motivated you to keep on going with your wellness journey with more confidence.
Until next time.
- Mariya
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