It can be difficult to change your eating habits, but you can do it with the right meal planning and lifestyle changes. Consult a doctor or nutritionist for advice.
In the fast-paced and dynamic world of today, it can be not easy to maintain a healthy diet. We all know how it feels.
It can be difficult to sort through all the diets and determine which is right for you.
Even after choosing a healthy eating plan, it can be not easy to maintain that diet every day.
It’s possible to stick to a healthy eating plan, even if it means giving up some of your favourite foods.
Most of the tips and tricks to eating healthily are free and simple.
Here are our 11 favourite ways to maintain a healthy eating plan.
Heads Up
Diet can refer to many different things. The word “diet” can refer to dietary changes made for a short time, usually to lose weight or achieve another goal (e.g. the ketogenic diet), or it can be used to describe a typical way of eating.
This article focuses on the second application — a sustainable eating habit that reflects food choices.
1. Consume a diet high in whole foods
A balanced diet can be followed in many different ways, and no two diets are the same.
Most successful long-term, balanced diets share at least one common characteristic: they’re high in whole foods.
Whole foods are minimally processed foods, like:
- fruits
- vegetables
- Legumes
- Whole grains
- Nuts and seeds
- Eggs and dairy
- fresh animal proteins
It may seem that shakes, supplements, and fads are useful, but whole-food diets consistently lead to better health outcomes.
Whole foods contain fibre, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients, which support a healthy gut and reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as obesity and diabetes.
Inflammation Trusted Source and chronic disease are more common in ultra-processed food Trusted Source like sodas, chips, and candy.
SUMMARY
Balanced diets are available in many forms, but they all focus on whole, nutrient-dense foods such as fruits, vegetables and grains.
2. Do not crash diet without thinking twice
When starting a new diet, one of the first questions you should ask yourself is, “Can I maintain this long-term?”
You could be on a crash diet if you answer no to this question.
Crash diets are usually based on extreme calorie restrictions to achieve rapid weight loss.
The results of crash diets, and diets in general (from keto to everything in between), are usually not long-lasting. According to research, people who diet tend to gain back the weight that they lost over time.
When it comes to maintaining a healthy diet, resist the temptation to focus on weight loss. In the long term, a healthy diet and the habits that you develop are often more important than how much weight you lose in a short time.
SUMMARY
Although crash dieting can help you lose weight fast, it’s not always a healthy way to do so, and the results you get are not guaranteed to last.
3. Get started by relying on the professionals
Adopting a healthy diet can seem daunting and difficult.
You may feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of diets available. Everyone has an opinion about what you should or shouldn’t be eating.
You are not alone in this journey. You can find many professionals who are trained to help you decide the best path for yourself.
A registered dietitian can help you navigate:
- Meal plans
- Food groups
- your daily nutrient needs
- Safe diets for specific diseases and conditions
A behaviour change specialist, such as a psychologist, can help you form new habits and break old ones.
SUMMARY
A trained professional can be a great support system. They can also provide accurate, up-to-date advice on how to eat well and stick to it.
4. Find the best diet for you
You’ll often hear diets referred to as the “best” and “healthiest”.
Yet, no one diet works best for everyone.
Each of us lives in unique circumstances that are influenced by our genetics, health, work schedules and cultural traditions. There are too many factors to be accounted for by a single diet.
The “best” diet is one that will make you feel good and that you can stick to for a long time.
SUMMARY
A balanced diet is one that’s not only healthy but also enjoyable, sustainable, and suited to individual circumstances.
5. Healthy foods are all around you
Researchers have discovered that in recent years, people are eating more ultra-processed food than ever before.
Industrial processing produces ultra-processed foods, which are usually enriched with additives such as sweeteners and thickeners.
Fast food, frozen meals, sugar-sweetened sodas and juices are all examples of ultra-processed food.
Even being around ultra-processed food can have a negative impact on brain chemistry and behaviour.
Keep your pantry and fridge stocked with whole, nutrient-dense foods. This will help you to stay on track and eat these nutritious foods more frequently.
SUMMARY
You will be more successful if you surround yourself with foods that you enjoy and want to learn to eat.
6. Stock up on snacks
We often forget our healthy eating plans when we are feeling extra hungry or tempted by an indulgent treat.
Researchers at Trusted Source found that when we are extremely hungry, our cravings can be even more intense.
Keep a variety of healthy and filling snacks in your pantry to stave off hunger until you have a full meal. A high-protein hummus and other high-fiber snacks can keep you fuller and help reduce snacking.
Examples include:
- Fresh fruits and vegetables
- yoghurt
- Popcorn
- Hard-boiled Eggs
- Mixed nuts and nut Butter
- Roasted chickpeas or hummus
- Whole grain crackers
SUMMARY
By keeping a variety of healthy and filling snacks at hand, you can reduce the chances that you will stray from your diet when hungry.
7. Savor your favourite foods
It can be counterproductive to deny yourself the foods that you crave and love.
According to a 2020 studyTrusted Source can increase your food cravings in the short term, particularly for people more susceptible to food addictions.
Another study conducted by Trusted Source found that a non-dieting application used to retrain satiety cues (feelings of fullness) led to weight loss in obese people and a reduction of food cravings.
Instead of completely giving up your favourite less nutritious foods, you can enjoy them occasionally and practice portion control.
SUMMARY
With moderation and portion control, a healthy diet allows for all kinds of foods, even the ones that seem out of place.
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8. Avoid an all-or-nothing approach
When people are trying to improve their diet, they often fall into an “all-or-nothing” mindset.
A thought that is all or nothing might be: “Well, since I already ruined my day’s diet by eating the cake at the party at work earlier, I should probably forget about my plans to prepare dinner at home and order takeout.”
This type of thinking tends to see situations as black and white or “good” and bad.
Try to treat each food selection you make as a separate choice. One less-than-ideal food choice doesn’t mean you’ll make the same choices all day.
According to a 2019 study by Trustedsource, having high self-esteem, confidence, and the ability to make healthy decisions is associated with improved health outcomes. So don’t let a small slip bring you down.
SUMMARY
Consider each new diet choice as a fresh start.
9. Plan when eating out
Many people look forward to potlucks, happy hours, and dining out. However, for those who are struggling to maintain a healthy diet or start a new one, these events may seem like stumbling blocks.
Food served in restaurants is often more processed and high in sodium, sugar, and fat than food cooked at home.
Research suggests that the food we choose in social settings – and what we see online – may be heavily influenced by our choices by those around usTrusted Source.
It’s very easy to eat too much when you eat out, but maintaining a healthy eating plan while dining out can be a challenge.
There are still ways to make the process easier. A strategy can help you to feel more prepared and relaxed when you arrive at a restaurant.
Here are some of our best tips for dining out.
- Research the menu before you visit
- Eat a fruit or small snack before you leave
- Stay hydrated while eating
- Order your main meal first and skip the appetizers
- Enjoy your food and take your time
SUMMARY
If you plan, you can reduce any anxiety or stress you may feel about sticking to a balanced diet in a restaurant.
10. Keep track of your progress
ResearchTrusted Source found in 2019 that self-monitoring via phone apps was an effective and easy way to track progress.
You can keep a simple journal or use a smartphone app to track your daily calorie intake and activity levels.
Remember that weight gain and loss aren’t the only ways to gauge progress, and they might not always be the best ways.
Many people choose to follow a balanced diet for different reasons. You might focus more on the impact of your diet changes on your mental or physical health than your weight loss.
You can also ask yourself the following questions to determine if your new diet is helping you achieve your nutritional goals:
- Am I satisfied and full?
- Am I happy with what I eat and drink?
- Can I eat this way forever?
- How many healthy decisions did I make today
- How confident am I about my diet?
- Is my physical health changing?
- Has my mental health changed?
SUMMARY
Measuring your progress will allow you to determine if your efforts are achieving the desired results. Tracking doesn’t mean you have to log every calorie into an app. You can stick to a healthy diet by simply checking in with your body.
11. You need to be patient.
It is not easy to stick to a healthier diet.
It takes time to develop new habits. Don’t get discouraged if you find it difficult to start.
Your diet will likely progress positively as long as you maintain realistic expectations, stay committed and continually reevaluate.
SUMMARY
Balanced diets are not an exception. It takes time to form new habits. If you are feeling frustrated, practice self-kindness by refocusing your attention on long-term goals.
Takeaway
It’s not easy to break old habits or form new ones, especially if you have eaten the same foods your entire life.
Trusted Source Our diets are complex systems Trusted Source that are influenced by various factors, including biological, cognitive, and social. To navigate these factors and maintain a long-term healthy diet, a variety of tools might be required.
