Balanced eating pattern -
Eating food that is as close as possible to the way nature made it can make a huge difference to the way you think, look, and feel. By using these simple tips, you can cut through the confusion and learn how to create—and stick to—a tasty, varied, and nutritious diet that is as good for your mind as it is for your body.
While some extreme diets may suggest otherwise, we all need a balance of protein, fat, carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, and minerals in our diets to sustain a healthy body. You don't need to eliminate certain categories of food from your diet, but rather select the healthiest options from each category.
Protein gives you the energy to get up and go—and keep going—while also supporting mood and cognitive function. Too much protein can be harmful to people with kidney disease, but the latest research suggests that many of us need more high-quality protein, especially as we age.
That doesn't mean you have to eat more animal products—a variety of plant-based sources of protein each day can ensure your body gets all the essential protein it needs. Learn more ». Not all fat is the same.
While bad fats can wreck your diet and increase your risk of certain diseases, good fats protect your brain and heart. In fact, healthy fats—such as omega-3s—are vital to your physical and emotional health.
Including more healthy fat in your diet can help improve your mood, boost your well-being, and even trim your waistline. Eating foods high in dietary fiber grains, fruit, vegetables, nuts, and beans can help you stay regular and lower your risk for heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
It can also improve your skin and even help you to lose weight. As well as leading to osteoporosis, not getting enough calcium in your diet can also contribute to anxiety, depression, and sleep difficulties.
Whatever your age or gender, it's vital to include calcium-rich foods in your diet, limit those that deplete calcium, and get enough magnesium and vitamins D and K to help calcium do its job.
Carbohydrates are one of your body's main sources of energy. But most should come from complex, unrefined carbs vegetables, whole grains, fruit rather than sugars and refined carbs. Cutting back on white bread, pastries, starches, and sugar can prevent rapid spikes in blood sugar, fluctuations in mood and energy, and a build-up of fat, especially around your waistline.
Switching to a healthy diet doesn't have to be an all or nothing proposition. You don't have to be perfect, you don't have to completely eliminate foods you enjoy, and you don't have to change everything all at once—that usually only leads to cheating or giving up on your new eating plan.
A better approach is to make a few small changes at a time. Keeping your goals modest can help you achieve more in the long term without feeling deprived or overwhelmed by a major diet overhaul.
Think of planning a healthy diet as a number of small, manageable steps—like adding a salad to your diet once a day. As your small changes become habit, you can continue to add more healthy choices. BetterHelp is an online therapy service that matches you to licensed, accredited therapists who can help with depression, anxiety, relationships, and more.
Take the assessment and get matched with a therapist in as little as 48 hours. To set yourself up for success, try to keep things simple. Eating a healthier diet doesn't have to be complicated.
Instead of being overly concerned with counting calories, for example, think of your diet in terms of color, variety, and freshness.
Focus on avoiding packaged and processed foods and opting for more fresh ingredients whenever possible.
Prepare more of your own meals. Cooking more meals at home can help you take charge of what you're eating and better monitor exactly what goes into your food. You'll eat fewer calories and avoid the chemical additives, added sugar, and unhealthy fats of packaged and takeout foods that can leave you feeling tired, bloated, and irritable, and exacerbate symptoms of depression, stress, and anxiety.
Make the right changes. When cutting back on unhealthy foods in your diet, it's important to replace them with healthy alternatives. Replacing dangerous trans fats with healthy fats such as switching fried chicken for grilled salmon will make a positive difference to your health.
Switching animal fats for refined carbohydrates, though such as switching your breakfast bacon for a donut , won't lower your risk for heart disease or improve your mood. Read the labels. It's important to be aware of what's in your food as manufacturers often hide large amounts of sugar or unhealthy fats in packaged food, even food claiming to be healthy.
Focus on how you feel after eating. This will help foster healthy new habits and tastes. The healthier the food you eat, the better you'll feel after a meal. The more junk food you eat, the more likely you are to feel uncomfortable, nauseous, or drained of energy.
Drink plenty of water. Water helps flush our systems of waste products and toxins, yet many of us go through life dehydrated—causing tiredness, low energy, and headaches. It's common to mistake thirst for hunger, so staying well hydrated will also help you make healthier food choices.
What is moderation? In essence, it means eating only as much food as your body needs. You should feel satisfied at the end of a meal, but not stuffed. For many of us, moderation means eating less than we do now.
But it doesn't mean eliminating the foods you love. Eating bacon for breakfast once a week, for example, could be considered moderation if you follow it with a healthy lunch and dinner—but not if you follow it with a box of donuts and a sausage pizza.
Start by reducing portion sizes of unhealthy foods and not eating them as often. As you reduce your intake of unhealthy foods, you may find yourself craving them less or thinking of them as only occasional indulgences.
Think smaller portions. Serving sizes have ballooned recently. When dining out, choose a starter instead of an entree, split a dish with a friend, and don't order supersized anything. At home, visual cues can help with portion sizes.
Your serving of meat, fish, or chicken should be the size of a deck of cards and half a cup of mashed potato, rice, or pasta is about the size of a traditional light bulb. By serving your meals on smaller plates or in bowls, you can trick your brain into thinking it's a larger portion.
If you don't feel satisfied at the end of a meal, add more leafy greens or round off the meal with fruit. Take your time. It's important to slow down and think about food as nourishment rather than just something to gulp down in between meetings or on the way to pick up the kids.
It actually takes a few minutes for your brain to tell your body that it has had enough food, so eat slowly and stop eating before you feel full. Eat with others whenever possible. Eating alone, especially in front of the TV or computer, often leads to mindless overeating.
Limit snack foods in the home. Be careful about the foods you keep at hand. It's more challenging to eat in moderation if you have unhealthy snacks and treats at the ready. Instead, surround yourself with healthy choices and when you're ready to reward yourself with a special treat, go out and get it then.
Control emotional eating. We don't always eat just to satisfy hunger. Many of us also turn to food to relieve stress or cope with unpleasant emotions such as sadness, loneliness, or boredom.
But by learning healthier ways to manage stress and emotions, you can regain control over the food you eat and your feelings. Eat breakfast, and eat smaller meals throughout the day.
A healthy breakfast can jumpstart your metabolism, while eating small, healthy meals keeps your energy up all day. Avoid eating late at night. Try to eat dinner earlier and fast for hours until breakfast the next morning. Studies suggest that eating only when you're most active and giving your digestive system a long break each day may help to regulate weight.
Fruit and vegetables are low in calories and nutrient dense, which means they are packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber. Focus on eating the recommended daily amount of at least five servings of fruit and vegetables and it will naturally fill you up and help you cut back on unhealthy foods.
A serving is half a cup of raw fruit or veg or a small apple or banana, for example. Most of us need to double the amount we currently eat. While plain salads and steamed veggies can quickly become bland, there are plenty of ways to add taste to your vegetable dishes.
Add color. Not only do brighter, deeper colored vegetables contain higher concentrations of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, but they can vary the flavor and make meals more visually appealing.
Add color using fresh or sundried tomatoes, glazed carrots or beets, roasted red cabbage wedges, yellow squash, or sweet, colorful peppers. Liven up salad greens. Branch out beyond lettuce. Kale, arugula, spinach, mustard greens, broccoli, and Chinese cabbage are all packed with nutrients.
Even if you do not add salt to your food, you may still be eating too much. 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. Adults and children aged 11 and over should eat no more than 6g of salt about a teaspoonful a day. Younger children should have even less. Get tips for a lower salt diet. As well as eating healthily, regular exercise may help reduce your risk of getting serious health conditions.
It's also important for your overall health and wellbeing. Read more about the benefits of exercise and physical activity guidelines for adults. 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. 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 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. You need to drink plenty of fluids to stop you getting dehydrated. The government recommends drinking 6 to 8 glasses every day. This is in addition to the fluid you get from the food you eat.
All non-alcoholic drinks count, but water, lower fat milk and lower sugar drinks, including tea and coffee, are healthier choices.
Try to avoid sugary soft and fizzy drinks, as they're high in calories. They're also bad for your teeth. Your combined total of drinks from fruit juice, vegetable juice and smoothies should not be more than ml a day, which is a small glass. 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 can 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.
Page last reviewed: 22 November Next review due: 22 November Home Live Well Eat well How to eat a balanced diet Back to How to eat a balanced diet.
Base your meals on higher fibre starchy carbohydrates Starchy carbohydrates should make up just over a third of the food you eat. Eat lots of fruit and veg It's recommended that you eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and veg every day.
Eat more fish, including a portion of oily fish Fish is a good source of protein and contains many vitamins and minerals. Oily fish are high in omega-3 fats, which may help prevent heart disease.
Oily fish include: salmon trout herring sardines pilchards mackerel Non-oily fish include: haddock plaice coley cod tuna skate hake You can choose from fresh, frozen and canned, but remember that canned and smoked fish can be high in salt.
Find out more about fish and shellfish 4. Cut down on saturated fat and sugar Saturated fat You need some fat in your diet, but it's important to pay attention to the amount and type of fat you're eating.
Saturated fat is found in many foods, such as: fatty cuts of meat sausages butter hard cheese cream cakes biscuits lard pies Try to eat less saturated fat and choose foods that contain unsaturated fats instead, such as vegetable oils and spreads, oily fish and avocados.
When you're having meat, choose lean cuts and cut off any visible fat. Sugar Regularly consuming foods and drinks high in sugar increases your risk of obesity and tooth decay. Free sugars are found in many foods, such as: sugary fizzy drinks sugary breakfast cereals cakes biscuits pastries and puddings sweets and chocolate alcoholic drinks Food labels can help.
Find out how to cut down on sugar in your diet 5. Eat less salt: no more than 6g a day for adults Eating too much salt can raise your blood pressure. Get tips for a lower salt diet 6.
Get active and be a healthy weight As well as eating healthily, regular exercise may help reduce your risk of getting serious health conditions. Most adults need to lose weight by eating fewer calories. Do not get thirsty You need to drink plenty of fluids to stop you getting dehydrated.
Even unsweetened fruit juice and smoothies are high in free sugar. Remember to drink more fluids during hot weather or while exercising. Do not skip breakfast Some people skip breakfast because they think it'll help them lose weight. Further information The Eatwell Guide can help you get the right balance of the 5 main food groups.
Weight gain before and after Assistance and Food Systems Weight gain before and after. An eating plan eatlng helps promote health and manage your eatiing includes a variety of healthy foods. Add an array Balwnced colors Balanceed your patteen and think of it as eating the rainbow. Dark, leafy greens, oranges, and tomatoes—even fresh herbs—are loaded with vitamins, fiber, and minerals. Adding frozen peppers, broccoli, or onions to stews and omelets gives them a quick and convenient boost of color and nutrients. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans — [PDF You can also download My Food Diary [PDFKB] to help track your meals.
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