How to get start eating healthy

Healthy diet should include:

• Protein (fish, meat, poultry, dairy products, eggs, nuts and beans)
• Fat (found in nuts, and oils)
• Carbohydrates (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans and other legumes)
• Vitamins (vitamins A, B, C, D, E, and K)
• Minerals (calcium, potassium, and iron)
• Water (in what you drink and what’s naturally in foods)

We’ve all probably gone through the phase of “I’m going to start eating healthier tomorrow”, but usually end up having a difficult time maintaining it. So here are some main tips on how you can start and maintain a healthy and portion-controlled meal:

1. Build your meals around protein. Successful dieters always think of protein first for every single meal. Depending on your protein goal, aiming for 30-40+ grams of protein every meal is a way to ensure you are hitting (or getting closer) to your protein goals. Consuming enough protein is critical to maintain lean muscle mass while also losing fat, and it will help keep you feeling fuller for longer periods of time.
2. Eat a lot of vegetables, at least work veggies in at every meal. Even if you’re not a veggie lover, find some creative ways to sneak in some veggies. You should also include the foods you love into your meal plan. It’s a work in progress for most, but ultimately, learning to include all those foods (like pizza or any other junk foods) occasionally is how things become sustainable. It’s how we live our lives.
3. Reduce alcohol and fast food because it will always mess up your progress. Being smart about what you eat will really a difference in your progress. It will take a lot of dedication to stick with it, especially with everything going on lately.
4. If you think you’re hungry, ask yourself this: “Do I want to eat an apple?” If the answer is no, then you’re probably just bored and this will lead to Boredom eating. Try to find an activity that will occupy you from boredom eating.
5. Give Meal Prepping a go. Meal prep will control what you eat, the portion of your meal and will save you money in times of uncertainty. Meal Prep means you would cook a meal for the week ahead; therefore you’ll have more time to do other things throughout the week such as work, study, playing with your pets, and exercise.

Learning what works for you will include plenty of trial and error, and learning what does not work for you after staying consistent with something long enough to collect meaningful data, is how you will finally get results. It’s about consistency over time, the big key here is if you fall, get back up and keep going.