When you eat a balanced diet, your body has more energy, you lower your risk of disease, and it’s easier to achieve and maintain a healthier weight. However, sometimes this is easier said than done…especially with all of the not-so-good-for-you foods available today. So, here are eight tips that make eating a balanced diet more effortless:
- Go for colors, lots and lots of colors. Choosing fruits and vegetables from multiple different color families serves two purposes. One, each one gives you different nutrients. Two, it makes your plate look better and we always eat with our eyes first.
- Think of your plate like a pie. No, not a dessert pie. When you look at your plate, the largest portion (or slice) should be vegetables. The remaining two slivers should be equal portions of carbs and proteins.
- Don’t forgo fat completely. Some amount of fat is necessary for your basic bodily functions, so don’t eliminate fat from your diet entirely. Instead, choose healthy fats like olive oil, avocado, and nuts.
- Strive for 80/20. Try to eat a healthy diet 80 percent of the time, saving the remaining 20 percent for foods that maybe aren’t the best for you, but that you enjoy.
- Don’t forget your drink. While most of us focus solely on food, eating a balanced diet also requires paying attention to what you drink. Water is best, but coffee and tea can also play a role in a healthy eating regimen.
- Try something new. It’s really easy to just eat the same foods over and over again, but this quickly leads to boredom. Instead, make it a point to try something new.
- Keep track. Write down what you eat for a week and see if there are any areas in which you lack. Work on building those up, which brings me to the final point…
- Focus on what you can add, not subtract. Removing foods from your diet only leads to feelings of deprivation. That’s why a better idea is to add more foods that you need versus subtracting those you don’t. It’s kind of a mind game, but it works!
