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A common misconception is when eating healthy is viewed as the same thing as dieting. I choose to eat healthy – not because I need to lose weight, but because I actually enjoy healthy foods. I also love delicious cheesy Mexican food and Reese’s Peanut Cups on occasion!
Even if you don’t need to lose a few pounds, you can eat healthily, but it doesn’t mean you have to limit yourself to only things deemed ‘healthy for you’.
Healthy foods can be both delicious and affordable. Building healthy eating habits doesn’t mean you have to give up the foods you love. It’s more about balancing healthy foods and mixing them into your diet while limiting foods you love that may not be as healthy.
Healthy eating promotes a ton of different things including your heart health, skin, eye health, and a ton of other things that make the body go – or stop going. Let’s take a look at how to eat healthy without sticking to a regimented diet or going on a ‘diet’.
Things you can include in your diet that are great for your body include fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, oily fish, lean animal proteins, poultry (without the skin), plant-based proteins, and beans and legumes.
Balancing those things with the things you love that are not on the list is really all you need to do to ‘eat healthily’. Don’t stop having the occasional sweet drinks or salty foods you crave and love. Simply making sure that you are getting the good stuff more than the bad stuff will allow you to promote a healthy body – without dieting.
Aside from sweet drinks and salty foods, limit the number of saturated fats and dietary cholesterol you consume. Select leaner cuts of meat instead of fatty and processed red meat.
Some things considered healthy also need to be eaten in moderation and limited such as tropical oils like coconut and palm oil. Dairy products are also great for the body but you should limit the amount of full-fat dairy products.
Unfortunately, there are a few things you really should avoid altogether if you truly want to eat healthily. Not everything is good for you, even in small doses, and trans fat is one such thing.
It has no health benefit whatsoever and is linked to a number of different health issues. Avoiding trans fat and partially hydrogenated oils which are found in many baked and fried foods is one thing that can make a big difference in your overall health.
Following these simple guidelines will ensure you get the proper balance in your diet that is good for your body – and doesn’t take all the fun out of eating!
