Ready to start eating healthy, but not sure where to start? You're not alone. With all of the nutrition plan options, advice, and endless options at the grocery store, it can be tough to understand how to begin working toward a diet that supports your health goals. Here, we'll take a step-by-step look at how you can make small, sustainable changes that will support your health over time—and how Evidation can support you on your way toward becoming your best self.
Setting realistic and achievable nutrition goals
Deciding that you're going to start "eating better" or "eating healthy" can be done with the best of intentions—but if you don't have a plan or a way to measure your success, it can be tough to figure out your next steps.
Setting a SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goal can be a first step toward making meaningful changes in your nutrition. Whether you're interested in losing weight, maintaining weight, gaining weight, or simply eating more nutrient-dense foods, setting a goal can be a motivating, effective way to kick-start a lifestyle change.
SMART goals surrounding nutrition can look like:
- Eat at least two servings of produce with lunch and dinner at least five days each week for the next four weeks.
- Limit added sugars to 25g each day for the next six weeks.
- Create a weekly meal plan for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every Sunday afternoon for the coming month.
- Have a screen-free dinner at least five days each week for the next two weeks.
Making action-oriented goals (rather than outcome-oriented goals, like weight loss) can help you focus on how great it feels to build healthy habits.
Understanding the basics of a balanced diet
You've got your goal—now, it's time to explore how you can shift your eating habits to healthy nutrition. Understanding a balanced diet is key to helping you get the nutrients and calories you need to feel your best and enjoy an active lifestyle.
Remember, it's smart to start small—making little changes that you can keep up over time is key to creating a healthy lifestyle that gives you lasting results. Implementing even a few changes can help you get nutrients into your diet that boost your energy levels, support a healthy immune system, and protect against chronic health conditions.
Keep these tips in mind when you're beginning the journey of improving your eating habits:
- You probably don't need to follow a specific diet. Unless you need to follow a specific nutrition plan for health reasons (for instance, if you're diabetic or have celiac disease), the best plan is the one that's sustainable and helps you feel your best. If you're enjoying a wide variety of nutritious foods and are moving in the direction of your goals, you're doing it right.
- Choose nutrient-dense foods. It's easy to get hung up on calorie or carb counting when you begin cleaning up your eating patterns, but getting the nutrients that you need should actually be at the top of your priority list. Enjoying whole foods, as close to their natural, unpackaged form as possible, can help you get the nutrients that you need to support a healthy, active lifestyle.
- Eat a wide variety of fruits and veggies. Eating the rainbow is key when it comes to giving your body all that it needs to thrive. Diversifying your produce selections can help you discover new favorite foods and ensure that you're getting the wide variety of vitamins, nutrients, and fiber that your body needs.
- Pack on the protein—within reason. Unless you need to be on a low-carb diet for health reasons, you don't need to go too crazy on protein. Enjoying about half a gram of protein for every pound of body weight (for example, if you weigh 140 pounds, 70g of protein per day) is a good jumping-off point for providing your body with the muscle-building, digestion-slowing protein that it needs.
- Choose processed foods carefully. While eating whole foods is your best bet, it's OK to enjoy processed foods once in a while. Choose these foods carefully, and be sure that they aren't making up the majority of your diet. On days that you do enjoy processed foods, be sure to read the nutrition label and be aware of added sugars and other ingredients (like food dyes) that can affect how you feel.
- Remember, it's about progress—not perfection. So many of us have been there: working to improve our nutrition, only to slip up and throw our hard work to the wind because we feel we've "failed." Improving your nutrition isn't about being perfect. Rather, it's about making small, consistent, intentional choices that move us closer to where we want to be, one day at a time. Food is just food—not a morality barometer. If you make a choice that isn't aligned with your goals, keep pressing forward.
Meal planning and preparation
Preparation is far more than half of the battle when it comes to making great nutritional choices! Ensuring that you have everything you need to prepare balanced meals (including supplies to enjoy a healthy lunch at work if you're in the office) can help you stay on track, no matter what the workday throws your way.
Setting aside an hour or two for meal prep twice a week (check out our easy, healthy recipes) can take the guesswork out of your nutrition. When you plan what you're going to eat in advance, you're able to ensure that you're getting everything you need, including lean proteins, healthy fats, and plenty of fruits and vegetables.
Make meal prep as enjoyable as possible. Save an episode or two of your favorite TV show or podcast, crank up your favorite music, or sip a perfectly made cup of coffee or tea as you spend time setting yourself up for success. While you can meal prep a full week's worth of food, many people find it helpful to meal prep twice per week, allowing for more variety and freshness in your fridge.
Incorporating more whole foods and reducing processed foods
No, you don't have to cut out any of your favorite foods—but you do get to discover some new ones! Eating healthy, nutrient-dense foods, like plant starches, vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, and healthy fats can help you feel satisfied and energized. While it may take a few days (or, in some cases, a week or two) to recognize the benefits of healthy eating, you'll be motivated to keep going once you feel the positive effects that balanced nutrition can have on your body.
Remember, no foods are off limits. When you're craving processed food, try reminding yourself that it's not going anywhere, and you can have it another time. In many cases, cravings pass within a few hours.
Staying hydrated and making smart beverage choices
Drinking plenty of water doesn't just help to support healthy digestion—it can also help curb cravings, reducing the likelihood that you'll eat for reasons other than hunger.
Water helps our bodies carry out many functions, including:
- Moving nutrients and oxygen throughout the body
- Converting food into energy
- Supporting joint health
- Regulating body temperature
- Protecting and cushioning vital organs
Making smart beverage choices can go a long way in helping you feel your best. You may find that simply drinking enough water—about half your body weight in ounces each day—is enough to curb your desire for high-calorie and high-sugar drinks. You'll also want to keep an eye out for diuretics like alcohol and caffeine. Be sure to drink at least one glass of water for every cup of coffee or alcoholic drink you consume to ensure that your body stays hydrated.
Use Evidation and connected apps to track progress and stay motivated
At Evidation, our team is here to support you through every step of your health journey. Whether you're just beginning to explore the basics of a healthy lifestyle or you've been all-in for years and are looking for ways to take it to the next level, we've got you covered.
When you choose to share the health data that you're already tracking (like your eating and exercise habits) with Evidation via our free app, you'll receive personalized, content-based insights that help you develop your next steps toward feeling your best. You'll get to see your progress and experience the excitement and motivation that comes with seeing data that shows you're headed in the right direction. We're excited to support you and help you move toward your goals. Click here to learn more about Evidation and download our app today.
Stop saying "one day"—start saying "day one"
There's no need to put off changing your lifestyle. You can start right now, with what you have, exactly where you're at. Small, consistent changes can make a massive difference in your health over time, and we believe in your power to take control of your health. You've got this, and Evidation is here to cheer you on.
