How to Get Started With Healthy Eating

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, eating a healthy diet can help prevent the leading causes of death in the United States, including heart disease, stroke and many different types of cancers. Eating healthy can be difficult at first, but the lasting results are well worth the effort.

Instructions

1

One of the best ways to modify your eating habits for a healthier lifestyle is to keep a food diary. Write down what foods you eat, when you eat them and, if available, the calorie and fat content of each food you eat. Do this for at least a week before you change your diet. This will allow you to see where you need to augment and change your diet to eat healthier.

2

Watch your calories. The pounds in fat that you accumulate come from the calories in your food. For every 3,500 calories you eat, you can potentially gain one pound. Your body naturally burns calories throughout the day, regardless of how active you are. However, to lose or maintain your weight, you need to balance your calories so that you aren't consuming more than your body can burn for energy. According to the dietary guidelines for Americans, the recommended daily calorie intake for active men ranges between 2,400 and 3,000. The recommended daily calorie intake for active women and less than active men ranges between 2,000 and 2,400 calories. Less active women and elderly adults should limit their calorie intake to between 1,600 and 2,000 calories.

3

Follow the food guide pyramid. Developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the food guide pyramid shows the approximate servings of each food group that you should be getting each day.

4

Watch your portion sizes. In America, most places that offer food do not follow the recommended portion sizes for a healthy diet. Practicing proper food portions helps regulate calorie and fat intake, while still allowing enough food intake to feel full and satisfied. A list of food portion sizes can be found in the Resources section of this article.

5

Eat smaller meals more frequently. The idea of three square meals a day is slowly being replaced by the idea of four or, in some cases, five smaller meals a day. This allows your body access to the necessary nutrients and calories it needs throughout the day, instead of in large lump sums. It also promotes weight loss by helping to reduce cravings and allowing ample time for the body to burn calories between meals. To do this, divide the amount of calories recommended for your age and sex by the amount of meals you wish to eat per day. You may want to allot a greater amount of calories to dinner, and make one or two of the meals smaller snacks instead of full meals.

6

Drink plenty of water. Part of eating healthy is making sure that you are getting adequate fluids to help with digestion and the processing of the food you are eating. To figure out how much water you should be drinking per day, take your body weight and divide it in half. That is how much water in ounces you should be drinking each day. For example, if you weighed 130 pounds, you should be drinking 65 ounces (or about 8 eight ounce glasses) of water each day.