Eat 30 Plant Types
Consuming 30 different plant foods each week significantly boosts gut microbiome diversity. Include a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, herbs, and spices for optimal gut health.
Half-Plate Vegetables Rule
Fill half your plate with vegetables and fruits at each meal to ensure adequate nutrition and fiber intake. This simple visual approach helps maintain proper portions while maximizing nutrient density in your diet.
Prioritize Whole Grains
Choose whole grain varieties of bread, rice, pasta, and cereals instead of refined options. Whole grains provide more fiber, vitamins, and minerals while having a milder effect on blood sugar levels.
Schedule Mindful Meals
Designate specific times for meals and eat without distractions like phones or TV. This practice helps you stay connected to hunger and fullness cues, preventing overeating and improving digestion.
Eat Slowly, Chew Thoroughly
Take at least 20 minutes to finish your meal and chew food thoroughly before swallowing. This allows your brain to receive fullness signals, reducing overall calorie intake and improving digestion.
Choose Unsaturated Fats
Replace saturated fats (like butter and lard) with unsaturated vegetable oils like olive, canola, or sunflower oil. This simple swap significantly reduces your risk of heart disease and stroke.
Limit Added Sugars
Reduce intake of foods and beverages with added sugars to less than 10% of daily calories. Replace sugary snacks and drinks with fresh fruits and water to improve overall health and maintain healthy weight.
Drink Water First
Make water your primary beverage and drink a glass before each meal. This helps maintain proper hydration while reducing consumption of sugary beverages and can help control hunger.
Five Daily Produce Portions
Consume at least five portions (400g) of fruits and vegetables daily, representing a variety of colors and types. This amount significantly reduces your risk of chronic diseases and provides essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
Reduce Salt Intake
Limit daily sodium consumption to less than 5g (about one teaspoon) by using herbs and spices for flavor instead. Reducing salt helps prevent hypertension and lowers your risk of heart disease and stroke.
Eat Greens First
Start your meals by eating the vegetables on your plate before moving to other components. This ensures you consume nutrient-dense foods when you're hungriest and has been shown to improve blood sugar levels.
Keep a Food Journal
Track your daily food intake using an app, online tool, or notebook to increase awareness of eating patterns. Food journaling has been shown to support weight management and help identify food sensitivities or triggers.
Use Smaller Plates
Serve meals on smaller plates (8-10 inches) to naturally reduce portion sizes without feeling deprived. This visual trick helps control calorie intake while still feeling satisfied with your meals.
Weekly Meatless Day
Designate at least one day per week to eat exclusively plant-based meals. This practice increases your plant food variety, reduces environmental impact, and can improve heart health.
Prepare Meals Ahead
Spend time weekly preparing healthy meals and snacks in advance to ensure nutritious options are readily available. Meal preparation helps resist unhealthy convenience foods when you're busy or tired.
Cook More at Home
Prepare most of your meals at home where you control ingredients and cooking methods. Home cooking typically results in healthier meals with less sodium, sugar, and unhealthy fats than restaurant food.
Include Oily Fish
Consume fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, or sardines at least twice weekly to obtain omega-3 fatty acids. These essential fats support heart and brain health while reducing inflammation throughout the body.
Dressings on the Side
Request salad dressings and sauces on the side when dining out to control portions. This simple habit can save hundreds of calories per meal while still allowing you to enjoy the flavors.
Bump Up Dietary Fiber
Increase fiber intake by choosing whole fruits over juice, adding beans to salads, and starting the day with high-fiber cereals. Higher fiber intake supports digestive health, blood sugar control, and helps maintain a healthy weight.
Choose Plant Proteins Often
Incorporate more plant-based proteins like beans, lentils, tofu, and nuts into your weekly meals. Plant proteins provide fiber and nutrients not found in animal proteins while reducing saturated fat intake.
Limit Processed Foods
Reduce consumption of highly processed foods like packaged snacks, ready meals, and fast food. These items typically contain excessive sodium, sugar, unhealthy fats, and additives that can negatively impact health.
Add Herbs and Spices
Use herbs and spices liberally to add flavor to meals without salt or sugar. Many herbs and spices contain beneficial compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Snack on Nuts
Keep unsalted nuts available for snacking instead of processed snack foods. Nuts provide healthy fats, protein, fiber, and micronutrients that support heart health and help manage weight.
Include Calcium Sources
Incorporate calcium-rich foods like dairy products, fortified plant milks, and leafy greens daily. Adequate calcium intake promotes optimal bone health and helps prevent osteoporosis later in life.
Balance Your Plate
Structure meals to include protein, complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, and plenty of vegetables. This balanced approach ensures you receive a wide range of nutrients while promoting satiety and stable energy levels.
Swap Veggie Noodles
Replace regular pasta with spiralized vegetables like zucchini, carrots, or spaghetti squash occasionally. This substitution increases your vegetable intake while reducing calories and refined carbohydrates.
Increase Vitamin D
Ensure adequate vitamin D intake through fatty fish, fortified foods, or supplements if needed. Vitamin D works with calcium to promote bone health and plays important roles in immune function and mood regulation.
Add Hidden Vegetables
Incorporate finely chopped or shredded vegetables into sauces, soups, casseroles, and baked goods. This technique increases vegetable intake without significantly changing taste or texture of familiar dishes.
Stock Healthy Options
Keep nutritious foods readily available in your home and remove or limit tempting unhealthy items. This environmental change makes choosing healthy options easier, especially when tired or stressed.
Start with Protein Breakfast
Begin each day with a protein-rich breakfast including eggs, Greek yogurt, or plant-based protein. Protein at breakfast helps control hunger throughout the day and reduces unhealthy snacking.