Keeping up with healthy eating and navigating the path to optimal nutrition can feel discouraging in a world of misinformation, ever-evolving science, and diverse opinions and traditions that shape our perception of healthy eating. What does healthy eating really mean? Welcome to “Healthy Eating Explained,” where we unpack the fundamentals of a healthier lifestyle.

This blog will cover the following questions in a bite-sized format: read it all or jump to the most interesting question for you!

1. Which diets are considered as healthy eating and why?
2. What are healthy eating habits?
3. Which eating habits and food-related routines are the most important and why?
4. What eating or food-related habits should be avoided and why?
5. Take our self-assessment and understand where you are on your healthy eating journey!

Which diets are considered as healthy eating and why?

There’s no shortage of diets claiming to be the healthiest choice but here are a few that can actually deliver results, depending on the health benefit you’re looking for:

• Mediterranean Diet: This diet emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats like olive oil. Research suggests it can reduce the risk of heart disease and promote longevity.
• DASH Diet: Designed to combat high blood pressure, the DASH diet emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins while limiting sodium intake. It’s been shown to lower blood pressure and improve overall heart health.
• Plant-Based Diet: This approach focuses on foods derived from plants, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes. It is associated with lower risks of heart disease, certain cancers, and type 2 diabetes.
• Flexitarian Diet: A flexible approach to vegetarianism, the flexitarian diet encourages mostly plant-based foods while allowing for occasional meat and animal products. It offers many of the benefits of vegetarianism while accommodating individual preferences.

The common thread among these diets is an emphasis on whole, nutrient-rich foods and a focus on overall balance and moderation.

Working with a dietitian will help sort through these options to determine which, if any, of these diets would be the best fit for you. If you’ve ever tried a new diet trend simply because it was popular, chances are you’ve given it up at some point, especially if you were expected to completely remove your favourite foods or be forced to include a bunch of foods you dislike.

Our clients have definitely struggled with this in the past! Our role in helping you is to create a healthy balance between including more nutritious foods and portion control appropriately for tastier, less nutritious foods, all in the name of pursuing your health goal. Our team agrees that this method works quite well because it takes the focus away from restriction and instead encourages abundance!  

What are healthy eating habits?

Healthy eating isn’t just about what you eat; it’s also about how you eat. Here are some habits to practice:

• Balanced Diet: Aim to include a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats in your meals.
• Portion Control: Be mindful of portion sizes to avoid overeating and maintain a healthy weight.
• Hydration: Drink plenty of water throughout the day to stay hydrated and support bodily functions.
• Mindful Eating: Pay attention to hunger and fullness cues, eat slowly, and savour your food to enhance satisfaction and prevent overeating.
• Meal Planning: Plan ahead to ensure you have nutritious meals and snacks readily available, reducing the temptation to reach for unhealthy options.

Incorporating these habits into your daily routine can help you establish a sustainable and nourishing relationship with food. If you’ve never given much thought or attention to the way in which you eat food before, it can be difficult to navigate on your own. Sometimes clients come to us discouraged about not losing weight, even though they feel they are eating healthy foods.

• It’s not until we take a deeper dive into the habits surrounding their food choices that things begin to take shape. Perhaps they are always eating distracted and end up eating more calories in order to achieve fullness and satisfaction. Once we can incorporate some mindful eating, including slowing down, chewing more, and appreciating flavours, people tend to get fuller sooner, and often have less bloating too! We also find that clients’ portions may be off, and they may be overestimating their intake of important nutrients like fibre or protein. No matter what your eating habits may be, our job is to assess where you are at, build awareness in you, and provide action-oriented suggestions to improve certain habits and build on existing ones to see success.

Which food-related routines are the most important and why?

While all healthy habits play a role, some are some practical high-impact suggestions for your daily routines when building a healthy eating lifestyle:

• Regular Meal Times: Eating meals at consistent times helps regulate hunger and energy levels, preventing excessive snacking and overeating.
• Meal Preparation: Taking the time to plan and prepare meals allows you to control ingredients and portions, making healthier choices easier.
• Reading Food Labels: Paying attention to labels can help you make informed choices about the foods you consume, avoiding hidden sugars, unhealthy fats, and excessive additives.
• Mindful Eating Practices: By tuning into your body’s signals and focusing on the sensory experience of eating, you can enhance satisfaction and enjoyment while avoiding mindless overeating.

You can build the foundation for a balanced and sustainable approach to healthy eating by starting with these habits. The first step is figuring out what you need to change, and what you should continue. Then, you’ll need to decide what you can realistically start with now, and what you can take on at a later date. Finally, you’ll need to create a set of action items to get started on. If you need help getting there, we are here to support you every step of the way!

What habits should be avoided and why?

While there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to nutrition, there are some habits that are generally best to steer clear of:

• Excessive Processed Foods: Highly processed foods often contain added sugars, unhealthy fats, and artificial additives, contributing to weight gain and chronic disease risk.
• Unhealthy Fats and Sugars: Limiting trans fats, saturated fats, and added sugars can help reduce the risk of heart disease, obesity, and other health issues.
• Fad Diets: Extreme or restrictive diets can lead to nutrient deficiencies, disordered eating patterns, and unsustainable weight loss. See our blog about the latest weight loss diet plans and trends.
• Excessive Alcohol and Smoking: Both alcohol consumption and smoking can have detrimental effects on overall health and increase the risk of various diseases.
• Poor Sleep: Though it may not be the most exciting thing to do, getting to bed on time helps promote good sleep quality. Not getting enough sleep can cause more intense cravings for sugar and carbs due to your body looking for an energy boost and can interrupt your body’s signals telling you when you are full. Another key habit to getting good quality rest is avoiding eating within 2-3 hours of bedtime. If your body is digesting, it’s not fully resting!

By avoiding these habits and focusing on whole, nutrient-dense foods, you can support your health and well-being for the long term. A dietitian can help by providing expert advice on what to do if you’ve picked up some of these habits, and how to replace them with healthier ones. Our dietitians put in extensive effort to understand exactly what is keeping clients stuck, so we can collaboratively decide on the next steps to help them achieve meaningful change. Meeting you where you are at, while still pushing you to believe in your ability to improve, our approach is to focus on a few goals at a time to help you build confidence and accountability. When you look back over time, it’s amazing to see how much you can accomplish! 

Whether you’re just starting your journey to better nutrition or looking to fine-tune your current habits, we’ve got you covered. 

Healthy eating habit self-assessment

Take a moment to reflect on your healthy eating habits through our 15 questions! Download our assessment sheet so your results stay private. All you need to do is answer the questions and count the points as you go on. At the end, you will be able to see a general overview of what your results may indicate and what opportunities you may have to improve your nutrition intake and habits.

We have some fantastic options to take action on healthy eating now!

• If you want to continue learning independently, you can sign up for our $29.99 online course, created by registered dietitians.

• Ready to speak with a dietitian?  – Claim your Free Consultation to speak with a trusted dietitian about your healthy eating goals. Submit the form below, and we will call or text you!

Request a free, no-obligation meeting with a dietitian: