26 Beginner Tips For Healthy Eating

1. Start slowly- don’t go changing all your meals to healthier versions straight away. Start with a snack or a meal a few times a week first and build up from there

2. Familiarise yourself and become aware of food labels

3. Incorporate more veggies

4. Try some food swaps- eg brown rice for white rice, high sugar cereal for oats, soft drink for water

5. Cut back on your liquid sugar- eg soft drinks, juices, sports drinks

6. Focus on getting enough water- at least 2L a day!

7. Be aware of portion sizes- ½ plate veg, ¼ plate carbs, ¼ plate protein (on an average size plate)

8. Keep lots of healthy snacks available- that way if you find you’re hungry, you’ve always got a great option to go for!

9. Stick to the perimeter of the grocery store- this is generally where the meat, fruit and veg, grains and dairy is. The middle aisles often have lots of processed foods

10. Focus on nutrients, not on calories- great tip if you’re just starting out and don’t want to get too overwhelmed about the world of calories

11. Don’t restrict any foods. Just adjust portions and eat in moderation

12. Focus on eating more foods that don’t come from a packet

13. Focus on eating protein- try for every meal!

14. Eat more complex carbs and less simple carbs

15. Choose to change one meal at a time to a healthier option- start slow

16. Learn to cook a few healthy dishes

17. Research the benefits to eating healthy and disadvantages to not. Or figure out why you want to eat healthier and the reasons for a change specific for you

18. Set realistic goals- if you are wanting to be the healthiest person alive straight away, that is not going to happen. Set a small goal each week and continue achieving

19. Don’t punish yourself if you slip up and back into old habits- this is all part of the process! It is a learning process. Just pick yourself back up and get back on track straight away. Your progress is not ruined

20. Eat lots of different colours- eat the rainbow!

21. Fill your plate with veggies, proteins and healthy fats

22. Never miss twice- if you didn’t eat your veggies today, make sure you meet it the next day

23. Prepare most of your meals at home- this ensures you know exactly what is going into your food. And you can also prepare it exactly how you want!

24. Plan some meals in advance- if you know that you have a busy week, prep some healthy meals. This can help prevent you from going for the more convenient, takeaway options for when you can’t be bothered cooking at home

25. Understand what macronutrients and micronutrients are- increase your education and know that everyone has different requirements of each

26. Make sure you exercise too!