HOW TO HAVE A GOOD DIET: 11 IMPORTANT TIPS - NUTRITION - 2025

Learning how to have a good diet will help you build the habits that will help you maintain your physical and psychological health. A good diet is the basis for optimal health. In turn, a healthy body is the engine for everything else to function properly.

The classical Greeks already said it: "Mens sana in corpore sana." Eating is a habit that can be variable according to the culture or climate of each geographic region, although regardless of where you are born there are options to eat healthy foods.

Eating healthy and natural foods, as well as ensuring a balanced diet, are tips that you have probably already heard.

However, for some reason, it is not so easy to put them into practice. Have you ever wondered why it is so difficult for you to choose a fruit instead of a cake for example? There are psychological aspects that condition your behavior. These tips or suggestions will also help you in this regard.

Tips for a good diet

1-Healthy foods must be conveniently arranged

What does this mean? You could simply put a bowl of fruit on the head table or near where you keep your car keys.

In this way, it is easier for you to choose to eat a fruit as a snack, instead of a cookie that is stored in the cupboard, or to choose to bring a fruit when leaving the house, to eat a snack when you are away.

Try to make healthy foods the most visible. In fact, those "tastes" that you like to give yourself from time to time, such as a piece of cake or chocolate, put them in more remote places.

Many of them may expire before being consumed. If you do not see them, then you do not remember that you have these foods and therefore do not consume them.

On the other hand, the ideal is that you do not buy unhealthy foods high in fat. To do this, avoid going through the aisles of the supermarket that contain them.

2- Plan your meals in advance

A study carried out by the Medline Plus institution indicates that each person makes about 200 decisions per day in relation to food.

Without the need to do a lot of calculations, that shows the speed with which these decisions are made.

There is no time for a deep analysis of what to eat. Today's people need to have these kinds of things resolved in advance, so as not to make bad choices and have time to attend to other matters.

Therefore, plan your meals in advance and decide which foods you are going to eat. Do not improvise, because if you do it is likely that you will not choose the healthiest thing.

3- Normalize healthy foods

In general, when healthy foods become convenient and attractive, they also become “normal” choices, and it is at this point that it becomes easier to integrate them into eating habits.

A good example of this can be seen in the results of a study carried out in some schools in the United States.

When regular milk instead of chocolate milk was placed on the front of the coolers (a convenient place) in an attractively designed bottle, taking up at least half of the available space, regular milk consumption increased from 30% to 60 % among students.

You are already psychologically prepared and you know tools that will help you not to "boycott" yourself in your goals.

However, your daily habits are what will determine if you eat healthy. A proper diet is not only made up of what you eat, but how much you eat it and the way you metabolize it.

Although you may have less influence on the latter, there are also some tips that can help improve your metabolism.

4- Count the calories

The amount of calories you should consume is directly linked to your energy requirements.

If you are a person with an intense physical activity for example, then you will expend more energy than if you lead a sedentary life. A good diet means reaching a “zero” balance between what is consumed and what is spent.

An indicator that you are close to that point is when your body weight does not change. Checking your weight frequently is a quick way to find out.

5- Get used to reading food labels

This is a good habit that will not only allow you to learn about nutrition, but you will also be able to choose with better criteria what you are going to eat.

Currently foods show in their packaging the calories they provide, their qualitative and quantitative composition and even include useful recommendations.

By knowing what each food provides, you will be able to identify different alternatives. You can choose foods that provide fewer calories, more fiber and do not have trans fat, for example.

In this way you will easily identify the best options for your diet.

6- Make simple meals

Beyond your culinary tastes or the fact that it is usually well seen to entertain guests with elaborate dishes, opt for the simple.

In general, foods retain their nutrients in better condition and with greater bioavailability, when you eat them fresh.

Try to leave out recipes that involve adding a lot of ingredients and spices. Also try to avoid prolonged cooking periods whenever possible.

Selecting foods that require a short "processing process" before being eaten is best.

You will see that when you are short on time, which usually happens many times, you will try to eat something that does not involve cooking for a long time. If you have very simple recipes on hand, those will be the first ones you will turn to.

7- Always think about the size of the portions

Although the idea is that you are not constantly measuring what you eat, think about the size of the portions you are consuming.

The plate is one of the best allies in this sense; eating a small plate of pasta or your favorite meat is enough. You probably want to repeat, but remember that a dish is probably already good for your body, unless you really do a lot of physical activity.

This measurement reference, in addition to implementing it in your home, also apply it when you go out to eat out. Many times you end up eating more than necessary, because the portion was very large.

Phrases such as "I'm paying a lot for this dish so I'll finish it", go against a good eating habit.

8- Eat regularly

Maintaining and respecting meal times is essential. Metabolism involves times of digestion, absorption, and elimination.

If you skip meals, your metabolism may slow down and you won't be burning calories as you should.

It does not matter if instead of having lunch at 12 for example, you have to do it at 14. The important thing is not to skip any meals.

If you go many hours without eating anything, you will surely be terribly hungry in the end and in these cases you are more likely to choose foods rich in carbohydrates and fats, rather than healthy foods.

9- Look for the healthiest alternatives

If you like to eat meat, then you can choose lean meats instead of high-fat meats.

Choose whole grain bread and rice over white bread or plain rice. These are just a few examples of healthy alternatives to common foods.

If you add several of these options during the day, in the end you will have greatly improved your diet.

10- Enjoy the food

In addition to fulfilling an obvious function, food also gives us pleasure. Taste is one of the most enjoyable senses, and the feeling of satiety causes well-being.

If possible, don't eat in a rush. Eat slowly, enjoying each bite and chewing slowly. By enjoying your food, you are likely to eat less, feel more pleasure, and feel more satisfied for longer.

And of course, don't forget the basics of a good diet: eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and drink plenty of water, reducing the amount of carbohydrates and saturated fat.

11-Eat more vegetables

This advice is one of the most important. According to numerous scientific studies, eating too much meat can increase the risk of developing cancer.

On the contrary, eating vegetables lowers your risk, in addition to many other benefits. The general rule of thumb is "eat everything that grows from the ground." Fruits, vegetables, vegetables, nuts and in general all vegetables grow from the ground.