There is so much information about healthy eating today that it can be a bit dizzying and overwhelming instead. You may have heard a lot of dietary advice from various sources, such as which foods not to eat and which to eat more of, does it seem too complicated and like it’s hard to do? In fact, just remembering a few simple rules can help you make the right dietary choices. Firstly, make sure your diet covers healthy foods and drinks. Next, make an effort to improve your eating habits, such as cooking yourself, checking labels and switching to healthy foods. Adjusting meal times can also be beneficial.

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Switch to eating healthy foods. It’s easy to improve your eating habits by making a few simple changes. Find out which of the foods you like to eat are unhealthy and switch to healthier alternatives to satisfy your appetite. Alternatives may be low-fat versions of foods or completely different foods, but they can give you the same satisfaction. [1]
For example, if you really like to dip your fries, perhaps you can substitute carrot sticks for fries and fresh avocado sauce or low-fat yoghurt sauce for a high-fat dip.
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Get into the habit of checking labels. This will help you avoid foods that contain harmful ingredients such as added sugar and trans fats. Check the nutritional information on packaged food and if it’s high in fat, sugar, sodium or all three, then don’t eat it! [2]
Some foods will say “low fat”, “no added sugar”, “no added trans fat” or “low sodium” on the front of the package. “ etc. However, check the nutritional information on the back to make sure it’s really healthy.
Check the ingredients label. If you want to avoid ingredients such as sugar, oil or wheat, just check the ingredient label to know if the food in question is suitable for you.
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Measure your food to make sure you are eating the right amount. Packaged foods will state the serving size. You need to measure out the amount of one serving stated on the packet to ensure that you are eating the right amount of calories and fat. Depending on the type of food, you may need to use a scale or measuring cup. [3]
For example, if you are cooking a box of macaroni and cheese, the serving size might be 240 grams. Use a measuring cup to measure out the exact portion.
Nowadays, food portions are larger than they used to be and it is important to check the label of any pre-packaged food you buy first to avoid over-consumption. [4]
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Make sure you are not surrounded by unhealthy foods. Don’t buy junk food and other unhealthy foods to avoid temptation! Make sure you don’t surround yourself with these foods so that you don’t want to eat them. You can even check your cupboards and fridge to get rid of any unhealthy foods. [5]
If you live in the same house as someone else, talk to them about freeing up one of the shelves or drawers of the food cupboard or fridge to be dedicated to healthy foods. You can safely consume food from this area.
Tip: Grocery shops usually have healthy foods such as fruit, vegetables, meat, fish and dairy products in the outermost circle, so it is best to shop only in this circle when shopping for food. [6]

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Practice positive eating techniques to eat less and enjoy more. Positive eating helps you to slow down your meals and eat less, yet enjoy your food more. Take a seat at the table and control the speed of your meal, taking at least 20 minutes or so. You can also try the following:[7]
Avoid distractions at mealtime, such as turning off the TV and putting down your mobile phone.
Look carefully at the appearance and smell of the food before eating.
Hold your utensils in your non-dominant hand or eat with a knife and fork that you are not good at using.
Chew your food slowly and taste each bite carefully.
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Control emotional eating with the help of a therapist. Emotional eating is when a person seeks solace from food when he or she is sad, lonely or bored. This can lead to eating when you are not hungry, eating unhealthy foods, and overeating. Learning to cope with your emotions in other healthy ways can help you eat healthier. It is recommended to consult a therapist who is experienced in treating emotional eating. [8]
A therapist will teach you to identify your feelings and improve your mood in ways other than eating, such as walking, deep breathing or listening to music.
Ask your doctor to refer you to a therapist. Some insurance policies require a referral letter from a doctor to be covered.
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Make healthy food and drink choices
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Make sure vegetables and fruit make up half of your meal. Fruits and vegetables are full of nutrients and fibre and are lower in calories than other foods, especially organic fruits and vegetables that are free from pesticides. Eating 1-2 servings of fruit or vegetables at each meal will help you feel fuller sooner and it will also keep you fuller for longer. [9]
Vegetables can be steamed, sautéed quickly, roasted or boiled, depending on your preference.
If you don’t want to cook your vegetables, you can serve them with a salad or raw vegetable slices.
If you’re in a hurry, choose fresh fruit that’s easy to eat on the move, such as apples or bananas, or a portion of cooked fruit.
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Cut down on refined carbohydrates and eat whole grains instead. As well as being rich in carbohydrates, whole grains are also healthier for your body as they contain more fibre and nutrients. They also maintain satiety and make your energy last longer. Instead of white rice, white bread and white pasta, opt for wholemeal bread, wholemeal pasta and brown rice instead. Other healthy whole grains include:[10]
Quinoa
Barley
Rye bread
Oats
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Include a serving of lean protein with each meal. Protein should make up a quarter of each meal. High protein foods include meat, fish, pulses and eggs. Some dairy products are also rich in protein, such as cottage cheese and whey-free yoghurt. Choose lean proteins such as skinless chicken breasts, tilapia, ground turkey, beans, tofu and egg whites to reduce fat and cholesterol in your diet for better overall health. [11]
Check the food packaging to find out the serving size. The exact serving size varies for each type of food. For example, a serving of meat or fish is 85g and a serving of pulses or cottage cheese is 120g.
Tip: Remove the fat or skin before eating, as this will reduce the fat content of the meat.

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Reduce your intake of fats. A healthy percentage of fat should be 20-35%. For example, if you limit yourself to 2,000 calories a day, you should consume 44-77 grams of fat since each gram of fat contains roughly 9 calories. It is best to choose healthy fats, such as mono- and polyunsaturated fats; eat less or no unhealthy fats at all, like saturated and trans fats. Include 2-3 servings of olive oil, nuts, seeds or avocado in your daily diet to consume healthy fats. [12]
Do not consume more than 10% of your total daily calories from saturated fats. For example, if you limit yourself to 1,700 calories per day, no more than 170 calories should come from saturated fats. This means a maximum of 19 grams of saturated fat per day.
Check to see if trans fats are listed on food labels. If it does, then don’t buy or eat it. Trans fats are commonly found in margarine, shortening, coffee creamer and many pre-packaged convenience foods, such as packaged baked goods. [13]
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Drink more water and less or no sugary drinks at all. Plain water is enough to hydrate your body and you really don’t need to drink anything else. If you do want to drink other drinks, then limit your intake. Do not drink more than 240ml of fruit juice a day, sugary soft drinks and other drinks with natural or artificial sweeteners. [14]
Everyone needs to drink different amounts of water. Drink water when you feel thirsty. As long as your urine is light yellow and you don’t feel thirsty, you are well hydrated.
Drinking in moderation is fine. One alcoholic drink is defined as 350 ml of beer, 150 ml of wine or 45 ml of spirits. [15]
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Allow yourself the occasional unhealthy food and do not completely ban yourself from a particular food. Most of the time you must choose healthy foods, but occasionally you can indulge yourself. As long as you are eating healthy foods most of the time, it is okay to have the occasional doughnut, two slices of pizza or a high-calorie food such as a milkshake. Try to indulge yourself 1 or 2 times a week and plan ahead to avoid eating too much yourself. [16]
For example, you could plan to have pizza on Friday night or ice cream with the family on Sunday afternoon.
If you keep track of calories with an app or food diary, remember to take into account your extra calorie intake in advance. For example, if you know that 2 slices of pizza contain roughly 600 calories, you can eat less for lunch that day to offset the extra calories you consumed at dinner.
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Eat at the right time
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Learn to recognise when your body really feels hungry. Paying careful attention to your body’s hunger signals can help prevent you from eating too much, or eating out of boredom. If you are not sure if you are hungry, take some time to think about when you ate your last meal and how much you ate. If it’s been more than 3 hours since your last meal, you’re probably hungry. If it’s been less than 3 hours, you may be craving something for another reason. [17]
Some people use the ‘HALT’ rule to stop themselves from eating mindlessly, which stands for Hungry, Angry, Lonely and Tired. If you want to eat but are not actually hungry, ask yourself if you feel any of these four emotions. If so, look for ways to cope with these emotions other than food.
For example, if you are feeling angry or anxious, it may be helpful to find out what the real cause is. If you feel lonely, call a friend and ask if they can meet up. If you feel tired, take a nap to replenish your energy. [18]
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Eat regular meals during the day. This ensures that your body gets the energy it needs throughout the day. Eat breakfast soon after you get up, followed by a morning snack, lunch, an afternoon snack and dinner. [19]
Don’t skip any meals! This will make you eat more at the next meal and make up for the last one you missed.
Tip: Try to eat a hearty breakfast and eat less for the two meals and snacks that follow. This will help to maintain your energy throughout the day. [20]

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Eat dinner a little earlier to give your digestive system time to rest. The body does not need energy when it is resting, such as at night when you are sleeping. Eating before bedtime can interfere with sleep and the body cannot digest food efficiently, which may be stored as excess fat in the body. Plan to stop eating at least 3 hours before bedtime to give your body a long rest period between dinner and breakfast. [21]
For example, if you go to bed at 9.30pm, then eat dinner at 6pm. Then don’t eat anything else until breakfast the next day.
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Try intermittent fasting. Intermittent fasting is when you eat all 3 main meals and 2 snacks during the 8-10 hours when you are most active during the day. This limits the amount of time you can eat and gives your body more time to burn the calories you consume. You may find yourself eating less instead. Find the time frame that works best for you and schedule all 3 main meals and 2 snacks to be eaten within that time frame. [22]
As an example, you could eat each meal of the day between 8am and 4pm, e.g. breakfast at 8am, lunch at 12pm and dinner at 4pm.