An unhealthy diet and lack of exercise are among the leading causes of illness and death in the United States, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Healthy eating decreases your risk for diseases and illnesses related to unhealthy eating habits, such as obesity, heart disease, cancer, diabetes and stroke. Healthy eating also gives you more energy, reduces your stress, improves your digestion and can improve your sleep.
Identification
Healthy eating means consistently eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, lean proteins, beans and lentils. Your healthy fats should be from nuts, avocado, olive oil and fish. When you follow a food plan for healthy eating, nutrient-rich foods provide your body with the nutrients vital for your body to function optimally.
Healthy Eating Tips
Your body runs most efficiently by eating every three to four hours. This can also help prevent excessive hunger and overeating. Eating a good source of protein with meals and snacks can help you to feel more satisfied. Researchers at the University of Washington found that an increase in dietary protein content resulted in a decrease in appetite and caloric intake. Good sources of protein are peanut and almond butter, raw nuts, cottage cheese, yogurt and low-fat cheese.
Breakfast is Important
A good breakfast gives your body the energy it needs to function after going all night without food and can help with weight control. According to research published in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" in 2005, eating breakfast regularly is a strategy used by successful weight loss maintainers to achieve and maintain long-term weight loss.
Plan Meals
An easy way to plan meals is to remember to include a whole grain, protein and fruit or vegetable. For example, at breakfast you can choose oatmeal topped with almonds and blueberries. At lunch, a good example of this combination is a turkey sandwich on whole grain bread with vegetables. For dinner, try quinoa with chicken and grilled vegetables.
Plan Snacks
For snacks, it is ideal to combine a whole grain and a protein or a fruit and a protein. Snacks that combine a whole grain and a protein are a peanut butter sandwich on whole grain bread, whole grain crackers with low-fat cheese and yogurt with whole grain cereal. Snacks that combine a fruit or vegetable with protein are vegetables with hummus, vegetables or fruit with cottage cheese, yogurt with fruit and fruit with low-fat cheese.
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