Plan your meals

Planning your meals makes all the difference when it comes to sticking to a healthy diet. Not only does planning meals make grocery shopping 10x easier, it also prevents you from reaching for unhealthy alternatives when you’re too hungry to decide.

Make healthy additions

Focus on including ample whole foods in your diet so you can focus less on dieting and restricted foods, and more on the wide variety of food filled with goodness. The more healthy additions you make, the better you will feel. The better you feel, the more likely you are to make healthy choices!

Check out this guide to essential vitamins & minerals and where to find them.

Be mindful of portion sizes

If you're looking to lose weight you'll need a calorie deficit. Overly large portion sizes can lead to mindless eating and weight gain. Eating mindfully can help you to manage your portion size, reduce binge eating and help you feel good while maintaining a healthy weight.

Start by thoroughly enjoying every bite, and making sure to notice all the flavors before swallowing. It can also help to eat until you’re 85% full, giving your fullness signals time to catch up. For most of us, this is around a fist-sized portion of protein, half a plate of veggies and a teaspoon of fat.

Balance is key

Cutting any food group out of your diet can be risky and difficult to sustain in the long run. For sustainable, healthy meals, you’ll want a good balance of fat, protein and carbohydrates every time.

Each macronutrient has an important role; for example, protein helps your muscles recover after a workout, while carbs help replenish glycogen stores. Healthy fats (such as those found in avocados, oily fish and nuts) are essential for any healthy diet, improving heart, skin and brain function.

Are you getting enough protein? Find out how much you should be eating.

Manage your expectations

Just like for your workout routine, consistency is key when it comes to healthy eating. That doesn’t mean eating healthy 100% of the time, but instead making healthy choices the habit and not an exception.

As long as 90% of what you eat is good for your body, don’t be afraid to allow yourself the occasional treat to make your brain happy too.

Shake it up

When it feels like the only healthy options available are chicken, rice and broccoli on an endless loon, it’s no wonder healthy eating doesn’t feel exciting.

Invest in some delicious spices to add some variety to your meals, and don’t be afraid to experiment with fresh ingredients. Visiting a fresh food market can make exploring new foods and recipes an exciting adventure for your tastebuds.

Looking for healthy meal ideas? These quick and tasty recipes have dinner sorted.

Drink enough water

Staying hydrated is non-negotiable. Cutting out soda (even the sugar-free kind) and alcohol can have a substantial impact on your health goals. If plain water doesn't do it for you, why not add some fresh lemon, cucumber or ginger for some extra flavour? You’ll be surprised how quickly your taste buds adapt.

Check out our nutrition essentials for an in-depth look at the most important food groups and how to adapt your diet to include them.