Healthy Eating Means What ?

Healthy Eating Means What?
by Laura Crooks


Many people have “healthy eating” as a goal, but what does that mean? Eating healthier can mean any number of things, and usually something different to everyone. Defining what you mean will help you achieve it.

As with any destination, if you are not clear about where you are going how do you know when you have arrived. Being clear about your goal helps you know what to do and when you have done it.

Healthy eating can mean:
eating enough food/calories – For people who have severely limited their caloric intake and for them the best thing they can do is eat more quality food.

eating often enough – This means eating frequently enough to prevent the ferocious hunger feeling that can lead to poor food choices and eating too quickly.

eating a variety of foods – Expanding your repertoire of foods gives you a bigger variety of nutrients and antioxidants. Eating the same few foods over and over, even if they are healthy foods, limits the vitamins and nutrients your body has to work with.

eating smaller amounts/portions – Many Americans eat too much food, whether healthy foods or not. Eating smaller amounts of foods, and therefore calories, can help many people lose weight and minimize their blood sugar and insulin swings.

increasing fiber – Many Americans do not come close to getting the recommended 20 – 35 grams of fiber daily. Fiber helps keep you full longer, stabilizes your blood sugar, and keeps your bowels moving regularly. Some types of fibber can help lower LDL (the lousy cholesterol).

eating more antioxidants – the more antioxidants you eat, and the more variety, gives your body more to work with in running smoothly and warding off diseases.

eating more protein – Protein is a vital building block, but also helps keep us feeling full and stabilizes our blood sugar because it is digested more slowly than carbohydrates.

balancing the types of fats eaten –Switching to mono-unsaturated and omega 3 fatty acids are better for us than eating transfats and too many saturated fats.

making better snack choices – Snacks are ideally 100-200 calories and provide some nutritional value. They give us energy between regular meals. Snacks with both fiber and protein make great choices (an apple with peanut butter, or cheese and whole grain crackers).

prepping foods – Our food choices are often dictated by convenience. We may have healthy food in the house but do not feel like washing and cutting it. Having food ready to go and easy to use (whether buying pre-chopped vegetables or chopping them yourself when you have the time) will make you more likely to choose those foods.

pre-planning (shopping, prepping, having good choices available) – Spending the time planning meals and snacks, shopping for them, and preparing what you can in advance goes a long way to making those foods more appealing once you are tired and hungry. Simply having them available increases your chances of eating them.

paying attention to how you eat - Sitting down, eating slowly and enjoying your food can help you eat less and feel more satisfied. Eating should be a pleasant experience.

noticing why you eat – Ideally you should eat only when you are hungry. This means eliminating emotional and habitual eating. When you are truly in the mood for a piece of candy you can cruise past your coworkers candy dish and have one, but not every time you walk past.

changing what you eat when – Try eating more substantial food for breakfast. Coffee and toast or cereal may not be enough to keep you going comfortably until lunch. Dinner leftovers or a sandwich are not off limits for breakfast. A small bowl of cereal can be a great snack.


Think for a bit about what healthy eating means to you specifically. With that knowledge you should be better able to make clear and specific goals. When you are clear about your objective you can more easily get there.