4 Ways to Eat Healthier (Without Dieting)

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Improve your health and adopt a more wholesome relationship with food—without counting calories or following a strict diet!

Each new year, many people vow to start eating healthier and/or losing weight. And it’s no secret that about this time of year (1-2 months in), we begin to fall back into old habits again!

I certainly hope that’s not the case for you, but if it is, you may just need another nudge in the right direction.

4 Ways to Eat Healthier (Without Dieting)

If you’ve considered a special diet to drop a few pounds or to just gain more energy and feel better, consider trying one (or all) of these ways to improve your health long term without following a strict diet!

1. Avoid Foods Containing High Fructose Corn Syrup.  

If you don’t make any other changes to your eating, start with this one NOW! High fructose corn syrup is very common in low-quality, processed foods, contains chemical toxins, and contributes to a host of illnesses, such as type 2 diabetes. High fructose corn syrup is high in calories, yet contains no essential nutrients. You may think it doesn’t affect you much now, but…later in life, it will!

You might be surprised how many different products contain high fructose corn syrup; even foods you expect to be healthy, such as low-fat yogurts and salad dressings! When grocery shopping, get into the habit of scanning the list of ingredients on each product label before you buy. If high fructose corn syrup is listed on the label, don’t buy it!

2. Decrease (or Eliminate) Soda, Energy Drinks, Sports Drinks, etc.  

Not sure why you keep gaining weight? Drinks like these are a possible culprit! These liquid sugar calories actually increase your appetite so you end up eating more throughout the day, and also become dreaded belly fat.

Additionally, see #1 above—many of these drinks contain high fructose corn syrup, so that’s a very good reason to avoid them. Instead, choose to drink water or unsweetened, non-caffeinated teas. Try my Strawberry Lemonade Refresher or Guilt-Free Sweet Tea!

3. Limit (or Eliminate) White Sugar, White Flour, White Rice, and White Pasta.  

These refined and highly processed foods act like sugar in your body: they spike your body’s blood sugar level (causing highs and lows), and leave you craving more, while causing withdrawal symptoms when you go without. (Try it and see!)

Instead of white sugar, opt for natural sweeteners like honey and pure maple syrup, or a low-glycemic alternative, such as stevia. Replace white flour with whole wheat flour (I prefer white whole wheat), or go gluten free with almond flour, coconut flour, or oat flour. Swap white pasta with wheat pasta, brown rice pasta or chickpea pasta. Thankfully, there are many options available for healthier choices!

4. Adopt Healthy Cooking Oils.

Despite its healthy-sounding name, vegetable oil is best avoided, along with canola oil, soybean oil, and palm oil. In baking, cooking, and sautéing, unrefined coconut oil does everything you need it to…and better! If you’re wondering whether your food will have a coconut flavor (it may, but very mildly), try expeller-pressed coconut oil instead of cold-pressed.

Extra virgin olive oil and avocado oil are also great alternatives to unhealthy oils, especially for cold dishes.

In conclusion, kick your “diet” to the curb. Start making healthier choices in the form of small, manageable baby steps. If you’re not ready to start all of the above just yet, read this post to take the easiest first step to better food choices (without even changing what you eat!).

You can do this. I promise! 🙂