From Capital Blue Cross
From the moment food first flew toward us on a spoon with airplane noises, we’ve been eating. Our bodies need the nourishment to survive and as a result, our lives are tied to it. Sometimes, our emotions are too.
Our parents made most of our food choices for us when we were growing up; oftentimes, those choices become our go-to staples later in life. Certain foods are comfort foods, tied to memories, traditions, and feelings, which can make changing our diets difficult and even painful. But what if our choices are hurting us instead of helping us?
“Healthy eating isn’t about perfection or strict rules – it’s about building a pattern that works for your life,” said Kaitlyn Miele, a Registered Dietitian and Health Promotion and Wellness Team Lead at Capital Blue Cross. “When you focus on balance, variety, and realistic changes, healthy choices become more sustainable and less overwhelming over time.”
What is a healthy eating plan?
Let’s start with the basics. According to the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, a healthy eating plan includes these recommendations:
- Eat the right amount for you while prioritizing protein at every meal and including dairy as part of a balanced diet.
- Fill your plate with plants by eating vegetables and fruits throughout the day.
- Choose quality carbohydrates and fats by focusing on whole grains and incorporating healthy fats.
- Limit what works against your health, including highly processed foods, added sugars, refined carbohydrates, and alcoholic beverages.
Putting these recommendations into practice often starts with choosing foods in their simplest, least processed forms.
Dietitians and researchers generally define highly processed (or ultra‑processed) foods as packaged, ready‑to‑eat products that tend to be high in added sugars, sodium, and saturated fats. That said, nutritious options can be found throughout the grocery store – if you know where to look.
“Reading ingredient lists and nutrition labels when grocery shopping can guide healthier choices,” Miele said. “Choosing a variety of minimally processed foods and paying attention to portion sizes can help create a realistic and sustainable approach to healthy eating.”
Tips and tricks for eating healthy
If you’re ready to dig deeper into what it means to eat healthy, use some of these tips and tricks:
- Change your focus. When you change what you eat, don’t think about what you’re missing. Instead, think about all the new things you’re trying and strive to eat as many colors as possible (natural colors; not processed).
- Get fresh, frozen, or canned fruits. A fruit is a fruit is a fruit. If it’s not something you typically have in your diet, starting anywhere is great. Don’t put pressure on yourself. You can find more exotic fruits when they’re frozen too! Try out some kiwi and mangoes. If you get fruits in a can, the healthier ones are packed in water or their own juice.
- Get fresh, frozen, or canned vegetables. Frozen peas will taste different than canned ones. Which are your favorites? Add spices and herbs, and mix with other vegetables. Get something you’ve never seen before. You can steam, sauté, or roast vegetables. And you may find you like your new veggies without anything added at all. Commit to trying a new vegetable every week.
- Read the ingredients before buying. Can you identify most of the ingredients? If you can identify all of them, even better! The longer the list of ingredients, the more likely it is processed and thus packed with more sodium, fats, or chemicals.
- Try healthier versions of the recipes you already love. If you love fried fish or chicken, try baking it with panko bread crumbs next time, or even air frying it. Instead of a fatty red meat, replace it with lean ground turkey. Is sour cream your favorite dip? Switch it up with plain fat-free Greek yogurt and dill.
Can you still eat comfort food and eat healthy?
Do you have to give up comfort food? No! Comfort food is tied to memories and emotion as much as it is to taste buds.
The key is to enjoy these less nutritious dishes less often. Experiment with recipes that emphasize whole ingredients over more processed options.
Then, enjoy them with your old standbys. It’s all about balance. Chances are, you’ll discover something new and delicious to add to your recipe book.
Tips for comfort food:
- Eat comfort foods in smaller amounts and less often. If you usually have them five nights a week, cut back to two nights a week and then one.
- Cut your portions and add vegetables to make up for it.
- When possible, replace store‑bought mixes or processed ingredients with a from‑scratch alternative.
- Jazz up your recipes with your newly discovered, healthier options.
- Use low-fat milk instead of cream.
- Throw in tomatoes, fresh spinach, or olives.
- Take out vegetable oil and replace it with a healthier one, like avocado or olive oil.
Eating healthy is about creating a healthier you, one bite-sized fruit at a time. One day, you’ll look back and be amazed at the many small adjustments you’ve made to eat healthy and be healthy.
Image: matthewsjackie on Pixabay
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