5 Healthy Food Habits People Swear By For Improving Their Health

There’s no shortage of healthy eating tips out there. Well, there’s actually an overwhelming amount. Every day, we have to make decisions regarding what, when, how much, and where we eat across multiple meals, snacks, and beverages. It’s a lot. So what healthy food habits are worth your time and mental energy? 

 For the past four years, on and off, I’ve come back to the 30-plant challenge. Without question, it is my favorite “wellness” habit I keep. It’s based on research that 30 different plant varieties per week is the threshold for improving gut microbiome diversity. 

And it comes with near-immediate shifts in digestion and energy, plus longer-term payoffs in calmer, clearer, more resilient skin. Here’s how I do it: On Monday mornings, I create a fresh list in my Notes app. And then, I start logging: the berries I added to my yogurt, the tea I drink every afternoon, the medley of veggies I roast for dinner. 

I turn it into a running game that pushes me to get more creative with groceries and order outside my “usual” when we eat out at restaurants. Most of all, it forces me to focus on abundance over restriction. 

I read or write about protein nearly every day, so I felt it was finally time to track how much I was getting. I had a feeling I was barely reaching 100 grams per day. 

My go-to breakfast is mindbodygreen’s grass-fed whey protein isolate+ mixed into nonfat Greek yogurt, with fruit and granola. This gets me about 40 grams of protein right off the bat. I usually eat some sort of animal protein with veggies for dinner, so I was less worried about that meal in general. 

The biggest thing I’ve learned 3 weeks into tracking is that lunch is what gets me over the 100 grams hurdle, and even upwards of 120 grams most days! It’s never been a meal I put a lot of thought or effort into, but planning ahead to have some chicken or salmon tossed on a salad has made all the difference. 

After hitting this mark and noticing my satiation, strength, and reduced cravings for sweets (a lifelong pattern for me), it’s something I plan to stick to for life.*

I’ve taken a spoonful of olive oil every day before lunch or dinner for the last 15 months. I got the idea because my family has thyroid issues and other health concerns. Last year I did a blood test and found that I was starting to show some of those concerns, and I learned that healthy fats can really support digestion and thyroid health1.

I don’t use a lot of oil in my cooking, so taking olive oil straight seemed like an easy way to get more healthy fats without changing the flavor or structure of my meals. 

I’ve absolutely noticed an improvement in my digestion since starting this habit, and meals that once caused me meals that once caused stomach pains feel easier to tolerate.

I’m not much of a breakfast person. But skipping that first meal made it tough to hit my daily protein goals. So I started adding my favorite protein powder to the one thing I never skip: My coffee. 

To make this drink, I brew about 8 ounces of coffee, add one serving of grass-fed whey protein isolate+ (for 25 grams of protein!), and froth until smooth. 

It truly tastes like a vanilla latte (except with no added sugar). It’s not clumpy or chalky, and the hint of cinnamon (from organic cinnamon bark) always adds the perfect amount of coziness. 

I’ve been making my coffee this way for almost two years now. and love how it turns coffee into something more filling, which helps me stay energized and focused all morning.* 

I love having breakfast prepped and ready to go in the morning. I’m someone who wakes up ready to eat within the hour, and no matter how jammed-packed or free my mornings are, I don’t want to cook anything. 

That’s why I’ve been making overnight oats for over 5 years now (I think?). I typically make a batch of 3-4 servings at a time on a Sunday night, and have breakfast for the first part of my week already taken care of. 

I also know that one serving is exactly what I need to stay full until lunch (as it provides oats, chia seeds, hemp seeds, whey, Greek yogurt, and milk). All I do is add frozen berries in the morning for a fiber boost and little extra sweetness.

And no, I don’t get bored with it. The base of the oats is pretty simple, and I can always layer in flavors (pumpkin spice in the fall, lemon blueberry in the summer, or matcha with strawberries for something fresh). Here’s the full recipe. 

It’s impossible to try, let alone stick with, all the healthy eating tips that you hear. But the way to find what works for you, does require a little trial and error. For example, I always have a tablespoon or two of olive oil a day, but I like to use it in salad dressings or cooking. Ayar prefers to keep her consumption of it somewhat separate from meals. Both options work!