How To Organize A Healthy Diet
The lack of organization in our diet often results in us eating anything from prepared food to quick sandwiches or snacks to satiate our appetites. However, to eat healthily you just need to organize yourself and create a healthy diet that will set the guidelines for what you should eat on a daily basis.
At OneHowTo we help you organize a healthy diet and banish, once and for all, poor eating habits.
Plan meals
To organize a healthy diet you should ideally have 4 or 5 meals a day to spread your intake throughout the day and avoid becoming too hungry at mealtimes. The number of meals and portion sizes can be adjusted to suit your routine and appetite; consistency matters more than following a rigid schedule.
However, the calories you consume during the early hours of the day should not be the same as late at night, as the amount of energy your body needs is different. Thus, the distribution of calories is as follows. These percentages are only a general guide, since daily energy needs vary from person to person:
- Breakfast: we recommend ingesting 20% of your total daily calories
- Mid-morning: it is advisable to eat 10% of your body's total daily calorie requirement
- Lunch: it's the main dish of the day and should contain 30% or 35% of your daily calories
- Afternoon Snack: Like the mid-morning meal, this snack should make up 10% of your daily calories
- Dinner: it's one of the highlights of the day; however, the calorie content must be less because you'll be going to bed soon.
Food distribution
To enjoy a balanced diet, it is recommended that meals include essential nutrients so that our bodies function properly; thus, to plan a healthy diet you must include the following food groups. Try to include a variety of these groups across the day, and choose minimally processed options when possible:
- Proteins: in particular, it is advisable to include lean proteins, such as lean meats, white fish and low-fat dairy.
- Carbohydrates: the most nutritious and suitable for our healthy menu are complex carbohydrates, which are generally digested more slowly than refined carbohydrates. These include rice, oats, rye, pasta, bread, potatoes and pulses. It is highly recommended that these carbohydrates are whole grain since they provide fibre and support regular digestion.
- Good fats: these are fats that are nutritious for our body and provide vitamins and minerals that we need; among them are those from olive oil, nuts or oily fish.
- Fruits and vegetables: they are some of the most desirable foods to include in a healthy diet, as they give our body a lot of vitamins and minerals with relatively few calories.
The distribution of these foods during the week is important when planning how to organize a healthy diet. The ideal distribution is as follows:
- Fish: 2 or 3 servings a week (mostly white)
- Meat: 2 or 3 servings per week (mainly lean meat)
- Pulses: 2 servings a week
- Rice or pasta: 1 serving per week
If you want to lose weight, focus on overall portions and a balanced pattern rather than avoiding carbohydrates or fruit at particular times of day. Choose suitable portions and include fruit as part of your daily meals or snacks.
Tips for organizing a healthy diet
It is important to follow these tips to help you properly create your healthy diet:
- Set out the meals you'll have throughout the week on a piece of paper, separating the weekdays and the recommended 5 meals. Keep the plan flexible so you can adjust it when your schedule changes.
- Jot down all the ingredients you need for your healthy menu on your shopping list so you'll always have everything you need in your kitchen. Checking your cupboards first can help you avoid buying ingredients you already have.
- Replace refined flours with whole grains that are rich in fibre, that way you'll be eating ingredients with less sugar and that are healthier for your body.
- Plan a menu for one week and change it every month so you don't get bored of your meals.
- To save money, it is best to choose to include seasonal food that will have more nutrients and be more economical.
- Be creative with your recipes so you don't get bored and stop using your weekly plan.
Example healthy breakfasts
Monday: Coffee with milk and whole grain toast with butter
Tuesday: Tea and whole grain turkey sandwich
Wednesday: Orange juice and a cup of whole grain cereals
Thursday: Coffee with milk and toast with jam
Friday: Tea and seasonal fruit macedonia
Saturday: Orange juice and coffee and low-fat cheese sandwich
Sunday: Coffee with milk and whole grain cereals
Example healthy meals
Monday: Chicken salad with pasta
Tuesday: Cucumber soup + low-calorie lentils
Wednesday: Spinach with egg
Thursday: Rice with cod
Friday: Creamed spinach + garlic chicken
Saturday: Baked hake + grilled mushrooms
Sunday: Hummus + baked flounder fillet
Example healthy dinners
Monday: Pumpkin soup + courgette omelette
Tuesday: Grilled vegetables + grilled steak
Wednesday: Courgette puree + stuffed artichokes
Thursday: Cauliflower with potatoes and baked ham
Friday: Gazpacho + baked stuffed mushrooms
Saturday: Sautéed green beans + fruit salad
Sunday: Healthy salad + aubergine omelette
Example snacks between meals
For midmorning and the afternoon, it's advisable to eat food that fills you up and stops you from getting too hungry before lunch or dinner. These snacks should be healthy food that provides you with energy and little fat; therefore, you should eat a snack that suits your appetite and routine:
- A piece of fruit in season
- A fat-free yogurt
- A handful of whole grain cereals
- An energy bar, preferably one with little added sugar
If you want to read similar articles to How To Organize A Healthy Diet, we recommend you visit our Food & drink category.
- Healthy diet (World Health Organization)
- The Eatwell Guide (NHS)
- Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020–2025 (U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)
