Eating a healthy, balanced diet doesn’t have to be hard. With a few simple tweaks to your diet, you can improve your health and wellbeing in no time. Here are five easy tweaks you can make to your diet to start eating healthier today.

1. Choose Whole Foods

Choosing whole, unprocessed foods is one of the easiest and most effective ways to improve your diet. Whole foods are unrefined and unprocessed, meaning they contain all of their original nutrients.

Eating whole foods has been linked to lower blood pressure, reduced cancer risk, and better overall health. Some examples of whole foods include:.

Fruits and vegetables
Whole grains
Beans and legumes
Nuts and seeds
Lean meats and fish

Try to incorporate more whole foods into your diet by replacing processed foods with whole foods wherever possible.

2. Cut Back on Added Sugars

Added sugars are a major contributor to many health problems, including obesity, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. The American Heart Association recommends no more than 6 teaspoons of added sugar per day for women, and 9 teaspoons for men.

However, the average American consumes around 17 teaspoons of added sugar each day!.

To cut back on added sugars, try to limit your intake of sugary drinks, candy, and baked goods. Instead, opt for whole fruits when you have a sweet craving.

You can also replace sugary snacks with healthier alternatives, such as nuts or veggies with hummus.

3. Eat More Plant-Based Foods

Eating a plant-based diet has been linked to lower rates of chronic diseases, such as heart disease and cancer. Plant-based meals are also typically lower in calories and fat than animal-based meals.

To eat more plant-based foods, try incorporating more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains into your meals. You can also replace your meat-based meals with vegetarian or vegan options.

4. Drink More Water

Drinking enough water is crucial to maintaining good health. Water helps to regulate your body temperature, transport nutrients, and remove waste from your body. However, many people don’t drink enough water throughout the day.

Try to drink at least 8 glasses of water per day. You can also replace sugary drinks with water or herbal tea. If you’re not a fan of plain water, try infusing it with fruit or herbs to make it more flavorful.

5. Cook More Meals at Home

Cooking more meals at home is a great way to take control of your diet and improve your health. When you cook at home, you can choose the ingredients you use and control the portion sizes.

Plus, cooking at home can be a fun and rewarding way to spend time with loved ones.

Try to cook at least 3-4 meals at home each week. Start with simple, healthy recipes and work your way up to more complex meals if you feel comfortable.

You can also make meal prep a weekly habit by cooking extra portions and freezing them for future meals.