Most tips to eat healthier focus on what you’re eating—not why—so behavior change is often short lived. For example, we all know that eating more fruits and vegetables is a gold standard in healthy eating, but simply telling someone to eat more produce doesn’t exactly inspire change. Why?
In my experience as an eating psychology coach, change becomes more accessible once we stop focusing on what we’re eating and start digging into why we do the things we do around food.
Today, I’m taking traditional tips to eat healthier and unpacking them with clinical evidence for and against each stance. Then, I’ll share a new way of viewing healthy eating tips through the lens of eating psychology, which is my area of expertise. Are you ready to turn healthy eating tips completely upside down?
Traditional Tips for Eating Healthier: Why They Might Be Unhelpful & What to Try Instead
Let’s explore conventional tips for eating healthier and why they may or may not serve us well. By presenting both sides of the argument, I hope you feel empowered to decide what truly resonates with your body’s needs.
1. Eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables
What works: There’s no doubt that eating plenty of fruits and vegetables is key to optimal health. A study published in the journal Circulation shows that consuming 5 servings of fruit and vegetables per day is associated with reduced mortality.[1]
What might not work: Aiming to eat more fruits and vegetables is well-intended, but for those with a history of disordered eating, it can lead to strict diet rules that trigger food obsession or compulsive behaviors.
Instead of trying to force fruits and vegetables, try to focus on listening to your body to inform what your eat. Intuitive eating is based on this practice, and many people wonder if intuitive eating is healthy because they fear their body may never ask for fruits or vegetables—only “junk foods.”
Rest assured that your body is brilliantly self-regulating. For instance, just last month I realized I was not eating any vegetables. Instead of feeling bad about it or forcing it, I thought to myself, “Oh well, I am sure veggie cravings will come around.” Fast forward to this week where I’ve genuinely craved a salad every day.
This isn’t to say that craving salads is somehow “healthier” than a meal without vegetables. In fact, when food is embraced neutrally without labels, it leads to more positive outcomes.
For those concerned they might never naturally crave fruits or vegetables, it’s reassuring to know that a longitudinal study published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, which spanned 18 years, found that intuitive eaters actually consumed more fruits and vegetables than dieters.[2]
2. Eat more fish, including a portion of oily fish
What works: A study published in the journal Advances in Food and Nutrition Research shows strong evidence that “eating fish and other seafoods improve brain, eye, and heart health. The new 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) recommend that Americans of all ages should eat more seafood-at least twice a week-particularly pregnant women and young children.”[3]
What might not work: If your body craves fish twice a week and it brings satisfaction and pleasure, by all means, keep at it! But if you’re forcing yourself to eat fish when you actually want a burger, you’re missing out on the crucial element of satisfaction and pleasure; and eating pleasure is a proven catalyst for healthy eating, according to a study published in the journal PLoS (Public Library of Science) One.[4]
For people with a history of compulsive eating, forcing a meal that doesn’t actually sound good is a set-up for compulsively seeking more satisfying foods later—potentially at the risk of eating beyond fullness.
In my line of work, I’ve found that it always works better to eat exactly what appeals to you when you’re hungry—whether it’s fish twice a week or not—stop when you’re full, and address emotional eating directly if you struggle to stop at comfortable fullness. (These are the Psycho-Spiritual Wellness eating guidelines, by the way, my personal philosophy for feeling normal around food again.)
3. Cut down on saturated fat
Why it works: Reducing saturated fat intake improves heart health, according to a 2020 study published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, which showed a 21% reduced risk of cardiovascular events over two years.[5]
Why it might not work: A 2018 study published in the journal Current Nutrition Reports shows that the diet-heart hypothesis is not supported by evidence.[6] Furthermore, “saturated fat has been shown in some cases to have an inverse relationship with obesity-related type 2 diabetes.”
This is frustrating, isn’t it? Who should you listen to? And that’s exactly my point. You can often find a good case for either side of an argument. Instead of figuring out which external source you want to listen to, why not turn inward and listen to your body instead?
Sometimes I crave a juicy burger, which contains red meat with saturated fat. While I used to label these foods as “bad” before I gave up dieting, I’ve since learned—through my 5th generation Chinese herbalist, which is supported by findings published in the journal Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine—that red meat helps build blood and increase energy.[7]
Indeed, I notice that when I eat more red meat, my monthly cycle is less painful and more regular. This isn’t to say that it’s right for everyone! It simply means that, for me, some saturated fat feels good in my diet. It might not be the case for you, and that’s exactly the point. Do what makes you feel the most vibrant.
4. Get active and be a healthy weight
What works: Exercise is the best medicine. Overwhelming evidence shows that lifelong exercise is associated with a longer lifespan and a reduced risk of 40—that’s right, forty!—chronic conditions and diseases.[8]
What might not work: Exercising for the sake of weight loss overlooks the element of joyful movement, which is much more sustainable. This is why one of my favorite mottos is wellness over weight loss. When your decisions are informed by wellness first, it generally leads to more sustainable healthy habits than targeting weight loss alone.
5. Drink more water
Why it works: According to a study published in the journal Nutrients, drinking more water is associated with numerous health benefits such as lowering blood pressure, diluting blood waste materials, and protecting kidney function.[9]
What might not work: Personally, I am sick and tired of people saying, “drink more water because people often confuse thirst with hunger, and when you drink more you eat less.” This is simply not true—and it’s certainly not evidence-based.
A study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association shows that thirst is not confused with hunger.[10] A randomized controlled trial—the most rigorous type of trial—published in Physiology & Behavior found that drinking more water did not cause people to eat any less.[11]
Back when I was still dieting and didn’t know any better, I used to guzzle water before each meal. It certainly made me eat less for a while, but I would feel hungry soon after and I’d eat more; and then I’d feel more bloated because I had a stomach full of both food and too much water.
Everything just works better when you listen to your body.
More Tips for Eating Healthier—Flipped Upside Down
This article is already way too long, but I hope you can see why: there is compelling science both for and against some of the most-shared, conventional tips for eating healthier.
As we continue to flip traditional advice on its head—with plenty of science to back us up—here are more tips for eating healthier explained through the lens of eating psychology:
- Do not skip breakfast: On one hand, skipping breakfast is associated with weight gain.[12] Many people skip breakfast as part of intermittent fasting, which is associated with weight loss in the short-term.[13] But long-term, many diets lead to weight regain or even weight overshoot (gaining more than baseline).[14] Again, everything just works better when you listen to your body.
- Limit sugar: Sugar always comes up with tips for eating healthier! According to the British Medical Journal, “high dietary sugar consumption is generally more harmful than beneficial for health, especially in cardiometabolic disease.”[15] However, keep in mind that limiting sweets seldom works for reducing sugar consumption. Research also shows that we want what we can’t have, especially when it comes to sweets.[16] Instead of placing rules around food, everything just works better when you—do you see where I’m going here?—listen to your body!
- Eat from smaller plates: Visual cues affect our eating, and we’re more likely to keep eating when there’s food still on our plate.[17] There’s nothing wrong with using smaller plates or serving smaller portions as long as you don’t shame yourself for getting more if you’re still hungry. Feeling shame for eating when you’re actually hungry is a set-up for disordered eating. Whenever you’re hungry, you deserve to and need to eat!
- Eat your greens first: Do I even need to present clinical evidence for this one? You should be able to eat your food in whatever order you like! Tips like these, as well-meaning as they are, simply push you further into your head; and for the healthiest eating habits possible, you want to be fully connected to intuition.
- Eat slowly: It’s true that eating slowly is associated with greater meal satisfaction and a higher likelihood of stopping when comfortably full.[18] So, try to eat slowly when you can, and don’t shame yourself for eating really fast when you’re really hungry! Sometimes, it’s a natural or compulsive response to hunger. And if you struggle with eating fast because of compulsive overeating tendencies, address the pattern directly—through tools like my Stop, Drop, & Feel®️ technique— instead of only focusing on eating speed.
Because this article is already too long, see the video above if you're new to the Stop, Drop, & Feel 😁
As you can see, there are good reasons why people generally recommend these traditional tips for eating healthier. And I hope that, by now, I’ve shown you why it’s important to look at the clinical evidence on both sides of any argument.
Eating Healthier by Listening to Your Body
In conclusion, turning healthy eating advice on its head isn’t just about challenging norms—it’s about understanding deeper truths about our relationship with food. Through an eating psychology lens, we see that the ‘why’ behind our food choices is just as important as the ‘what.’
At every step along the way, listen to your body, and you’ll be well on your way to better well-being. If you’d like to explore more eating psychology tips, see my free resources below:
Kari-Thank you so much for this information. I’ve been a strict “rule follower” for most all of my long life, and contradicting “eating rules” have somewhat contributed to my eating everything, all the time!
The section that most resonated with me addressed drinking more water. I’ve been called a fish so many times!
I’ve been watching your videos and reading your articles, and today I finally have time to dive into Why We Do What We Do.
Thanks for doing what you do!
Hi Susan!! I am sooo glad this resonated. We all deserve freedom around food! And water 😉 Thank you so much for supporting my work. I’d love to know what get out of the workbook. Feel free to reply to any of my emails to reach me directly and share!
Hi Kari, Thanks for this. I have done your course and found it to be wonderful. I am still going through the process of dismantling the diet culture messages in my brain around “being fat” and it’s really insidious. I’m working with an eating disorder therapist and am planning to do your course again. I may do it several times throughout my life 🙂
Anyway, thanks again for the sane food advice and for all you do!
Hi Kate!! I can so relate to you. Diet culture is very hard to deprogram, and your willingness to go through the process is a testament to your work ethic!! And, you self-care game is on point. It is AMAZING that you’re working with an eating disorder therapist and working through the Stop, Drop, & Feel Masterclass. What a powerful pair! I really appreciate you joining my course. It is my pride and joy, and I hope you do revisit it time and time again 🙂