1. Eat From a Smaller Plate and Bowl

Believe it or not, the size of your plate can affect how much you eat.

In one study, scientists found that people who ate from large serving bowls ate 56% (142 calories) more food than people who ate from smaller bowls (3Trusted Source).

In an analysis of 72 studies, scientists found that people consistently ate more food when offered larger portions and plates (4Trusted Source).

The simple illusion of eating from a smaller plate could help you feel satisfied with less food.

2. Swap Refined Carbs for Whole, Unprocessed Carbs

Refined carbs are commonly known as simple carbs or “empty” carbs.

They are rigorously processed and stripped of nearly all their nutrients and fiber. This means they add extra calories to your diet with no nutritional benefit.

Examples of refined carbs include white flour, white bread and white rice.

Not to mention, eating a diet rich in refined carbs may increase your risk of chronic diseases, such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes (5Trusted Source, 6Trusted Source).

Choosing whole, unprocessed carbs like whole wheat flour and brown rice lets you eat the foods you normally eat with the added benefits of fiber, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients

3.Drink Green Tea

SUBSCRIBE

Healthline uses cookies to improve your experience and to show you personalized ads. Privacy Policy.

More information

NUTRITION

22 Simple Ways to Get Healthier With Minimal Effort

Written by Ryan Raman, MS, RD — Updated on October 2, 2017

Modern society makes getting healthy harder than ever.

People are busy trying to balance work, family and other responsibilities. As a result, their health goals are often put on hold.

That said, being healthy does not have to be difficult.

Here are 22 simple ways to get healthier with minimal effort.

1. Fill Half of Your Plate With Non-Starchy Vegetables

Vegetables can be loosely classified as starchy and non-starchy vegetables. Starchy vegetables generally have more carbs and calories than their non-starchy counterparts.

Examples of starchy vegetables include potatoes, corn and navy beans. Non-starchy vegetables include spinach and other dark green leafy vegetables, carrots, broccoli and cauliflower.

Filling half of your plate with non-starchy vegetables is a simple way to make your diet healthier. They are low in calories but packed with nutrients, fiber and water (1Trusted Source).

By replacing some of the starch and protein of your meal with non-starchy vegetables, you can still eat a similar amount of food — but with fewer calories (2Trusted Source).

This simple strategy also saves you the hassle of worrying about serving sizes and calories.

SUMMARY:

Filling half of your plate with non-starchy vegetables is a simple way to eat healthier. Vegetables are low in calories and high in fiber and nutrients.

2. Eat From a Smaller Plate and Bowl

Believe it or not, the size of your plate can affect how much you eat.

In one study, scientists found that people who ate from large serving bowls ate 56% (142 calories) more food than people who ate from smaller bowls (3Trusted Source).

In an analysis of 72 studies, scientists found that people consistently ate more food when offered larger portions and plates (4Trusted Source).

The simple illusion of eating from a smaller plate could help you feel satisfied with less food.

SUMMARY:

Eating from a smaller plate is a simple way to trick your brain into eating less. This can be useful if you feel the portions you eat are too big.

3. Swap Refined Carbs for Whole, Unprocessed Carbs

Refined carbs are commonly known as simple carbs or “empty” carbs.

They are rigorously processed and stripped of nearly all their nutrients and fiber. This means they add extra calories to your diet with no nutritional benefit.

Examples of refined carbs include white flour, white bread and white rice.

Not to mention, eating a diet rich in refined carbs may increase your risk of chronic diseases, such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes (5Trusted Source, 6Trusted Source).

Choosing whole, unprocessed carbs like whole wheat flour and brown rice lets you eat the foods you normally eat with the added benefits of fiber, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.

SUMMARY:

Refined carbs are sources of “empty” calories and provide no nutritional benefit. Swapping them for whole, unprocessed carbs can increase your nutrient and fiber intake.

4. Add Some Fruit to Your Morning Oats

Fruit is a great way to add some color and flavor to your morning oats.

Fruit is loaded with plenty of vitamins and minerals that are essential for optimal health. It also has plenty of fiber and water that can help you stay fuller for longer (1Trusted Source, 7Trusted Source).

In addition, fruit is a great source of polyphenols — compounds that contribute to the health benefits of fruits and vegetables.

These compounds act as antioxidants in the body and can help it fight inflammation. Additionally, studies have shown polyphenols may help reduce your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and an early death (8Trusted Source, 9Trusted Source, 10Trusted Source).

A study with 7,447 participants found that people who ate the most polyphenols had a lower risk of an early death than people who ate the least polyphenols (11Trusted Source).

SUMMARY:

Although fruit can be high in sugar, it is also packed with plenty of vitamins, minerals and compounds, such as polyphenols. Polyphenols may have great health benefits.

5. Eat Fatty Fish Often

Fatty fish like salmon are some of the most nutritious foods on the planet.

They are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids — a type of essential fat that you can only get from the diet. Despite their importance, very few people in Western countries eat enough omega-3 fatty acids (12Trusted Source).

Research has shown that people who consistently eat the most omega-3 fatty acids tend to have a lower risk of heart disease, less chronic inflammation and better mental health (13Trusted Source, 14Trusted Source, 15Trusted Source, 16Trusted Source).

In addition, fatty fish are a great source of B vitamins. This group of vitamins helps the body make energy, repair DNA and maintain healthy brain and nerve function (17, 18Trusted Source).

Aim to eat at least two servings of fatty fish per week. Great examples are salmon, mackerel and herring.

SUMMARY:

Fatty fish like salmon, mackerel and herring are great sources of omega-3 fatty acids and B vitamins. Aim to eat fatty fish at least twice a week.

6. Consider Certain Supplements

Whole foods are typically the preferred way to meet your nutritional needs.

They contain a variety of nutrients that have synergy together, helping deliver most of their nutritional benefits (19Trusted Source).

That said, many people struggle to meet their daily nutritional needs through foods alone. That’s where supplements can come in handy because they provide you with a great dose of nutrients in a convenient package.

Two supplements that are especially useful are soluble fiber and fish oil.

Soluble fiber supplements like glucomannan can help you stay fuller for longer, keep you regular, reduce your blood sugar and lower your blood cholesterol (20Trusted Source).

Fish oil supplements provide you with a great dose of omega-3, just like fatty fish. Diets high in omega-3 fatty acids are linked with a lower risk of heart disease, less chronic inflammation and better mental health (13Trusted Source, 14Trusted Source, 15Trusted Source, 16Trusted Source).

SUMMARY:

Although whole foods are preferable, supplements can be helpful if you struggle to eat enough nutrients from diet alone. Two great supplements are fish oil and soluble fiber, such as glucomannan.

7. Drink Green Tea

Green tea is one of the healthiest beverages you can drink.

It is low in calories and packed with plenty of nutrients and antioxidants. These antioxidants can help your body fight free radicals — molecules that have been shown to increase disease risk and speed aging (21Trusted Source, 22Trusted Source).

Studies have also shown that people who drink the most green tea tend to live longer, have a lower risk of heart disease and a lower risk of type 2 diabetes (23Trusted Source, 24Trusted Source).

Green tea also contains epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and caffeine. These compounds may help you burn fat by boosting your metabolism (25Trusted Source, 26Trusted Source).