Healthy eating is not about following a rigid diet—it’s about making choices that fit into your lifestyle and can be maintained over the long term. Dietitian Frances Wild emphasizes that sustainable changes, rather than an extremely restrictive approach, are the key to lasting success.
Building a Healthy Mindset Around Food
“So many people have tried diets and had them fail them in the past, and I want to be really clear on that. It’s not that they fail the diet, but unfortunately, they may end up feeling that way,” Wild explains. A shift in mindset is essential to creating a healthy relationship with food. Instead of following a one-size-fits-all approach, Wild encourages people to explore different strategies and find what works best for them.
“If you’re eating in a way that you don’t enjoy, if you feel miserable or hard done by, by the changes that you’ve made, it may work in a very temporary fashion, but we’re not setting ourselves up for success when we take that approach.”
Making Small Changes to Your Food Environment
Our surroundings influence our eating habits more than we realize. Wilde advises making small adjustments that encourage healthier choices:
“Willpower is not about resisting. It’s about creating an environment that’s aligned with the habits.”
Some simple ways to modify your food environment include:
- Keeping healthy snacks, like pre-cut vegetables, at eye level in the fridge.
- Storing tempting foods out of sight to reduce impulse eating. “Out of sight, out of mind, certainly applies here.”
- Making healthy choices more convenient, such as preparing nutritious meals in advance.
By reducing friction for healthy choices and increasing it for less nutritious options, people can create a supportive environment that encourages success without relying solely on willpower. “If I want to spend less money at the vending machine at work, maybe I don’t bring change in with me. So even if I do have that thought or temptation, it becomes harder to do that action.”
Understanding Emotional and Non-Hunger Eating
People eat for many reasons beyond physical hunger, including stress, boredom, and social situations. Wild suggests recognizing these triggers and developing strategies to navigate them.
“We eat for so many reasons, more than just fuel—things like emotion, celebration, even boredom.” By identifying personal triggers and finding alternative coping mechanisms, individuals can develop healthier eating habits that align with their goals.
Smart Swaps for Healthier Eating
Making healthier food choices doesn’t mean giving up favorite foods entirely. Wilde encourages two main approaches: moderation and substitutions.
“The reason I say it depends what camp you’re in is because some of us might want to reduce the calories, the sugar, the fat by simply just having a smaller portion of the existing food.” Others might prefer an alternative version, such as using applesauce in baking to reduce sugar or making a fruit-based sorbet instead of ice cream.
“It really depends on what you want from the experience, and then you can kind of work from there.”
Being Mindful of Food Marketing and Labels
Food packaging is designed to persuade, not necessarily to inform. Wilde advises caution when evaluating health claims.
“Food packaging is being designed to sell you something. So of course it’s going to try and put its best foot forward.” Instead of relying on front-label claims, Wilde recommends flipping the package and reading the nutrition facts.
She also suggests using simple guidelines like the “five and 15% rule” to quickly assess nutrient content. “Less than 5% means it has a little amount of something. More than 15% means it has a lot.”
Avoiding Distractions While Eating
Eating while watching TV, scrolling on a phone, or working can lead to mindless overeating. Wild highlights the importance of being present during meals.
“If we sit down and take time to eat, it’s more likely that we’ll remember that we have eaten, we might gain more pleasure from that experience, and we may even find that we feel satiated with a smaller portion size.”
By slowing down and minimizing distractions, individuals can become more attuned to their body’s hunger and fullness cues.
Conclusion: A Personalized Approach to Eating Well
Healthy eating is not about strict rules or deprivation—it’s about making small, meaningful changes that fit into your lifestyle. By shifting your mindset, adjusting your environment, making smart swaps, and practicing mindful eating, you can develop sustainable habits that support long-term health.
As Wild puts it, “We know that for each person, we need to individualize our approach and take the stance of curiosity. Experiment with strategies to see, does this help with the challenge I’m facing?”
The key to success is finding what works for you and embracing changes that feel sustainable and enjoyable.
Diet and exercise alone aren’t enough to help many people reach a healthier weight. Medical treatments are needed to address the biological changes happening in our bodies that can drive weight regain. To find a physician near you who specializes in weight management, click here.
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This article was sponsored by Novo Nordisk Canada. All content is created independently by My Weight – What To Know with no influence from Novo Nordisk.
