The 10 Keys to Healthy Eating

Reading time: 7 min

—01 January 2024—Julie from Yuka

Nutrition is often regarded as the first form of medicine. Indeed, it plays a fundamental role in our health! This article presents 10 essential keys to adopting simple dietary habits that can optimize your health and well-being.

1. Have a savory breakfast!

Most of us eat cereal with milk or buttered white toast with jam alongside a tall glass of orange juice for breakfast. But that breakfast is far from ideal in terms of nutrition. Indeed, that kind of overly sugary meal encourages insulin secretion, which should be avoided — especially in the morning.

It’s best to opt for a savory breakfast. Eating protein in the morning promotes the production of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that stimulates the mind and jump-starts your motivation. In addition to making you more motivated and alert, consuming protein at breakfast can also help you feel full longer and reduce snacking later in the morning.

Eggs are the perfect solution because they contain extremely high quality protein and are rich in vitamins and minerals. But there are other protein sources you can try for variety:

Animal protein: one ounce of cheese (preferably goat or sheep milk), a yogurt (goat or sheep milk), sardines or a slice of good ham (from time to time)

Plant-based protein: soy-based vegan pudding packed with protein, chia seeds, nuts (almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, etc.)

2. Eat at least 2 to 3 fruits and 2 to 3 servings of vegetables a day

A daily intake of 28 to 32 oz of fruit and vegetables is ideal, i.e. 2 to 3 servings of vegetables (17 oz) and 2 to 3 fruits. For lunch and dinner, choose at least one raw and one cooked fruit or vegetable.

After all, fresh fruits and vegetables are very high in fiber, which has an essential role to optimizing our health. It contributes to satiety and therefore plays an important role in weight management, it helps regulate our blood sugar levels, and it also facilitates digestion and helps balance our gut microbiota.

Fruits and vegetables are also rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Getting the right amount of antioxidants is particularly important for preventing cancer, degenerative diseases and cardiovascular disease.

Vary the fruits and vegetables on your plate and their colors as much as possible to reap all their benefits!

Warning: fruit juice is not the same as fruit! Juice lacks the fiber that regulates the rate at which sugars are assimilated, so its glycemic index is much higher than that of whole fruit.

3. Eat good fat

The quest to eliminate fat has no scientific or biological basis. In fact, “good fats” are responsible for the proper development of eyesight, brain membranes and neural connections. In addition to being good for the brain, they help reduce cardiovascular risks. So good fat is a crucial ally for good health!

But not all fats are created equal! The problem is not that we eat too much fat these days, but that we eat too much bad fat.

Limit your intake of saturated fats and omega-6, which are currently over-consumed. These fats are found in animal products (meat, butter, cheese, etc.), in some vegetable oils (sunflower, coconut, palm, grape seed) and above all in many processed products (cookies, potato chips, etc.).

On the other hand, make sure you get plenty of omega-3 fatty acids! Omega-3 fatty acids occur primarily in fatty fish (tuna, salmon, mackerel, sardines, etc.), certain oils (canola, linseed, walnut), seeds (chia, flax, hemp) and in some vegetables in very small quantities (watercress, lamb’s lettuce, cabbage). Caution: do not consume tuna or salmon more than once a week, as they generally contain high levels of various pollutants, including heavy metals (mercury, PCBs, dioxins, etc.).

Choose products rich in omega-9 fatty acids. Omega-9 fatty acids occur in large quantities in olive oil, hazelnut oil, avocado, hazelnuts and almonds. In view of the environmental impact of avocados, we recommend eating them only occasionally.

4. Take the time to chew

Chewing may seem like a trivial step and is often neglected; however, it plays an essential role in our health.

Better nutrient absorption: good chewing transforms food into nutrients that reach our cells more effectively.

Eating less and managing weight: chewing triggers various hormones that send a satiety signal to the brain during the meal.

Improving digestion: insufficient chewing forces the stomach to produce more gastric juice to break down large pieces. This excess acid can irritate the digestive lining and cause acid reflux.

Protecting teeth and gums: chewing helps prevent cavities by stimulating saliva production, which cleans dental plaque and protects enamel from acidity. It also exercises our gums, essential for good dental health.

5. Fill up on antioxidants

Antioxidants are extremely beneficial molecules that are crucial to cell protection. They help guard against various afflictions, such as premature skin aging, cancer, degenerative disorders, cataracts, arthritis and cardiovascular disease.

The good news is that these miracle workers occur all around us in our food. Eating generous amounts of fruits and vegetables is usually enough to cover the body’s needs. Here are some foods with particularly high antioxidant properties:

Berries: blueberries, blackberries, goji berries, acai berries, raspberries, strawberries

Other fruits: apples, plums, pomegranates, oranges, kiwis, grapes, figs

Vegetables: artichokes, cabbages, broccoli, spinach, bell peppers

Allium family: onion, garlic, shallot

Spices: cloves, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon

Herb: thyme, basil, oregano, parsley, chives, dill, mint, rosemary, bay leaf

Hot beverages: tea and coffee

Cacao and chocolate: pure cocoa powder, dark chocolate (at least 70% cacao)

You should eat organic versions of these foods because organically grown foods have 20% to 70% more polyphenols (a type of antioxidant found in many vegetables) than conventionally grown foods.

6. Eat mindfully

In our busy lives, many of us eat breakfast at breakneck speed, or gobble up lunch in front of our computers to make the most of our time. We are completely disconnected from our relationship with food.

However, it is important to devote at least 20 minutes to each meal. Mindfulness is about considering a moment in its own right, and paying attention to what we eat.

Applying mindfulness to our eating habits will have several beneficial impacts. First, it enables us to listen to our hunger and satiety signals and ensure that our intake is adapted to our needs. This will reduce the quantities we consume and our cravings for snacks.

Mindful eating also helps develop a preference for healthier foods: when we eat impulsively and emotionally without listening to our bodies, we no longer feel the pleasure of eating, and we are more susceptible to fatty, sweet and salty foods.

Finally, mindfulness also contributes to mental well-being. It allows you to observe your feelings without judgment, and to listen to yourself. Thinking only of the present moment during a meal also helps to still the mind and lower stress and anxiety.

7. Limit your salt intake

Salt is essential to proper body function, but excessive consumption can lead to the development of certain diseases. Today, we consume more than twice as much salt than we really need!

Excessive salt intake increases the risk of high blood pressure. Hypertension itself can lead to heart disease and even stroke. Salt consumption also increases the risk of cancer and stomach ulcers.

There are simple ways to reduce salt intake:

  • Limit foods high in salt: ready-made meals, potato chips, cold cuts, pizza, sauces, cheese, etc.
  • Opt for alternatives to add flavor to dishes, such as garlic, onion, thyme, chives, basil, lemon, pepper, curry, paprika and all sorts of spices.
  • Taste before salting
  • Do not add salt to cooking water
  • Remove the salt shaker from the table

8. Go vegetarian at dinner

It is recommended to prepare a vegetarian dinner, meaning no meat, fish or eggs. This type of meal will help pave the way for a good night’s sleep.

So, for dinner you should opt for plant-based protein rather than animal protein. Indeed, animal protein encourages the production of dopamine, a neurotransmitter responsible for alertness and motivation. While it is perfect in the morning to rev you up, at night the body needs to make serotonin, a neurotransmitter associated with soothing and sleep regulation.

Serotonin is made from tryptophan, an amino acid found in plant-based protein, such as legumes, soy, brown rice, sunflower seeds and chocolate. The carbohydrates found in legumes and grain products also help optimize serotonin production.

Some foods promote serotonin production, which optimizes sleep quality:

Walnuts and almonds: in addition to tryptophan, they contain magnesium, a lack of which can be linked to sleep disorders.

Carbohydrates (from whole grains and fruits): thanks to insulin secretion, their amino acids will be directed to the brain rather than the muscles. That will make room for tryptophan in the brain, so it is more readily available for serotonin production.

Furthermore, animal proteins and cooked fats are very demanding for the digestive system: they are made up of molecules that can take a long time to digest.

9. Opt for low-temperature cooking

Cooking at high temperatures erodes the nutritional quality of food: it leads to the destruction of certain vitamins and minerals. Some vitamins are very sensitive to heat, and foods can easily lose 50% of their initial vitamin content during cooking. The longer the cooking time and the higher the temperature, the lower the nutritional content of the food.

In addition, browning food during cooking is accompanied by the production of Maillard bodies, compounds which, in excessive quantities, can increase the risk of developing certain cancers.

Opt for low-temperature cooking, i.e. below 210°F. The most useful method is gently steaming your foods.

10. Eat raw foods and avoid processed foods

Raw food is a product that is sold in its original form and has not undergone any
processing: fruit and vegetables, legumes, eggs, fish, etc. Conversely, processed products
are those that have undergone some form of transformation in order to be sold and which do not occur in this form in nature: ready-made meals, fruit juices and soft drinks, cookies, etc.

Ultra-processed foods have problematic health effects: they are often low in nutrients with a high glycemic load. What’s more, they generally contain little fiber and their texture can be too soft to be satiating.

Finally, consuming processed foods throws the gut microbiota out of balance. As a result, the intestinal microbiota has fewer good bacteria, which are essential to proper body function since they fight pathogens (e.g. parasites and bacteria) and perform essential functions to prevent lifestyle diseases.

Here are some tips for avoiding processed foods:

Go with short ingredient lists, meaning no more than 4 or 5 ingredients.

Avoid products whose ingredient list includes items with complicated names (glucose-fructose syrup, hydrolyzed proteins, modified starch, etc.).

Choose products without problematic additives. Of course, you can use Yuka for this!

Eat as many raw, unprocessed products as possible, that you have prepared and cooked yourself.

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  • Hall KD, Ayuketah A, Brychta R, et al. Ultra-Processed Diets Cause Excess Calorie Intake and Weight Gain: An Inpatient Randomized Controlled Trial of Ad Libitum Food Intake [published correction appears in Cell Metab. 2019 Jul 2;30(1):226]. Cell Metab. 2019;30(1):67-77.e3.
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Co-Author

Anthony Berthou

Registered nutritionist, specialist in systemic food issues, teacher to healthcare professionals.

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239 comments

  1. De
    3 hours ago

    Thanks for the info

    Reply
  2. Caren
    6 hours ago

    I am allergic to eggs so instead I eat blueberries and snack pack of chocolate covered almonds or espresso beans.

    Reply
  3. Roseanne Wegrich
    23 hours ago

    I have just started YUKA and love using it while grocery shopping. I just have the “free” app and it is educational to me. Thank you.

    Reply
  4. Siobhan
    2 days ago

    I have a question about salt..
    I have started taking a small amount of Celtic salt and then drinking water, as I read on instagram that our cells can’t pull the water inside without it…is this true?

    Reply
  5. miriam
    5 days ago

    I am a big proponent of raw; however, as we age I have found lightly steamed vegetables are more friendly in my gut

    Reply
  6. jen
    5 days ago

    Very good read. Its good to know there are educational articles that help point us in the healthy right direction. Thank you for the information. I really enjoy the Yuka ap. Things that I thought were “better” to consume turn out not to sometimes be not the best option.

    Reply
  7. joyce
    6 days ago

    Thank you for informing me.

    Reply
  8. Linda
    8 days ago

    Good advice. Accords well with the Zoe programme which I am following. I need to tweek your advice a bit because of pre-diabetic blood sugar readings. Also probably need more protein as older and active!

    Reply
  9. Norma
    9 days ago

    I’m really enjoying the Yuka app, it really makes me think about what i’m buying/consuming.

    Reply
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