Introduction

As a post-95s generation member, I deeply understand how chaotic young people's eating habits can be nowadays. The tempting array of foods on delivery apps, the constant stream of trending restaurants in social media feeds, plus recommendations from various food bloggers - it's truly overwhelming and confusing to know what to eat.

I used to be a complete "diet novice" myself, willing to eat anything in pursuit of good food. However, after experiencing long-term irregular eating habits, I began studying nutrition and seriously considering what kind of diet is truly healthy. After years of exploration and practice, I finally found a healthy eating plan suitable for young people, which I'd like to share with you today.

Balance is Key

To be honest, maintaining a balanced diet is really challenging in today's fast-paced society. Especially for office workers like us who leave early and return late, just eating meals on time is already an achievement, let alone focusing on nutritional balance. However, if you want to have a good figure and healthy body, balanced nutrition is an unavoidable topic.

I suggest starting with the basics. First, daily meals must include diverse ingredients. For me, I divide my daily meals like this: For breakfast, I usually choose whole wheat bread with boiled eggs and a glass of unsweetened soy milk. The bread provides carbohydrates, eggs provide protein, and soy milk supplements calcium and B vitamins. At lunch when work is busy, I prepare brown rice boxes in advance with some stir-fried vegetables and pan-fried salmon. Brown rice contains much more dietary fiber than white rice, keeping me full longer and preventing afternoon drowsiness. For dinner, I like to make a quinoa chicken breast salad - quinoa is rich in protein and minerals, chicken breast is high in protein and low in fat, and paired with various fresh vegetables, it's both nutritious and delicious.

Second, I want to particularly emphasize the importance of dietary fiber. Many young people have constipation problems, largely due to insufficient fiber intake. From my experience, to easily reach the daily recommended 25-30g fiber intake, you can do this: Choose whole wheat bread instead of regular bread for breakfast - one slice of whole wheat bread provides 2-3g of fiber; replace white rice with brown rice at lunch - a bowl of brown rice provides about 4g of fiber; choose fruits for snacks - an apple has about 4g of fiber; eat more leafy greens at dinner, like broccoli and spinach - every 100g provides 2-3g of fiber. Adding these up, you can reach the recommended intake without even realizing it.

Third, I have some special tricks for fruit and vegetable intake. I keep fruit boxes and cutting boards both at home and in the office. Every weekend, I buy a week's worth of fruits like apples, oranges, and dragon fruit, wash them and keep them in the fruit box. Whenever I want to eat, I can just take them out and cut them - very convenient. As for vegetables, I wash the next day's portion every evening and store them cut in containers. This way, I can start cooking directly the next day, saving prep time.

It's worth noting that many people find vegetables and fruits hard to eat, but it's really about not knowing how to pair them. For example, broccoli is highly nutritious but many find it too bland. You can try cutting it into small florets, blanching in hot water then cooling, and serving with garlic or sesame sauce - it tastes much better. Another example is bitter gourd - you can slice and marinate it, then stir-fry with eggs to reduce the bitterness.

The same goes for fruits. Dragon fruit can be cubed and eaten with yogurt, which both neutralizes the yogurt's sourness and prevents the dragon fruit from being too sweet. Bananas can be sliced and frozen, then blended into smoothies for a great texture. Oranges can be juiced, but it's best to drink immediately to preserve the most vitamin C.

Ingredient Selection

When it comes to choosing ingredients, I think the most important thing is learning to read ingredient labels. Many foods in the market claim to be "healthy," "low-fat," or "sugar-free," but they're not necessarily truly healthy. Let me teach you a few simple ways to judge.

Let's start with salt. Our daily salt intake shouldn't exceed 6g, but did you know? One package of instant noodles contains nearly 4g of salt. So when choosing processed foods, you must check the sodium content. Generally, foods containing more than 400mg of sodium per 100g are considered high-salt foods. I suggest using natural seasonings instead of salt when cooking. For example, when making soup, you can add mushrooms to enhance umami flavor; when stir-frying, add green onions, ginger, and garlic to increase flavor while reducing salt usage.

Sugar control is also important. Added sugar shouldn't exceed 25g per day, but a 500ml bottle of cola contains 50g of sugar! So I've completely given up sugary drinks. If I really want something sweet, I'll make fruit juice at home. For instance, I'll soak lemon slices, mint leaves, and apple slices in cold water for a refreshing and healthy drink. Or I'll freeze various fruit chunks and blend them with water when I want juice for a purely natural smoothie.

Regarding oil selection, I recommend using oils high in unsaturated fatty acids like olive oil and avocado oil. These oils not only help maintain cardiovascular health but also help the body absorb fat-soluble vitamins. However, even healthy oils should be used in moderation. I usually use an oil spray bottle to control the amount, ensuring food isn't too dry while avoiding excessive oil intake.

Protein selection is also crucial. Based on body weight, for example, a 60kg person needs about 48g of protein daily. It doesn't sound like much, but note that this refers to pure protein. To reach this amount, I usually arrange it like this: two eggs for breakfast (about 12g protein), 100g fish for lunch (about 20g protein), and 100g chicken breast for dinner (about 30g protein). This way, main meals can meet protein requirements. For those who exercise, protein intake should be increased accordingly.

It's particularly important to note that when choosing meat, try to select lean cuts. For example, choose tenderloin for pork, tenderloin or ribeye for beef, and breast meat for chicken. These parts are high in protein and relatively low in fat. For fish, it's recommended to choose deep-sea fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids like salmon and tuna.

Habit Formation

To be honest, changing eating habits isn't easy. I also struggled when I first started. However, with the right methods, it's not as difficult to persist as you might think.

First, I suggest starting by changing your tableware. I specifically bought a set of smaller tableware, including bowls, plates, and spoons. Research shows that using smaller tableware naturally reduces food intake by 15-20%. You might feel hungry at first, but after a while, you'll find this portion size is just right.

Second, develop regular meal times. I now basically eat breakfast at 7 AM, lunch at 12 PM, and dinner at 6 PM. Fixed meal times can help your body establish regular metabolic rhythms and avoid overeating due to hunger. If work is too busy, you can set phone alarms to remind yourself to eat on time.

Next is learning to eat slowly. I used to eat very quickly, often finishing a meal in ten minutes. Later, I learned to chew slowly, chewing each bite 20-30 times. It felt very uncomfortable at first, feeling extremely slow, but after persisting, I found it worked really well. Not only does it help with digestion and absorption, but it also allows you to truly taste the food. Also, because you're eating more slowly, it's easier to feel full and avoid overeating.

I also developed a habit of recording my diet. I downloaded a calorie tracking app on my phone and record everything I eat each day. This not only helps me clearly know how many calories I'm consuming but also helps identify dietary problems. For example, through recording, I discovered I often unconsciously ate a lot of snacks, so now I'm particularly careful about controlling snack intake.

Practical Tips

When it comes to practical tips, what I most want to share is about food storage. As a busy office worker, I deeply understand how important proper food storage is.

Let's start with storing staple foods. I usually prepare a week's worth of staples on weekends. For example, I'll cook a large pot of brown rice or quinoa, then portion it into meal-sized containers and freeze them. When needed, move a portion to the refrigerator to thaw the day before, then heat it up the next day to eat. This not only saves time but also ensures healthy staples every day.

Vegetable storage is also crucial. Process vegetables as soon as you buy them - I usually wash them all first, then drain well. Pre-cut vegetables that need cutting, like carrots and broccoli, and store them in containers with a kitchen paper towel on top to absorb excess moisture. Vegetables stored this way can stay fresh for 3-4 days. For leafy vegetables like spinach and lettuce, wash them and store them in preservation bags in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator.

For meat, I portion and marinate it right after purchase. First, cut the meat into meal-sized portions, then add seasonings to marinate. My usual marinade includes: green onions, ginger, garlic, cooking wine, soy sauce, and oyster sauce. Place the marinated meat in preservation bags and freeze. This not only preserves it longer but also improves the flavor with longer marination time. Just move it to the refrigerator to thaw the day before use.

Regarding beverages, I also have some tips. The first thing I do every morning is drink a glass of warm water to help wake up the digestive system. I used to love coffee but only with sugar and milk. Later, I gradually started trying black coffee - it was definitely an adjustment at first, but after two weeks, I fell in love with coffee's natural aroma. Now I drink an Americano every morning, which both energizes me and avoids extra sugar.

For regular hydration, I add natural flavorings to water, like lemon slices, mint leaves, or cucumber slices. These not only add flavor but also supplement vitamins and minerals. In summer, I freeze this flavored water into ice cubes - adding a few to water while drinking is both refreshing and attractive.

Conclusion

After saying all this, the core point is just one thing: healthy eating requires persistence. Don't expect to change all your eating habits at once - that's more likely to lead to failure. Start with small changes and cultivate gradually to truly establish healthy eating habits.

Remember, everyone has different physiques and lifestyles, so don't blindly follow trends. Find the eating style that suits you best based on your actual situation. The ultimate goal of healthy eating is to have a better body and live a higher quality life.

So, after reading this article, where will you start changing your eating habits? Will you start by switching to a smaller bowl, or begin recording your diet today?