I’m a doctor. Here are 11 science-backed tips to help you eat healthier

I’ve only rarely met patients who can go from zero to 100 when it comes to a dietary change. So many people are used to eating highly processed, low-fibre meals, and their palates are accustomed to it.

That’s why I recommend making small healthy changes gradually, until you create a new habit and lifestyle that you’re actually comfortable with.

Here are 11 science-backed tips for eating healthier.

Try smoothies instead of fruit juices

It’s a myth that you “lose” all the benefits of fibre when you blend fruits and veggies. When you make a smoothie, you’re just blending the fibres down into smaller pieces that pass more easily through your stomach — you’re not destroying the cell walls.

A winning smoothie will contain a mixture of protein (such as from Greek yogurt), a serving of fruit (such as a small banana or half a cup of berries) and a blended veggie (such as kale or spinach) for fibre. Other additions, such as chia seeds and nut butters, can offer a nutritional boost. But be mindful of possible excess sugars. It’s easy to go overboard on fruits, rapidly raising the glycemic index, and many also skimp on the fibre, which we all never get enough of.

Fruits themselves in moderation (aim for four servings per day) are great for health, due to their micronutrients, antioxidants and fibre. Fruit juice seems like a natural extension of this, but without the whole fruit, including peel and pulp, you actually lose many of those benefits and get a quick glucose spike that stresses your pancreas.

Think about it this way: You probably wouldn’t eat three apples in a row, but you could easily drink the equivalent amount of sugar in one serving of apple juice.

Choose healthier animal proteins

In numerous population-level and randomised controlled trials, the Mediterranean diet has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes and even cancer. In fact, eating a Mediterranean-style diet, which is rich in legumes, nuts, fruits and vegetables, can reduce the risk of colorectal cancer by about 18 percent.

The Mediterranean diet also features healthier animal proteins by including yogurt, fish and chicken while de-emphasising red meat. A study of over 500,000 European adults found that 100 to 200 grams of fatty or lean fish consumed weekly reduced colorectal cancer risk by 7 percent. So how about trying this easy salmon recipe that involves minimal prep?

Eat more fibre

The recommended daily fibre intake for adults is 22 to 34 grams. But the vast majority of us are not meeting this threshold. We should all be eating a fibre-rich diet. This time-tested recommendation remains one of the strongest-studied ways to promote and preserve a healthy microbiome and improve your overall health.

Eating a low-fibre diet leads to the loss of major categories of bacteria — and once certain groups are lost, they can be lost for good, even if you try to ramp up fibre intake later. So the time to act is now. The more diverse your diet, the more diverse your microbiome, and the healthier you are. So choose a variety of high-fibre plants, nuts and fermented foods to feed your microbiome the nutrient buffet it deserves.

Cut down on ultra-processed foods

Eating a typical Western diet — meaning high in fat and low in fibre — has been shown to induce more than double the amount of bacterial toxins in the blood compared with a more balanced diet. Studies have also found that emulsifiers, a common food additive to prolong shelf life, and artificial sweeteners in ultra-processed foods may compromise the gut barrier.

Not coincidentally, ultra-processed food consumption is linked to symptoms such as chronic abdominal pain and constipation often seen in irritable bowel syndrome.

Embrace whole grains

Many of us are eating some form of a grain, such as rice or bread, at multiple meals every week. Refined grains such as white rice and breads made from white flour are low in fibre and other minerals. Instead, try swapping these out for whole grains.

In addition to being heart healthy, whole grains, such as brown rice, quinoa and farro, are rich in fibre, helping you stay regular. The higher dietary fibre found in whole grains can also reduce your risk of colorectal cancer. For example, one meta-analysis found that three servings daily of whole grains is associated with a 17 percent colorectal cancer risk reduction.

Avoid sugar-sweetened beverages

A 2021 analysis of the Nurses’ Health Study II, a landmark study of nearly 100,000 nurses in the United States whose lifestyle habits and other medical conditions were followed over decades, found that each serving of a sugar-sweetened beverage consumed per day during adolescence was associated with a 32 percent increased risk of early-onset colorectal cancer. Higher intake in adulthood was also linked to an increased risk.

Try plain Greek yogurt

Dairy products are some of our main sources of calcium and vitamin D. My recommendation? Try eating plain Greek yogurt at breakfast.

Greek yogurt can help you avoid hunger with half the carbohydrates and twice the protein of regular yogurt. But it’s best to avoid flavours that have added sugar. Instead, boost the flavor profile of plain Greek yogurt with nuts, seeds and fresh fruits.

Whether you should opt for low- or nonfat depends on how much you’re eating and your overall daily intake of saturated fat, which should be less than 10 percent (and ideally less than 6 percent) of your daily caloric intake. I’ve seen some individual servings of Greek yogurt that contain as high as 27 percent of the recommended daily value, so it’s always important to read the nutritional label.

Don’t shy away from eggs

Eggs have gotten a bad rap over the years, mainly because of concerns about cholesterol concentrated in their yolks. Moderation is still key: While people with heart disease or high cholesterol need to consider how eggs add to their overall daily cholesterol intake, a study of about half a million Chinese adults suggested that eating one egg a day might decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease.

When cooked in a healthy way (not fried in animal fat such as butter or bacon grease), eggs can be a solid choice and a good source of protein: One egg contains about six grams of protein.

Avoid processed meats

While I love breakfast sausage as much as the next person, I’ve cut down profoundly in the past five years as data has crystallised about the detrimental role processed and red meat play in our gut health.

Many of us know how bad processed meats are for our arteries, but bacon, smoked sausages and cured hams may raise the risk of colorectal cancer, which has been rising among younger people. I wish I could tell you plant-based meat substitutes were the way to go, but it’s not so straightforward. While these are probably a move in the right direction, many of these are ultra-processed and some data suggest they are linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

Cut out alcohol

My patients often struggle with the advice to cut back on alcohol. That is partly because we’re fighting against old dogma that says wine is “good” for you. While past studies found there may be a small protective effect against cardiovascular disease with light alcohol consumption, a major 2023 meta-analysis debunked this entire idea, and no study has ever shown that these people also have a reduced risk of cancer.

Because even drinking as infrequently as fewer than one standard drink per day raises the risk of cancer, researchers from the World Health Organisation now advise there is no “safe amount of alcohol consumption.”

Be smart about sugar cravings

You don’t need to cut out sweets entirely. In fact, a classic study from researchers at Northwestern University in 1975 found that people who ate a more restrictive diet were more likely to go overboard when given a chance at sweets than people who didn’t diet. So I recommend trying smaller, less frequent portions of your favourite sweets (fun fact: dark chocolate is a surprisingly healthier choice compared with milk chocolate). You can also practice mindful eating to savour the experience.

And don’t swap out real sugar with sugar substitutes. Some sugar substitutes are far sweeter than sugar, which won’t exactly help address your sugar cravings. And according to the World Health Organisation, not only do these not help with weight loss if that’s your goal, but they can lead to other health problems. (Of course, these considerations are different for people with diabetes.)