That’s a very good question! People have different definitions, for example: 
- ”Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.” (From Michael Pollan’s seven rules of eating)
- “Eat real food”, “Can’t read it? don’t eat it”, “Avoid any food that has a TV commercial”
- “Eat healthy 80 percent of the time, indulge in your favorite foods 20 percent of the time.”
- “Eat lean meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds”. (paleo diet)
- “Eat fruits, vegetables, plenty of leafy greens, whole grain products, nuts, seeds, and legumes.” (vegan diet)

All in all, healthy eating means eating foods that give YOU the nutrients you need to maintain your health, feel good, and have energy in the long run.  

Don’t over-think it and make healthy eating too complicated, because it isn’t. It may sound cliché, but learning about what’s healthy for you is more about listening to what your body is really telling you than reading about what works for others.

Hi Chelsea,

Here is an example of a meal plan from a fitness magazine to give you an idea on how you could plan your meals:
 
I’ll try to post more meal plans on my blog to give you more suggestions.

Examples of pre-workout meals (2 hours to 30 min before your workout) could be:
- two brown rice cakes with humus, one apple
- a chickpea salad with cherry tomatoes
- a green salad with chicken in a whole wheat tortilla 

Example of post-workout meals (within 30 min after your workout) could be:
- a banana and nonfat cottage cheese
- a protein shake with frozen berries
- an apple and a cup of Greek yogurt

Hi! Try eating your vegetables first, eat more protein (eggs, poultry, fish) and healthy fat (unsalted almonds). Eating foods that contain both protein and fat (fatty fish such as sardines) or protein and carbs (beans, lentils) may be a way to cut back the bread/rice cravings you have when you’re tired. 

Here is how your portions should look like: 

You see that portion for carbs (rice, bread) is only what can fit into one cupped hand, whereas vegetables can fit into two cupped hands. (For fruits I’d just stick to one fruit as a portion, two cupped hands is just too much fruit sugar if you’re trying to lose weight). 

Hi! According to me there are two kinds of people:

- Some folks can eat one cookie, enjoy it, and move on to the next thing. They just aren’t addicted to desserts/sweets. Cookies’ portion control is not an issue for them.

- Other people (like you and me) want more than one cookie after eating the first one. Even when they eat a few cookies and put the box away, they still remember that the box is there in the pantry screaming their name.

It doesn’t mean that these people have less self-control than the first categorie. I know I have a lot of self-discipline when it comes to many things (my workouts, my job).

Sugar has a drug effect on them and changes their physical and mental state. When they eat one cookie, they want another. This leads to internal dialogues like: “Should I have another cookie? Life is short – maybe I should? blah blah blah…”.

People belonging to this categorie have an “all-or-none” mindset. Their best options to save calories and eliminate time-consuming internal dialogues about food are:
- saying no, eating no cookie at all, giving the whole cookie box away
- buying only one small individually wrapped cookie and eating it before or after a workout to decrease sugar’s addictive effect.

Hello! It all comes down to training your body to enjoy different foods. You have to understand and notice that your eating habits are not permanent; they can always be altered. Eating habits can change. What you used to eat as an adolescent most of which you probably do not care for anymore.

The trick to changing your eating habits is to find a healthy alternative that you will enjoy. It’s a bit easier if you ease into it rather than suddently cut everything out. For example, a person who is sugar-addicted could cut out sugar and switch to agave syrup for a while (still another kind of sugar but with a slightly lower glycemic response), then reduce her consumption of agave syrup gradually, and then cut it out too and rely on fruits to satisfy her sweet tooth. 

What is the best way to find great tasting healthy food?  
- Learning how to cook.
- Using spices and condiments.
- Being creative. 
- Trial and error. Being open en curious: you don’t know what is really good and tasty until you try it.

And it’s not just about weight loss: try to listen to what your body is really telling you: notice the small consequences different foods can have on your body. When you eat fresh healthy foods for a few days, lots of things get better: clearer skin, stronger hair, improved digestion etc.