We live in times where our health and well-being are at the top of the list when it comes to what we need to focus on. Following a healthy lifestyle may be challenging, but it’s definitely worth the effort. If you’re feeling overwhelmed about the idea of turning your life upside, you don’t have to be. Here are 6 simple ways you can improve your diet with minimum effort.

You’ll come across a myriad of diets, some of which are effective, others are only fads. You can always follow a diet if it works for you, but you have to make sure it fulfills all your nutritional needs. Unfortunately, many of these diets require extreme lifestyle changes – take the keto diet as an example. 

Instead of turning your life upside down, the simplest way to live healthily is to follow a balanced diet. As its name suggests, a balanced diet allows you to eat everything you want, you just learn how to balance the ratios. In this diet, you fill half your plate with vegetables and fibers, around a quarter with whole grain carbs, another quarter goes to lean proteins, and you adjust the healthy fats to make up around 10% of your total daily calories. 

What you eat matters, including more than the type of food you eat. In other words, the way you cook your food is a major factor in determining its actual nutritional value. 

Did you know that many ingredients can lose their nutritional value if cooked a certain way? At the very least, that’s the case for many vegetables. The best way to eat them is raw, as cooking them reduces their overall value. 

When it comes to cooking, it’s always safer to bake or roast your food rather than grilling or frying it. While grilling meat and poultry, especially over charcoal, adds dangerous chemicals to the food, frying saturates them with fat, increasing cholesterol levels. 

For many people, taking supplements is the most practical way to get what they need from their dietary imbalance. That said, eating solid food will always be the best way to supply your body with the nutrition you need. 

However, there’s no reason to avoid supplements altogether, especially during times of need. The only problem with supplements is you can never be sure if they deliver on their promises. 

Superfood supplements have been all the hype, but do they really work? Reliable resources recommend a comprehensive review to determine their true value. Many supplements only deliver a minute amount of the promised nutritional value. You need to do a lot of research to ensure the quality of what you’ll be relying on. 

You already know you’ll have to cut down on all that junk food. With a little effort, you can create just as juicy burgers at your home, the only difference is that they’ll be healthier. The same goes for sugar, simply substitute with healthier alternatives. 

Perhaps what’s news to you is that salt can also be harmful. However, as long as you add salt in moderation, there’s no reason to forgo salt altogether. 

We just can’t stress enough how essential it is to eat enough protein. Living up to its king of nutrients title, protein is essential in practically all physiological processes. To mention a few benefits, it aids wound healing, boosts immunity, and even makes you feel fuller for longer. 

It’s not a stretch then to say that packing your breakfast with protein is the ultimate way to kickstart your day. At the very least, be sure to include eggs in your breakfast. It’s easy, practical, and can be tailored to a dozen recipe ideas to keep your tastebuds happy.

Imagine how much healthier you will feel if you stay properly hydrated. Your focus will increase, energy will rise, and headaches will miraculously disappear. Drink enough water so you never feel thirsty. Keep in mind that your hydration needs will increase with physical activity, so always keep a water bottle on you. 

We’ve become programmed to associate the word “diet” with integral lifestyle changes. Although that may be the case for some people, following a healthy diet doesn’t mean you should starve or torture yourself. With a few simple tweaks, you can live the healthiest way you can while reaching your fitness goals in a sustainable manner.