How does one eat healthy?

[Grace360]

I'm always anxious about my health and I would like to eat healthy. But I have the taste buds of a small, whiny, picky child. I like pasta and meats and sauces and noodles and creamy soup out of a can and crackers and things that come in boxes. The closest to veggies I eat is in a vegetable lasagna.
Its a huge problem really.
I even looked up healthy recipes and stuff. But none of it looks appetizing. Literally I'm thinking to myself "where's the seasoning? The cheese? The starch?"
But I need to eat healthy. I feel stupid.
Does anyone have any tips to start eating healthy? Any recipes even? I look them up myself but none of these seem appetizing. All I'm seeing is vegetables piled on eachother with no seasoning. Even salads. People say "well salads are amazing just put the right stuff on it." But I don't like any of the "stuff".
I just need tips basically. I wanted to go full raw whole food diet but it seems like too big a step.

 

[MATD]

There are lots of seasonings that can enhance food. There are also a lot of web sites that can teach you to eat healthier. You’ve got to be willing to try. And it doesn’t have to be classified as a diet. I’ve been a picky eater too. But I have learned to try different foods and discovered many that I actually like. I would say that our eating habits are formed when we are young and that’s where we learned to be picky. Think of trying new foods as a challenge and an adventure. One thing we can do is cut back on fats and carbs and eat more veggies. It doesn’t have to be a drastic thing, just approach it with moderation.

 

[Camden]

A good green bean dish is French cut green beans, Italian seasoning (garlic salt, basil, oregano, etc.) crumbled feta cheese, diced tomatoes, a teaspoon of garlic paste, and a handful of pine nuts.
Drain the green beans and mix everything together over medium heat. Add the garlic and Italian seasoning first and let the beans simmer a few minutes. Add the tomatoes, feta cheese, and pine nuts last.
A savory and very flavorful (spicy and umami) way to enjoy green vegetables

 

[HulaHoops]

I have high blood pressure so I have to watch what I eat, especially sodium content. I use the Mrs. Dash salt-free seasonings (there are 11 different kinds), grocery store brand spice mixes (like Italian blends with oregano, basil, garlic powder, etc.), McCormick's salt-free mixes, garam masalas, chili powder blends, and I put a quarter to a half of the salt in a recipe that I'm cooking instead of the full amount. That takes care of seasoning issues.

I've also found that roasting vegetables is very easy and the results are so good we rarely have leftovers: cut up a broccoli or cauliflower, carrots, potatoes, butternut squash or Brussels sprouts, drizzle with olive oil and plenty of seasoning and roast them in the oven at 425 for a half hour. I make homemade vegetable soup like minestrone (there's a duplicate recipe of Olive Garden's minestrone on line that's delicious), I make pork and beans in my crock pot, I make pot roast with potatoes, onions, and carrots in the crock pot too (I trim most of the fat off the roast).

I feel you on the noodles and pasta, I love those too. I've tried the whole wheat pastas and my favorite is made by Ronzoni, its pretty close to white flour pasta, but sometimes I just want ~real pasta~ so I just watch my portion control. Basically the trick is finding tastes you like, go with flavor profiles you like and google recipes (healthy Mexican food, for example).

 

[TruthHurts]

Start out slow and just find stuff that you like. Most people prefer fruits over vegetables, Adding fruits to your diet will be very beneficial to your health and they taste good also. What I do is I blend up fruits and vegetables in a blender and drink them. When compared to eating a salad, blending is more beneficial because your blender has the power to break up cell walls of a plant. The result is a release of antioxidants which also allows for easier digestion. Plus that way I don't have to spend a hour chewing vegetables haha. Just try out different things adding any fruits and vegetables to your diet will be great for you.

 

[Camden]

The original food pyramid is wrong. It says that biggest part of a healthy diet is grains, rice, wheat, bread, and pasta (base of the pyramid).

Cutting back on carbs is a great way to eat healthier and trim down. I admit I’m a carb addict and love my bread, rice, and beer. Take small steps such as ordering a soup and salad instead of a sandwich, or passing on that Japanese rice bowl in favor of hibachi meat and mixed vegetables. All of your favorite restaurants will have healthier choices.

Go for snack foods that have high protein such as nuts and cheese. Peanut butter crackers are a great energy boost without any sugar or excess carbs. Eat plenty of non-processed meat to get good dose of protein every day. If you’re vegetarian, be sure to find alternative ways to get your protein.