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Healthy Eating 101

Nourishing diet basics to help you feel great.

Eating healthy often feels like a puzzle—so many choices, so little time. It can often be seen as a challenge, but it doesn’t have to be. The key lies in creating simple, sustainable habits that make healthy choices feel natural. With a fresh approach to meal planning, finding fresh foods that don’t break the bank, and enjoying the benefits of feeling energized every day, a healthier lifestyle becomes achievable for anyone looking to improve their well-being. 

For many, a balanced diet seems time-consuming or expensive. Diane Conigliaro, founder of Tha Twisted Garden, with nearly four decades in the food industry, understands these challenges and strives to break them down. “Healthy eating can be convenient without costing you a fortune,” she highlighted. Stick to the basics. Plan meals, shop fresh, and focus on whole foods around the outer aisles of the store. Avoid the aisles with highly processed options, which often lack the most important nutrients that we should be putting in our bodies. Choosing foods you genuinely enjoy and can eat repeatedly makes it easier to stick with healthier choices.

Meal planning should encompass balanced nutrition, using lean proteins, complex carbs from vegetables, and healthy fats like avocado or olive oil. “Macronutrients are the breakdown of what you eat on your plate. Aim for fifteen to thirty-five percent protein, twenty to thirty-five percent fat, and forty-five to sixty-five percent carbohydrates daily. Some people hear carbohydrates, and they run. They think of bread, chips, and junk carbohydrates. Brussels sprouts, for example, never in a million years did I think they were higher in carbs. They burn differently in your body, making them a good carb. Breakfast might include oatmeal with yogurt and nuts. Lunch could be brown rice, chicken, and olive oil. Dinner might be quinoa, salmon, and avocado,” Diane explained. This method focuses on finding the right ingredients that will make you feel good—not just right after a meal, but the next day as well.

Feeling good today and tomorrow is a choice that you can make with every meal. By thinking about food as a tool for both physical and mental well-being, you are investing in a healthier, happier you. If shopping and counting carbs is hindering your progress with healthy eating, Tha Twisted Garden can do the work for you. Visit www.twisted-garden.com to learn more.

“Healthy eating can be convenient without costing you a fortune.”