7 clever ways to make any meal healthier
Try these tips to reduce the saturated fat, added sugar, and excess sodium in your meals—without sacrificing flavor.
Jan, 2026
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Eating a healthy diet doesn’t have to involve long lists of hard-to-find ingredients or complex culinary approaches. You can reduce your intake of saturated fat, added sugar, and excess salt by remembering a few simple cooking and meal-prep strategies.
The first step, says Denver dietitian Kaitlin Lindsay, RDN, CNSC, is cooking most of your meals at home. “When you're actually making the food yourself, you're so much more aware of what's going into it,” says Lindsay. “It helps you make better choices.”
When you’re pulling those dishes together, keep these other tips in mind.
Written byTaylor Lupo.
Medically reviewed byGaby Vaca-Flores, RD.
Sources: Harvard Health Publishing. Is extra-virgin olive oil extra healthy? July 22 + 3
- Harvard Health Publishing. Is extra-virgin olive oil extra healthy? July 22, 2024.
- NIH: Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin A and Carotenoids. March 10, 2025.
- NIH: Office of Dietary Supplements. Potassium. June 2, 2022.
- Mayo Clinic. Are chicken eggs good or bad for my cholesterol? March 7, 2024.
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