Six Tips to Eat Healthier in 2025

24 Jan 2025

Healthy eating is an essential strategy for living a longer, happier, and more vibrant life. From prioritising plant-based foods to understanding the importance of specific nutrients, there are countless ways to optimise your diet for better health.

Researchers in the field of nutrition, Dr Áine Hennessy and Dr Elaine McCarthy, School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, provide healthy eating tips that may inspire you to make minor or major dietary changes, leading to improved benefits in your health and well-being.

1. Nutritious food from sustainable sources
Eating nutrient-rich food from sustainable sources is important for both personal and planetary health. We can shift our eating habits towards a more plant-based diet by making small but achievable changes, like limiting how often we consume animal products without having to cut them out entirely. Going meat-free a few times a week and incorporating more plant-based sources of protein (like beans, lentils and pulses), whole grains, fruits and vegetables can lower your diet’s environmental impact while boosting your intake of fibre, vitamins and minerals. If you decide to transition to a plant-based diet, aim to eat a wide variety of foods and choose fortified options. For example, if switching from cows’ milk to a plant-based drink like oat or soy milk, check that it is fortified with calcium, vitamin B12 and iodine to ensure that you are not missing out on important nutrients. 

2. Consider your protein sources throughout the day
Proteins are the key building blocks in our body, making up your bones, muscles, skin, enzymes, hormones and much more. Therefore, protein is a key component of our diet, which can be found in animal and plant sources, namely meats, fish, dairy products, eggs, peas, beans, lentils and nuts. When choosing your protein food sources, consider both protein quality and protein distribution. While proteins that come from animal sources are considered complete proteins providing the full complement of amino acids that your body needs, make sure to choose lean meat or low-fat dairy options. Many plant-based foods do not contain all the essential amino acids you need, so it’s important to consume a mix of plant-based proteins during the day to help you meet all your needs. Consider introducing protein-rich snacks into your day to help you feel full for longer between meals, like fruit with nut butter or Greek yoghurt with berries. 

3. Protect your brain (and everything else)
As we get older, we need to consider that our brain ages and this can result in changes in how our brain works. Unfortunately, there isn’t one “super food” on its own that can protect our brain and support us in healthy aging. There are however dietary patterns that we can try to incorporate into our lives to help protect our aging brain and the rest of our body too. A Mediterranean style diet, enjoyed by our friends in Greece and Italy, is full of brain supporting compounds like omega 3 fatty acids, polyphenols and antioxidants. Aim to include more whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans and seeds each day. Oily fish and seafood are also important sources of omega 3 fatty acids so aim to eat these often, at least 1-2 times a week. Simple changes like adding flaxseed or chia seeds as toppings to your salads or breakfast can help to provide even more of these brain friendly nutrients. For more information, take a look at a recent UCC Science in Society Public Lecture on the topic here.

4. Boost your vitamin D
Vitamin D is important for maintaining good bone health and immune function. While sunlight exposure is the main source of vitamin D, this source becomes limited during the winter months making dietary sources such as fish, eggs and red meat, as well as vitamin D supplements important during this time. As our intake of these foods are usually not sufficient to meet daily needs, incorporating fortified foods like fortified milk and dairy products and fortified breakfast cereals into your diet can be a useful strategy to increase vitamin D intake and status. Researchers at the Cork Centre for Vitamin D and Nutrition Research are currently carrying out an 8-week study offering participants (aged 60 years and over) healthy white and wholemeal bread loaves to support their health and prevent vitamin D deficiency.

5. Make healthier meals
Limiting saturated fat, salt and sugar is key to reducing the risk of diseases like heart disease and cancer. Here are some useful tips:
•    Fat: Swap butter for olive oil, choose lean cuts of meat and opt for baked instead of fried foods.
•    Salt: Use herbs and spices to season food instead of salt and choose low-sodium versions of canned goods.
•    Sugar: Reduce your intake of sugar-sweetened beverages, use natural sweeteners like honey sparingly and satisfy your sweet tooth with fruit.
For inspiration, the Anti-Cancer Cookbook developed by Professor Aoife Ryan and Dr Éadaoin Ní Bhuachalla at the School of Food and Nutritional Sciences offers practical family-friendly recipes that balance flavour and health, making it easier to achieve a nutritious diet. 

6. Keep hydrated
Even mild dehydration is associated with increased fatigue, poorer mood and decreased alertness, all of which can make it difficult to go about your day. Staying hydrated is a simple solution to ensure you can feel your best. Recommendations suggest that we should consume about 1.6 - 2 litres of water daily, translating into 8-10 glasses. Water is the perfect fluid to hydrate your body, but if you aren’t such a fan, try infusing it with fruit or cucumber and keeping it chilled. Purchasing a good water bottle is a great investment to help with this, all while aligning with UCC’s sustainability goals!