14 Ways To Eat What You Want And Still Be Healthy

    Yes, delicious snacks are part of the deal.

    It would be great if every snack and meal we ate was a healthful balance of whole foods we cooked at home. But also, it wouldn't, because packaged and processed foods are delicious, and also sometimes convenience trumps all.

    So, to find out how to still eat your favorite stuff while maintaining a healthy, balanced diet, we reached out to registered dietitians Jessica Jones, of Food Heaven Made Easy and co-author of 28-Day Plant-Powered Health Reboot, and Brian St. Pierre, director of performance nutrition at Precision Nutrition.

    Here's what they told us:

    1. First of all, you can totally still eat packaged food and be ~healthy~.

    2. So you want to look for products with fewer ingredients...that you actually understand.

    3. And pay attention to serving sizes, because sometimes they are HILARIOUS.

    4. Pay attention to the part of the label that notes percent daily value (%DV).

    5. Make sure you're getting a decent ratio of fiber to carbs.

    6. Also look for items with twice as much protein as fat.

    7. Basically disregard any claim of something being "natural."

    8. Try to stay away from foods that contain trans fats.

    9. Oh ALSO, "trans fat free" is sometimes a lie. So read that label closely.

    10. Just skip the low-fat and fat-free products.

    11. Try to be ~mindful~ when you eat.

    12. Avoid sweetened drinks. (Sorry.)

    13. Remember these quick and handy guidelines for finding healthier options of your favorite foods.

    14. But also, don't go bananas analyzing every single number on the label.