Tips for a Healthier 2025

Protein provides your body with the building blocks it needs for daily function, from supporting your immune system to repairing bone and muscle. “Protein and fiber will help sustain you and keep you satisfied as you start your day,” says Georgia Giannopoulos, a registered dietitian with NewYork-Presbyterian. The FDA recommends about 50 grams of protein per day for the average adult, though your protein needs can vary depending on your size, age, and the amount you exercise. You can input your information into a calculator from the United States Department of Agriculture to find out your daily dietary needs.

As for fiber, people should aim to eat about 28 grams of fiber a day, according to Dr. Carolyn Newberry, a gastroenterologist and physician nutrition specialist at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. Some fiber-rich foods include oats, fruits, and leafy greens. “Fiber helps you feel satisfied, so it can also help with appetite regulation and avoiding overeating,” says Dr. Newberry. “For people looking to improve portion control and maintain a healthy weight, fiber is a great tool.” Maintaining a personalized healthy weight has far-reaching impact: “It’s associated with reducing the risk of things like heart disease and developing metabolic syndrome, which is associated with elevated blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugars,” she adds.

In terms of what to avoid, ultra-processed foods should be at the top of the list. “The World Health Organization and the Food and Agricultural Organization recommend the restriction of ultra-processed food as part of a healthy and sustainable diet,” says Dr. Michelle H. Loy, an integrative medicine physician at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. “A dietary pattern that emphasizes ultra-processed food can be of concern both in the short term and long term.”

Ultra-processed foods have been linked to an increase risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, type two diabetes, and obesity. “While more research is being done to examine how processed foods affect our bodies, we do have plenty of data showing that whole food, unprocessed dietary patterns — which include those from the Blue Zones, the Mediterranean diet, the diabetes prevention diet, the whole plant-based diet, and an anti-inflammatory diet, for example — are all associated with better health,” says Dr. Loy. “And that’s probably due to their combination of emphasizing whole foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lentils, beans and nuts, which are full of macronutrients, micronutrients, beneficial phytochemicals, and fiber, in combination with moderating ultra-processed foods.”