Healthy eating habits that don’t include a food scale, according to U.S. News

Complex diets promise transformation. They provide spreadsheets.

Rigid rules, obscure ingredients, and marathon meal prep sessions tend to fall apart in real life.

The simplest eating habits minimize friction. They skip calorie calculations. They rely on foods you can find at any standard grocery store and focus on balanced plates, reasonable portions, and repeatable habits.

According to a report from US NewsThese habits share a few defining traits: simple guidelines instead of rigid rules, whole, easy-to-find foods instead of exotic ingredients, visual portion control instead of meticulous tracking, and short prep times that fit into a busy schedule.

They also avoid predictable pitfalls, including overly restrictive rules, complicated preparations and unrealistic expectations.

Here are three truly sustainable eating styles.