At some point in their life, a person will make the decision that they want to start eating healthier. They might start a diet, cut down on calories, switch to low fat, stop eating snacks or sweets, the list goes on. These changes are often short lived and the reason for that might be that we are so used to our eating patterns that it can be hard to make big changes. Maybe it’s time to start taking smaller steps.
Making a gradual change instead of a big, sudden change might be the key to really staying on track to a better way of eating. Consider the following ideas:
Cutting down on portion sizes slightly.
Nothing drastic, just stop eating once you don’t feel hungry anymore. If you keep eating to the point where you feel pressure in your stomach and you don’t feel like you can eat much more, you probably have gone too far.
Eat a healthy breakfast.
A big mistake that people make is skipping breakfast or lunch, and then eating a large dinner since they are so hungry from not having much for breakfast or lunch. Having a good breakfast is essential stay nutritiously balanced throughout the day.
Cut down on processed foods and eating out.
Processed, packaged, and frozen foods are not as rich in nutrients as home cooked meals. They are also very high in calories, just as restaurant meals are. It’s okay to consume these in moderation, but make sure they are only an occasional treat.
Eat smaller, more frequent meals.
Research and studies have indicated that people are less likely to overeat when they eat more frequent and smaller meals than if they eat one or two large meals a day. Consider everything you eat regularly, and figure out what you can break up into smaller portions and set up a schedule for them.
Incorporate more fruits and veggies into your snacks.
By just adding a more more servings of fruits and veggies a day, you will increase your intake of healthy nutrients and ultimately improve your health and immune system. Start small by trying to eat fruits as snacks instead of sugary or salty junk food.
Get rid of temptations.
Consider making trips to the grocery store and only buying the food you will eat for that day. If you go grocery shopping for the entire week, you will be more likely to eat more than you otherwise would because the temptation will be sitting there in your refrigerator and cabinets. If you do buy junk food, make sure not to leave it laying around the house. Store it in a designated area for when you want to have an occasional treat.
Replace a soda with water.
You don’t necessary have to stop drinking soda completely, but just replace one soda with a water every day. Try to get into the habit of drinking water with your meal instead of soda or something else sugary. Gradually increase as soon as your brain become more comfortable with the decrease in soda.
