Tips for Healthy Eating

1) Learn to tell the difference between true physical hunger and other needs in life. Ask yourself: What am I really hungry for? Is it really nourishment, which is easily satisfied by a healthy snack, or are you really hungry for distraction and stress relief for emotional gratification?

2) When you feel like treating yourself, try something new. Try a new fruit or vegetable to look for a recipe using food you’ve never eaten before. Substitute baby spinach for lettuce in a salad, try soy nuts, or sample foods from other countries. Browsing the produce section can offer a world of choice.

3) Drink lots of water. It’s all too easy to confuse thirst with an appetite for food.

4) Eating breakfast may help in controlling body weight. Skipping breakfast may lead to overeating later in the day or increased eating between-meal snacking. (Schlundt, DG et al, Am J Clin Nutr, 1992)

5) Pick snacks that have lots of nutrients and fiber. The fiber will make you feel full, helping you to resist higher fat and higher calorie temptations.

6) Fill your fridge with vegetables and fruit-almost all are low in fat and packed with all-important nutrients. From apples and baby carrots to peppers and watermelon, produce is always a refreshing and nutritious snack.

7) Eat sensibly. Fill ¾ of your plate with high fiber foods like whole grains, vegetables, fruit, and legumes. Choose lower-fat milk products and leaner meats for the remaining ¼ of your plate.

8) Choose whole over refined grains. Whole-grain foods are rich in fiber, which may lower cholesterol and protect you against certain cancers. Look for grain products with at least 2 -4 grams of fiber per serving.

9) Consider frozen vegetables and fruit as an alternative to fresh foods. They’re preserved at the peak of their nutritional quality.

10) Redesign your dinner plate so that meats are not the star attraction.

11) Go fishing. Fish and seafood, such as salmon, sardines, and mackerel, provide very little saturated fat and a healthy dose of omega-3 fatty acids. These fats have many health benefits including preventing blood clots, decreasing the risk of a heart attack, or stroke.

12) Substitute applesauce, mashed banana, and prune puree for the fat in many baked goods.

13) Get unhealthy food triggers out of view, or out of the house altogether. And try to find healthy alternatives for food triggers. If movie night isn’t the same without a snack, opt for light microwave popcorn (i.e. Orville Redenbacher’s Smart Pop) or air-popped popcorn (without the butter!)

14) When hunger hits, pamper yourself with a soothing herbal tea.

15) Focus on what you can eat, instead of what you can’t. Shop and reorganize your fridge so that healthy options are readily available.

16) Eat slowly and savor every bite. Make a habit of putting your eating utensils down between bites.

17) Watch drink choices. Soft drinks, iced tea, sports drinks, alcohol, and even excess milk and juice can be high in calories. Hot beverages like coffee or tea may contain no calories on their own, but the company they keep-sugar, cream, and even whole milk–can be deceptively calorie-laden. Rich, fancier coffee offerings like lattes can contribute as many calories as a piece of cake!

18) Rinsing canned foods like tuna and chickpeas can substantially reduce the sodium content.

19) Don’t go shopping when you’re hungry or you will be tempted to buy calorie-rich snack foods.

20) When you go to the grocery store, remember that outside aisles often contain the nutrition-packed basics. The middle aisles will require more will power and label reading. If you find the snack aisle tempting, skip it altogether.

21) A balanced breakfast with foods from three food groups is the best way to start the day. Include a small serving of slowly digested protein-rich foods (low-fat cheese, eggs or egg whites, lean cuts of meat, fish, or poultry).