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WAYS TO MAINTAIN HEALTHY EATING HABITS

When people are ready to make a lifestyle change, adopting healthier eating habits usually tops many of their lists. They could be making a change because they want to lose weight. Others might be trying to add muscle, and some just want to feel healthier.

Moving toward healthy diet changes looks different for each person. These days, more people are jumping into the eating clean movement that focuses on selecting whole foods and natural ingredients. Others are creating their own path, deciding to shun junk food and high-calorie snacks in favor of better choices.

Here are a variety of approaches you can take to maintain healthy eating habits. Pick the ones you like best to get you started, or try them all to find the approach that works for you.

Fill Up On Fiber

High-fiber foods are the powerhouses of healthy eating. They keep you feeling full in between meals, and come with added benefits like helping to control blood sugar levels and lower cholesterol levels. For example, start your day with a bowl of oatmeal and a side of fruit, and chances are you won’t be hungry until lunchtime rolls around. Fiber and fermented foods like yogurt, kefir and tempeh also help feed and replenish the good bacteria that live in your gut, which helps you maintain a healthy digestive system and supports your immune system.

Try including some of these fiber-rich foods in your meals each day:

  • Beans
  • Quinoa
  • Whole wheat bread
  • Whole wheat pasta
  • Avocados
  • Raspberries
  • Lentils
  • Oatmeal

Try to Focus on Healthy Foods That You Like

Sometimes it can be disheartening to try to eat healthy when you’re faced with a list of “good-for-you” foods that you don’t particularly like. For example, if you’re not a big fan of salads, you might think it’s going to be harder for you to eat healthy. The trick is to focus on the foods you like. If raw vegetables are not your favorite, start by picking the fruits you like best. This could mean a bowl full of fresh berries, apple chunks served with peanut butter for dipping, or thick banana slices sauteed with a drizzle of real maple syrup. Find ways to make your indulgences healthy by looking for treats that are good for you. Think guacamole, almonds or cashews, or your favorite cheeses.

If you are craving sweets, opt for the healthy version. A few squares of dark chocolate will satisfy your sweet tooth and give you a little antioxidant boost.

Plan Ahead When Making A Grocery Store Trip

Grocery lists are the easiest way to make sure you are bringing home healthy foods. Write down exactly what you need before you head to the store. If you are someone who plans your meals in advance, you can doublecheck that each ingredient you will need for the week is on your list. Having a list cuts down on the chance you’ll have to do the “pop-in,” a quick trip to the store for one or two items that ends up with you walking out with a bag or two of unplanned purchases.

Eat What Your Body Needs

When you’re spending a lot of time at home, it’s easy to fall into the rut of making the same meals over and over again. To avoid this, try to plan ahead to vary your meals as much as possible. Changing up your diet is one way to make sure you are not missing out on anything your body needs. Throughout the day, you want to pick items from all the necessary food groups.

To help ensure that you’re getting your essential nutrients, try adding a supplement like Nutrilite™ Daily, which provides 100% or more of the daily value of 17 vitamins and minerals. Its formula with whole-plant concentrates is a convenient way to help you fill any nutritional gaps in your daily diet.

Try New Foods

Stay away from the food-rut burnout dilemma by being determined to try new foods each week. Keeping a fresh take on your recipes and pre-planned meals will make things exciting as you are learning the best ways to add healthier foods into your diet. Once you know what ingredients you love, search for recipes and meal-prep videos to use them in new ways. Bookmark your favorite sites online, or reach out to friends and relatives and ask them to share their three favorite healthy recipes. Sharing food you love is a great way to connect with people.

Pay Attention To Your Triggers

We’ve all gone through times when we binge on junk food or take-out meals a lot more than we normally do. These stretches of unhealthy eating can be caused by triggers like anxiety, lack of sleep, feelings of sadness, or a change in our social settings. Taking notice of how you feel when you crave a big bowl of ice cream, for example, or make a drive-thru trip just to pick up a bag of french fries, can help you get a better understanding of what causes these unhealthy eating bouts. Once you get tuned into these feelings, you can work to avoid these triggers in the future.

Lifestyle and diet changes rarely happen overnight. Deciding to maintain healthy eating habits takes some planning and targeted grocery shopping to make sure you have a good selection of foods on hand. Once you pick the strategies that will work best for you, you’ll be on your way to a healthier life.