It is the time of year when the most traditional date for personal improvement offers itself up. The ball is down, Times Square is back to business as usual, and January 1st is bloated with stroke of midnight promises. Among those promises is the pledge to get fit by eating healthy. If you are among those who share this intention, here are 10 healthy eating resolutions to get you started.
10 Tips for Healthy Eating
1. Eat more vegetables and fruits. Try to have at least one more fruit and veggie with every healthy meal. Keep cut up raw vegetables in the fridge along with healthy dips like hummus and yogurt. Extra veggies fit nicely into pizzas, soups, salads and omelets. Keep fruit on a countertop where it can always be seen.
2. Healthy eating is also about the foods we do not eat. Give your best effort to avoid fast food. Keeping fruit or nuts with you can help you resist the temptation until you are home again or arrive at work. Water or healthy flavored drinks are also good allies.
3. Eat snacks that are more healthy. Cut out the cookies and chips and go for a small handful of nuts or no-sugar added trail mix. Deviled eggs are a reasonable choice as are citrus fruits or fresh veggies with tahini dip. Be alert for bad habits like late night snacking. If have have to, choose a time when you will shut down the kitchen for the day.
4. We all owe ourselves a night out. If you choose to go to a restaurant, be sure to bring your healthy eating habits with you. Don’t take your seat so hungry that you overeat. Perhaps have a with a clear soup or a salad. You don’t need the bread plate or tortilla chips.
5. Make sure you have protein with every meal. Nothing fills us up quite like protein. It satisfies more than carbs and fats and keeps us feeling full longer. Healthy proteins are seafood, lean meat, nuts, beans, and egg whites.
6. Do not let yourself skip breakfast. Passing on breakfast can make you hungrier later in the day and promote too much snacking or binge eating at lunch and dinner. Healthy eating at breakfast can be a high-fiber cereal with low-fat milk and fruit.
7. Do not eat mindlessly. Do not eat while in front of the computer or television, and only eat when you are truly hungry. Pay attention to your food, and when you are full, stop eating.
8. Cut back on sugar. One less can of soda per day translates into 30 less grams of sugar, or about 8 teaspoons. Eat fresh fruit. It has less sugar.
9. Eating healthy also involves an understanding of portion sizes. Use a kitchen scale or measuring cups to get a feel for what a good portion is. You can also use smaller plates. If you go to a restaurant, split the serving and take half home with you.
10. Keep a good amount of convenient healthy food in your kitchen. If a healthy meal can be made quickly, you are less like to settle for an equally quick but less healthy alternative. Some quick and healthy choices are pre-cut fresh veggies, low-sodium canned beans, pre-cooked grilled chicken breast, and bags of salad and greens.
Living larger than ever,
My Bariatric Life
