One of my classes this semester is a nutrition course. I just finised up a discussion board about healthy eating habits and realized that maybe all the articles and diet information I've read over the years has made it into my brain somewhere. Thought I'd share my words of nutritional wisdom just in case it helps someone else too:-Detox/Break the craving. I find that when I eat unhealthy snacks, I crave/want them more often. So when I find myself in a routine of grabbing processed sweets instead of fruits to satisfy my sweet tooth, I start a “mini-detox” to “reprogram.” For a week (or a few days-no hard set rules in my life, just whatever works) I eat more bland (light seasoning, no sugar, no butter) and drink only water (no soda or juice- try seltzer water with lemon or lime or a small splash of cranberry juice if tap water isn’t cutting it for you). It is hard to get through the first couple days but after that it’s much easier and I actually find myself turned-off when I see junky foods.
-Prepack meals/snacks. Invest in some Tupperware or plastic baggies and take a little bit of time each week to portion out snacks. Look at the nutrition labels and make little 100 calorie baggies of popcorn or pretzels so that when you are craving it, you know how much you are getting and don’t just grab the entire bag. You can do this with fruit and veggies too. Portion out carrots, apple slices, grapes, etc. Also, if you find you are having a hard time feeling full/satisfied after snacks and meals, try adding more protein rich foods (apples with a small scoop of peanut butter might keep you from reaching for the candy better than just an apple alone).
-As I said above, just get rid of the temptation. Don’t buy the foods that you don’t want to eat and do buy the healthy options. If someone else is doing the grocery shopping in your house, go to the store with them and try to influence better choices. If you go to the fridge and cabinets when you come home and don’t have the cookies staring you down, it won’t even be an option to give in to them. When you go to the grocery store you should spend most of your time shopping the outer perimeter (where the produce and fresh foods are) and before long you won’t even think twice about skipping the chip and cookies aisle.
-Once you are practicing better eating habits at home, the family get together and restaurant will be easier too. However, it IS okay to indulge every once in a while. Some things I do to keep it under control is don’t put as much on your plate. Have the potato salad and eat a hotdog now and then but only have one hotdog and a small scoop of potato salad. If you finish that and are still hungry, you can always go back for seconds. Chances are, if you give it 15 minutes after you eat the first round and are drinking plenty of water with your meals, you won’t feel like you need anymore. At restaurants, order the burger if you want it but leave the bacon off and portion it out before you dig in. Decide that you are only going to eat half or opt to split an entree with someone else. If you take the initiative to make better decisions, you might be surprised who else is willing to make the same efforts.
-Last trick, every once in a while I can’t help but give in and get some ice cream. The thing I have stopped doing is sitting in front of the TV holding the entire 4 serving container of Ben and Jerry’s in one hand with a big spoon in the other. Instead I get a small bowl and a small spoon and eat it slowly. Using small utensils makes you eat slower and therefore makes it less likely that you will eat more than you want to.
-Know your food. Don't make assumptions about the nutritional value of foods- actually read the labels you might be surprised what you are putting in your body, or what you are forgetting to.
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