What are Healthy Eating Habits?
If you're like most people, your eating habits were developed when you were a child. You may have eating habits that are healthy, eating habits that are unhealthy, or some of both. Habits, in all forms, are created by doing something repetitively over time. However, habits can change.
To eat healthier, it's not just a matter of changing what you eat. You may need to change your habits. But don't worry; it's never too late or too difficult to change them.
The best approach to changing your habits is to start small. Small changes are easy to make and have a greater chance of lasting in the long run. Changing your eating habits is a 3-step process.
Identify Healthy Eating Habits
Identify Your Unhealthy Eating Habits
Replace Your Unhealthy Eating Habits with Healthy Eating Habits
Now that you know the process, in this article we will focus on identifying healthy eating habits that are simple and easy to implement.
What are Healthy Eating Habits?
There are many healthy eating habits people attribute to their good health. Rather than provide you with an exhaustive list, we have found there are 3 healthy eating habits that are simple, fun, and easy to adopt.
1. Eat slowly
Eating at a slower pace has many benefits. First off, your body and brain will be in sync, and your body will communicate to your brain when it is satisfied. If you eat too fast, your body will not relay the feeling of being full to your brain, causing you to overeat. Second, eating slowly requires focus, which keeps you aware of how much you are eating.
A few hacks to help you eat more slowly include:
eat with others
put utensils or food down between bites
focus on the meal and eliminate distractions
2. Plan meals
Planning gives you the opportunity to make a predetermined, thoughtful decisions. When you plan your meals, you give yourself a chance to ensure you eat a healthy, well-balanced meal. In meal planning you can preset the portion size, which reduces the chance of you overeating. Planning meals also reduces eating when not hungry, such as from emotional triggers (stress, anxiety, boredom) or association with an activity (TV, sporting event, etc.).
A few hacks to help you plan meals include:
prep meals and snacks
mark in a calendar when you will eat
read the menu before you go to the restaurant
3. Don't skip meals
I'm sure you've heard the saying, "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day." Well it's true, and here's why. While you sleep, your body rests, but it also rebuilds muscle, releases hormones, and goes through other processes that are critical to your overall health. It works on sugar levels in your blood. So when you wake in the morning, your body needs to refuel.
Although breakfast should never be skipped, the same goes for lunch and dinner. If you go too long between meals, you will get hungry. Hunger often leads to unhealthy eating decisions, such as reaching for the first food item we see. It also leads to snacking and overeating. So stick to a daily eating schedule.
A few hacks to help you eat every meal include:
never skip breakfast (try these 4 healthy breakfast recipes)
bring food with you to work or when traveling
schedule meals with others
Final Tip
You're here because you want to change: you want to eat healthier. You're not alone. However, today is the day you understand that just saying you will eat more fruits and vegetables, and less sugary and fatty foods, is not the answer. To eat better, you need to create healthy eating habits. Habits stick with you, and take much of the decision making out of the process, maximizing your chances of perpetual healthy eating.
For hacks on how to help you create healthy habits, check out How To Build Healthy Habits. If you have a tip, question, or comment about healthy eating habits, please share it in the comments section or post it on our facebook page.