1. Create flavor with herbs and natural seasonings- Less salt, butter, etc.
2. Learn serving sizes and stick to them- Use measuring cups and symbols such as your hand/fingers, etc.
3. Avoid eating foods that you can’t make yourself using ingredients found in a grocery store - maltodextrin, sodium benzoate, hydrolyzed soy protein, corn syrup solids, partially hydrogenated oil, high fructose corn syrup, etc.
4. Watch added sugars- use natural sweeteners like dates, bananas, applesauce
5. Eat mindfully- Enjoy each bite of your food, savor it and think about it, don’t stuff you face mindlessly
6. Avoid temptations by planning meals, snacks, etc. – fail to plan, plan to fail, just having healthy snacks and meals planned out helps prevent you from eating something less nutritious
7. Cook more from scratch – pick out your own protein, grain, and veggie to create a meal
8. Experiment with foods and different methods of preparation- when trying something new, try it more than once, raw, broiled, roasted, etc.
9. Find inspiration on Pinterest, blogs, magazines, etc for meals- you spent time reading that article or pinning that pin, now go use it!
10. Find what motivates you- make a list, remind yourself daily, use pictures, quotes, anything
11. Have others help keep you accountable- do meal planning or discusses lifestyle changes with a friend, significant other or family member, a little support can go a long way
12. Practice the phrase everything in moderation- don’t deprive yourself, nothing bad is going to happen if you eat two cookies after a meal, just don’t form the habit of having two cookies after every meal, that’s not moderation
Happy last week of National Nutrition Month! Hope everyone has been learning more about nutrition, healthy eating, and has found some awesome recipes :) Do you have a philosophy when it comes to food? Any rules? Standards?? Do you follow any special diets? Meal plans?