This is the perfect time of year to start eating healthier. If you didn’t keep your New Year’s resolution to stick to a diet, don’t feel bad. There’s a good reason for that. It’s really difficult to be motivated to eat healthy when you’re hibernating from cold weather and layered with five inches of sweaters. So forget about that old New Year’s resolution. The time for healthier eating is NOW. The weather is gorgeous, there’s lots of outside activities and social events, and it’s time to shed our winter sweaters. It’s now time to get motivated. Sure, we all want to look better, but even more than that, we want to feel healthier and have more energy to enjoy all the fun plans for this season.
First, keep in mind that I am not a dietician or nutritionist. Always remember your own medical and nutritional needs. I am just telling you what works for me and improvements I’m trying to make. Feel free to try some of these tips for yourself and make adjustments for your own individual circumstances.
Healthier Meals and Snacks. Include foods from all the food groups.
Healthier breakfasts – Some of my favorites are oatmeal, cereal with fruit, yogurt with berries and granola, scrambled eggs with toast and fruit on the side.
Healthier lunches – Some of my favorites are salads with greens, meat, cheese, fresh fruit, and lite dressing. I also like sandwiches with turkey or ham, sliced tomato, lettuce, and fruit on the side.
Healthier dinners – Some of my favorites are fish, chicken, pork, or lean red meat. Include sides like baked potatoes or rice, and a vegetable. Add fresh fruit for dessert.
Healthier snacks – My favorites are fresh fruit, yogurt, graham crackers or animal crackers, or healthy 100 calorie/bag popcorn.
Pace Yourself. I’m what you’d call a “grazer”. I love to eat and don’t like to go very long without food, so I try to spread out my eating throughout the day by eating several smaller meals.
Watch Portion Sizes. Watch portion sizes especially if you eat several small meals a day.
Drink Lots Of Water. This helps you feel fuller so you’ll eat less. We all need water for several reasons so try to drink at least eight glasses a day.
Eat Fruits and Veggies. One reason I like to eat fruit is because I do have a “sweet tooth” and fruit is a great alternative to candy or cookies. Veggies are great because they’re so low in calories, you could probably eat more of these without gaining weight.
Conquer Cravings. This is a tough one for me. I crave sweets! I’m really working on this one, so this is what I’m doing to keep it under control. If I cut out all sweets, I just crave it more. So, I’m trying to allow one treat a day. So, once a day (not in the evening close to bedtime), I have one 200 calorie or less treat. That means anything as long as it’s less than 200 calories. So, when I crave something in particular, I plan on having it for my next 200 calorie treat and I wait for it.
No Late-Night Eating. Whenever I eat at night, it shows up on the scale the next day. It also makes me feel sluggish the next day. So, most of the time, I avoid late-night eating. I do, however, eat a small healthy snack around 7:30 like grapes, an apple, yogurt, or healthy popcorn. I just keep it light and not close to bedtime. I also love hot decaf tea. Sometimes if I had a big dinner, I’ll skip the snack and just have the decaf tea.
Exercise. Healthy eating is only part of the equation. Everybody needs to add in some exercise too. If you hate doing a typical 30 minute workout in the mornings, there’s a lot of other ways to get exercise outside this time of year, such as walking, hiking, gardening, swimming, frisbee, and bike riding, just to name a few.
Set Goals For Yourself. Make the most of this spring and summer and see how healthier you’ll feel by September. For an example, here are some goals I’ve set for myself:
- Use this time of year to exercise and get in better shape.
- Watch my intake by eating several smaller meals throughout the day.
- Eat less sugar and salt.
- Eat five fruits and veggies a day.
- Allow myself to have one treat each day, under 200 calories.
- Drink eight glasses of water a day.
Those are my best healthy eating tips. Nobody’s perfect and I definitely haven’t listed everything we should all be doing to stay healthy, but these are the main things that I focus on for healthier eating. What about you? What are some healthy habits you’re working on this spring and summer? Please leave comments and let me know.
Have a healthy, happy day!