10 Easy Ways to Eat Healthier

Eating healthier can be very easy and often requires making only a few simple lifestyle choices. By making several small changes, you can make a big difference in your day-to-day life. Eating healthier will help you feel more energized, more emotionally stable, will likely prevent illness down the road.

One very simple tip to eat healthier is to eat on a smaller plate. This tip involves a little bit of psychology. If you use a large plate, there will be much extra space around the edge. Therefore, the food on it will not appear to be enough to satisfy your hunger and you will add too much food to your plate. If you eat on a smaller plate you will be less likely to overeat.

Restaurants tend to be notorious for providing portions that are much larger than a serving size. In order to prevent overeating, one option is to set aside a portion of your food before you begin eating. You could also put this set-aside portion in a to-go box so you will not be tempted to eat it. This way, you will not overeat, and you can enjoy the second portion of your meal at a later time.

Substituting whole grains for white bread and pasta is a very simple way to create a healthier diet. Whole grains inside of whole wheat bread or whole wheat pasta have not been milled to remove the germ and bran. This allows for more dietary fiber and important nutrients that your body needs. Grains that are less healthy, such as white bread, have been milled, which means that fiber and nutrients are removed. Fiber found in whole grains provides many health benefits such as reduced risk of heart disease and colon cancer. It also allows for a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. Additionally, whole grains assist in enhanced weight loss, and prevent intestinal issues such as hemorrhoids.

Rather than eating cheese such as processed American cheese or cheddar cheese, try Mozzarella cheese. Mozzarella cheese that is partially skim has less fat, less calories, and provides protein. Additionally, it is not processed. If you are looking for a snack involving cheese, string cheese is a great option!

One easy way to cut down on unnecessary calories is to substitute sugary drinks such as soda for less sugary drinks. Prevent drinking your calories by choosing water (or even flavored water) instead. Drinks such as soda have much added sugar that is not healthy for your body and can hinder things such as weight loss. To get an idea of how much unnecessary sugar can be found in soda, one 12 ounce can of Coke contains about 9 teaspoons of sugar.

It is very easy to overeat when snacking if you are eating from bags of food without individual packages. For example, if you have a 10 ounce bag of a snack, it is difficult to keep track of how much you eat, especially if you are also watching television or doing something else. One simple tip is to divide the large bag of snacks into individual sized portions in small zip lock bags. This will ensure you do not eat more than the serving size. Additionally, you can save the zip lock bags for the next time you buy the snack if you want to save on zip lock bags.

Consuming too much sodium can also prove to be a significant problem in the diet. Many foods contain large amounts of sodium, such as TV dinners and frozen packaged food. Try to purchase low-sodium items if possible. Many canned foods have a sodium-free option. Too much sodium may cause increased blood pressure and bloating. According to the American Heart Association, 3,400 mg is the average amount of sodium Americans consume each day. However, 1,500 mg or less is the recommended daily allowance of sodium.

One important aspect of eating healthy involves choosing healthy snacks. Rather than eating snacks with high calorie density and saturated fats, pick snacks that are lower in calories and have more nutrients. Try to stay away from food with very long ingredient lists; this food often includes preservatives and additives that are not natural for the body to digest. If you are looking for some healthy snack ideas, you can check out a list of some great options I put together here.

When shopping for healthy food, make sure to pay close attention to food labels. Some food labels may be deceiving. For example, a package could advertise that it is fat free, but it could have a very large amount of added sugar. Always make sure to check the nutrition facts panel on the back of the package to get a true picture of what is in the food you are buying.

Most everyone knows that fruits and vegetables are good for you. They provide very important antioxidants such as Vitamin C and Vitamin A. One benefit of whole foods, which includes fruits and vegetables that have a high amount of antioxidants, is that they are associated with a lower risk of cancer. Antioxidants may also enhance immune function. Fruits and vegetables also provide fiber. A good guideline to follow is to make half of your plate fruit and vegetables.

Eating healthier does not have to be difficult. Being aware of what healthy choices to make and what to avoid will make a big difference in your daily routine. Implementing some of these simple tips will allow you to eat much healthier and enjoy your life much more, leading to a happier, more balanced lifestyle.