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Healthy Eating: Changing Your Eating Habits
To eat a healthy diet, you may need to make some changes. Remember that you can change your eating habits a little bit at a time. Small changes are easier to make and can lead to better health.
Here are some ways to make healthy changes in your eating habits:
- Keep more fruits, low-fat dairy products (low-fat milk and low-fat yogurt), vegetables, and whole-grain foods at home and at work. Focus on adding healthy food to your diet, rather than just taking unhealthy foods away.
- Try to eat a family meal every day at the kitchen or dining table. This will help you focus on eating healthy meals.
- Buy a healthy-recipe book, and cook for yourself. Chew gum when you cook so you won't be tempted to snack on the ingredients.
- Pack a healthy lunch and snacks for work. This lets you have more control over what you eat.
- Put your snacks on a plate instead of eating from the package. This helps you control how much you eat.
- Don't skip or delay meals, and be sure to schedule your snacks. If you ignore your feelings of hunger, you may end up eating too much or choosing an unhealthy snack. If you often feel too hungry, it can cause you to focus a lot on food.
- Eat your meals with others when you can. Relax and enjoy your meals, and don't eat too fast. Try to make healthy eating a pleasure, not a chore.
- Drink water instead of high-sugar drinks (including high-sugar juice drinks).
Test Your Knowledge
Skipping or delaying a meal can lead to eating too much.
TrueSkipping or delaying a meal can make you very hungry. You will be more likely to eat too much or choose an unhealthy snack later. Schedule your meals and snacks so that you don't get too hungry.
FalseSkipping or delaying a meal can make you very hungry. You will be more likely to eat too much or choose an unhealthy snack later. Schedule your meals and snacks so that you don't get too hungry.
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Healthy eating: Changing your eating habits
| Author: | Debby Golonka, MPH | Last Updated: February 6, 2009 |
| Medical Review: | Ruth Schneider, MPH, RD - Diet and Nutrition Rhonda O'Brien, MS, RD, CDE - Diabetes Educator | |
© 1995-2009 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
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