TUESDAY, Aug. 6, 2019 -- You've made the decision to improve your eating habits, but where should you begin? It can seem overwhelming at first.
One way to approach new lifestyle habits is to map out the improvements you'd like to make and tackle them one at a time, over a week or two, before making the next change.
Here are three steps to schedule on your calendar:
Start by making better food choices at meals. Do you forgo breakfast at home and automatically go to your favorite drive-thru or opt for a donut in the break room at work? Your first change might be to have a healthy whole-grain cereal or a plain yogurt with fruit for your morning meal. Pack it in your tote if you aren't hungry before you leave the house.
Next, upgrade your supermarket choices. Is your cart typically loaded with convenience foods? The next time you shop, buy the fresh foods needed to replace at least one meal a day with a from-scratch recipe. When you need convenience items, think of precut fixings for a vegetable salad and a roasted chicken or cooked shrimp for nutritious proteins.
Finally, revamp your cooking style. If your favorite recipes are breaded and fried, or loaded with butter and cheese, cut back on some of these high-calorie techniques. It can be as simple as switching from cream-based sauces to a tomato puree and from frying to broiling.
Change is rarely easy or quick, so remember to ease into these new lifestyle habits. Small changes will add up to big health results over time.
More information
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on developing healthier eating habits.
