The thought of eating healthy sounds good to most people, but being able to figure out how to actually fit it into a busy lifestyle seems like a lot of hassle. It can be difficult to find the time to sit down and plan out healthy meals, count calories, weigh portions and make a special trip to the health food market. It is so much easier to work healthy foods into your lifestyle than you think:

Breakfast

It has been drummed into the head of each child everyday before school for many years that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. After the body has “hibernated” all night, it needs fuel in the form of a healthy breakfast to get back into “run” mode. The truth is, eating a healthy breakfast can give you the energy to be the wonderful person you are and do all of those things you have to do each morning.

Portions

Healthy eating is not about depriving yourself of food. It is about making better food choices as well as cutting back on how much you eat in a sitting. For example, if you always eat two chocolate chip cookies for an afternoon snack, try cutting it down to one. You can still enjoy your afternoon chocolate fix, just do it in a smaller dose. This idea can be applied to anything you eat: one piece of fried chicken instead of two, and so on. Another thing you might try is to increase the amount of veggies and fruits you eat with each meal.

Eat more often

Instead of having three large meals a day, try eating several smaller meals. By doing this, you are not giving your body the chance to become extremely hungry and go into “fat storing mode”. When the body enters this mode, it panics because it thinks it will not get to eat again. Try getting yourself on a schedule of meal, snack, meal, snack, meal and snack. This schedule may take some getting used to, but your body will thank you down the road. You may think it will be hard to eat snacks between meals if you have a busy work/school schedule, but it is possible to grab a handful of nuts or a banana while on the go.  

Slow down

One mistake people make is eating too fast, slow down and actually enjoy your meals. Choose foods that take longer to chew like crunchy vegetables and fruits. Try eating meals in a social setting, this will also help you eat slower because of the conversations that will take place. The point to eating slower is to give your body time to realize when it has had enough.  

Healthy choices start at the store

The next time you go grocery shopping, try buying more fruits and veggies. Make the conscious decision to avoid the “junk food” aisle. If you simply cannot resist the urge to purchase a sweet treat, try some fat free cookies or snack cakes. An even better idea is to make some homemade bran muffins or even oatmeal cookies. These are delicious and a satisfying treat that will allow your goal of eating healthier. By stocking up on healthier foods, it is much easier to eat them!  

Healthy eating can begin with something as simple as eating an apple, instead of a candy bar, for your afternoon snack. Eat a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast before work/school. The most important thing is to make healthier purchases at the grocery store. The key is to focus on making small changes, and pretty soon, those small adjustments will become a healthy habit that is second nature.