Sometimes it is too easy to make excuses about eating the right foods. Whether it’s simply inconvenient, we feel that eating healthy deprives us, or the lure of unhealthy food is too strong, we end up putting off eating right until it may be too late. Here are five easy ways that you can start eating better, right now – today even, before you get into more unhealthy territory.

1. Start with dessert.

Sometimes, there is nothing quite like a dessert, especially after a good dinner. However, that simple little piece of cake may pack more than half of your day’s calorie allotment. This is the perfect opportunity to start sneaking some healthy food choices into your diet, and chances are, you’ll end up liking them just as much. Instead of having that piece of cake, try a piece of fruit. If that is too much, consider adding frozen yogurt instead. Making small changes like this during one meal will help you make bigger changes all day long.

2. Replace your snacks with something better.

Afternoon snacks are sometimes necessary to get us through a long day, but that doesn’t mean that you have to automatically reach for a candy bar. In fact, what your body really needs is a quick dose of protein. It will hold you longer and give you more energy than simple carbs. Instead of something sweet, go with a small serving of low fat cottage cheese, or a stick of low fat string cheese. Other great snacks include a small handful of peanuts, or almonds that contain healthy fats.

3. Throw out that soda.

Many of us have a nasty soda habit that can be hard to break. Start by replacing one soda a day with some sparkling flavored water. You’ll still get that carbonation, and the flavor will make the water a little more palatable. Once you’ve cut back on one soda, gradually increase your replacements until you’re no longer drinking any. It will be easier on your body to gradually wean yourself off of the caffeine. Soda is full of empty calories, and you should notice a big difference, even by cutting only one out of your daily diet.

4. Switch up your carbs.

Instead of reaching for a loaf of white bread in the store, go for a whole grain loaf. These carbs are a little better for you and will help you feel more satisfied. It can take a little getting used to, but after a week or two you may find that you actually prefer whole grain bread to white bread.

5. Skip the dressing.

If you eat a lot of salads, but can’t seem to lose any weight, the culprit may be your dressing. Replace any high fat dressings with either low fat vinaigrettes or switch to a lower fat version of your current dressing. Instead of putting it on your salad, place it on the side and dip your lettuce in. You’ll be surprised at how much you have left over.

Photo Credit: 1

Originally posted 2008-11-13 05:44:42. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Related Posts

• Book Review: The Whole Grain Diet Miracle By Dr. Lisa Hark and Dr. Darwin Deen Even though carbs get a bad rap, it’s commonly accepted that if you do have to eat them, whole grains are the way to go. There are many benefits to having a diet rich in whole grains, and this book from Drs. Lisa Hark and Darwin Deen offers a plan......
• Why Do Diets Fail? The diet industry is a multi-billion dollar machine that keeps churning out new diets, new hope and new hype every single year. If diets were so effective, there would be no need to keep coming up with new methods and new diet plans, but the sad truth is, the vast......
• Book Review: The Dorm Room Diet: The 8-Step Program for Creating a Healthy Lifestyle Plan That Really Works By Daphne Oz While everyone talks about the Freshman 15 and acknowledges that it is a problem, not many books have been written on the subject. Enter Daphne Oz, the daughter of the famous cardiologist, popularized on Oprah. Oz has some great advice to share for those looking to either beat the Freshman......
• Keeping a Food Diary One of the best ways to really keep your diet real is to keep a food diet. This is a truly excellent first step when it comes to figuring out and assessing exactly how you eat. A food diary may also be able to tell you why it is that......
• Healthy Snacking Here are some ideas for healthy snacks that you can munch on without having to feel guilty. - * Popcorn - As long as you are not saturating your popcorn in salt or butter the way the movie theaters do it, popcorn can really be a truly healthy snack option.......

Related Websites

• The Key to Successful Financial Planning Financial planning at its smallest denominator is essentially what you'd like to have and how you plan to get it. That may be oversimplifying things just a bit, but sometimes when you look at things stripped away of all of their jargon, it's a lot easier to understand it. So,......
• Save Time, Money and Space in Over 80 Ways If you're looking for handy gadgets, tools and various items that can save you time, money or space (or all three!) this list of more than 80 top products is just what you need. Everyone's got saving money on their minds these days- whether your at the grocery store, or......
• The Purpose of Excavators Excavators are huge pieces of industrial machinery designed for digging that are often just called diggers in the construction industry. They consist of a large chassis with a cab in which the operator sits, a track system for movement and a boom arm with a digging bucket on the end.......
• When Foreign Currency is Best There are some people who try to stick with the currency of their home country when coin collecting. They want the coins that they are looking for to be somewhat easy to find, and are proud of their country and cultural heritage. While this is commendable and can provide a......
• Hammers and Nails 101 Basic Tips for Hammers and Nails Swinging - Everyone is capable of bending a nail now and again. In order to reduce your chance of doing this, you should try to drive your nail home using the fewest possible number of hammer blows, which should never be more than three......

Online Stores

• Shakers Coca-Cola Soda Advertising Collectibles
• Samples & Travel Sizes Bath & Body Store
• Lead Casting Mold Fish Shaped Weight Mold Downrigger, Outrigger Gear Fishing
• Hair Loss Hair Care Store
• Weight Straps Bowflex, Soloflex, CrossBar Home Gyms Strength Training Gym, Workout & Yoga Exercise & Fitness

If you liked this article, vote for it on del.icio.us and stumbleupon.



Categories:

drink, food, healthy eating, Weight Loss Journal

Tags:

afternoon snacks, allotment, almonds, candy bar, carbonation, carbs, cottage cheese, dessert, empty calories, fats, handful, healthy food choices, peanuts, piece of cake, replacements, small changes, soda, sparkling flavored water, string cheese, unhealthy food