1. Know hat you’re Eating
A lot of the times people aren’t really sure what the serving sizes are for the foods they eat. A helpful way to watch what you’re eating is by looking at the Nutrition Facts Panel on the food labels. The five things that a company is required to include on their labels are; serving size and servings per container, calories per serving and calories from fat per serving, list of nutrients, percent daily values (%DV), and a footnote for the daily values. Be aware of those and it will lead to smarter choices!
2. Everything in Moderation-
It’s the most common saying there is, but it’s true. You can have that piece of cake and you can have that scoop of ice cream, but stop there so you won’t have feelings of regret after. Also, be careful when you limit yourself. If you limit yourself too much, you will most likely end up over-eating. You want to find a happy medium within our diet.
3. Include Variety-
Make sure to eat different food each day. This will stop you from getting bored of eating the same foods and is a great way of making sure you are getting enough nutrients in your diet. Make sure you have a colorful plate when eating; this means including vegetables such as carrots, green beans, etc. to your lunches and dinners.
4. Follow Dietary Guidelines-
Until I took a Nutrition class at UIC, I didn’t know much about what I was eating or what types of nutrients I should be including in my diet. Reading the Dietary Guidelines for Americans gives you general advice for nutrition and health from the US Department of Health and Social Services and the US Department of Agriculture. It’s revised every 5 years and emphasizes good food choices and physical activity. It might also help to write out the meals you will be cooking for a particular day in a separate journal. This will stop you from going to a fast food drive-thru or pick something up at a nearby 7-11. Planning ahead is important to maintaining a healthy diet.
5. Divide your Plate
Plate portioning is an easy way to control your portion sizes and eat a healthier diet. Diet experts recommend visually dividing your plate before meal time. By doing this, smarter choices can become automatic. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) released the MyPlate to help Americans reach this a healthier lifestyle. This plate shows you how to divide your plate to get all the nutrients you need. In general, you should make sure half of your plate includes vegetables and fruits and the other half grains and protein. Visit the official ChooseMyPlate site for more specific help with what types of foods to include: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/.
If you start following these tips, you will certainly see some changes! You don’t need to implement these changes right away. Take it day by day and get your body used to the change. Ease into it and success will follow!