Healthy Diet Habits

Avoid sugar and processed foods. If you eat fast food or junk food regularly, it is unlikely that you can stay fit without exercise. These "empty calories" require a lot more activity to burn off, without providing nutritional content to help your immune system or build strong muscles.

 

Eat fruit 2 or more times per day. Fruit contains sugar, but it also contains fiber, which helps to regulate your digestive system. If you feel a craving for sugar, eat a piece of fruit.

 

Make sure 50 percent of all meals consist of vegetables. Choose multi-colored vegetables to ensure you are getting all the vitamins and minerals you need. Eat 50 percent lean protein and whole grains, and devote the rest of your plate to raw or lightly cooked vegetables.

 

Eat smaller meals throughout the day, rather than 3 big meals. Smaller meals will help you avoid feeling hungry throughout the day. One way to do this is to plan eating larger, healthy snacks between meals and shrink the size of your portions at breakfast, lunch and dinner.

This may be a hard step to undertake if you have a family. Experiment with snack and meal times for yourself, and then suggest it to family members if it is successful.

 

Exercise portion control. If you do not plan to exercise, you must be more mindful of the amount you eat. Stop before you feel full, and concentrate on your food as you eat it, instead of eating while watching TV.