Make a Resolution for Healthy Eating

In general, America has a love affair with unhealthy food. It's fast, it's easy, it's cheap and it tastes great! We get it at the drive through, the mini mart, the baseball game the vending machines, the grocery stores and almost anywhere else we could possibly imagine! Each year, Americans consume around 64 pounds of sugar per person! Foods that were once healthy have been altered with high fructose corn syrup and other preservatives.

America's waist lines are responding to this excess of unhealthy food. Not only are we making unhealthy food choices, we are eating more of it than ever. One of the reasons for this trend is that eating junk food often leaves one with a craving for more junk food. If ever there was a time to resolve to eat a healthier diet, now is the time. Eating healthier foods will give you more energy and even help you lose or maintain a healthy weight.

It's not that easy to just let go of our artificial flavors and colors or our high fructose corn syrup and trans fat. Here are some tips that will ease your transition to a healthier diet.

Clean Out the Cupboards
I know your mom told you never to waste food, but this is the exception. Go through your cupboards and refrigerator and get rid of any unhealthy foods. Think convenience and snack foods that are high in calories and low in nutritional value. Get a friend if you don't trust yourself to get rid of every thing you need to. If the temptation isn't there, you will be more likely to stick with your healthy eating goals.

Freeze a Few Snacks
If you worry that you will deprive yourself of foods you love, take a few of your favorite snacks and freeze them. A few suggestions however: If it's cookies you love, bake your own batch with your own ingredients. Place two or three cookies in a plastic bag, and then put all the bags of cookies in a gallon zip top bag. With the cookies frozen, you will have time to think about whether or not you really want to eat it as the snacks defrost. Knowing that the snacks are always there for you may provide comfort, yet because they're frozen, the temptation to continually munch on them will be lower.

Cook Your Own Meals
Plan a menu for each week and use this to make a grocery list. By cooking your own food, you can control the ingredients that go into your food and it's freshness. Another benefit to cooking your own meals is the cost savings. Even if you have to go to the grocery store several times a week, you will still save money over eating out.

Shop the Perimeter
At the grocery store, keep to the perimeter of the store. This is where the fresh fruits and veggies are located, as well as the meats, dairy and bread. These are the essential food items you need. For specific items not on the perimeter, make a list and go down just the necessary aisle to find your item. Don't browse up and down the aisles if you don't know what you are looking for.

Fill your home with healthy snacks
Find some healthy snacks you enjoy munching on and keep some on hand for when you get the munchies. Try trail mix, but you have to eat the whole mix, not just the M&M's! Check the serving size on the side of the bag and take out that amount, then put the bag away. Don't eat directly from the bag or you could end up eating more than you should. Flavored almonds are also a great choice and include tasty selections like Wasabi and Soy, Chili and Lime, and Maui Onion! Dried fruits and cheese and crackers are also a good choice. Look for crackers made from whole grains like Kashi's TLC wheat crackers.

Give Up the Soda Habit
Whether it's diet or regular, caffeine free or fully caffeinated, soda is not the healthiest choice of drink. One can of regular soda has enough calories for almost one meal, and enough sugar for an adults daily recommendation. Diet soda may not have the sugar or calories, but it still has acid which eat away at the enamel on teeth and will make them more vulnerable to decay. Ironically, one of the worst times to drink soda is when you are thirsty. Saliva helps to neutralize the acid in soda, and when you are thirsty, there is not as much saliva, and therefore, less protection against the acid.

Dinner-time Tricks
A recent study has proved that people who eat more slowly tend to eat about 70 calories less than those who wolf down their food. Also, those who ate more slowly felt satiated longer. Put down your fork or spoon in between bites and chew each bite 10-15 times before swallowing. Another trick is to use a smaller plate. A medium sized plate full of healthy food will look appetizing, and the smaller portions of food will not seem as small if the same amount were on a big plate.

Eating Times
Don't skip breakfast or you might end up feeling hungry in the middle of the morning which may result in a junk food binge. Eat a healthy breakfast, then plan on a healthy snack around mid morning, and do the same for mid afternoon. These extra "planned" snacks will help fend off the attack of the munchies. Finally, don't eat right before bed time. Fatty foods eaten before bedtime can slow down the emptying of the stomach which could lead to indigestion.

Creating healthy eating habits will not only save you money on your grocery bill, it will also save calories and help you lose weight and have more energy. Make the resolution for healthy eating and your body will thank you.