The Nutrition Files: Practical Advice For Changing Your Diet And Eating Better

Do you think that you’re a healthy eater? People know that there’s an obesity problem in the United States, but few think that they’re part of the problem. There was a study done on the eating habits of the average American, and you may be a bit surprised by the results. Doctors recommend that you eat 2,000 calories a day, but most people consume 3,800 calories a day. Out of all of the people surveyed, 25% of respondents said that they eat fast food every day. And those people who choose to eat fast food everyday have it take up 47% of the calories they consume on a daily basis.

If you want to stay healthy and get fit, you need to start by changing the way that you eat. People already know that nutrition and health are linked, but have trouble finding a way to change their eating habits. If you’re ready to get healthy and start eating right, follow this advice.

Have the right attitude

When some people first make the commitment to start eating better, they end up stopping only after a little time because they don’t see results and get discouraged. You need to understand that changing the way that you eat is going to take some time, and that you won’t see results overnight. You may not be seeing results right away, but you’re already taking a significant step to start eating healthy. Just making the commitment to eat right is a step in the right direction, and eventually you’ll start to love you new eating routine.

Don’t go on a diet

When many people want to change their eating habits they also want to lose weight, so they naturally assume that they should put themselves on a diet. Diets won’t help you change the way that you eat, and to be honest they also won’t help you lose weight in the long term. Diets restrict your eating habits for a short period of time, and they rarely help people keep off the weight that they lose (if they end up losing any at all) because people aren’t going to eat that way during their daily lives. That’s why so many people end up gaining weight almost as quickly as they lost it after they end their diets. They stop only eating cabbage soup or only drinking a cleansing drink, and they go right back to eating how they usually do. If you truly want to change the way you eat, avoid going on a diet at all costs.

Take small steps

The main reason why most people fail at changing their eating habits is because they make unrealistic changes to their diet. It’s virtually impossible to go from eating nothing but fast food and premade meals to only eating salads and lean meats. Instead of making a drastic change in your eating habits, start making little changes in the way that you eat. Don’t get your usual baof potato chips and cheese dip; try out some healthy olive dip and pretzels so that you can have a healthier snack that’s still satisfying. Instead of going out for lunch at work, bring something from home. Anything you make at home is bound to be healthier than anything you can get on the go, and while we’re on the subject of bringing food from home…

Slow down your food

Have you ever heard of the slow food movement? It was formed in response to rise of convenience culture in American food. Over the past few decades, Americans have started eating their meals on the go instead of taking time to prepare their own food. Fast food and take out food tend to be full of fat, salt, sugar, and empty calories, and are usually given out in huge portions. The slow food movement encourages people to prepare their own locally grown healthy meals. Try starting off your healthy eating journey by trying to cook some of your favorite restaurant and take-out dishes at home. You can replicate a lot of your favorite fast food dishes in your own kitchen, and whatever you make will be healthier and less expensive than the restaurant alternative. There are a lot of excellent websites that can tell you everything you need to know to make healthier versions of your restaurant favorites.

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Jennifer Dee is a blogger from Philadelphia that has a passion for the environment and nutrition. She spends most of her time reading, writing, and trying out new recipes.