healthy habits

TURN THESE PRACTICES INTO HEALTHY HABITS EVERYDAY

  • Eat every three hours to avoid feeling hangry and overeating during a meal
  • Consume most of your calories earlier during the day and eat lightly for dinner
  • With every meal, eat vegetables first; then, proteins and fats
  • With every plate, at least half of your plate should be vegetables and 1/4 should be protein
  • Strive to exercise 5 times weekly; at least 30 minutes daily
  • Tune into your hunger and fullness signals; eat slowly and stop when you know you’ve had enough
  • Consume 3 cups of watery vegetables and no more than 2 servings of whole fruit daily
  • Drink 8-10 cups of water daily; especially around your meals

HOW TO BUILD A HEALTHY EATING STYLE

All food and beverage choices matter – focus on variety, amount, and nutrition.

Choose an eating style low in saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars.

  • Use Nutrition Facts labels and ingredient lists to find amounts of saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars in the foods and beverages you choose.
  • Look for food and drink choices that are lower in saturated fat, sodium, and added sugar.
    • Eating fewer calories from foods high in saturated fat and added sugars can help you manage your calories and prevent overweight and obesity. Most of us eat too many foods that are high in saturated fat and added sugar.
    • Eating foods with less sodium can reduce your risk of high blood pressure.

Make small changes to create a healthier eating style.

  • Think of each change as a personal “win” on your path to living healthier. Each one is a change you make to build your healthy eating style. Find little victories that fit into your lifestyle and celebrate!
  • Start with a few of these small changes.
    • Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.
      • Focus on whole fruits.
      • Vary your veggies.
    • Make half your grains whole grains.
    • Move to low-fat and fat-free dairy.
    • Vary your protein routine.
    • Eat and drink the right amount for you.

Support healthy eating for everyone.

  • Create settings where healthy choices are available and affordable to you and others in your community.
  • Professionals, policymakers, partners, industry, families, and individuals can help others in their journey to make healthy eating a part of their lives.

The next helpful post: Macros