No one eats perfectly all the time, not even nutritionists! But when bad habits become daily routines, you might end up gaining weight, getting high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and other health issues. So what bad habits get you stuck? Here are the top 9 wrong eating habits and how to dodge them.
First: Poor meal planning
Time is one of the biggest barriers to eating healthy. Last-minute choices usually lead to fast food and pizza delivery. Spending a few minutes planning your meals for the week before shopping will save you money, calories, and time in the long run.
Second: Eating out
Restaurants always serve ready meals in big portions with lots more calories and sodium. So try to make your meals at home most days of the week. And use our tips when you eat outIn preparing snacks and light meals.
Third: Overdoing it on processed and canned foods
Salty, fatty fast foods lacking key nutrients are everywhere you go. So choose fresh, mostly unpackaged foods, and read labels to help make smarter choices when picking highly processed items.
Fourth: Too much hidden sugar in your food
Besides sweets, biscuits, and soda we often eat, sugar hides in places you might not expect like whole grains, salad dressings, and bread. So tally your total daily sugar and look for other ways to cut those hidden calories.
Fifth: Eating randomly
Instead of eating only when hungry, many of us eat when bored, tired, stressed, happy, or sad. - Check out our tips for eating smart and For the right reasons.
Sixth: Eating while working away from home
Leaving home for a busy day without snacks or packed meals sets you up for a diet disaster. You'll end up grabbing heavy fast food that will add to your waist size.
Seventh: Eating large portions of healthy food
Do you think you can watch your portion sizes? Have you ever actually measured your breakfast cereal, spoons of peanut butter, or cooking olive oil? Eating too much (even if healthy) adds extra calories. Try measuring a few times to get better at tracking your daily meals.
Eighth: Consuming too many liquid calories
It's easy to forget that calories in soda, juices, and other sugary drinks count and add up fast! Sip on zero-calorie drinks like water, unsweetened tea, or herbal drinks instead of high-calorie ones.
Finally: Not eating enough food throughout the day
Less is not always better! Not eating enough calories throughout the day lowers your energy, makes you hungrier, and causes you to overeat later (when you're tired and ready to eat everything in sight). Avoid stuffing yourself in the afternoon and evening by spreading out your calories, starting with a healthy breakfast.
