Written by Kyla Burst, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
Food is everywhere. Food is in our homes, it’s where we work, where we vacation, marketed to us on TV and on signs and billboards when we’re driving. When you’ve made it your goal to eat healthier it is not fair to constantly test your willpower with food temptation. Visual cues play a huge role in what and how much we eat. That is why it is so important to set up your home for success by creating a nutritious environment. Making a few simple changes to your eating environment makes healthy choices the easier option.
Get everyone on board! Talk to your roomates, spouse, significant other, or family and make eating healthier a group effort. Having a support group will be beneficial to any life changes, but is especially important when changing your diet. You can hold each other accountable and encourage each other as you make strides to meeting your goals. Additionally you can continue to make one shared meal instead of one for the family and one that is “diet friendly.”
Purge the cupboards - and refrigerator if needed. Once you are committed to your health remove food items that will only hinder your progress. Every time you open the cupboard or refrigerator the contents are screaming, “Eat me!” By removing unhealthy foods it is much easier to make healthy choices without needing to think about it.
Fruit forward - and vegetables too! Place fresh fruits and vegetables front and center in the fridge or even put a few in a fruit bowl on the counter. When you’re hungry you are most likely to choose one of the first foods you encounter. Putting those fruits and vegetables in full view, in front of some other less healthy choices, makes you much more likely to eat them.
Shrink your dishes. When if comes to health, portion control is key. The larger your plate, bowl, or cup, the more you tend to serve yourself. By starting with a smaller dish you will automatically serve yourself a smaller, more manageable portion.
Hide temptation. Or make it difficult to be tempted by less healthy food choices. If you want to have one sweet treat in the house make it inconvenient to eat. Try putting it in a high cupboard, wrapped in foil or in a single serving package, out of sight and out of mind. The harder it is to get to the more opportunity you have to maybe reconsider why you are reaching for that item. Are you hungry? Stressed? Sad? Also you are more likely to just grab one of those fruits sitting on the counter.
Food is everywhere, but it doesn’t have to be the enemy. By surrounding yourself with the proper tools and good food, healthy is the easy choice.
