My Personal Top 3 Strategies for Staying on Track with Healthy Eating

Understanding what foods are healthy, which ones to avoid, and the right portion sizes is half the battle in healthy eating. The challenge lies in maintaining healthy eating habits amidst numerous temptations and obstacles, such as life stress, unexpected events, and the abundance of tasty yet unhealthy foods. I encounter these temptations and obstacles as well, but I have developed strategies to keep myself on track. In this post, I will share my top 3 personal strategies that I use to maintain my nutrition goals.

Plan Ahead

Just as you studied and prepared for exams in school, you should also prepare when it comes to nutrition. Plan your meals in advance if you know you'll be busy in the coming days, allowing you to quickly heat up your pre-made healthy dishes. Keep your kitchen stocked with nutritious foods so you can easily prepare a meal with the ingredients you already have. Finally, and this is my personal tip: I always carry a protein bar or a healthy snack in my bag for whenever I feel hungry. My last tip has undoubtedly saved me thousands of calories, sugar, and money over the years as there have been many times when my errands ran overtime and I became hungry when out and about!

Pre-Eat

What does pre-eating mean? It involves eating before attending an event, whether it's a party or a restaurant visit. Yes, you read that correctly—eat before going to a restaurant! This doesn't mean eating until you're full and have no appetite once you arrive. Instead, eat enough beforehand so that when you sit down to view the menu, you don't feel compelled to order an appetizer. This way, you can focus on your nutritional goals without hunger influencing your decisions. The same principle applies before attending any event with food. Eat in advance to prevent hunger from dictating your choices when presented with a spread of tempting but not necessarily healthy foods.

Don't Buy Junk

Yep, it's as easy as that, just don't buy junk food! You can't eat what you don't have. If you pass by your favorite fast food restaurant on the way home from a long and stressful work day, try to find an alternate route or better yet, refer to my first strategy of planning ahead and just always carry healthy snacks on hand.

I hope these 3 tips will help you reach your nutrition goals. They have certainly helped me over the years. As with everything in life, nothing is perfect and there will be times you can't or simply don't want to adhere to the rules. I know I have on several occasions eaten more than what I wanted because the temptation was too great (any time there is a tiramisu I will most likely eat it no matter how much I plan ahead!) It's OK if you slip up every once in a while. The key here is consistency. Just stay consistent to your nutrition plans and never give up. As long as you keep going and keep eating healthy, you will be making strides toward that happy and healthy life you want!