We’re post-Thanksgiving, and buckets of Halloween candy will be everywhere in a few days. December’s food-centred holidays aren’t far away either.
Many of us are bound to splurge or, perhaps, already have.
And that’s okay. Personally, I’m looking forward to enjoying some Halloween treats this week.
If you feel, though, that your healthy diet has taken a wrong detour this past month, you might be looking for tips to get it back on track.
Doing so can boost your energy level and your mood, not to mention help you meet your daily nutritional targets.
Here are seven ways to hit the reset button and resume your usual healthy eating habits, without depriving yourself.
Curb your sweet tooth
Enjoy your kid’s candy for a few days after Halloween night (if they allow you!). Then, if your goal is to reduce your overall sugar intake, consider these steps.
(Keep in mind that miniature-sized chocolate bars can be deceiving. Eat a few of them and the calories and sugar can amount to – or surpass – what’s in a full-sized bar.)
Replace sugar-sweetened beverages such as pop, iced tea and fruit juice with water or unsweetened tea.
Buy unsweetened products such as yogurt, non-dairy milks, instant oatmeal and ready-to-eat breakfast cereal. Sweeten foods naturally with whole fruit.
When it comes to desserts, never say never. Set a weekly target, perhaps once or twice, to enjoy a sugary sweet. That way you’ll consider it a real treat.
Make a game plan, meal prep
If “what’s for dinner?” has become a routine question, get back to planning evening meals in advance. Map out weekly breakfasts and/or lunches too if that’s helpful.
This will take the stress out of figuring out what to eat on busy days. It can also improve the nutritional quality of your diet.
Your meal plan will also help you identify foods that can be prepped in advance – hard-boiled eggs, mini frittatas, overnight oats, cooked whole grains or roasted vegetables, for instance.
Advance planning and being organized are keys to staying on track.
Track your food intake
Whether you use a food journal or an app, logging your meals and snacks provides a huge amount of awareness. It reveals what, how much and, in some cases, why you are eating.
And it highlights not only the foods you eat, but also the healthy ones your diet may be lacking.
Tracking your food intake can also help deter overeating. If you have to document it, you may reconsider going for seconds or reaching for extra snacks.
If weekend pitfalls are undermining your diet, you might decide to log meals only Fridays through Sundays.
Drink water before each meal
To help you meet your daily water requirement, drink 16 ounces (500 mL) of water before each meal.
Healthy adults need to drink 12 cups (males) and 9 cups (females) of fluids each day (more if exercising).
Not drinking enough water can impair your thinking ability, drain your energy level and lower your mood. It can also make your workouts harder to do.
Preloading meals with water can also help you feel satiated and, as a result, could prevent overeating.
Use the plate model
It’s easy for portion sizes to creep up over time. If you feel your portions need to be scaled back, visualize your plate in quarters.
Fill half of it with non-starchy vegetables, one-quarter with protein (e.g., fish, chicken, chickpeas, tofu) and one-quarter with healthy starchy foods (e.g., brown rice, farro, quinoa, sweet potato).
This method also helps you build nutritious, balanced meals.
Prioritize your sleep
Getting too little sleep can sabotage your healthy eating habits.
Research shows that people who are sleep deprived eat larger portions, snack more at night and are more likely to reach for unhealthy snacks.
Sleep loss increases the production of ghrelin, an appetite-related hormone that signals hunger to the brain. A lack of sleep is also thought to cause brain changes that make junk food more appealing.
Focus on getting seven to nine hours of sleep each night.
Don’t expect to be perfect
Give yourself permission to lapse occasionally. Consider slips as momentary setbacks, not the ruin of all your hard work.
Doing so will make it much easier to pick up where you left off.
Leslie Beck, a Toronto-based private practice dietitian, is director of food and nutrition at Medcan. Follow her on Twitter @LeslieBeckRD
