How to build healthy eating habits

There are three steps to building healthy eating habits:

1. Identify what we want to do.
2. Make sure we understand why this change is important.
3. Develop a specific game plan to make this change happen.

First, identify your specific goal. "I want to eat healthy" is too broad, so narrow it down. You might decide to eat a balanced breakfast, or drink fewer sweetened beverages, or limit after-dinner snacking. Pick something specific that you can measure.

Second, figure out why this goal is important to you. Maybe you want to eat breakfast because research shows that people who eat breakfast weigh less than breakfast skippers. Or you want to eat breakfast because you want to set a healthy example for your kids, and the research shows that kids who eat breakfast do better in school. Be clear about why this change is important, even to the point of writing it down. For example, "I want to eat breakfast every day because eating breakfast will help me lose weight and help my kids succeed in school."

Third, develop your game plan. Plan out 1-2 breakfast meals and make sure you have all the necessary foods on hand. Set your alarm clock 10 minutes earlier if necessary so you have time to eat breakfast. Talk with your family about your goals, and enlist their help. Figure out any potential obstacles:  what will you do if you run out of milk, your alarm doesn't go off, or you just don't feel like eating that day? (You could have an alternate breakfast that doesn't require milk, you can eat when you get to work, and you can remind yourself why eating breakfast is important to you, and that your goal is to be consistent).

Let us know your goals and game plans, and we'll help each other be successful in our quest for healthy eating.