Change Your Environment to Make Healthy Eating Easier
One of the best places to start when it comes to changing your eating habits is to change your environment.
Think about it- how often have you walked through the kitchen and grabbed a bite of something that’s been left on the counter, sometimes not even thinking about it until the flavor fills your mouth? What about buying your favorite treat, promising yourself that you’ll just have a small bite, only to be full of regret after eating way more than you have planned? Or maybe grabbing the chips because they’re the first snack you see when opening the pantry?
Keep reading to learn about three simple changes that you can make at home that can have a big impact when it comes to making healthier food choices easier.
If You Binge It, Don’t Buy It
Think about that item you promise yourself you’re going to eat in moderation and don’t stop until you’ve eaten way more than you’d planned, sometimes finishing the whole thing. For me, it’s pints of ice cream and a frozen treat called Trü Fruit. Regardless of what I tell myself beforehand, all semblance of self-control I have often goes out the window when I start munching on either of these things.
The easiest way to not overindulge in foods that are a challenge to eat in moderation is to not have them in your house. There’s no temptation and no going back and forth with yourself regarding your ability to have “just a little.”
For some, keeping tempting foods out of the house can be as easy as not putting the item in the cart when you’re at the grocery store. Either avoid the isle all together or walk past tempting items with the commitment of not buying them.
Avoiding the grocery store isle can be easier said than done. Another option is to place an online grocery order and either pick your groceries up or have them delivered. Doing so can help you avoid impulsively buying things that you don’t need and can save you money as a bonus!
Out of Sight, Out of Mind
Willpower is a finite resource. Experience has likely shown you that there’s only so many times that you’ll be able to see something tempting and not partake.
Chances are there’s going to be something in your house that doesn’t align with trying to eat healthier. Maybe your partner loves to snack on Doritos or you like to have special snacks available for your kids. One day you bring leftover birthday cake home from a party. For most of us, it’s unrealistic to expect to only have the healthiest foods on hand.
One of the best ways to stay on track despite not-so-healthy things being in your fridge or pantry is to keep them out of your first line of sight. The “Out of sight, out of mind” cliché is helpful when it comes to trying not to reach the point where your willpower breaks. Store snacks or other items you’re trying to avoid eating at the very bottom of your pantry or in a different cabinet all together. Arrange them to where they’re not the first things you see when you open your pantry doors.
If you have cakes or other desserts that are going to be left out, take them to a different room (I’ll move cakes/muffins from my kitchen to the dining room where I don’t see them each time I walk by). If they need to be refrigerated, place them below eye-level in the fridge, or store them in the garage fridge if you have one. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve used the “out of sight, out of mind” strategy and can attest that it works.
Make Healthy Snacking Easy
Having plenty of fruits, vegetables, and protein-packed snacks on hand makes it easier to choose something healthy when you want a snack. Some of my favorites include sliced cucumbers, sliced peppers, cherry tomatoes, Greek yogurt topped with frozen berries, Chomp Jerky Sticks, RX Bars, Lara Bars, and Flex Protein Chips.
Healthy snacking is also made easier by making the snacks easy to grab when they’re wanted. Take the time to wash and cut up fruits and vegetables when you get home from the grocery store. If possible, store them in clear containers and place them at eye level in the refrigerator, allowing for a visual reminder when you open the fridge door.
Having a fruit bowl on the counter can also be helpful. Keep the “if you see it, you’re likely to eat it” principal in mind and make it work for you when it comes to grabbing a healthy snack.
Making changes in your environment is one of the best things you can do to help yourself make healthier choices when it comes to food. Changing how you eat can be challenging. Not buying things that you tend overeat, keeping healthy snacks visible and easy to grab and keeping foods that aren’t as healthy out of sight are simple steps that can make sticking to your nutrition goals a bit easier.
Reach out to me here if you have questions or would like some help when it comes to sticking with your nutrition goals.