5 tips for developing long-term healthy eating habits

With this article, I want to highlight the importance of habits for achieving results and share a few examples that have helped me to develop a better relationship with food and my body.

It should be mentioned that some habits took a couple of months, others a couple of years, there are some that I am still training 🙂 However, these experiences helped me to be more confident in knowing what I put in my body, feel incomparably better, and brought more color and pleasure to cooking.

One more time – knowledge and its selection

I love olive oil. I put it everywhere – on salads, stews, roasted vegetables. Then I realized that one tablespoon of olive oil contains about 130 calories. Although olive oil falls into the category of good fats, it has almost doubled my calorie intake, adding more nutrition in just one category. 

This is an example of how simple knowledge can have a big impact on your daily decisions. The suggestion here would be to read, follow nutritionists who are active on social media, and share a variety of information. This way, you will get useful information daily without spending a lot of time searching. 

It is also important to understand the basics: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, fiber. How to recognize them, how these groups affect our body, and how much we should get per day. A better understanding of food, its properties, and benefits naturally changes both attitudes and eating habits. By knowing the food, you will not only know what to choose but also what to avoid. 

Don’t forget to use your critical thinking and delve deeper into its sources. Over time, you will notice how the information repeats, and with the basics, the selection will become natural to it.

Start with a habit audit in your daily routine

Small habits in our daily lives can give the most visible results for our well-being. The suggestion here would be to review your eating habits and ask yourself what can you give up or change to a healthier alternative? 

That’s what habits I’ve formed over the years:

• I gave up cow’s milk in my diet due to lactose intolerance and its effect on my skin condition. I changed it to almond milk. 
• I gave up sugar in coffee and meals. Now I don’t miss it, I add maple syrup or honey to baked goods or elsewhere where sweetness is needed. 
• I reduced the olive oil in the salad by adding lime juice.
• I started more carefully portioning the food by dividing it into several portions and placing the portions in boxes for the next time. 
• I try to put a handful of fresh salads in at least one dish of my day. 
• I gave up all chocolates or other heavily processed sweets. When I want something sweet, I choose dark chocolate, fruit, or a smoothie.

Did these habits bring me results during the first week? No. However, I didn’t feel like limiting myself, but I felt like, over the years, these habits had a big impact on my overall well-being and relationship with food.

Listen to your body

We are all different and everyone’s body responds differently to a particular food, so it is very important to notice what works best for you. For one, coffee with cow’s milk can be a great morning ritual, but if you’re more sensitive to lactose like me, it can turn into a stomach pain for at least half an hour.

If after breakfast you feel heavy and quickly get hungry again – maybe you need more protein at breakfast, which keeps you feeling full and doesn’t make the digestion harder? If you feel tired, maybe there is a lack of vitamins in your body and you should include more fruits and vegetables in your diet? Maybe after dinner you feel bloating – think about what food could have caused it? Food diaries can help listen to your body, but sometimes it is enough to take a closer look at how you feel after/before a meal.

If ever in doubt – choose real food

Less packaging – a healthier dinner 🙂 It’s always so much fun to see a rainbow of vegetables and fruits on the table during the cooking process. Use the products that don’t need to be unpacked or heated. This way you will know exactly what you are putting into your body and develop your cooking skills during the process.

Balance and empathy to yourself

80/20 diet, not a sprint, but a marathon and one step at a time – these phrases about a wholesome long-term diet are heard many times and with a reason. To develop chosen eating habits, a balance between a healthy diet and the desired treats is naturally required. Diet shouldn’t limit you or make you feel like you’re giving up something. Eating habits should adapt to your natural rhythm, not the other way around.

I wonder what your eating habits are? You can share them by writing to radvile@dailyspoon.lt.

With a smile behind the screen,

Radvilė