Healthy eating is an important part of overall health. One way to help you eat healthier is to set goals. Try these steps for creating realistic goals you can sink your teeth into.
Decide why you want to eat healthier. Some people set goals to:
- Learn about good nutrition.
- Buy healthier foods.
- Learn how to cook.
- Learn healthier cooking techniques.
- Try new types of healthier foods or recipes.
Track what you eat and drink to see patterns that are healthy or not healthy. Keeping a food diary helps you identify areas for improving what you eat to help you get to your goals.
You don’t have to change your whole diet at once. It may help to set a series of small goals. Think of changes that are reachable, positive, under your control, and specific. For example, “Cut up veggies and fruit in the evenings so I can take them in my lunch the next day,” or “Eat a meatless dinner once a week, swapping veggies for the meat.” Here are a few other goals that might work for you or give you ideas for your own:
- Make half your plate a variety of different colored fruits and vegetables.
- Make half the grains you eat whole grains.
- Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk.
- Choose a variety of lean protein foods.
- Drink water instead of sugary drinks.
- Eat some seafood every week.