Tips and strategies for a healthy eating plan

How do you actually implement all this information on healthy eating into your life? The following tips can help you ease your way into a healthier diet.

1. Read the labels – Always look at the first ingredient listed - seeing sugar, corn syrup, salt, or some other unhealthy ingredient high on the list probably means it isn’t the healthiest choice.
2. Keep a food diary – For one week, write down everything (no cheating!) that you eat or drink every day. If you can, keep track of serving sizes. At the end of the week, review your diary and decide where you need to make improvements.
3. Set goals – Your goal can also be as simple as ordering a salad rather than a less-than-healthy appetizer or side whenever you go out to eat.
4. Take baby steps – Try one small change at a time, and build on it. If you aren’t getting enough fruit, you can add berries to your cereal in your morning. Or switch to low-fat dairy, and easily eliminate some saturated fat from your diet.
5. Make smarter choices within food groups –For example, choosing whole fruit rather than juice will save calories and earn you extra fiber. Or, switch to whole grain bread or pasta in place of your usual refined carbohydrate choices.
6. Don’t be the food police – There’s no need to cut out all of your favorite foods. You can enjoy sweets and fried foods in moderation, as long as they are an occasional part of your overall healthy diet. Food is a great source of pleasure, and pleasure is good for the heart – even if those French fries aren’t!
7. Get moving – Exercise will make any healthy eating plan work even better. While a healthful diet can reduce your risk of many diseases, adding regular physical activity can do even more.