Last week I posted some of my favorite healthy living tips, but there were so many additional amazing tips from you guys in the comments section that I just had to share a few more. 🙂
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Reader’s Tips for Staying Healthy & Feeling Satisfied
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1) Ditch the all or nothing mentality. Eat healthfully most of the time, but if you’re really craving something, eat it! Otherwise, you’ll feel deprived and overeat later.
2) Try using smaller plates at home. This makes it seem like you are eating a lot more!
3) Eat breakfast!!! Have something with a good balance of protein, carbs, and fat, like my microwave banana oatmeal topped with nut butter! A real breakfast will set you up for a much more satisfying day.
4) Snack! Keeping your body fueled will not only keep you energized and avoid crankiness, it also means you won’t arrive at the dinner table starving and ready to attack everything in sight.
5) Stop thinking about calories and start thinking about nutrient density. Yes, there may only be 150 calories in that candy snack pack, but will it provide you with the same amount of nutrients and satiety that, say, some fruit and nuts would? Try to think more about how your body will use what you eat, and how to eat to make yourself feel your best.
6) Sneak veggies in to dishes. Spinach is awesome for this since it doesn’t have a ton of flavor. Toss some in your favorite smoothie (you won’t notice it!), or try my Black Bean Spinach Burgers or Spinach Basil Pesto!
7) Get enough sleep. This is HUGE for me, too. If I’m exhausted, I find it much harder to make healthy choices.
8) Put fresh slices of lemon, orange, or lime in your water to make it more fun!
9) Stop eating “diet” foods. Low-cal snacks, frozen dinners, desserts, etc. won’t keep you full and will stop you from loving and enjoying food! Especially in terms of dessert, just have a smaller amount of the real thing vs. a larger, less satisfying amount of a diet imitation.
10) Make homemade soup! More veggies, less sodium and fillers. ‘Nuff said 🙂 Try my super easy Veggie-Tastic Minestrone Soup or Curried Carrot Soup!
11) Don’t keep too many desserts in the house — if you don’t have it, you can’t eat it! This way dessert will become a fun special treat when you are out, rather than a habit just because it’s there.
12) Brush your teeth right after a meal. You won’t want to ruin that minty fresh breath by eating something else 🙂
13) Go vegetarian a few meals a week. Variety is a good thing! If you need ideas, I have a whole vegetarian section on my recipes page.
14) Eat your meals on top of a salad! Pretty much anything can be dumped on top of a bed of spinach. I do this all the time!
15) Buy a fun lunch box! Anything to get you more excited about packing meals 🙂
16) Don’t be scared of fat! Try adding some healthy fats, such as nuts and avocado, to your diet if you aren’t already.
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What do you think? Will you give any of these tips a try?
