It seems as though everyone is placing a greater focus on better eating habits, but making these dietary changes can be difficult. Especially where senior eating habits are concerned, changing after a lifetime of living on junk foods can seem impossible. There are some ways to make changes gradually and without feeling like you’re really making the big sacrifices one might expect.
Make It Easier to Eat Healthy
Eating right requires a lifestyle change in more ways than one. It’s not just about the foods you buy. It’s also about how you store your food and which items are more accessible. By putting unhealthier items to the back of the refrigerator or cupboard, they’ll be more difficult to reach. It’s human nature to follow the path of least resistance, so, by making healthier foods easier to reach, you’re more likely to reach for them first.
Buy New Drinking Glasses
When it comes to eating healthy, it’s important to examine the beverages you consume as well. If you’re a heavy soda or juice drinker, you may want to adjust how much you drink at a time. By investing in taller and thinner glasses, you’ll still feel as though you’re drinking the same amount of soda, but, in reality, you’ll be drinking less. Many of our eating habits are controlled by our visual perceptions of portion sizes. If you can drink less and make it seem as though you’re still taking in the same amount, you can reduce your intake of unhealthy drinks.
Switch to Whole Grain Breads
This is an easy change to make, because it doesn’t really require a sacrifice. When you go shopping, only buy rolls and breads made from whole grains. If you don’t have white bread in the house, you’ll be forced to eat the whole grains. The same thing goes for rice and pasta. Buying whole grain foods are better for you, because they’re packed with vitamins and nutrients. Research has shown that switching to whole grains reduces the risks of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and may even prevent some types of cancer.
Eat Soup or Salad with Every Meal
If you begin each meal with soup or a salad, you can fill up on healthier foods first. This is a great tip for eating healthy, because it helps you to eat less meats and starchy foods, during your main course. Try to select soups that are low fat and low sodium and, when eating salad, stay away from the croutons, bacon bits, and high fat dressing.
Drizzle Fruits with Dark Chocolate
One sweet you can indulge in is dark chocolate, because it contains helpful antioxidants. The best thing to do is to melt a square from a dark chocolate bar and drizzle it over strawberries, blueberries, or bananas. This will encourage you to eat more fruit and also let you satisfy your sweet tooth. This is another trick for changing senior eating habits without forcing a great lifestyle-altering sacrifice on yourself.
While eating a healthier diet is important, it doesn’t have to be done in a single day. Make a few changes at a time and let those changes become normal habits, before instituting new dietary changes. Over time, you’ll be eating a healthy diet without realizing how much you’ve changed your lifestyle.
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