Three Tips for Eating Healthier in 2019

Healthy food display

The first month of the new year is coming to a close. Everyone still has the same new year’s resolutions they did last year: lose weight, be healthier, get fit. But not you! You said you weren’t going to waste your time on those trendy new year’s diets or obsess over the weight scale. After all, 80% of new year’s resolutions tend to fail within the first two months. You are determined not to become part of the statistics!  You decided to give yourself a single goal: eat healthier. Sounds simple enough, right? Eat more veggies, cut back on carbs, and cut out snacks. You even stocked up on fruit bars and fitness snacks. No need for a major diet plan. But you’re losing the battle against willpower. The cookies you said you wouldn’t touch are calling your name. Your coworkers asked if you wanted to eat fast food for lunch and you almost said ‘yes’! Face it, you made a new year’s resolution like everyone else and now you have to stick with it. You’re not alone. We’re going to help you out with the following three tips:

1.Change your environment
2.Control portion sizes
3.Reorganize your kitchen

1.Change Your Environment

Most people think eating healthier is about willpower against junk food. While there might be a little truth to that, it’s a lot harder to put into practice. Food scientists make certain that junk food is incredibly hard to resist. It’s made to be addictive. Junk food is engineered based on what tastes good to most people and creates the most cravings. Brands have engineered their food to be alluring to the taste buds. They're created not to overwhelm the brain with too much flavor! It means you always finds eating these foods to be new and interesting. That makes it difficult to keep away from them.

The best way to maintain your healthy eating goals is to change your environment. A study conducted at the University of Newcastle found that people ate less junk food when it was out of reach. Another study showed that changing the way in which food and drinks are displayed facilitates healthier choices. When healthier food is more accessible, we are more likely to choose it over junk food. Next time you’re in the kitchen, look around the room and see what is easy to reach. You want to have natural snacks nearby. Fruits and vegetables are an obvious choice

Grapes oranges and apples all spread out on a plate

2.Pay Attention to your Plates

Research suggests that using large plates compared to smaller ones will trick the brain into thinking you haven’t eaten enough. According to the study, the average size of a dinner plate is 12in in diameter. Shrinking the plate down to 7in tricked viewers into thinking they were eating more. However, there are a few caveats. This trick doesn’t work on people who are hungry. The brain is able to assess how much food is on the plate regardless of the size. That said, using this strategy as part of your healthy eating goal may still help. Just make sure you’re not ravenous when you’re trying to keep portion control. Chewing two pieces of Snack Less gum might help with that!

Fruits with granola, yogurt, chia seeds displayed in jars on a table

3.Size Matters

As they say, out of sight is out of mind. When we buy large food containers it means they catch our attention more often. This correlates with the two above points about minding your environment and controlling portion sizes. Making junk food less prominent will impact how well you’re able to keep your healthy eating goals. Keep healthy foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains in our fridge. Countertops should be free of sugary, processed foods. Keeping them in smaller containers makes them easier to hide. Of course, if you still want a snack every now and again, find a healthy alternative. There are plenty of quick snacks you can stock your kitchen with for easy access. We know a little about easy healthy snacks.

Fruit bars on a stone ground next to a camera and compass

Snacking with Snack Less

Eating healthy doesn’t mean completely removing all junk food. Having a cookie or a small bag of chips doesn’t hurt once in a while. However, if you really want a daily snack to get you through the day, a Snack Less bar or chewing gum makes great choice. All of our bars are made with Medjool dates for a delightfully sweet flavor. They are also packed with good proteins like peanuts, hazelnuts and walnuts. They are made with all-natural, good-for-you ingredients and powered by the Hoodia Parviflora plant. This cactus-like plant helps curb hunger by sending a signal to your brain that makes you feel full. It's an all-natural appetite suppressant! Chewing two of our gums daily or eating one bar a day between meals will keep you satisfied (especially during that after lunch, pre-dinner stretch). So, stay the course! You’ll be on your way to eating healthy in no time.