What are some behavioral tricks to help maintain healthy eating habits? References: Brehm, B. (2020). Plan for success: 5 steps to a healthier you in 2020. The University of Michigan Health Blog. https://healthblog.uofmhealth.org/wellness-prevention/plan-for-success-5-steps-to-a-healthier-you-in-2020 Cleveland Clinic. (2019). Want to get healthy? Start with small changes. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/want-to-get-healthy-start-with-small-changes/ Lally, P., Van Jaarsveld, C., Potts, H., & Wardle, J. (2010). How habits are formed: Modelling habits formation in the real world. European Journal of Social Psychology. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ejsp.674 Stone, A. (2018). Breaking habits is hard. Here's why (and what to do about it). Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/clear-communication/201810/breaking-habits-is-hard-heres-why-and-what-do-about-it

Maintaining Healthy Eating Habits: Behavioral Tricks and Tips

Establishing healthy eating habits can be a challenge, but by understanding how habits are formed and implementing practical behavioral tips and tricks, you’ll be better equipped to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle. Here are some strategies that can help.

Plan for Success

Planning is one of the most effective ways to ensure your success in healthy eating. Taking time to plan your meals and snacks can prevent impulsive, unhealthy food choices (Brehm, 2020). Include a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins in your meal plan to ensure balanced nutrition.

Start with Small Changes

One common mistake people often make when trying to establish healthy eating habits is trying to make too many changes at once (Cleveland Clinic, 2019). Start with small changes like swapping your regular breakfast cereal for a whole grain option or adding a serving of vegetables to your dinner. Over time, these small changes can lead to significant improvements in your diet.

Understanding Habit Formation

Understanding how habits are formed can be helpful in maintaining healthy eating habits. In essence, habits are formed through a process of trigger, routine, and reward (Lally et al., 2010). Recognizing your triggers (for example, stress) and replacing unhealthy routines (unhealthy snacking) with healthy ones (having a cup of herbal tea or a piece of fruit) is a key step in habit formation.

Breaking Unhealthy Habits

Breaking unhealthy habits can be as crucial as forming healthy ones. Recognizing and understanding your unhealthy habits is the first step towards breaking them. Once you understand what triggers these habits, you can change your response to the trigger and the reward system that you’ve associated with them (Stone, 2018). Simply put, you need to replace unhealthy habits with healthy ones to maintain a balanced diet and lifestyle.