Preparation
- Tell a friend or family member and encourage them to join in with you, so you can provide each other with social support
- Setting aside time in your week to plan ahead – plan your meals and shopping list in advance to avoid stress and impulsivity when food shopping.
- Try not to focus on just your food and meals; have a schedule of the week’s activities to know when the best day/time would be to go shopping.
- Plan how long a meal will take to prepare and cook; less-time consuming recipes will be easier and less stressful on days that you have other activities
Building Your Routine
- Keep a food journal – knowing your hunger cues and fullness can support you with your meal planning and the right time to eat.
- Try to eat at the same time every day – making a habit of this can help you to form a routine and make it easier for you to stick with your plan
- Drink plenty of water throughout the day; sometimes your body can mistake thirst for hunger
Ready, Set, COOK!
- Make cooking a fun and social activity that you can share with your friends and family
- Cooking at home; you know what ingredients and the amount that is going into your food, helping you to make healthier options
- Batch cooking; making extra portions of food that can be kept in the fridge or frozen. This can help you to save time, control your portion sizes, minimises food waste and is more cost-effective. It can also reduce stress as you don’t have to rush around making food if you have had a busy day.
- Freeze any leftovers; this means that you can defrost a meal if you have had a really busy day
- Mindful eating; pay attention to what you eat, savour each bite, and eat without any distractions (sometimes this can be hard to do, but enjoying a meal at home with family or friends can help). This can help your body to break down food and stop you from eating too much.
Other tips for creating long-term healthy eating behaviours:
- Make it a habit – repeating an activity or behaviour multiple times helps it to form part of our routine which is easy to stick to.
- Tell a friend – telling a friend or loved one about a healthy eating goal or food habit improvements can help to hold us accountable.
- Self-motivation – tell yourself you are capable and that you can do it to keep your motivation and self-belief high.
- Do it with a friend or family – trying out healthier habits or activities with someone else can provide social support for both them and you.
- Prompt yourself – seeing a visible reminder or cue, such as a message on the fridge door may act as a reminder to stick to your healthy eating plan.