5 key habits of healthy eaters
Most eating habits are established during childhood. But that doesn't mean it's too late to adopt new, healthy habits.
By Angela L. MuradMaking healthy changes doesn't require you to completely overhaul your diet. Start at your own pace by practicing these key healthy-eating habits.
Eat breakfast
Research indicates that eating breakfast every day helps with weight loss and weight maintenance by reducing hunger later in the day. When you break the overnight fast with a healthy breakfast, it's easier to resist unhealthy choices during the day.
Include at least two food groups — such as whole grains, lean protein, dairy, or fruits and vegetables — at breakfast to put you on track for a day of healthy eating.
Drink water
Water is a crucial nutrient that often gets overlooked. Sixty percent of your body weight is made up of water and every system in your body requires it to function properly. Fluid needs depend on several factors: your health, your environment, how active you are, and if you are pregnant or breast-feeding. The Institute of Medicine recommends that men need about 13 8-ounce cups of water a day and women need nine 8-ounce cups of water a day.
Sometimes thirst can be misinterpreted as hunger. Check in with your body when you feel hungry, especially later in the day. Drinking a glass of water before eating can satisfy thirst and keep you from eating unnecessary calories.
Dec. 08, 2016 See more In-depthProducts and Services
- Book: The Mayo Clinic Diet
- The Mayo Clinic Diet Online
- Book: Mayo Clinic on Digestive Health
- Book: The Mayo Clinic Kids’ Cookbook
See also
- 5 strategies to improve eating habits
- Reduce sugar in your diet
- Acai berries
- Add flax to your diet
- Added sugar
- Alcohol use
- Alkaline water
- Are energy drinks bull?
- Art of Healthy Eating
- Artificial sweeteners
- 2015-2020 Dietary guidelines
- Breast-feeding nutrition: Tips for moms
- Butter vs. margarine: What's healthier?
- Caffeine: How much is too much?
- Is caffeine dehydrating?
- Can whole-grain foods lower blood pressure?
- Carbohydrates
- Chart of high-fiber foods
- Cholesterol: Top foods to improve your numbers
- Coffee and health
- Diet soda: Is it bad for you?
- Dietary fats
- Dietary fiber
- Do you drink enough water?
- Prickly pear cactus
- Don't go cuckoo for coconut water
- Make healthy snack choices
- Eat more of these key nutrients!
- Eggs: Bad for cholesterol?
- Energy drinks
- Fat grams
- Fiber: How to get your fill
- Fit more fiber into your diet
- Flaxseed for breakfast? You bet!
- Foods for healthy skin
- Grape juice health benefits
- Health-boosting nutrients
- Is chocolate healthy?
- Healthy eating: What are legumes, anyway?
- Healthy heart for life: Avoiding heart disease
- Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid tool
- High-fructose corn syrup
- High-protein diets
- Alcohol during the holidays: 4 ways to sip smarter
- Takeout containers
- Is sea salt healthier than table salt?
- Is there more to hydration than water?
- Juicing
- Depression and diet
- Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
- MUFAs
- Multigrain vs. whole grain
- Need a snack? Go nuts!
- Need more fiber? Do it the easy way
- Nutrition Facts label
- Nuts and your heart: Eating nuts for heart health
- Olive oil
- Omega-6 fatty acids
- Phenylalanine
- Protein: Heart-healthy sources
- Healthy eating plans
- Reduce sugar in your diet
- Health foods
- High-fiber diet
- Portion control
- Planning healthy meals
- Social eating can be healthy and enjoyable
- Sodium
- Sodium: Look beyond the saltshaker
- Stevia
- Tap water or bottled water: Which is better?
- Taurine in energy drinks
- Time to cut back on caffeine?
- Trans fat: A double whammy
- Trans fat
- Trans fat substitutes: Not always better
- Underweight: Add pounds healthfully
- Daily water requirement
- Water softeners and sodium
- Functional foods
- What's considered moderate alcohol use?
- What to know before you juice
- What's the difference between added sugars and total sugars?
- What's the difference between juicing and blending?
- Yerba mate