5 Healthy Eating Behaviors

Healthy eating behaviors aren't difficult to incorporate into your lifestyle, and they don't mean eating only sprouts and tofu for the rest of your life. A few simple changes to your lifestyle can not only improve your eating habits, but you'll be healthier, and enjoy your food more too.

Here are some helpful hints to get you started.

1. Detecting Hidden and Empty Calories

There are hidden calories and chemicals that contribute to a poor diet, namely in processed foods. What may seem like a healthy choice can actually be higher in calories, especially when you're hitting the drive-through window.

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There are also empty calories, calories that don't contribute to a healthy diet. When buying "low fat" or "low calorie" foods, read the labels to make sure you're really cutting calories, while still getting what you need in your diet.

If you aren't paying attention to what you're eating, it's very easy to eat the wrong thing or to eat too much. Keeping a journal of what, how much and when you eat will help you see how much you are really eating, especially if you have a tendency to eat on the run. Read labels and see what's really in your food. When you're eating a meal, turn off the TV and pay attention to the food you put in your mouth, the rate you eat, the number of times you chew, the taste and the sensation of swallowing.