I always find it harder to maintain healthy habits in the winter when it’s extremely cold outside and all I want to do is eat and sleep. Here are some healthy eating tips I have to keep myself on track during the holiday season!

1. Consider what you’re about to eat before eating it.

Before reaching in the fridge to grab something (healthy or unhealthy) stop yourself and think about what you’re about to eat. One of my worst habits is absentmindedly reaching in the fridge to grab something. I try to take the time to ask myself: Is this good for me to eat right now? Am I really even that hungry? What might be a better choice? Taking as little as 5 seconds to consider the food you’re eating will make you that much more likely to make better choices.

2. Eat at the right times.

One thing I’ve discovered is that the times you eat can affect your health. I try to stick to a regular schedule of breakfast, lunch, and dinner. When doing this, your body will get used to this cycle, and you’ll be less likely to eat needless snacks and meals. Eating at unnecessary times (late at night) can affect your health negatively as well. I found that not eating past 8 o'clock was a simple way for me to feel a lot healthier.

3. Portion your food!

More food isn’t always better- it still tastes the same regardless of how much you put on your plate. Simply putting a moderate amount of food on your plate and only going up for seconds in the event that you’re still hungry can make a huge difference. You may start to find that a smaller amount of food fills you up more than you thought! Additionally, portioning each of your meals a specific way helps with healthy eating as well. I always find that a big breakfast, a small lunch, and a big dinner works best for me.

4. Drink lots of water.

Water is arguably the most important part of a healthy diet- yet most people forget to drink it. It helps create regular and better digestion, and makes you less likely to eat unnecessary snacks and food. It also washes toxins out of your body and keeps you energized throughout the day!

5. Don’t cut yourself off from unhealthy foods.

Many people think that healthy eating means no unhealthy foods. Also, disallowing yourself to indulge in something unhealthy in an effort to be healthier can actually have a backwards effect. When doing this, I would almost always give in to my cravings and feel as if I wasn’t doing a good job. Accepting that eating junk food in moderation is a part of a realistic healthy diet helps me to both be easier on myself and more motivated to make more healthy eating choices in the future!