With the New Year comes new changes. Many of us will make a few personal adjustments to promote a healthier lifestyle – and there’s no better place to start than with food choices. After our usual holiday binging, it’s a welcome challenge to shift gears. Let’s take a look at a few ways to improve our eating habits, whether we want to dive in or take one step at a time.

Selecting Better Food Choices

1. Eat protein with each meal. Protein helps stabilize blood sugar, which can control appetite and decrease cravings for sugar and starch. Instead of having a bowl of sugary cereal for breakfast, we should try having scrambled eggs with turkey sausage – it will improve our energy level.
2. Avoid sweets for seven days straight. We would be surprised how much sugar we consume if we really kept track. Doing a short sugar detox can help us gain control of our cravings and increase energy levels.
3. Avoid white flour. This includes all bread, pasta, flour tortillas, most crackers, cookies, and other bread (like sweets). There are several options to replace pasta; try spaghetti squash, zucchini noodles, or almond flour pasta. Use coconut wraps instead of tortillas, and if you have a taste for something crunchy, like a cracker, try cheese crisps or grab a handful of nuts.
4. Try something new. Give cooking an artichoke a try. Don’t know how? Check out the how-to video on the Carlson YouTube channel. Or try a new fruit from the produce aisle. After all, variety is the spice of life.
5. Check portions. We should read labels, ask questions at restaurants, and opt for sauces and dressings on the side. We should also make sure we get optimal amounts of protein, limit starchy carbs and vegetables, and get enough healthy vegetables, like leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables such as Brussels sprouts and broccoli.