FROM THE EDITORS

Tricks to help make eating healthier

Robert D. Sheeler, M.D.
Medical Editor, Mayo Clinic Health Letter

Most of us know which foods get us in trouble and when we're most likely to overindulge in eating. Doing this every once in a while may be relatively harmless. It also can provide variety and satisfy some of our basic hungers. But knowing a few tricks to limit these tendencies can be the difference between a diet that's healthy overall and one that's not. You're the person you're trying to fool with these tricks — and perhaps you can be healthier for it.

Trick 1: Use smaller plates. Research has shown that, in various situations, if people are given larger plates, they will consume more food. So, obviously, limit the amount of plate space you have on which to serve yourself.

Trick 2: Figure out what your weak spots are and block them. If you can't stop eating potato chips until you've eaten every one in the house or you can't resist the urge to get up in the middle of the night to finish a half-gallon of ice cream, then don't bring those foods into your house. If you do, after you've had a serving or two, throw the chips in the garbage outside with some coffee grounds or melt the rest of the ice cream down the sink. Do whatever it takes. You can also negotiate with your spouse or roommates about what not to have in the pantry or refrigerator.

Trick 3: What seems like a good deal is not always the best deal. We all like to save some money. But buying three pizzas for 10 dollars likely means you're going to end up eating three pizzas. Perhaps you would prefer to be healthier than to feel like you got the best bargain. More people are happier with themselves by keeping a healthy weight than by indulging in an extra pizza or two.
 
Trick 4: Buy a little bit of the really good stuff. I happen to like chocolate. So, whenever I travel someplace interesting, I bring back some really good dark chocolate instead of buying a lot of regular chocolate bars. Then I can savor my purchase one square at a time. It costs about the same amount of money and I enjoy it as much or more than regular chocolate but I only consume a fraction of what I otherwise might.

Trick 5: Learn the number of calories in foods you commonly eat. There are books and Web sites that can help put this information at your fingertips. Calculate how many calories are in your usual breakfast, a glass of orange juice or your favorite sandwich. Read the labels on packaged goods and figure out what the serving size of a particular product is. Only when you know how much each food item "costs" you in calories can you decide on how to spend your daily allowance that maintains a healthy weight.

Trick 6: Learn the number of calories you can burn by doing different exercises. This is a way to help you make better decisions on a moment-to-moment basis. If you know that you burn 200 calories when you walk 2 miles and your favorite candy bar contains 250 calories, then you may be motivated not to eat as many candy bars. Exercising will translate in your mind into how hard you need to work to burn off the calories you ate. Take note that the number of calories you can burn varies according to your body weight.

Trick 7: Plan healthy snacks that you can take to work or on a car trip. Thinking ahead gives you the chance to enjoy treats like fresh mango or homemade bread with apple butter instead of eating at fast food restaurants or from convenience stores.

Trick 8: Pick food that's lower in calorie density. Diets based on high-fiber plant sources such as fruits, vegetables, and beans are often filling and savory. Since it takes longer with this type of diet to eat the same number of calories that you'd typically eat with a lower-fiber diet, your body will get the signal that it's full before you have shoveled down huge amounts of high-fat, high-calorie-density foods.

Trick 9: Choose to drink zero-calorie beverages such as tea and mineral water. Sugared drinks are generally just empty calories, which means they provide little in the way of nutrition. Diet drinks contain fewer calories but may perpetuate your desire for highly sweetened foods.

Trick 10: Occupy your time after the evening meal and stop eating. The evening meal generally provides all the food you need for the rest of the day. Often, we continue eating after that out of habit, boredom, or just for something to do. Find other things to do and let your body digest the food it has taken in instead of building more fat stores. Get in the habit of brushing your teeth soon after the meal to signal that you're finished eating.

Remember that what you eat can always be a lot of fun. The more you learn about cooking and healthy food choices, the more enjoyable foods you will find that enrich both your palate and your health. I like to separate "feast food" from everyday fare. Although I always try to make healthy choices when I dine out or go to parties, I give myself more room to explore and enjoy myself at such occasions.

The day-to-day choices I make for most of the meals that I eat — at work, at home and on the go — comprise the majority of my food intake. If I stick to a solid plan at these regular times, then the liberalized food intake that I allow myself at the less frequent and more social settings provides greater enjoyment without making me feel like I'm always restricting myself. I live by the motto — everything in moderation, including moderation.