Top 10 healthy habits for weight management

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  1. Eat 3 meals a day, every day, including breakfast. 
  2. Eat a variety and balance including 3 or 4 food groups at each meal. For example try filling your meals this way:
    • Fill ¼ of your plate, or an amount the size of a fist, with starchy food like whole wheat bread, a boiled potato, barley, brown rice or whole wheat pasta.
    • Fill half your plate with salad, steamed broccoli and carrots, or cooked mixed frozen vegetables.
    • Use the remaining ¼ of the plate for 3 to 4 ounces of lean or lower fat protein food like salmon, skinless chicken breast or beef with fat trimmed off.
    • Finish your meal with a small piece of fruit or some low fat yogurt. 
  3. Eat at regular intervals roughly 4-5 hours apart. Waiting longer than 5 hours for a meal can make you crave high sugar, high fat, high calorie, low nutrition snacks (candies, chips or chocolate bars). If you must wait, have a small healthy snack to prevent overeating. 
  4. Everything in moderation and be aware of portion sizes. They will help you reach or maintain a healthy body weight. 
  5. Eat less fat. Choose:
    • low fat milk (1% or less) and cheese <20% M.F
    • low fat yogurt, cottage cheese, sour cream
    • lean cuts of beef, veal and pork - trim the fat and take the skin off chicken
    • use less butter, margarine, oil, salad dressing, gravies, etc. Reduce to 2-2½ tablespoons per day. 
  6. Include high fibre foods in your diet. They are low in calories, high in fibre, vitamins and minerals and they fill you up. 
  7. Eat out less. Portion sizes are larger and the food options are filled with more calories, sugar, and unhealthy fats than you would eat at home. 
  8. Drink water and lots of it! For variety try:
    • Pure water                    
    • Mineral water                
    • Soda water
    • Tea                              
    • 1% or low fat milk
    • 100% fruit juice – maximum one cup per day 
  9. Avoid foods you know you can’t eat in moderation. Don’t buy them or stock them in your house. If they aren’t there, you won’t be tempted to eat them. Instead have lots of healthy snack options in the fridge and cupboards. 
  10. Be physically active. Go for a walk, take the stairs, dance in your living room, garden. Do whatever you enjoy doing and do it regularly!
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