How to Stop Pigging Out

The United States Department of Agriculture recently issued new dietary guidelines in the form of an illustrative portion plate. One of the purposes of the new nutrition standards is to help Americans better understand portion control and make better food choices. Overeating and binge snacking are common concerns amongst people today, especially as these behaviors contribute to weight gain. Fortunately, if you are committed to change, dietary improvement can be achieved along with better health and well-being.

Instructions

• 1

  Review the USDA nutrition guidelines to get a better understanding of what types of foods are considered healthy and which are not. As a general guideline, whole grains, fruits and vegetables are almost always encouraged. Cakes, cookies, ice cream, chips, candy, fried foods and soda are all considered unhealthy. Hidden sources of calories are often found in white bread, pasta, boxed meals and fast food.

• 2

  Write out a list of the unhealthy foods and snacks you no longer want in the house. Make a shopping list of new snacks or meals you want to try instead. Consider purchasing a cookbook that specializes in healthy meals, or look for ideas online.

• 3

  Sort through your family refrigerator, pantry and kitchen shelves. Throw out all chips, frozen meals, cookies and other snack items you no longer want to be tempted by. One of the easiest ways to stop reaching for more snacks is not to have them nearby. If you do not want to throw away food, ask a neighbor or friend to take some of the items off your hands. If you have children at home who will be horrified at having their ice cream or cookies disappear, ask them to help you by choosing only one item each to keep at home. Get them excited about picking new snack foods instead, as good dietary habits will benefit everyone.

• 4

  Bring the whole family on a shopping trip to pick out new and interesting snacks for the home. Try exotic fruits and vegetables. Check out new grocery stores such as health food stores, ethnic shops and farmers markets. If the foods you have at home are mostly healthy, you are less likely to overindulge with fatty and calorie laden snacks.

• 5

  Commit to only allowing one take-out meal or restaurant eating experience per week. Eating outside of the home is difficult if you are watching portions. Restaurant food is often much more calorie ridden than home cooked meals and the portions are often unreasonably large. Look at the USDA website to get an idea of proper food portion size before going out to eat or serving a meal at home.

• 6

  Develop a strict household rule that there will no longer be any eating in front of the television. One of the most common ways people overindulge is by snacking while watching TV or playing video games. If you are distracted by television, you often have no idea how much you are eating. Family meals around a dinner table foster communication skills and encourage better eating habits.