Whether you are a slow eater, a fast eater, or somewhere in between, we all have our unique food habits. Unfortunately, many of our bad food habits can cause us to gain weight, and excessive weight is one of the main risk factors for breast cancer. It is important to recognize your bad food habits, so that you can then eliminate them!
Rushing through your meal – When you eat slowly and pace yourself, your brain has more time to register fullness and to tell you to stop eating. Chew your food for a longer amount of time and pause between bites.
Eating while you sort mail, shop online, etc. – When we are distracted, we tend to not be aware of how much food we are actually consuming. Try to measure out your food before you begin multitasking.
Eating when you’re stressed or bored – Try to eat only when you are hungry and not to satisfy an emotion. Here’s a fun idea: keep a clear container on your desk. Every time you resist buying a snack, put money into the box. At the end of the week, buy yourself something nice with the money!
Cleaning your plate – Even though we are often told to “clean our plates,” it is actually much better to eat half of the meal, especially with how much portion sizes have grown. Try splitting an entrée with someone, ordering an appetizer as your meal, or simply having half of the meal wrapped up.
Always having meat as your main course – Use meat as a garnish instead. Try treating veggies like meat by seasoning or grilling them.