It’s so easy to treat food like nothing – it’s easy and convenient, and it’s everywhere. You can grab a burger at a fast food place for a dollar, and it’ll fill you up, but what’s the real price you’re going to pay for that burger? Everyone knows that all sorts of crap goes into our food when we’re not the ones to personally prepare it, but sometimes it’s hard to care. But if you’re serious about getting fit and healthy, you have to start from the ground up, and that means leaving burgers behind (mostly).

The Basics

Eating healthy doesn’t have to be a prison sentence. If you feel, like The Simpsons, that you don’t win friends with salad, there are other options available for you. While you should try to eat SOME veggies, they don’t have to be boring – they just can’t be fried. Have a stir-fry, throw in some beef or chicken or (gasp!) tofu. You can even roast some veggies in the oven and have them with pasta – go for whole wheat…and if you’re not a fan of that, they have some whole wheat pastas that taste like the regular stuff.

It’ll sting, but avoid foods with the following words: fried, frosted, or creamy.

The biggest thing to remember is that it’s all about portion control. You can go on those silly fad diets that ban this or that, but the biggest thing is just the size of the portions.

Vitamins!

When you’re eating like this, it’s always good to take a little multivitamin every day. You might not be getting all the minerals you need from the food you eat, but taking one of these puppies every day will fix that.

PRO-TIP: In most cases, you can take 2 kids multivitamins in the place of an adult…and Flintstone vitamins still exist. Please check the label of your favorite brand before you start chugging them back.

Spice it Up

When you’re trying out a new way to eat, the worst thing you can do is make it boring. See a vegetable you’ve never tried before? Pick it up! Grab cool looking recipe books with stuff that actually looks good to eat. Don’t fall into the trap of eating the same thing day in and day out.

Treat Yourself

Finally, don’t deprive yourself. Seriously, it’ll suck, and you’ll end up aching for the food you’ve cut off. If you’re craving cheese, there are low-fat varieties. If chocolate is your thing, get a little 100 calorie bar. If you want chips, Lays makes a great baked chip. Again, moderation is the key – don’t eat a bunch of 100 calorie chocolate bars and think you’re doing well. Then again, having one isn’t going to kill you, and just might give you the satisfaction you need to maintain your new food habits.


*