Six Simple Steps to Reset Your Eating Habits

Feeling like your eating has drifted off track? It happens to all of us, especially during stressful seasons, shift work, or when life just gets busy. Many of our food choices are shaped by habit and environment rather than hunger. We can make around 250 food decisions a day. In fact, research shows that most of our food decisions are not actually based on hunger, but are influenced by our habits and our environment.

The good news is that small changes to your environment and routine can make healthy choices easier, without relying on strict rules.

Here are six simple steps I use with clients.

Step 1: Have a plan

• Plan a few meals each week. Themed nights (Meatless Monday, Taco Tuesday) take the guesswork out of “what’s for dinner?”.
• Write a shopping list from your plan.
• Eat together when you can. Family meals have been linked with children and teenagers eating more fruit and vegetables, and they’re a great chance to connect.
• Batch cook. I have a “Cook once, eat twice” motto. Add an extra tray of vegetables, such as pumpkin, sweet potato, carrot and onion, whenever the oven is on, and use them in lunches, salads and frittatas. I always keep back-up meals in the freezer.

Step 2: Notice what’s behind a craving

Before reaching for a snack, it can help to pause and check in. Are you hungry, or are you tired, stressed, bored or thirsty? There’s no right or wrong answer. Noticing is the first step. Sometimes a glass of water, a short walk or a rest is what you really need. Sometimes it’s food, and that’s okay.

Step 3: Get to know food labels

Some foods marketed as “healthy” can be high in added sugar or salt. When you compare similar products, use the “per 100 g” column on the nutrition information panel. Foods worth checking include:

• Flavoured and sweetened yoghurts
• Breakfast cereals and muesli bars
• Fruit juices
• Products labelled “gluten-free”, “organic”, “light” or “low-fat”, which aren’t necessarily lower in sugar or salt

Step 4: Set up your kitchen for success

Willpower alone rarely works long-term. It’s much easier to change your surroundings so that the healthier choice is the easy choice.

• Keep fruit, nuts and ready-to-eat vegetables where you can see them
• Store less-nourishing foods out of sight, or buy them less often
• Talk with your household about your goals. Changes are easier when everyone is on board, and the “swap” approach below can help

“Willpower is a limited resource, it’s like a muscle that becomes fatigued from overuse”

Social Psychologist Roy Baumeister

Step 5: Swap this for that

By using a “swap system” you can replace many processed foods for healthier alternatives. This can make you feel less like you’re depriving yourself and your family.

Swap Out	Swap in alternative
Sugar & artificial sweeteners	Honey, pure maple syrup, stevia
Milk Chocolate & Sweets	70-85% dark chocolate or raw cacao. Protein balls, raw fudge
Soft drinks & Sports Drinks	Water with fresh lemon or lime, coconut water DIY Electrolyte drink — water, lemon, Celtic Sea salt & honey
Margarine & Cooking Oils	Extra virgin coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, ghee
White bread	Lettuce for wraps, traditional sourdough
Breakfast Cereals	Overnight oats or chia with nuts and seeds, Natural Greek yoghurt with nuts and sliced fruit, Scrambled eggs with fermented vegetables
Flavoured Yoghurt	Natural Greek Yoghurt, coconut yoghurt (add raw honey and fresh/frozen berries to naturally sweeten)
White Pasta	Zucchini spirals (can lightly cook in coconut oil), gluten free pasta such as brown rice, quinoa, etc.
Potato chips/fries	Home made kale chips, nori, sweet potato fries
Cows milk	If you can’t tolerate cow’s milk try an alternative like almond/coconut/oat/soy/rice milk (check labels, avoid sweetened)
Table salt	Pink Himalayan or Celtic sea salt
White Rice	Brown Rice, Cauliflower ‘rice’, Cauliflower & Broccoli ‘rice’, Quinoa

Step 6: Try mindful eating

Mindful eating is about paying attention to your food and your body’s cues, without judgement. You might try:

• Eating slowly and without screens when you can
• Noticing the colours, smells, textures and flavours of your food
• Checking in with your hunger and fullness partway through a meal
• Pausing before you eat to notice how you’re feeling

My guide to mindful eating has more practical exercises.

Final thoughts

Change comes from small, repeated steps rather than one big overhaul. Pick one step to start with this week. If you slip back into old habits, that’s completely normal. Be kind to yourself and start again at the next meal.

References

1. Hagger MS, et al. (2016). A multilab preregistered replication of the ego-depletion effect. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 11(4), 546–573. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691616652873 (background for removing the ‘willpower is a muscle’ claim; not cited on-page)
2. National Health and Medical Research Council. (2013). Australian Dietary Guidelines. Canberra: NHMRC. https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/guidelines
3. Heart Foundation. Fats, oils and heart health. https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/healthy-living/healthy-eating/fats-oils-and-heart-health
4. Food Standards Australia New Zealand. Labelling. https://www.foodstandards.gov.au/consumer/labelling