12. Eat out as rarely as possible
13. Learn to cook, and cook all your meals from scratch (this needn't be a time- or labor-intensive process)
14. Eat fresh foods as minimally-processed, and as close to their natural state, as possible. The less done to natural food, the better it tastes and the better it is for you.
15. Broil, steam, bake, or stir-fry your food to cook it.
16. When you grocery shop, stick to the outside "ring" of the store (e.g. produce, meat, dairy, deli), and avoid the inner aisles which usually have canned and boxed/processed foods.
17. Eat locally and seasonally as much as possible.
18. Grow an herb garden and learn to use fresh herbs to make anything taste better.
19. Make your own salad dressing: oil, vinegar, herbs, garlic, salt, sugar (or substitute), black pepper, and mustard to taste, shaken up in a screw-top jar. Adjust seasonings and types of oils/vinegars to your liking; keeps for about a week in a cool, dark place. This way you can control the salt, fat, and sugar content--and your dressing is far less processed!
20. Compose each lunch or dinner by building it around a base of protein and vegetables. From there add a salad. Fill in any gaps in your appetite with sparing use of starches, sugars and/or fats, in the form of whole-grain bread/crackers, fresh fruits, cheeses, dressings/sauces, or nuts/seeds, just to add texture, flavor, and variety.
21. Have a salad with each lunch and/or dinner.
22. Variety! Never eat the same meal twice in a month.
23. Variety! Try to have at least 3 different colors on your plate (especially with an eye on vegetables).
24. Sprinkle cracked flax seeds on just about everything you eat: salads, morning oatmeal, even a baked chicken breast.
25. Yogurt is an excellent choice for a snack, especially if you get plain yogurt and mix in your own fresh fruit.
26. Buy a half-liter water bottle and commit to drinking three to five "refills" of it per day.
27. Switch from "white" pasta to whole-wheat pasta (read labels carefully)
28. Switch from baked potatoes to baked or roasted sweet potatoes.
29. Eat breakfast!!!!! Don't skip this meal! Especially be sure to get protein in your breakfast. Some good choices: eggs, yogurt, whey protein
30. If you can't stand just plain water, or are a big juice fan, switch from drinking fruit juices to drinking "spritzers": fruit juice watered down with plain sparkling water.
32. Take time to eat. Don't eat "on the run." Instead, take time to sit down to a nice meal that takes you at least an hour to eat, even if it's only once a day. Eat slowly and take your time. Enjoy your food. Eating well *is* training, so don't rush it to get to "more important" things.
33. Don't keep snack foods in the house. If you get the munchies, go for the veggies and homemade dip, or cottage cheese and peapods, that you have on hand in your fridge.
34. Realize that cooking a healthy meal yourself takes just as much time and money (if not less) as calling for takeout and picking it up.
35. Sneak vegetables into everything. Spinach leaves are especially good for this: stir them into pasta sauces, soups, salads, scrambled eggs, at the last minute.
36. Similar to #35, never make a sandwich without at least two vegetables on it. Tomato, lettuce, spinach, avocado, thin-sliced zucchini, and carrot shreds are good choices.
37. When you eat, pay close attention to your body's signals. Learn to recognize clearly what satiety, hunger, and fullness feel like, and respect those decisions.
38. Eat with joy.
(^^ #39, actually)
...all I could think of for the moment. I'll come up with more as time goes on.
Gah! I type too slowly! The next person after me should start at #40.
