Eating healthy sounds easy but for those who have tried it for some time, they find themselves sliding back to their previous eating habits where processed foods, sweets, and greasy foods are often on their plate. If you are not giving up yet on eating healthy, you’re probably taking your time to plan this one out. Well, if you want to be successful in your healthy eating plan, here are a few rules to consider.

Eat around 400 calories for breakfast

Starting your day with 300 to 400 calories worth of food will ensure that you are getting enough energy to start your morning. It should have 10 grams at least of protein, fiber, or even healthy fat. As much as you would like to have some bagels or donuts in the morning, a better option would be to go for whole grains instead since of refined sugars to keep your blood sugar levels steady.

Reduce your fast food intake

There are times when you can’t cook your own food, and that’s okay, since there are many situations that you can’t predict. If there is no choice but to order take out, try and look for restaurants that offer healthier meals. Of course, you need to ensure that you are not going to make this a habit since eating fast food can increase your sodium intake which is not good for your health.

Eat around 100 to 200 calories during snack

If you space your meals more than 3 hours apart, having a snack in between meals is a good way to keep your blood sugar levels stable. Of course, you shouldn’t eat a lot of calories during snack time which is why you should limit it to just 100 to 200 calories only. It is also a good idea to add about 4 grams of healthy fat, protein, or fiber so that your hunger pangs will be kept at bay. As much as possible, don’t give in to eating processed foods even during snack time so that you will be able to maintain your healthy eating routine.

Always eat real food

When it comes to eating healthy, the golden rule here is to eat real food at all times. If you’re in a grocery, you might want to check the content of the products that you are buying. Most of the time is that you won’t be familiar with the list of ingredients used. Unfortunately, most of us don’t pay much attention to the contents of the food that we buy which is why we end up eating high amounts of calories every day.

Consume 400 to 500 calories during lunch

Another rule to eating healthy is eating around 400 to 500 calories during your midday break. Your lunch should be composed of 5% veggies and at least 5 grams of fiber. If you are fond of eating vegetables, adding more of it can help keep your hunger at bay. Another reason why you should be eating more vegetables is that they contain more nutrients compared to others.

Pay attention to your huger cues

Your body knows when it is hungry which is why it is always a good idea to listen to it. However, just because your body is telling you to eat, you’d go out on a binge eating session with your pals. You still need to adhere to your healthy eating routine which means that you should eat only until you have satisfied your hunger and not go beyond it.

Healthy eating may sound hard to follow, but these rules can be used as guidelines to keep you stick to your routine.