Eat Healthier Using Twelve “Instead Of” Steps

The Zen Habits blog posts a technique for making gradual progress toward eating healthier and, as a result, dropping a lot of fat, both from your diet and your waistline. Rather than choosing one point in one day to completely change your eating habits, Leo Babuta says moving one-by-one through a series of “instead of” substitutions. For example, try:

• Eat fruits for snacks. If you snack on junk food during the day, have some fruits by your side at all times. When you’re feeling hungry for a snack, eat a fruit. One of those bags of small apples is a handy thing — you can’t go wrong with apples.
• Make pizza instead of ordering. Homemade pizza is the best, and if you haven’t made it yet, you should. The simple way is to get a ready-made whole-wheat crust, although making your own tastes even better. Start with the simple version, though, as you don’t want to make things too difficult.
• Nuts instead of chips. If you normally snack on chips, try unsalted peanuts or raw almonds.

Following a similar regimen, Leo says he was able to transform himself from a burger-loving junk food addict to a pretty healthy eater. If nothing else, it’s worth keeping in mind that the details can make a big difference in your diet.