Sustainable Habit # 4: Make Smart Nutrition Choices

Don't worry. You don't have to become a food Nazi! There are no forbidden foods. But we can be smart about our choices.

So how do we manage the dizzying array of choices available to us? Learn to enjoy the most healthy forms of food and do enough planning, preparing, and cooking so they are available throughout our day.

Here are some categories to focus on:

• Water - Drinking plenty of water is essential to good health, digestion, and helps with feeling full.
• Vegetables - It's hard to go wrong here. Vegetables are low calorie, have lots of vitamins, and plenty of roughage. Eat a large variety, especially the dark variety.
• Fruit - Again, full of vitamins and roughage. Not as low calorie as vegetables, but nothing to worry about.
• Whole Grains - Not high in nutrients, but a good source of fuel.
• Fiber - Aids with health and digestion, as well as creating a full feeling.
• Nuts - Eaten in moderation, a good source of protein and fat.
• Beans and Legumes - A good source of protein and complex carbohydrates.
• Dairy - High in Vitamin D, calcium, and protein.
• Fish - A great source of protein and essential vitamins.

Remember the old "Food Group Pyramid?" Well, the USDA has come out with something a little more user-friendly, called MyPlate.

Some other tips

• Learn to enjoy food in its most natural, unprocessed, even raw form. Food tastes good, once you wean yourself from a lifetime of taste enhancements.
• Go easy on the condiments. They can easily add a lot of sugar, fat, salt, and calories to an otherwise healthy food.
• Enjoy high-density calorie foods in moderation. A few bites can satisfy. 
• Choosing foods that have a low Glycemic Index stave off hunger longer.
• Discover which foods satisfy you, even when you eat small quantities. 
• Using lots of artificial sweeteners has been shown to help induce the Metabolic Syndrome - high abdominal fat, high blood pressure, and insulin resistance. Learn to get used to the natural taste of food!
•  Obviously, if you have medical conditions that require certain nutritional consideration, get the advice of you doctor, nutritionist, or other health practitioner.

These are habits that you can learn, enjoy, and live with for life!