Simple Strategies for Healthy Eating Habits

In a recent article on Mako, Dr. Shirley Hershko, a leading expert in attention disorders, lecturer in the Department of Nutrition Science at Hebrew University, and developer of the "Mindful Nutrition Method," stated that studies show 95% of diets end in long-term failure. "We all want to maintain a healthy weight throughout our lives, but the question is how? Life is busy. Temptations are everywhere. And more importantly, no one teaches us how to succeed at it over time."

According to Hershko, the core issue is that most diets focus on what to eat instead of how to eat. While we might know what we're supposed to eat, the abundance and temptations around make it challenging to stick to it.

Hershko argues that the first sense to engage with food is vision. The appearance of food triggers emotional and physiological responses, like insulin release and changes in heart rate. Therefore, the way food looks affects what we choose to eat.

How can we maintain healthy eating habits in the long run?

According to the "Mindful Nutrition Method," success depends on environmental, not personality changes. The more accessible and visually appealing food is, the more we'll consume it.

Hershko explains how to maintain healthy eating habits for the long term through three lists that you prepare on a set day of your choice:

Meal Prep for the Coming Week

Planning is the key. Make a list of meals you want to prepare each day – breakfast, lunch, and dinner – and focus on preparing them yourself. Hershko says you can eat anything, as everything can be made healthy. For example, if you crave a toast, instead of buying one with thousands of calories outside, you can make one at home using light pita, 5% Bulgarian cheese, 9% yellow cheese, and sautéed vegetables. This way, you'll have a healthy indulgence without the guilt.

If you love cake in the afternoon, you can prepare 12 muffins in advance, which will have significantly fewer calories than bakery muffins.

The secret to this method is preparing all meals for the week in one day. You can freeze a large quantity, and each evening take out meals for the next day. Hershko states there's no issue with freezing, and after thawing, the food remains fresh and retains its nutritional value.

If you prefer not to freeze, you can also store in the fridge, or do "half-half," like making 4 kilos of Bolognese sauce and freezing it in portions, then just preparing the pasta at lunchtime and adding the sauce.

Make a Shopping List

Once you've decided what to eat this week, create a detailed list of ingredients based on all meal recipes. It's best to purchase only what is needed and avoid surrendering to various temptations at the supermarket.

Recipe List

Write down what you need to do in logical order. For instance, if you're making stir-fried and boiled vegetables, you can chop all the vegetables at once.

Once you have all the data, schedule when to shop and cook the meals, and then organize everything into boxes. If you're taking food to work, the box should contain a portion, allowing you to grab it quickly without hesitation.