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he typical U.S. diet has become less balanced and more random. Many
of us go to extremes to lose weight, eat too much of the wrong foods,
and have lost interest in cooking meals at home, says Susan Bowerman,
assistant director of the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition. She suggests
avoiding these five common but poor diet habits.
1
EATING THE SAME WAY WE DID YEARS AGO. As we get older,
our calorie requirements drop. There’s less room for sweets
and high-fat foods. To get the biggest nutritional bang for the
buck, choose nutrient-dense foods: vegetables,  whole
grains, fruits and lean protein sources such as fish and skinless
chicken breasts.
2
NOT KEEPING HEALTHY SNACKS ON HAND. When you look
into your fridge, do you see an empty vegetable bin? Hot dogs and
cold cuts in the meat compartment? A freezer full of ice cream?
That’s not conducive to healthy eating.
3
UNDERESTIMATING THE NUTRIENTS IN FROZEN FOODS. Fresh
food is wonderful, but your freezer can also be a good source of
vegetables, fruits, and even some entrees. “Frozen vegetables
without sauces and frozen fruits without sweeteners are just as
healthy as fresh, and may be more convenient,” says Bowerman.
In fact, frozen meals can be just fine if they are balanced and
not too high in sodium.
4
SKIPPING MEALS OR FASTING. This may seem like the
best way to lose weight fast. But if you lose weight by not eating,
you tend to consume more calories when you do eat than if you had
eaten normally.
5
FOLLOWING FAD DIETS. There’s no scientific
evidence to support diets that combine or omit certain foods or
food groups or that tell you to eat only at certain times of the
day. Fad diets rarely promote lasting weight loss or improve one’s
overall health.
What you can do instead
REBALANCE YOUR FREEZER CONTENTS. Aim for a healthier
balance of three-quarters vegetables and unsweetened fruits and
one-quarter desserts.
IF
YOU’RE AN ICE CREAM LOVER, try frozen yogurt
instead.
EAT ON SCHEDULE if you can: breakfast, lunch, dinner
with small, healthy snacks (like a few almonds or a carrot) in between.
AVOID LATE-NIGHT EATING. It can be bad for digestion
and disturb sleep.
IF POSSIBLE, SHARE MEALTIMES with others. It will
help you avoid binges and “lone wolf” eating habits.
See also the new research on “liquid calories” below.
And for more information about good nutrition, visit the websites
www.eatright.org and
www.usda.gov. 
—Adapted from
UCLA’s Healthy Years newsletter
5 wrong-way diet habits to avoid
(click)
For a better night’s sleep, check out these tips (click)
Fewer “liquid calories” will help with weight loss (click)
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