Small habits and simple meal planning

Lasting change usually comes from small habits repeated, not from strict diets. Planning meals ahead makes the healthy choice the easy one.

Plan the week in a few minutes

• Choose a few main meals for the week, built on the balanced plate: vegetables, a grain and a protein.
• Write one shopping list from them, and buy seasonal vegetables and fruit.
• Cook a little extra dal or vegetables and keep them safely in the fridge for the next day.
• Keep simple snacks ready, such as fruit, roasted chickpeas (chola) or yoghurt.

Build one habit at a time

• Tie a new habit to an existing one, for example a glass of water after brushing your teeth.
• Make it small enough to do on a busy day.
• Repeat it in the same situation; it becomes easier with time. In one study, habits took from a few weeks to several months to become automatic.
• If you miss a day, start again the next: one missed day does not undo the habit.

Make your surroundings help

• Keep fruit where you can see it, and sweets out of sight.
• Serve food on a normal-sized plate.
• Eat at the table, without screens, when you can.

This article is general information, not personal advice. If you have a medical condition, are pregnant, or take regular medicine, ask your doctor or a dietitian before making major changes to your diet.

Sources

• World Health Organization. Healthy diet. Fact sheet, 2020.
• Lally P, et al. How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world. European Journal of Social Psychology, 2010;40(6):998-1009.