Healthy suggestions to get you on the road to good food habits include:

• Eat whole fruit.  You may find that if you eat fruit first you may not have as much room for the less healthy foods.   Even canned fruit in its own juice is superior to a candy bar and a coke.  If you must have a sweet, raisins, or dried cherries are quite tasty and easy to carry.   Various fresh fruits are available throughout the year and they are portable.  The whole fruit is usually better than the juice of that fruit as it provides fewer calories, because you eat less, and more fiber.
  
• Increase your vegetables.  They are nutritional powerhouses.  Even if fresh vegetables are not available or convenient, frozen vegetables are very superior alternatives.  They are picked fresh, flash frozen to preserve that freshness and can be purchased in reseal able bags.  Kids will eat frozen peas even if they don’t like them cooked.  Small carrots can be included in a fast food restaurant trip and many of these restaurants are also adding salads to their high fat food fare.  This is one healthy habit worth developing.
  
• Increase the fiber. Healthy eating dictates that you have 25 grams of fiber per day.   White bread has very little fiber but a slice of whole wheat bread contains from 2-3 grams.  (Contrary to many people’s opinion, a 4 oz. white flour bagel is not a health food.)  Whole grain cereals are also very high in fiber. Proceed with caution by slowly increasing your intake of high fiber cereals.  Oatmeal or bran cereals are much healthier than any of the white flour flakes or puffs and the addition of sugar just adds nutritional  “insult to injury “.    You can also find whole-wheat crackers for your snacking pleasure.  Look for the fiber.  The NUTRITION FACTS label is there to help you.
  
• Use monosaturated fats such as canola or olive oil.  These are heart healthy fats.
  
• Include peanuts and other nuts as a snack.  They are high in the monosaturated fats. Walnuts contain the Omega 3 fatty acids that make fish such a good nutritional choice.  Peanut butter, cashew butter and almond butter are available if you have difficulty chewing the nuts.  But watch portion size as they have calories.  Four walnut halves contain 45 calories.  You can do the math and calories do count.
  
• Drink water.  Bottled water can be purchased at the same places that make available the high sugared sodas or fruit drinks.  Hydration is important.

Eating healthy does take a little more time and a little fore thought, but if you begin making changes for healthy you will feel better and look better.  You are worth it.