Lesson 5 - Healthy eating in everyday life: tips for every situation

Eating is not only a vital act, but often also an expression of emotions, habits and social situations. Situational eating behavior plays a crucial role in our health and well-being.

We tend to eat differently in different situations. A conscious understanding of how different situations can influence our eating behavior is the first step towards a healthier diet.

1. Planning ahead is key: Before going to the restaurant, look at the menu online and decide in advance which healthy options you will choose.
2. Choose smaller portions: Make conscious choices about smaller portions or sharing a meal with someone else to avoid overeating.
3. Drink water before eating: A glass of water before a meal helps to fill the stomach and promote satiety.
4. Question about adjustments: Don’t be shy about asking for adjustments to dishes to make them healthier, e.g. B. with less oil or without certain sauces.
5. Set priorities: Focus on protein-rich options, lots of vegetables, and whole grains to choose a balanced meal.
6. Enjoy consciously: As soon as you’re doing something other than concentrating on eating, clear away the leftovers and store them in the fridge if necessary. As soon as something is more important than food, you are sufficiently full!
7. Avoid distractions: During the meal, turn off your phone and focus on enjoying the food without being distracted.
8. Order sauces separately: If possible, order sauces or dressings separately to keep quantity under control.
9. Leave room for dessert: If you enjoy dessert, plan ahead so that this part of the meal fits into your healthy eating plan.
10. Avoid dishes with these descriptions:

• Deep fried
• Fried
• Gratinated
• Creamy
• Breaded
• Sweet

1. Distraction through hobbies: Engage in hobbies or activities that fascinate you to prevent emotional eating.
2. Breath deeply: Take a minute to take deep breaths to reduce stress and manage emotional triggers.
3. Keep a mood journal: Keep a journal of your moods and identify patterns to deal with emotions more consciously.
4. Have healthy snacks ready: Have healthy snacks on hand to manage cravings without resorting to unhealthy options.
5. Positive Affirmations: Use positive self-talk to manage negative emotions.
6. Exercise as a stress reliever: Incorporate regular exercise into your daily routine to reduce stress and promote emotional balance.
7. Looking for community: Share your emotions with friends or family to gain social support and reduce the need for emotional eating.
8. Development of relaxation techniques: Learn relaxation techniques such as meditation or progressive muscle relaxation to release emotional tension.
9. Mindful Eating: Mindful eating is about enjoying consciously and attentively.

• Eat slowly and chew thoroughly – this way you will know when you are full.
• Enjoy every bite – Focus on aromas, texture and taste
• Don’t get distracted – cell phones, televisions, etc. are taboo!
• Listen to yourself – Pay attention to the signals your body is sending you
• No more multitasking – Be in the moment, just you and your meal

Planning meals ahead of time (meal prep) helps prevent spontaneous and unhealthy decisions. What do you need to know for this?

1. Plan your week: Sit down on the weekend and think about what you want to eat in the coming week. Also consider your lifestyle: When are you home? When do you have a lot of time to cook and when do you have less time? What dates are coming up? Find healthy recipes that you want to cook.
2. Incorporate diversity: Vary your meals to ensure you get all the nutrients you need.
3. Create a shopping list:Not only does it help with organization, but it also ensures that nothing unplanned spontaneously finds its way into the shopping cart.
4. Prepare snacks: Prepare healthy snacks like fruit, vegetable sticks, or nuts and store them in portable containers. This means you have something healthy to hand when you get a little hungry.
5. Pre-cook and stew meals: Soups, bowls, salads, breads, … – you can prepare all of these easily for 1-2 days. Simply pack it in a Tupperware container and you can easily take your food with you to the office, for example. And you also save yourself cooking in the evening when you only have to heat up your pre-cooked food.

It’s much more difficult to “fight” your way through a change in diet on your own – because let’s be honest, sometimes it feels like a small, daily battle with your inner weaker self. So try to find like-minded people! No matter whether it is online or offline.

In a supportive group you can help each other eat more consciously. The exchange of experiences and tips plays a major role. Goals set together motivate and help to implement positive changes. When things get difficult, you can support and motivate each other in the group.

Whether online or offline: Plan joint activities with your group that have nothing to do with food, such as doing sports together or going on excursions. This way you can strengthen your relationship and give each other new ideas.

Together you can support and motivate each other, be more conscious about food and develop healthier eating habits in the long term. Always remember: You are not alone on your journey – together we can do it!

Situation-dependent eating behavior not only shapes our daily food intake, but also significantly influences our health and well-being. Consciously engaging with different situations, whether in the cafeteria, at social events or when you are emotionally upset, allows you to make healthier decisions.

Strategies like planning ahead, choosing smaller portions, and consciously drinking before eating will help you when you can’t eat at home. Mindful eating, supported by techniques such as conscious enjoyment and deep breathing, promotes more conscious food intake.

Community and support from friends, family or social networks is very important for your weight loss success. The exchange of experiences and the joint planning of not eating-related activities motivate you.

Make conscious decisions and change your behavior – this way you can not only improve your diet, but also your well-being!