5 Habits You Can Fix

When time is short, an apple on the run beats a can of soda.

Snacking between meals. There's no rule that says snacking is wrong. In fact, the right-between-meal snack can fill your nutritional voids. Keep nutrient-rich snacks handy – low-fat yogurt, fruit or a few nuts.

Indulging a sweet tooth. Granted, Americans tend to eat too much sugar. But sugar and other sweeteners are not harmful in small doses . When you want to indulge, take your sweet time and savor each mouthful – you may actually eat less.

Eating fast food. It's hard to resist the convenience of a fast food meal. Fortunately, many restaurants offer lower-calorie sandwiches, shakes and salads. If you eat a healthy diet, an occasional fast food meal is fine.

Skipping meals. Those people trying to lose weight by skipping meals may overeat at the next one. If you're a relatively healthy adult and just aren't hungry, don't worry about missing a meal now and then.

Relying on processed foods. Nothing beats home cooking, but prepared foods offer much-needed convenience. It's not a sin to enjoy canned soups, bottled spaghetti sauce and other time-saving foods. By reading the labels you can choose nutritionally sound products low in sodium, saturated and trans fats and calories.

Breakfast: Start the Day Strong

Are you one of millions of Americans who skip the first meal of the day? You might also be among the overweight-and-tired bunch.

Your body and mind need nourishment after fasting for several hours. Compared with folks who eat breakfast, studies show those who don't are more likely to gain unwanted weight. And breakfast eaters have more endurance and better mental acuity throughout the day.

Depending on your time, try these breakfast solutions: an egg-white omelet and fruit; whole-grain cereal with a cup of yogurt; whole-wheat toast with peanut butter and applesauce; a hard boiled egg and tomato slices; oatmeal with sliced fruit; or a fruit smoothie.