4 Bad Food Habits to Break in 2010

We all know what is good for us (celery, protein, nice boys and shopping budgets, for example) and yet we are still drawn to what we KNOW is just bad news. While I can’t really do much to discourage you from taking advantage of post-New Years markdowns or give you the good judgment to just STOP texting back the bad boy in your life, I CAN tell you what to eat!

Before I started college I was the worst eater ever... french fries and ice cream were basically staples in my diet. Then I met my super hot roommate, observed her running about five miles a day and eating massive amounts of veggies, chicken and whole grain anything and saw her sick bod develop! While I can’t run five miles to save my life, I CAN imitate her very disciplined (and surprisingly delicious!) eating habits. I’m passing on what I have learned to all of you: here are the four junk food habits you need to break in 2010.

1) Ditch Liquid Calories
You know how doctors/diet books/magazines always say to drink eight glasses of water a day? DO IT! And even better, don’t drink anything else! If a water-only rule seems a little extreme (tea counts!) limit yourself to beverages that have few calories. Fancy coffee drinks and soda calories really add up and can ruin a perfectly solid diet plan! If you need caffeine for late night studying, stick to diet Pepsi max (a personal favorite) or black coffee with Splenda.

2) Stop Late Night Snacking
Dining halls typically close around 7:30 or 8pm. Although some reopen for late night snack options, I highly recommend that you steer clear of the dhall after hours. Your last meal should be dinner! If you are staying up late and find that you are more than a bit hungry, snack on dried or fresh fruit in you room so you won’t be tempted by other junky late-night options. Key to your 2010 diet resolution: Do not dial delivery! (you’ll save calories and money!!!)

3) No Eating Junk Food on the Run
If you’ve only got a couple minutes between classes, meetings or review sessions and you’re starving but its hours until dinner, try and choose a healthy eating option and not the closest vending machine treat that you can get your hands on. While it is impossible to eat a salad on the campus shuttle or while sprinting down the hall, you can prevent unhealthy impulses. If you know you have a long day ahead of you, pack an apple, a granola bar, or a bag of dry cereal in your bag and eat that until you can get your hands on a more balanced meal.

4) It’s a Rumor that “Bonding Calories” Don’t Count
So your friend just had a gnarly break-up, failed a midterm or saw a picture of her ex’s new girlfriend and realized she bears an uncanny resemblance to Adriana Lima. Naturally, as many women before her, she turns to Ben and Jerry, Hostess and Nabisco’s Oreo empire to cure her broken heart. But you don’t have to!! Be a good friend and offer a shoulder to cry on and a listening ear, but don’t feel like you have to overindulge too. Same goes for dinner parties, dorm floor study breaks, or sorority sisterhood dinners. You don’t have to stuff yourself with tons of goodies just because everyone else around you is!!

Happy New Year! Here’s to healthy eating in 2010 … and the occasional chocolate cheat.

-- By Kylie Thompson, Harvard University