9 Bad Eating Habits You Need To Change Right Now

Think you might have some bad eating habits that need to be fixed?

Check the list below to see if you relate to any.

Bad eating habits can lead to an unhealthy gut, which in turn affects your overall fitness.

The worst thing is that these habits are so ingrained in most of us, that we don’t even recognize they need to be changed until something goes wrong.

Food is the basic source of sustenance for any living being. It shouldn’t, and doesn’t have to, turn into something that causes us problems.

But it can be very easy for unhealthy habits to affect our decision-making when it comes to food.

As a result of bad eating habits, you might be gaining weight, or losing it.

You might be getting regular stomach aches, or getting sick often.

You might even find yourself under mental stress because you don’t know how to change these habits.

Breaking these habits is the first step you can take toward achieving good health. In this post, I’ve covered several bad eating habits, and tips to break each of them.

And yes, each of these habits is, indeed, breakable.

So relax, and be calm, I got you. 🙂

9 Bad Eating Habits You Need To Change Right Now

1. Emotional Eating

Oh, I loathe this one. Truly do.

I have a personal grudge against this habit since I made the mistake of entertaining it for a long time before realizing what I was doing.

Emotional eating involves avoiding your emotions by consuming food.

The science behind this is pretty simple. When we are sad, our first instinct inside is to run from the negative feeling rather than deal with it.

Food fills us up and gives us a short burst of satisfaction that helps us forget our real issues.

I would know, since my coping mechanism for any problem used to involve a burger instead of a pen and a journal.

For the longest time, I was guilty of emotional eating. You might be too. In fact, I know a lot of people who would rather eat than face their emotions.

Food gives you a false sense of security for a short time, but as soon as you’re done eating, you’re back to square one. An hour or so later, you pick up food again, and the cycle repeats. At one point, this becomes a habit.

A fight with your spouse might result in you binging chocolates instead of talking to them about the issue.

If you’re a student, you might find yourself stressing over a test while munching on something your tongue loves.

A mother might find herself munching on biscuits while watching television, even though what she needs is a long shower to calm her senses.

Do you see what’s happening here?

Food, which is supposed to nourish our bodies, ends up being a cope up mechanism.

For obvious reasons, this has to change.

How To Fix?

Instead of reaching for food, engage yourself in some other activity.

1. Take a long shower.

A shower is a perfect way to relieve stress, wipe your mind clean of negativity, and relax. You can have a cup of tea later.

But at least you won’t feed yourself without really being hungry.

2. Reflect on your thoughts by writing in a journal.

Keeping a journal is an amazing habit to nurture your soul, my friend.

And that’s what we all are really hungry for. Introspection, and some quiet time with ourselves.

A lot of us have a hard time realizing this and instead turn to food for help.

So, if you don’t own a journal already, get one today and get started. It’ll be the best decision you make this year, trust me.

3. Talk to a friend. Let out your feelings in a heartfelt conversation.

Don’t deal with your feelings by gorging on food that your body isn’t asking for.

Instead, call a friend, and talk to them about your day. Or listen to what they have to say.

This is a perfectly healthy (and social) way to diverge your mind in the right direction.

4. If you really do feel like eating something, make yourself a fruit salad instead of binging on snacks.

Berries, bananas, apples, grapes, and guavas are my favorites. 😉

Always remember:

Your emotions are strong, but not more than the power of your thoughts. Be mindful, and you’ll make the right choice by default.

A Post I Think You’ll Find Helpful: How To Heal Your Relationship With Food

2. Midnight Snacking

If you’re someone who stays up at night, either for work or for other purposes, you might find yourself binging on snacks.

I understand the impulse.

Eating while working on computers might be helping you stay up, or maybe you get hungry after having had an early dinner.

But in the long run, this isn’t a good habit to cultivate.

The food choices we make at night are often unhealthy.

Chocolates, chips, soda – all of these might feel when you’re bored at night, but they aren’t doing your guts any favor.

Of course, eating once in a while isn’t a problem. But if this has become a pattern, it can be altered so that your night can be productive instead of lazy.

How To Fix?

1. Sleep on time.

I mean, obviously, no way you can eat at night if you’re sleeping, right?

2. Stay hydrated.

If you’re working at night, or are simply a night owl like me, water is the only thing you need to avoid reaching for snacks that you absolutely do not need.

Keep a water bottle at your desk or by your bed, and reach for it at regular intervals.

3. Have a healthy and fulfilling dinner.

After a satisfying meal, you can stay up all night and safely skip out on midnight snacking.

4. Have a fruit!

Fruits are better alternatives to unhealthy snacks during the nighttime.

If you find yourself craving a snack after midnight, hold an apple (or any fruit) in your hand. And then stare at it. Seriously, get creepy with it.

If you’re really hungry, you’ll want to eat that apple. If it doesn’t seem appetizing, you’re just craving and need to chill with a glass of water.

5. Sip green tea.

This is a tip you’d find me dishing out to random strangers all the time. Drink green tea if you’re craving something, and you’ll be fine as a bee.

You might like: 7 Amazing Benefits Of Green Tea

3. Skipping Breakfast

As any person who prioritizes fitness about their breakfast habits, they’d tell you they never skip it.

There’s a reason why a movie character who’s got a perfect routine is often shown waking early, performing some mundane morning tasks, and making themselves a good breakfast.

It looks appealing and is the right way to start a day.

If you’re someone who finds yourself missing breakfast often, you need to change this habit.

Among all of the bad eating habits that I’ve listed in this post, skipping your breakfast is the most deteriorating to a person’s health.

Breakfast sets the tone for the rest of your day, and hence also affects your upcoming meal choices. So making efforts to get this habit right is worth your time and energy.

Plus, once this becomes a habit, you won’t be able to start your day without eating breakfast first.

How To Fix?

1. Wake up on time.

First things first, it’s important that you have your first meal of the day on time.

You shouldn’t eat later than 8 AM, which means it’s important you wake up on time.

Set an alarm, and push yourself to get on your feet once it goes off. You’ll thank yourself later in the day.

2. Make a habit of preparing your breakfast on your own.

Preparing your breakfast is a super fun activity to engage in. You earn some cooking skills and get to start your morning in a superb way.

Crack some eggs on a pan, or pop some bread in the toaster.

Cut some fruits, or look up some recipes on Youtube. Enjoy with a big smile on the side. 😀

3. Fill yourself up with proteins.

Add eggs to your breakfast. Boil them or make an omelet. This is the healthiest way you can start your day. Plus, proteins keep you full for a long time, hence you’re less likely to eat snacks in between meals.

4. Have a bowl full of fruits.

Apples, bananas, grapes, and berries make great options for breakfast. And your plate looks so beautiful that you’d want to keep doing this every day!

5. Build a good morning routine.

Stretch as soon as you wake up. Exercise, if you can. Have a cup of tea. Take a shower.

Basically, build a routine that will have you smiling as you get ready in front of the mirror.

Then you can sit down for breakfast and eat your way to good health. 🙂

4. Eating Meals At Odd Times

If you have a habit of eating meals at whatever time suits your needs, you might want to consider fixing it.

If you eat breakfast at noon, have your lunch at 4 in the evening, and finish your dinner by 11 PM, this isn’t good for your body’s natural clock.

Breakfast should be done between 7-8 AM.

Lunch should be had between 1-3 PM.

Dinner is good to be eaten anytime between 7-9 (though most people recommend doing it before 8.)

If you find yourself eating meals at odd times, there are a few tips I would like to share with you.

How To Fix?

1. Don’t skip breakfast.

As I’ve said already, breakfast sets the tone for how the rest of your day will go. If you eat breakfast at the right time, lunch and dinner are bound to be on time as well.

2. Prioritize meals over other tasks.

No other task in your life should take priority over your meals. It’s important to have fixed hours throughout the day during which you have your breakfast/lunch/dinner and do nothing else.

3. Set a timer.

I used to do this when I had terrible meal times. Setting alarms to remind yourself of food timings can be a good way to eat at the right time.

4. Plan your meals in advance.

Keep a food journal, or buy yourself a meal planner.

As soon as you wake up, ask yourself what you’ll eat today, and at what time. This way, you’ll hold yourself accountable to eat your meals at the right time and make healthier choices.

P.S: Don’t forget to add some treats for yourself. It’s great to be all green, but it’s also fine to indulge a little at the same time.

Highly Recommended: 8 Healthy Food Habits For A Beautiful Lifestyle

5. Too Much Junk Food

Packed foods, sodas, chips, sugar, cheesy items like burgers and pizzas, and fried food – All these fall under the category of junk food.

The name junk food makes it pretty obvious how our guts process these foods – like junk.

I know all of these are tasty, but there’s a fine line between indulgence and overindulgence. And junk foods are prepared in such ways that it’s hard to eat them in moderation.

Often, if you eat something from outside today, chances are you’d want to do so again tomorrow.

How To Fix?

1. Keep a good stock of vegetables and fruits.

Have a good amount of vegetables and fruits in your refrigerator, along with a good variety of both. This way, you can replace junk food with good veggies and fruits of your choice.

2. Avoid going out too often.

Might not seem like sound advice, but if you’re someone who goes out too often, chances are you’re eating junk food on a regular basis.

Instead of going out, host a home-cooked food party for your friends at your home.

(If you do go out, go for healthier options instead of choosing oils and sodas.)

3. Use daily meal planners.

Meal planning is an important activity for a person who’s looking to swap their bad eating habits for good ones.

Jot down your meal plan for the day first thing in the morning, then stick to it.

If possible, do the planning for the next day before going to bed. You’ll find yourself enjoying this task with time.

4. Be mindful of what you eat.

Mindful eating is something we all are capable of. It’s one of the first instincts humans are blessed with naturally.

But repeating bad eating routines overrides this instinct, creating habits that need to be broken.

Learn how to be conscious of what you eat, and you’ll find yourself reaching for junk food less often.

5. Keep a food journal.

Logging your meals is a mindful practice that can help you make healthier choices.

You can record your emotions, feeling, and habits related to food, and observe the patterns that make you reach for junk food.

If you know the problem, finding the solution can’t be that hard.

6. Eating Take-Outs Almost Every Day

You might find yourself ordering food from outside often because you have a busy schedule or don’t feel like preparing your meals at home.

I understand the impulse to do so.

Grabbing food from a restaurant is more convenient and less time-consuming than cooking.

And your favorite food outlet knows the best way to cook your favorite pasta, right?

It’s okay to order once in a while, but doing so every day is not good for your health at all.

The food cooked in restaurants isn’t meant to be consumed on an everyday basis.

Nothing can replace homecooked meals, and hence it is important that you break the cycle of eating takeouts every day.

How To Fix?

1. Learn how to cook.

Cook can be a rewarding skill. In old times, people often had to join cooking classes to master this skill. Thanks to our good friend Internet, cooking is easier to learn now than ever.

Start by learning some good breakfast recipes, then slowly move to lunch and dinner.

You’ll find yourself reducing your takeout orders gradually.

You can still indulge during the weekends, but the more days you cook at home, the better it would be (both for your tummy and your budget. :p)

2. Go grocery shopping regularly.

Make a habit to pay a visit to the grocery store at least once a week. If your grocery stock is full, you’ll have less of reasons to order from outside.

3. Keep a variety of items in your food pantry.

Whatever you want to cook, the ingredients should already be available at your home.

Don’t give yourself any excuses to order from outside.

Eating out once a week is fine, but on other days, be prepared to cook almost anything you want at home.

While shopping for groceries, you should have a list prepared beforehand so that you don’t miss anything.

7. Binge-Eating

Many of us are guilty of eating too much food in one sitting, even when we’re not hungry at all.

This can be linked back to emotional eating when a person often feels the need to run from their emotions by stuffing themselves with food.

Other reasons for binge eating might include boredom, wanting to eat while watching TV, and cravings.

I’ve indulged in binge-eating in the past and so can relate to every one of you who does the same.

I also know the problems it can lead to, the most common of which is weight gain.

In fact, a lot of people struggling with obesity have binge-eating at the crux of their eating problems that they need to fix.

If this habit has been troubling you, it has some fixes that have worked like charms for me in the past. I encourage you to give them a shot as well.

How To Fix?

1. Practice mindful eating.

Binge-eating can be curbed by practicing mindful eating, which means being conscious of the quality and quantity of food that you eat every day.

Logging your food into a food tracking app is the best way to go about this.

Or keep a food journal if you can. Record what you eat, so that you can see for yourself what you need to change.

2. Avoid keeping unhealthy snacks in your house.

This is easier to follow than you might think.

All you need is to find good replacements for unhealthy snacks that you find yourself binging on often.

Instead of storing sodas in your house, make yourself some lemonade or a smoothie.

Chips can be replaced with baked snacks. Sugary products that you binge on can be substituted by juicy fruits.

Every unhealthy option is replaceable. You just need to be willing to find change, and it will come to you.

NOTE: I do not encourage quitting snacks altogether if you don’t really want to do that. The goal here isn’t to starve your senses of food you enjoy eating.

But if you’re binging on anything unhealthy, this habit first needs to be broken so that you can learn how to eat in moderation.

3. Don’t eat in front of the TV.

Might be hard to follow, but try to heed this advice. Eating while watching TV makes you less mindful of what and how much you’re consuming.

This can lead to over-eating or eating without chewing properly, none of which is good for your digestion.

4. Sip water rather than binging on snacks.

I think I’m repeating this for the hundredth time by now, but here it is again – Keep drinking water. Your body needs it, and so does your tummy.

It is often said that when you feel like eating a snack, it’s water that your body is actually asking for.

So, don’t deprive yourself of this liquid, and keep a bottle with you at all times.

Highly recommended: 13 Unique Ways To Practice Mindful Eating

8. Eating Too Fast

Don’t rush your meals!

Like, seriously, don’t do that at all.

If you’re eating too fast, that means you’re not chewing anything properly.

So your stomach has to deal with food that is not really digestible, which means more work for your gut to process it completely.

All of this might lead to weight gain and improper digestion.

This is a habit that’s the easiest to fix, in my opinion.

Have a look at some of the tips below.

How To Fix?

1. Set a timer for how long you want to take to eat. Use all of that time to focus just on eating.

Typically, thirty minutes is a good time to finish one meal. Set a timer of thirty minutes and chew properly, and eat slowly throughout this time.

2. Eat with a family member or a friend.

When you’re eating with someone, you don’t feel the need to rush a meal.

You’d want to talk with them and at the same time, you’d be attentive to your meal.

This is a great way to savor every bite and catch up with your meal buddy at the same time.

3. Use a dining table. Avoid eating on your bed.

The bed is where you relax, laze around, and sleep. It’s not where you should be eating.

I mean, you can, if you want to, but only if you’re able to keep bad eating habits at bay.

A dining table is a perfect place to savor your meal. You’ll eat slower, be mindful of what you’re eating, and maintain a correct posture as well.

4. Eat using your non-dominant hand.

A super unique trick to end your habit of fast eating.

If you’re a right-hand person, use your left hand to eat. Since you’re not used to doing so, you’d find yourself slowing down your eating process.

9. Consuming Excess Sugar (One Of The Sweetest Bad Eating Habits)

I’m going to go ahead and admit something out loud – I have a sweet tooth, and cakes are my all-time favorite sugar delights that I truly adore.

But the trouble with sugar is that it can be addictive, and there’s a good chance you won’t know where to stop.

Your body might be in need of one bite of chocolate, but you might end up eating the whole pack.

If you eat a lot of sugar products throughout the day, chances are you crave sugar constantly.

This leads to you binging on sweet snacks instead of knowing where to stop.

How much harm can this cause?

A lot.

Weight gain, diabetes, sugar, indigestion, food poisoning, and many others that none of us want to touch with a ten-foot pole.

How to Fix?

1. Fruits, fruits, fruits.

Natural sugar is the best kind of sweet you can feed your body. Eat as much as you can and want, you won’t regret it.

2. Drink water.

Yeah, here we are again. You might be getting bored of me dishing out this tip over and over again, but don’t blame me!

Water is the basic cure to every bad eating habit.

It can help curb your sugar cravings, and it’s got a million other benefits I won’t get into right now.

You need water, and you’re going to drink it from now on. End of discussion.

3. Have some green tea with honey.

Honey-sweetened tea is the best replacement for a sugary cupcake.

Since green tea is my favorite, that’s the one I always go for. But black tea also works well with honey.

4. Prepare your desserts instead of eating from packets.

Youtube to the rescue here!

There are loads of channels out there that can teach you to make delicious desserts.

They’ll still have sugar, but home-cooked treats are way better than what comes out of packets.

So if you really want some sugar the next time, run to your oven instead of visiting the nearest snack store.

And don’t forget to leave a comment on the creator’s recipe if it turns out well. It’s always good to support artists. 😊

Something you might want to bookmark for the holidays: 7 Simple Ways Of Eating Healthy During The Holidays

Okay, we’re done with our 9 tips.

Time to wrap this up.

Bad Eating Habits Can Be Fixed

You just need some hard-core determination, along with some quirky ways to fix them. 

Don’t eat your emotions. It doesn’t help at all. The same goes for missing your breakfast.

Avoid midnight snacking. and say no to eating at odd times. Too much junk food is just that – junk. So, don’t exceed.

Having takeout every day isn’t good for your tummy. Cook at home instead.

Binge-eating shouldn’t be binged. It should be broken with gentle reminders to treat your body with love and respect.

Don’t eat too fast. Slow down the process and enjoy every bite of your meal.

Lastly, don’t fall for the sugar trap. It seems sweet but can have bitter consequences we do not need.

A quick question for your before you leave: Which of these bad eating habits do you find the most bothersome? Write in the comment box. I’d love to hear from you.