7 Mistakes Even Healthy Eaters Make

Not Eating Enough Protein with Breakfast

A person decides to eat healthy and chooses a bowl of cereal with non-fat milk and a banana; one hour later, he or she starts complaining of hunger. People who make this mistake are definitely moving in the right direction, but if they are truly watching their serving sizes, the 8 grams of protein from the milk is most likely not going to keep them full until lunchtime. Consequently, they wind up over-snacking until then or eating a lunch that’s too big. Adding a healthy fat to the cereal mix, like slivered almonds, or having a little extra protein -- like a hard-boiled egg -- can make a big difference in their satiety level.

Leaving the Carb Off the Dinner Plate

This is a really popular mistake. Believe it or not, you can lose weight and enjoy carbs with dinner -- too many people think more protein on the plate is far better than adding a carb; when you do the math, however, it doesn’t usually work out in the protein’s favor. For example, a plain 8-ounce chicken breast is around 375 calories, but if you were to eat a 4-ounce serving and add a half cup of brown rice, you would save about 78 calories. A small baked potato (topped with salsa) can save you 105 calories, if you stick with a 4-ounce serving of broiled salmon versus an 8-ounce. And besides saving calories, you'll be getting fiber, which overall may help with weight loss.

Avoiding Your "Bad" Foods

This is probably the No. 1 diet mistake. Ask yourself: What do you love to eat? And don't list what you think you should be eating. It's important to continue to eat those foods you really love -- though you likely think you should avoid them. Sound crazy? Well, whenever someone completely avoids the foods they love, they inevitably feel deprived and give up on healthy eating. The key is to find a way to keep the favorites in the mix without sabotaging weight-loss goals. For example: Occasionally having a slice of pizza for lunch with a side salad, so you don’t wind up wanting to sit down for an entire pie. Enjoying French fries with your burger, but losing the bun. Sharing dessert at a restaurant when dining out, while consciously passing on the breadbasket.