Introduction

Food is one of life's most basic—and frequent—pleasures. We eat every day, typically several times a day, and often without even giving it much thought. But just as we speak or walk with a natural rhythm all our own, we also tend to develop eating patterns in the foods we like to eat and the times we choose to eat.

Our food choices are influenced by many things, including culture, convenience, cost and taste. Sometimes our choices are dictated by medical concerns or other health objectives. More often, they are a simple matter of taste and convenience.

Our eating schedules are sometimes a matter of choice, but most often we eat when our schedules allow it: in the morning before leaving for school or the workplace, mid-day when everyone else takes a lunch break and at some point toward the end of the day. Some people use snacks to bridge the hunger gap between meals. Others snack to feed an emotional hunger triggered by stress.

Research suggests that eating patterns have a powerful effect on our health. Diet can reduce the risk for chronic diseases such as diabetes, stroke, heart disease, osteoporosis and some cancers. It can also help control high blood pressure, high cholesterol and obesity—all risk factors for disease.

Poor eating choices become patterns, or habits, through repetition: skipping meals only to overeat later in the day; reaching for sweets or high-fat snacks instead of a carrot or whole-wheat cracker. But the best patterns can become routine with practice, too, improving our health and outlook.

Your eating style doesn't just happen. You can make it happen, modify it to make it work better or change it completely to achieve your health goals.

Follow the steps below to review your current eating style and the patterns it creates. Look for ways to tailor your eating patterns—choices and scheduling—to support your personal health objectives.

• Use the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Dietary Guidelines as a framework for your food choices and to determine how much food you need each day. (Read on for a discussion of these guidelines.)
• Make a list that describes your eating pattern, noting the times of day you eat, whether it is alone or with others, whether sitting or on the move and any other significant factors. List the foods you eat and the amounts you eat. Include everything. Keep a food diary for a week to get the most accurate picture.
• Think about the reasons you eat when you do, and about your food preferences. List the influences that contribute to the most and the least healthful aspects of your eating style.
• Outline changes you want to make in your eating patterns, such as increasing or decreasing the number of times you eat each day—whichever works best for you. Plan how you can substitute more nutritious options or eat more or less of certain foods. Check with your physician about the impact of any changes in diet or mealtimes or underlying medical conditions.
• Enlist support for your improved eating style.
• Commit to a long-term change. Allow yourself occasional splurges. Don't give up over occasional lapses. Keep a flexible and positive attitude.

If your eating style makes food a source of enjoyment as well as nutrition that promotes health, fuels an active life and reduces the risks of disease, then it's a winner!