Becoming a healthy eater isn’t something that happens overnight. You don’t decide one time that you are going to eat healthier now, and suddenly you are a super fan of fruits and veggies and on your way to weight loss success.

Eating healthy happens one meal at a time. You don’t get to choose to be healthy once, but instead, you have to make that choice over and over and over again. Even after you reach your weight loss goal, the need to choose healthy foods over unhealthy favorites won’t always be easy.

One thing that can make the process much easier is knowing what foods count as being the healthier choices. When you know what to look for, you can start finding healthier options within your reach.

Here are a few quick tips on selecting healthier foods:

• Go nuts! Almonds and other tree nuts are super healthy, packed with nutrients and often low in calories. They are also highly filling. Just be wary of nut butters, as those are often loaded with sugar.
• Magic beans! Reducing your meat intake can be good for your heart and weight loss goals, so switching over to protein alternatives like lentils is a great way to improve the healthiness of any meal.
• Grill the meat! Meat is not totally out of the question as you are trying to lose weight, you just need to be smart about what meats you choose to eat. In fact, some meats are so low in calorie but high in nutrient contents that they are recommended as part of your weight loss diet—especially after bariatric surgery.

The decision to get weight loss surgery is a really big step towards living a healthier lifestyle, but it is far from being the only step that you need to take. Even after your weight loss procedure, you will have to continue making healthy choices day in and day out to help you reach your weight loss goal.

Becoming part of a weight loss support group can help you with this process by keeping you encouraged as you overcome temptations and find the healthiest food options one meal at a time. And remember, before you make any changes to your existing weight loss diet, make sure to check in with your weight loss surgeon to confirm that the food choice is right for your weight loss needs.