How are you doing with our November Healthy Habit of being more portion aware?  We're collecting lots of great tips from our Cooking Light community on how they keep portions in check, which will be featured in the upcoming Healthy Habits book. We also tapped several leading nutrition experts to tell us their thoughts about managing portions. Here's a sneak peek at what a few of them had to say...

Jill Castle, MS, RD, pediatric nutritionist and blogger, Just the Right Byte

"When eating out, be aware of words that warn of portion distortion -- value meal, combo, ultimate, tub, supreme, biggie, deluxe and super size.  It may be tempting to think more is better, but in this case, more is calories."

New York University's Lisa Young, PhD, RD, author of The Portion Teller Plan and one  of the country's leading experts on portion control

"People eat in units -- one bagel, one muffin, one soda or one steak -- and they don't really pay attention to how big that unit is. Just because you're eating one of something, it doesn't mean that's the appropriate amount of food you should be eating."

Michelle May, MD, mindful eating expert, blogger and author of Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat

"Once you have the amount of food you think you'll need, physically divide it in half on your plate to remind yourself to stop half way and check in again. This little 'speed bump' will slow you down so you can reconnect with your hunger and fullness level."

Marsha Hudnall, MS, RD, blogger, A Weight Lifted

"Think of portion sizes as a place to start.  It builds in an automatic stopping place that gives you the opportunity to think if you really want more.  Then pay attention to your internal hunger cues.  If you decide you want more, that's fine to have a second helping. But you're making a conscious decision rather than just eating all that's on your plate.

Manuel Villacorta, MS, RD, blogger, Eating Free

"Popular diets tend to demonize certain foods like potatoes, pasta, cheese and even fruit, yet the reality is no food is fattening unless you over consume it.  Food is not the problem, your portions are.  I think it's important to eat with pleasure and without guilt. Just keep sight of how much you're eating."

I especially liked Manuel's message that no food is fattening unless you over consume it.  It really all comes down to portions.  You can enjoy all foods as long as you're not over-doing it.  One way to keep tabs on your portions is to write down what you eat, at least for a few days.  It can be a real eye-opener.  Many of our readers said they rely on mobile apps to help do the tracking.  What about you?  Have you found some tricks to help you manage your portions?  Let us know what works for you!

“Be portion aware!” It’s the mandate shouting at me from this month’s 12 Healthy Habits pages. It’s not really shouting, of course. That’s just my own portion “noise.” Because trust me: I am very portion aware. I’m actually more portion disregard. Because I know a grape from a galette—and will even surprise myself by often picking the former over the latter—just gimme a whole lot of those grapes.

Despite my tendency toward “more is more,” I fully acknowledge it’s not a healthful eating philosophy, and my habits could definitely use some tweaking. I’ve been trying to follow some of the principles outlined here by downsizing my plate sizes and styling my food to fill that smaller plate more appealingly. But I’m still having trouble when faced with big eating events, like the impending holidays, football games, and random crummy Tuesdays.

That’s where the best portion-related advice I’ve come across comes in. And it just so happens to be super timely with the rapid approach of the most overportioned of all holidays…Thanksgiving. The advice was something like this: Don’t save your favorite foods like dressing, mashed potatoes, and pecan pie for “special” occasions or holidays, or you’ll be tempted to go overboard, seeing them as a limited time offer. Who’s to stop you from enjoying a small scoop of stuffing or a sliver of pecan gooeyness in June? Certainly not me. So I think it’s time for me to start applying the same advice to my other favorite foods. Maybe our biannual trip to our favorite pizza place doesn’t have to be a stretchy pants free-for-all. What if I…gulp…started with a salad before moving on to a more sensible amount of slices? Does that mean I could pizza it up more often? Hmm. Maybe there’s something to this whole portion awareness after all. Please pass the grapes.

Read more: Top 10 Secrets of Portion Control

By: Kristin Casey

We have a variety of eating habits in our little family of four. I have been a vegetarian for about ten years. Tim, my husband, eats a predominately vegetarian diet, but also eats fish and some turkey during the holidays. Kylie, our two-year-old daughter is also a vegetarian and a great eater. But Dylan, our five-year-old son, is the pickiest and the only regular meat eater in the house. (Some of that is due to food allergies, but that is a whole other topic.)

So, as you can probably see fixing meals in my house can be difficult at times, but it is important to me that everyone eats healthy. One thing that I know most of us are not getting enough of is omega-3s, so I was happy to be a part of the 12 Healthy Habits challenge and learn how to get omega-3s from plant based sources.

To my surprise, flax seed have been a quick and simple way to incorporate omega-3s into every one’s diet, just by adding it to a family favorite—smoothies. Dylan's favorite color is green, but ironically, getting him to eat things that are green is near impossible. So in order to get him to eat, or I guess drink, some green vegetables, we make smoothies. I sneak a little handful of spinach into each one. Plus, I add the flax seed to create a yummy, fruity treat that is rich with nutrients and omega-3s. I can even add a little extra omega-3s by making the smoothie with some omega-3-enriched soy milk.

My husband and I are both big fans of pesto, so naturally I was excited to learn that walnuts were a good plant-based source of omega-3s. Tonight for dinner we tried the recipe for Parsley and Walnut Pesto. We added it to spinach and cheese ravioli, and it was delicious! My only suggestion would be doubling the pesto recipe. You can keep it in the fridge and use it for dipping bread or vegetables. Of course, my favorite thing to do with leftover pesto is throw a nice spoonful of it on top of some hummus and take it to the office with some carrots and a pita for a healthy and satisfying snack that will keep you away from the vending machines.

I am just getting started on my discovery of plant-based sources of omega-3s and am looking forward to expanding on the suggestions I have received, including perhaps some algae-based supplements. I also plan on experimenting more with the flax seed, possibly in bread, granola, maybe even muffins and cupcakes. The possibilities seem endless.

By: Andrea Stillwell

Well, today was the day of reckoning. I knew this day was coming. I put it off for as long as I could. Now the deadline was fast approaching for me to eat some fish and write about my experience. I flipped through all my Cooking Light Annual Cookbooks looking for the perfect recipe. Something intriguing. Something enticing. Something to pique my curiosity about... fish. Oh, yeah. I haven't eaten fish since I left home some 24 years ago. My last memory of fish was a tuna sandwich (Bumble Bee, of course) under lots of lettuce doused in mayonnaise. Yuck.

So I made my way, with much trepidation, to the fresh fish case of the local Whole Foods. "I need some fish," I said, my voice wavering. "I'll take the smallest piece of tilapia that you have." As the man behind the counter wrapped up my experiment, I tried not to look at the whole fish laying nearby, with their beady little eyes staring blankly back at me.

I settled on Five Spice Tilapia with Citrus Ponzu Sauce from Cooking Light’s 2007 Cookbook. I followed the advice from the September issue: Use a mild fish. Check. Use bold flavors. Check. Cook outdoors. Check. (I deviated from the recipe and wrapped it in foil and grilled it outdoors.) I placed the finished product on my plate, accompanied by steamed broccoli with a squeeze of orange juice on top, to tie the flavors together. The fish wasn't going to get into my mouth by magic, so here goes…

I can report that I survived. I even ate the whole thing. Am I a convert? Well, let's take it one bite at a time. This was a huge step for me after 24 years. I might think twice about passing up a fish dish at my next luau. Maybe. The Chicken with Balsamic-Fig Sauce on the same page looks so much more inviting to me.

I was very curious to hear how Jenny and Rob's first week of fish eating was going, and Jenny sent me this picture, early in the week, and I knew all was well: 

It's a photo of their three-year-old daughter Miriam eating fish for the first time.

Jenny and Rob were suprised and delighted at how Miriam took to fish, even to the point of preferring it over French Toast Casserole when dinnertime came. So many terrific things happenned to them during this ambitious week, we put together a top ten list.

TOP TEN GREAT THINGS THAT HAPPENNED TO JENNY AND ROB LAST WEEK BECAUSE THEY'RE EATING FISH

10. "Miriam eating fish without prompting," said Jenny. Jenny and Rob were nervous that fish would become one of those classic dinnertime struggles with Miriam. But it didn't turn out that way at all!

9. "It's fun to tell people we're trying fish because they give us recipes to try," said Rob. The support of a community is a really good thing. "I've shared my experience on Facebook, and people are giving me tips and recipes. It's neat to have that kind of community," said Jenny.

8. Their neighbors said that when the month is done, they'll have them over for Maryland Steamed Crabs as a reward.

7. Rob's made a similar offer; his parents are avid fish-eaters, and recently returned to Maryland with a cooler full of fresh Carolina fish they intend to freeze. Next time they see Rob and the family, they've promised to share the goods. "They're excited that we're trying something new that they really love," said Rob.

6. Jenny's Caesar Salad dressing is the best she's ever made. She added anchovy paste to the dressing, and now it has that oomph. Rob gave it a high compliment, "My favorite Caesar is at Outback, with that strong, garlic flavor. This one tasted similar."

5. They ate their fish naked (er...the fish was naked, not Jenny and Rob). They chose Tilapia Tacos as their first fish dish (see recipe below). As you can tell from the photo, the fish isn't smothered with guacamole, cheese or salsa; it's right there, naked, under just a couple of grilled peppers and onions. "It's like learning to drink coffee," said Jenny. "If you can drink it black, cream and sugar makes it even better. 

4. Rob visited his local fish monger for the first time. "When I was a kid, I remember going to the grocery store and looking at the lobster," recalls Rob. "It's a fun place to go." Miriam is also becoming interested in lobster; Jenny and Rob are contemplating that for their end-of-the-month family meal.

3. Tilapia is expensive; but a little goes a long way. Tilapia from the fishmonger cost Rob $8.99 per pound, but a pound of tilapia went a long way with this family. The first night, they enjoyed fish tacos, the next they had a pasta dish with vegetables and leftover tilapia. Rob enjoyed tilapia on a salad the next day, and there were plenty of pasta leftovers for another meal.

2. Rob's mom shared her recipe for shrimp and grits with Jenny. I'm hoping she might share it with us, too.

And the very best thing about the first week of fish eating for Jenny and Rob....

1. "Connecting to Rob's family; his parents and their roots. That felt good," said Jenny.

That's part of the fun of food after all, sharing it. Rob grew up fishing, but couldn't eat the stuff. This might be a wonderful way to gather round the table and enjoy a meal of crabs and shrimp together.

That is, unless Miriam takes it all for herself.

It takes time to change a habit.  Commit to 30 days.  You can do almost anything if you give it 30 days.  

But adopting a new habit doesn't just meaning learning a new behavior; it typically means subtracting an old habit. What habits do you need to replace? And think about what's standing in your way. What are your habit hurdles?

For each of the 12 Healthy Habits we want to know about your specific challenges. What's making it tough for you meet each goal?  

We appreciate all of you answering our habit-related questions on Facebook.  We want to shape the 12HH book in ways that will help you with those hurdles.

Here's just a sampling of what we're discovering:

Get Moving Challenge- 

#1 thing that would help people exercise more:  Friends to do it with.

Some people also talked about the lack of time and motivation, while others said they needed more support from family and friends to exercise 3 times a week :  "Understanding from family and friends that my ME time is just that!"

Whole Grains Challenge-

#1 reason why people have a hard time getting enough whole grains: They're confused about what counts as a whole grain; can't tell what they're buying.

Get Cooking Challenge-

#1 reason why people don't cook more at home:  They need more ideas for quick, easy meals.  Well, we will definitely have that covered!

So join the conversation. If you have a story to tell, email me at healthyhabits.janethelm@gmail.com. What have you done to change your habits?  Are you having some success?  Let us know how you're overcoming your habit hurdles. 

(photo courtesy of beenbair on flickr)

Each month Cooking Light magazine features tips, tricks, real-life stories and scrumptious recipes to help implement a different healthy habit.  But I hope you're not stopping there.  The 12 Healthy Habits project is multi-platform (and eventually it will be a book).  So join the conversation here on The Twelve or on Facebook --  find out how other people are successfully making changes or tell us what's working for you.

Social media can be a powerful tool to help you adopt healthier habits.  In fact, social networking sites and smartphones have transformed the health communications landscape over the last few years, according to the Pew Internet and American Life Project.  People are going online and listening to each other and learning from one another—a phenomenon dubbed "peer-to-peer healthcare."  Pew Internet research shows that 80% of Americans go online for health information—and people are even more motivated to consume and share information online if they're living with a chronic condition, such as high blood pressure, diabetes or heart problems.  

There are loads of ways social media can help with your healthy habits:

• -Gain support and inspiration. Healthy living can be a shared experience and online communities can be a powerful motivator.  No matter where you live, you can jump online to connect with others who want to make similar changes or have the same challenges as you.  Let us know how you've been doing with 12HH and share your successes with others. 

• -Stick to goals.  Joining forces with other people can help you be more accountable.  If you want to make changes, share it with your friends on Facebook.  Tweet about it (tag it #healthyhabits). Or blog about your journey. They're all great ways to get feedback, support and encouragement.

• -Track your progress. You'll find so many different tools that can help you monitor your daily successes—including social networking sites and iPhone apps to calculate your calories, evaluate the quality of your food choices or track your activity.  Self-monitoring has been shown to make a huge difference. When you see yourself making changes, enjoying small victories, it motivates you to do more.

So let us know how you've been doing with the 12HH.  Did you find a meatless meal that you really loved? What has helped you eat more whole grains?  Did you create a new breakfast routine? How did you find a way to be more active?  Share your success.  Give us your secrets.  It will reinforce your progress and inspire someone else.  

Your story might even be in the book. 

(image courtesy of panuarzc on flickr) 

Aw, Dawn. I gave you a bum steer on the vegetarian cooking thing. But hopefully that can be a preventative lesson that can save other folks some time. Read on...

We were so excited to cook vegetarian that we opted for a weekend of vegetarian eating instead of just one day. We picked delicious dishes that harkened back to your pre-weight loss favorites, removed the animal protein and filled them with grilled veggies and protein.

And then, between rehydrating beans, stuffing enchilados and poblanos, the cooking seemed to go on forever. You usually spend a couple hours cooking on a weekend, but this vegetarian commitment took six hours. Now that is no way to introduce a brand new Healthy Habit.

So here are some thoughts, moving forward, to optimize and speed your vegetarian cooking:

1. LEFTOVERS ARE FOR STUFFING

Frittata, ravioli, enchiladas: what do they have in common? They are all dishes that taste best when another cooked ingredient is incorporated with them. Frittatas are much better with a little precooked caramelized onions, peppers, and roasted tomatoes. Ravioli, stuffed with a little roasted pumpkin, is just devine. Enchiladas, filled with queso fresco, grilled corn and zucchini? A modern marvel. But making those fillings turn a simple dish into a time-consuming one. When you make roasted vegetables, always make more than you need. Then use those vegetables to "fill" another dish. Starting from scratch make these simple dishes far more difficult than need be.

2. REHEAT BEANS ONE BAG AT A TIME

Dried beans are my choice for many reasons; economically, they cost less than canned. Their flavor can't be beat; a rehydrated bean is as depthful as your cooking liquid; I like to add sprigs of fresh thyme, rosemary, garlic, onion and bay leaves to mine. Rehydrating beans takes one hour after an overnight soak, but it's a back burner item. Simple.

But even so...it's easier to open a can. Unless you make a habit of rehydrating your beans, and always have them in the fridge. I made a bag of garbanzos last week; I turned them into a delicious bean dip, they supplemented my salad; I tossed them with pesto and roast peppers and enjoyed them as a main; even my fiance used them to make a soup, and even incorporated that delicious cooking liquid!

So if you're looking for good protein, keep some beans (in their cooking liquid) in your fridge. They're tasty, cost effective, and right there when you need them.

3. CASSEROLES: POPULAR FOR A REASON

Look, casseroles have lost their sex appeal in the last few decades, but "covered dishes" have been a staple for a reason. They feed a crowd. And if you're not cooking for a crowd, you can take the leftovers and freeze them. Whenever I cook, I cook far more than I need, and the next few days are a breeze as a result. And there is no better frozen food that the food you've made from scratch. If you're going to cook, make the next meal that much easier.

This week, Dawn is trying three new recipes: a superfast recipe from Cooking Light: Pasta with Sundried Tomato Pesto and Feta Cheese. But Dawn wants to add in a little something special, so she's going to try some charred eggplant, or some sugar snap peas. These can cook concurrently, adding no extra time.

She's also going to try this Lentil Salad. I'm a big fan of cold lentil salads in the summer, which Dawn has never tried, though she loves lentil soup. I think she's going to be smitten.

And last, Dawn is returning a pre-weight loss favorite to the repertoire: Ratatouille with Swiss Cheese. She moans just contemplating this old favorite. But the swiss cheese makes her nervous, calorie wise, which means it's time to visit a cheese shop and find their more assertive cheese; a little will go a long way, and she'll make the most of vivid flavor without adding too many additional calories.

I am thrilled to introduce you to our August "Go Vegetarian" coaching client, Dawn.

Dawn has done something that many think can't be done. A few years ago, she completely changed her body by changing her habits. After spending two decades in the 200-pound range, Dawn had a wake-up experience. In March 2009, Dawn went to a weekend ski clinic, and only made it through the first half of the first day. She loved skiing, but she simply couldn't do it; it was too much for her body.

The next day she was so sore she couldn’t walk, much less ski. She joined a gym the following Monday. She began working out 4 to 5 times per week, and the weight started to come off slowly, about 1½ pounds per week.

Today Dawn weighs 130 pounds. And she's feeling so good about her body, that now, at 52 years old, Dawn as decided to compete in a figure competition (that's a step below body building). See her before and after photos below (Go Dawn!):

"It’s so fun to feel strong, to have muscles, to feel like I look good in clothes, and not worry about what will make me look fat," said Dawn. "Also, I love to watch people who haven’t seen me in a while, and see their responses. I like having guys watch me when I walk by. That hasn't happened for many many years."

Flirting is fun, but good health is even better. Dawn's cholesterol wasn't healthy; now it is. Dawn's blood sugar is normal, and her blood pressure and pulse are better. "All of my labs come back great; my doctor hugs me. Those changes aren’t the result of rapid weight loss; they're from all the other changes."

There’s something extraordinary happening with the 12 Healthy Habits.

Readers are following the monthly challenges.  They’re learning new skills, adopting new behaviors, and they’re starting to report on their successes, which has been thrilling to see.

One of the best parts -- people are learning from each other.  That’s the spirit of the 12 Healthy Habits book that I have the privilege of pulling together.  The Food Lover’s Healthy Habits Cookbook will be published in April 2012, and we’re counting on all of you to help shape the content.

Tell us what’s worked for you. What have you done to help change your habits and meet these monthly challenges?  It’s the collective wisdom of the Cooking Light community that will make this book so special.  We also want to know what’s been tough for you – what are the hurdles that you need to overcome? 

The book is unique because it focuses on habits -- those daily behaviors that have become automatic in our lives.  Stephen R. Covey, author of the iconic book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, defines a habit as the intersection of knowledge, skill, and desire.  It’s combination of what to do and how to do it, with some motivation thrown in. To make something a habit in our lives, we need all three.

Most people already know what they need to do to eat healthier or lose weight. They understand why it’s important.  They’ve heard all that before. The challenge is making it happen.  The book will help move you past knowledge, giving you new skills, realistic solutions, concrete ideas, and delicious recipes to adopt these healthy habits. We also hope to inspire and motivate you by showcasing real people who are on the same journey to change their habits and live a healthier life.

Plus, we’re working with some popular food and nutrition bloggers who plan to engage their communities in our healthy habits challenge.  You’ll find some of their advice sprinkled throughout the book, too.

So stay in touch.  Send me an email if you have an inspirational story or a change you made that made a difference for you:  HealthyHabits.JanetHelm@gmail.com.  Plus, check out the polls on our Facebook page to give us your input on the various habits.  

We want to hear from you, we want to learn from you.  Help us write this book!