Eating healthy is a goal for many of us but it can be a frustrating journey. In order to make clean eating a lifestyle change, you need to set yourself up for success. Do a little prep work before you dive into your healthy eating challenge. Here are some tips to get you started.
- Clear out the junk. If you are tempted by junk food, get rid of it. That means no chips, packaged cookies, processed cheeses and meats, prepackaged foods, etc. If you can’t resist this stuff, don’t have it in your house!
- Restock the refrigerator and cabinets. Once you clear the junk, restock with healthy whole food. The produce section is a good place to start. Checkout this post on creating a clean eating checklist.
- Buy foods you like. What I mean is, you are never going to sustain a diet of foods you don’t like and enjoy. Yes it’s always good to try new foods, but also have some items on hand that you already like too. If you are currently eating a processed version, find a recipe to make it healthier. For example, instead of buying boxed Hamburger Helper, make a pasta dish from scratch. It’s actually pretty easy to do!
- Prepwork is a must. On Sunday I start cooking for the week. Along with preparing meals, I wash and chop produce for snacks. I have everything ready to take to work with me on Monday. When I’m hungry for a snack at work, I can simply go to our break room to grab a healthy snack I’ve already prepared. If you prep ahead and have healthy items available, you will be more likely to avoid the junk.
- Allow room for cheat meals. My goal for you would be to develop a sustainable healthy eating diet. That means that you don’t want to go overboard with cutting things out. I hear people say “I’m cutting out all sugar, alcohol, carbs and salt”. That’s great, however, the chances of you succeeding for an extended period of time are low.
- Find a support group. As with exercise, find someone to hold you accountable.
You might also want to checkout my previous posts on 10 Tips for Starting a Fitness Program and Intuitive Eating Versus Calorie Counting.
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Renae is a married working mom of two handsome boys. She works as a registered dental hygienist by day and blogs here at How to Have it All by night. She enjoys cooking from scratch, working in her vegetable garden and functional training.
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