How to start eating healthier

Honestly, I understand how difficult it can be sometimes to eat healthy when junk food is much cheaper, more accessible, and hard to avoid. It’s hard to eat healthy when you are out with friends or family and they are all eating these delicious tasty foods and you ordering a salad instead. It is hard to drive past MacDonald’s when you are on your way back home from an exhausting day and you are super hungry and just want to eat something before you sleep. But, it won’t be hard anymore. I am going to give you a few tips to help you avoid these urges to eat junk food and to start making healthier choices when it comes to your meals! Here it comes...

1- Start your day with a healthy breakfast

I know, very obvious. But, it is the most beneficial thing you can do. If you want to start eating healthier then your day has to start off on a healthy start! Pick your favorite healthy breakfast that you enjoy and eat that every day. For example, I personally don’t like to eat breakfast I rather just have a delicious filling smoothie instead so that’s what I have every morning. It is healthy and nutritious and full of energy. It keeps me full for a few hours, and even if I end up eating not-so-healthy meals later at least I had one good clean meal. Baby steps are very important.

2- Plan your meals

You probably think that I will say start prepping your meals for the week, although that could work for some but honestly, that never worked for me. I usually don't have the time to cook nor do I like to feel committed to a certain meal plan. I mostly eat out or order food at home because that’s my lifestyle. But now I know a few good healthy food places that I love and usually eat from every other day. For example, when I am on campus I usually order a tuna pasta salad for my lunch and I do that almost every other day. For dinner, I usually order grilled chicken with a side of potatoes and veggies or sometimes whole wheat spaghetti. What I am trying to say is you don’t have to complicated things all the time. Eat whatever you feel like eating but healthier, there are many healthy food options around you just have to spend a little extra time looking for them, but trust me it will be worth it.

3- Make healthier choices

Now here is the fun part, if you want to eat out you can, you just have to pick healthier options. For example, instead of eating a large big mac meal at MacDonald’s, you can have small fries, small diet coke, and no cheese in your burger! Now you saved yourself a few calories and you still got to eat your favorite meal but in moderation. If you want to eat pizza you can, just make it a little healthier. And by simply doing that you are making it a habit to eat healthily and then you will get the hang of it and won’t be as difficult. It will simply become your lifestyle.

4- Reduce your sugar intake

No, I don’t mean cut off sugar completely because that won’t work, our body naturally needs sugar. But instead of putting sugar in your coffee or drinks start lowering your sugar intake and remember baby steps are important. I always used to put two or three teaspoons of sugar in my coffee and now I don’t and if I am in the mood for it. I put one cube of brown sugar and that’s it. Also, don’t order ridiculous sugary drinks from Starbucks, yes it may taste good but the calories in it are way too high with a lot of sugar and won’t do your body or your progress any good. You can have it for a treat but don’t make it a habit. Make it a habit to eat less sugar, don’t cut it off but consume less and you will see how your body will change.

5- The simpler the better

Don’t overcrowd your meals with many healthy foods, keep it simple. Grilled chicken and brown rice will do. Some whole-wheat pasta and low-fat minced meat will do. Gluten-free pizza will do. Chicken and avocado wrap will do. I am sure you get my point. The simpler you make your meals the simpler your progress will be. And remember. Mind over matter.

6- Eat in moderation.

One of the most important things to do if you are just starting to eat healthily is to eat in moderation. Your meals have to be well balanced of micro and macro nutrition. If you are one of those people that love to eat big portions of food that’s okay but eat in moderation and if you want to eat train yourself to eat less; here is a tip for you. You can eat a small portion and wait for 10 minutes, you will probably not be as hungry as you were before. And that’s because you have to allow your body to process what you are eating and for your brain to know that now you are full and don’t need to overeat. And remember, we as humans only need a small amount of food to live, you don’t need to be eating a huge amount of plates, you will live! And you will lose weight.

7- Be more aware of what you eat

If you stop for a few seconds before you order food or eat a meal and think “okay what is in this food that’s going to benefit my body and make me healthier” you will see that most of the time our meals are nothing but processed food and unhealthy choices. Become more aware of what's in your food, think before you eat. You are doing this for yourself and for your body so you have to put in a little more effort. Would you give your child unhealthy food to eat? Probably not so why do you do it to yourself.

8- Control your mind don’t let your mind control you

The mind is a very powerful tool, use it for your own good. You decide what you want to eat. You tell yourself you will eat more healthily and you will. Stop making excuses and stop saying you will do it tomorrow. Start with eating one healthy meal a day and make it a habit, soon you will be eating all healthy. It sure won’t be easy in the beginning but you will get used to it. Humans always adapt to new challenged and lifestyles, we are capable of doing anything we set our mind to. So, eat your veggies!

Hope these tips will help you and get you started on your healthy journey! let me know in your comments below what you think.