Eating healthy can definitely be a challenge. It is easy to fall into a pattern of making excuses as to why you can't eat healthy. Hopefully, with these tips, eating healthy won't be a challenge at all!
1. Pinpoint The Reason You Eat Certain Foods
Do you like potato chips because they're salty? Because they're crunchy? Knowing why you eat foods will make it a lot easier to...
2. Find Healthy Substitutes For Your Unhealthy Cravings
If you like potato chips because they're crunchy, try snacking on almonds instead. If you're a big sweet tooth, eat more fresh fruit. A great substitute for popsicles is frozen grapes and instead of ice cream, try blending up some frozen bananas, honey, and almond milk.
3. Prepare Food Ahead Of Time
Often, the biggest reason people don't eat healthy is because they think it is a big time commitment. So many people have the notion that unhealthy food is much faster to prepare but that is a myth! Having prepped food stocked up makes healthy eating no problem at all! I like to take an hour on Sundays to prep food for the week to make it easy to prepare. I keep a bag of sliced up bell peppers and onions ready to sauté and I grill chicken and put it in the freezer to add to my meals.
4. Keep Healthy Snacks On Hand At All Times
Make sure to prepare healthy snacks for yourself to munch on when you get hungry. Baby carrots and celery can be a great midnight snack and keeping a little bag of almonds or dark chocolates in your purse will help you avoid snacking on unhealthy things.
5. Don't Cut Things Out Of Your Diet Completely
Definitely limit your bad cravings, but never go cold turkey. When you cut something out completely, often, in a moment of weakness you will binge and undo all the healthy eating you had been doing.
6. Sneak Some Greens In Whenever You Can
If you're a sweet tooth, getting enough of those greens can often be a challenge. Try making a smoothing and blending in a little spinach or kale. You won't be able to taste it at all but your drink will be full of healthy goodness. Another great way to add veggies to your diet is to replace white pasta with veggie noodles. Zucchini noodles have a very similar texture to pasta and go great with spaghetti sauce.
7. Cut Down On Portions
Cutting down on portions isn't too bad when cooking for yourself, but it can be a real challenge when eating out. Make sure to try to box up half of your meal from the restaurant to save for another meal. Cutting down on portions is also a great way to cut down on cost!