3 Hacks for Healthy Eating
By Genevieve Cunningham
Healthy eating can certainly feel like quite the chore at times. If you weren't taught the art of healthy eating when you were young, you have to reteach yourself the basics. And learning something so new and all-encompassing as an adult takes self-discipline and serious determination. It'll certainly take time. But in the meantime, there are some easy things that you can do to help you get moving in the right direction. If you're in the process of changing your diet and need a little help, take a look at these simple hacks.
Snack Prep
You've heard of meal prepping. You've seen the Pinterest posts. The refrigerators with neatly labeled tupperware containers lined up in perfect order. If you're just starting out, that probably sounds too difficult. Luckily, you don't have to start with anything so big. Instead, try prepping your snacks. Snacking is often where we pack on the calories anyway, so why not get that part under control? Plan your snacks for the week, throw them in a bag, and label them with a marker. Maybe you have fruit, nuts, or granola in the bags. Maybe it's something else. Starting with snacks allows you to get the feel of prepping without the overwhelming sensation that often comes with meal prep.
Make It Easy
The easier, the better. In the beginning, don't try to make a fancy new healthy meal every night. Nope ... don't even go there. Instead, choose one or two recipes and put them on repeat. Yes, you might get a little bored after a while. But the boredom will bring the desire to try something new instead of trying to force yourself into an entire new menu. If you already know that your dinner will consist of baked chicken and fresh veggies, it's that much easier to stick with it. But don't worry. This lack of flavor or freshness won't last forever. The longer you stick to your health eating plan, the more experimenting you'll want to do.
Play to Your Strengths
When it comes to healthy eating, what exactly are your strengths? Are you great at skipping dessert? Awesome! Make that your first goal. Are you good at cooking? Great! Pick two or three delicious meals and perfect them. Are you good at planning? Plan the most wonderful and healthy grocery list possible. If you play to your strengths, it's easier to feel successful, which then makes it more likely that you'll stick with it.
Healthy eating takes time and commitment. It requires you to learn a new set of skills and then to apply them every day. Use these tips to make the process easier, and you may find that your new healthy diet sticks with you for years to come.
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