So you want to eat healthier. Yay! But let’s be real. Changing your eating habits can be difficult. We often associate eating healthy with dieting, which we all know sucks big time and isn’t sustainable in the long run. So this year, let’s ditch the restrictive diet and shift our focus to simply eating healthier foods. Here are 8 easy ways to follow through with healthy eating while actually enjoying yourself along the way.

  1. Choose a method of eating healthy that is fun, sustainable and works with your lifestyle

This is key. When we try quick fixes like restricting, juice cleanses or eating cabbage soup all day, we just end up feeling hungry, tired and deprived, which then leads us back to the unhealthy habits we were trying to overcome in the first place. It can be a vicious cycle. There is no such thing as a magical one-size-fits-all diet and different methods work for different people. Make sure that whatever approach you take is one you will actually enjoy and are able to maintain over time.

  1. Identify your “why?” and rise up to the challenge

As I mentioned, changing eating habits can be really hard. Get over the hurdle by identifying why you feel the need to change your eating habits. Is it to have more energy? Clearer skin? More self-confidence? Improve your relationship with yourself? Whatever your reason may be, write it down and refer back to it when you feel like giving up. Accept the fact that it is going to be a challenge. Commit to it wholeheartedly and remind yourself you are worth it.

  1. Meal plan and make enough at dinner so you have leftovers for lunch

Meal planning is a great way to set yourself up for success. Set aside an hour or two of time every week to plan your meals, grocery shop and do some basic food prep. When you invest time and money into this plan, you are much more likely to stick to it! While mapping out your dinners for the week, plan to make recipes that will create leftovers for your lunch the next day. This will save you time in the kitchen and help you stay on track the next day too. If you need some help getting started, use our meal planning platform here.

  1. Get rid of the junk

Make your environment work for you, not against you. This means getting rid of all the junk food in your house that will only tempt you and derail your good intentions. See no junk, eat no junk!

clean pantry

  1. Discover healthy food that you actually love

Eating healthy does not mean eating salad all day. It should and can be delicious! Focus on healthy foods that you actually enjoy. Some of my favourites are avocado toast with a poached egg, brown rice tortilla pizzas and chocolate banana ice cream.

8 Ways to Eat Healthier

  1. Discover healthy restaurant options

Deciding to clean up your eating habits doesn’t have to mean you can never eat out again. Many restaurants are starting to focus on healthy options. Hallelujah! If you love the experience of dining out, explore healthy options in your neighbourhood like Fresh, Kupfert & Kim or Live Food Bar.

  1. Try batch cooking

Part of staying on track is planning ahead for those days you know you will be ridiculously busy with no time to cook. Make up a specific food like chicken breasts or a recipe like soup at the start of the week and divide it into portions so you have meals ready to grab-and-go when life gets busy.

  1. Get your friends and family on board

Eating healthy becomes a lot easier when you have the support of your friends and family, so invite them to join you on this journey. Create a recipe share, have a crock pot party, take turns making meals for each other and have weekly check-ins to hold each other accountable.

So, are you pumped up to actually eat healthier this year? Join our 21-Day Transformation Challenge. We’re giving you three weeks of meal plans with grocery lists, prep guides and access to a private support group. All recipes are budget-friendly and easy-to-make so you can save time and money while looking and feeling your best.

Learn more at ThatCleanLife.com.