First Steps Toward Healthy Eating

If you’re not currently eating healthy, it can be difficult to know where to start. But healthy eating and exercise are the building blocks for maintaining good health and building up your body’s immunity against disease. As anyone who has ever struggled with healthy eating knows, breaking unhealthy habits can be the most difficult part of the process. So, let’s look at a couple ways to help you get on the right path.

A great first step when starting your journey toward healthy eating is to rid your home of junk foods and sugary beverages. Those are the temptations that could prevent you from following better eating habits. So, get rid of them and restock your house with healthy but delicious snacks that help you stay on course. A serving of juicy fruit makes a great snack – think fresh pineapple, mango slices, cherries, watermelon, grapes, peaches, plums, tangerines . . . the list goes on and on, regardless of the season. There’s also whole grain toast topped with avocado, lime and sea salt; tomato wedges and cucumber slices drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette; organic tortilla chips and chunky salsa; even sliced pickles. If you find that you just cannot bear the thought of getting rid of all your sweets, keep something small and relatively harmless like peppermints. A few (and I mean just a few) of these won’t ruin your healthy eating plan but will give you a little sugary fix to satisfy your craving.

Preparation is another important step along the way to healthy eating. You must take your schedule into consideration and be prepared for meals. Do you often eat in a rushed hurry whenever you can find time during the day? If so, you may be more inclined to grab a rushed meal that will do more harm than good. So plan ahead! Who needs an overpriced fast food lunch on the go when they could have a healthy bagged lunch from home, such as tuna on toast with lettuce and tomatoes and a side of fresh fruit. And don’t forget your evening meal. Plan your evening meals on your days off. And make a shopping list so you don’t forget anything at the grocery store. But a word of warning: Don’t go to the grocery store hungry! That’s one of the quickest ways to fall off from your new healthy eating plan.