How To Start Eating Healthier

So, you have set yourself the goal of eating healthier this year, but where do you begin? There is so much information out there in internet land that it can seem overwhelming and you just don’t know what to do first. I thought I would break it down for you and give you some tips on how you can start eating healthier this year.

These are all tips that I followed myself when I started out on my journey to lose 100lbs and making one small change at a time is what helped me to stay focused.

How To Start Eating Healthy

Here are my tips on how to be kinder to your body by fuelling it will healthier food.

Eat More Fruit And Vegetables – This might be one of the easier things you can do to be healthier, as it doesn’t involve necessarily eating anything different, just adding more fruit and vegetables to the things you already do eat. All those extra vitamins are going to make you feel so much better and those vegetables will keep you fuller for longer.

Even if you are not a huge vegetable fan, there are still ways that you can sneak them in to your diet like making green smoothies or hidden vegetable pasta sauce.

Sign Up For a Vegetable Delivery Box – Following on from the above, start getting a fruit and vegetable box delivered every week to encourage you to not only eat more fruit and vegetables, but different ones too.

The key to a healthy life is variety, which stops you from getting bored. Getting something new in your veg box every week will force you to be creative and you might discover a new favourite healthy meal.

Focus on all the things you can eat, not the things you shouldn’t eat very often – When you make the decision to eat healthier, I am sure the main thoughts that fill your head are all the things that you can’t eat as often any more. Notice that I didn’t say the things you can’t it, as nothing is off the menu, it’s just about balancing it out.

But don’t focus on those things, just direct your attention to all the new delicious things you will be eating. Lots of colour, meals that keep you fuller for longer and food that is going to give you energy.

Simple Carb Swaps – No one is telling you to ditch the carbs, or at least they shouldn’t be, as they should be included in a healthy balanced diet. But, there are some carbs that are better choices than others. Look at getting carbs from fruit and vegetables and switch to brown rice instead of white and eat plenty of whole grains.

Cut Back on Liquid Calories – Since tracking my eating and drinking again from joining Weight Watchers, I have really noticed that those liquid calories really add up. A latte here, an orange juice there, and a few G&Ts here and there can really add up the calories.

So, I am trying to swap most of them out for just water which is also helping me to stay more hydrated. Not a fan of water? Try adding some slices of lemon or lime to it to jazz it up a bit.

Read The Labels – Don’t just focus on the calories and points in what you are eating, focus on the ingredients too. Try to stick to products that have least amount of ingredients and the least artificial ingredients possible.

Have a Balanced Plate – Try to include some protein, carbs and healthy fat with every meal.

Take Lunch To Work With You – Those sandwiches at Pret every day or a quick trip to McDonalds can be tempting, but not only does the money add up, so do the calories. This year, make the change to taking your lunch to work with you most days and see if your energy levels are any better come mid-afternoon.

Smart Snacking – If the mid-afternoon slump still hits and you are used to reaching for the cookie jar to perk you up, try swapping the sugary treats for fruit, nuts and seeds for a more natural boost. Your energy levels will be much better for it.

Watch Your Portions – When you start tracking your food, you might be surprised that you have been eating double the portions you should have been. Try getting new plates that are smaller, so you still have a full plate, but the portion is less because of the smaller plate.

It will take your body a little while to get used to the smaller portions, but as long as you are eating enough you won’t go hungry, it’s just your brain getting used to it.

Change Your Cooking Methods – If you are used to frying most of your meals, try baking and grilling instead. If you are still going to fry, use non-stick pans or spray oil for a healthier way of cooking. 

Plan – On a Sunday night, or whatever night is best for you, sit down and plan your meals for the week. Look at your favourite food blogs, Pinterest, the Weight Watchers website, cook books and food magazines for inspiration.

Having all your meals and snacks planned out can make it much easier to stay on track and not just grab something unhealthy because you didn’t have anything else planned. You could also try doing a bit of food prep once a week too.

Serve Sauces On The Side – Do you take 10 minutes adding sauces and dressings to your meal whilst everyone else is nearly finished? Those sauces are packed full of calories and they end up overpowering the whole dish.

Serve them in a little dish on the side and dip your fork in to them before using the fork to pick up your food. That way you get a little taste of it without too many extra calories.

Take Part in Meatless Monday – You don’t have to be a vegetarian to get the benefits of vegetarian eating. Make the effort to take part in Meatless Monday and fill your Mondays with delicious vegetarian and vegan cuisine. Doing this will get you to be more creative and naturally add more vegetables to your meals.

Switch and Swap – A few smart swaps can make your favourite meals that little bit lighter.

• Swap mayo for Greek yoghurt on a sandwich
• Use mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potato
• Swap half of your spaghetti for courgette noodles
• Love potato fries? Try making carrot fries and dipping them in homemade BBQ sauce
• Blended frozen banana slices is an incredible ice cream substitute
• If you have a pizza craving, add all your favourite pizza toppings to a Portobello mushroom to skip the bready base. It’s all about the toppings anyway!
• When it comes to burger night, ditch the bun and use a giant lettuce leaf to wrap around the burger instead. This works for tacos too!
• Thinly sliced courgette can replace pasta sheets in a lasagna
• Avocado blended with some cocoa powder, banana and a little milk is an incredible chocolate dessert full of healthy fats
• Banana, eggs and peanut butter make a lighter flourless pancake
• Naturally sweeten cakes and cookies with dates

Being healthy doesn’t mean totally depriving yourself and that is something that Weight Watchers prides itself on. You don’t have to cut out your favourite foods completely, just make some small healthier changes, watch your portions and focus on balance and you will still enjoy food whilst being a healthier and happier you. This is a healthy lifestyle, not a diet!

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