Switching to healthy food and starting to pay attention to what you’re eating is harder than most people think. You have to be organized, dedicated and persistent, but if you manage to do so for at least a couple of months, you’ll get used to your new regime and won’t even notice something’s different. On the other hand, making such a drastic change isn’t everyone’s cup of tea and not all people are ready to turn the page at the moment’s notice. Therefore, changing your eating habits is a long process that requires planning and thinking ahead, so if you too are contemplating this change, here are a few tips that might help you.
What needs to change?
The eating habits of modern people are much different nowadays than they were a decade or two ago – not to mention the beginning of the 20th century! Back in the day, our ancestors opted for a healthy combination of meat, vegetables, dairy and eggs, as well as lots of fluids such as tea and water, and, most importantly, they didn’t snack as much as we do.
On the other hand, we rely on fast food and unhealthy choices more than we should, but there’s a simple reason for that – we just don’t have time for cooking healthy food! If you want to make a difference for the better, you need to find time and patience to prepare a proper meal three times a day, and that’s not something people today can afford.
The biggest mistakes
Deciding to switch to a healthier diet and simply wanting to make a difference isn’t enough because you actually have to do something in order to reach success. Lots of people realize they’re not eating properly, yet they don’t want to put in an effort to actually do something about it. That’s why it’s not about whether people know what to do, but are they ready to introduce a change.
Quitting too soon is another mistake lots of us make. If you’re planning to lose some weight, you usually change your diet, reach your desired weight and then stop with healthy eating, slowly returning to your old habits. And that’s literally the worst thing you could do – instead of sticking to your plans, you revert to bad behavior and don’t actually accomplish anything. Eating healthily is a life-long process and you should never stop doing it.
Get organized
After you’ve made a decision to change your eating regime and do something good for your body, it’s time to get organized and establish a new schedule. Most dieticians and nutritionists recommend eating five times a day – besides a proper breakfast, lunch, and dinner, you should have two smaller snacks. Fruits, veggies, healthy cereal, natural juices, and yogurt are a perfect way to keep you going between two larger meals, so start bringing some of it to your work and eating it about three hours after the breakfast.
However, one of the biggest issues that prevent people from eating healthily is the fact that preparing and storing your food is time-consuming. Not everyone has the time to cook every single day, which is why doing it over the weekend is a much better idea. Get busy on a Saturday morning and include your kids as well. When it comes to storing your prepared meals, reliable Electrolux freezers are a good option as they will ensure your food remains fresh and preserved in the days to come. After that, all you need to do is defrost and reheat your healthy lunch, and you’re good to go!
Too big a change
After years and decades of eating fast food and relying on hamburgers, French fries and soda drinks, going cold turkey in a matter of days is simply impossible. You need to change your diet slowly and over a period of time – but not too long, though! – because your body won’t be able to handle such a massive change if it happens abruptly. So, take your time and switch to healthy food gradually.
First, cut back on your intake of unhealthy things and try to avoid them as often as possible. If you’re in a group of people who love eating and drinking nothing else but take-outs, pizzas and milkshakes, just start bringing your own food to your gatherings and invite them to taste it themselves. Also, you can try exploring fast food ideas that are actually healthy even though people don’t usually consider them to be – from Chipotle and Starbucks to Taco Bell and McDonald’s, every franchise has a meal or two that isn’t that bad for your health, so if you really can’t stop visiting these places, at least opt for something half decent.
Making a change towards healthy food is always difficult, but it’s a change for the better, so put your mind to it and stick to your newly-found goals, and you’ll help yourself lead a longer and healthier life.
