Three Quick and Easy Ways to Focus on Eating Healthier Foods Today

A comprehensive plan is the best way to remain healthy throughout your life. That includes taking medication as your doctor prescribes it, getting plenty of exercises, and of course, eating healthy.

But eating healthy can be so hard! Diets are effective, but they are extremely restrictive. Not to mention, they can take a lot of time and planning.

You don’t have to start some fancy diet in order to eat better. Here are three quick and easy things you can do to turn your diet around today.

Clear out the Cabinets

We have a lot less self-control than we like to think we have. You think you can keep those candy bars in the cupboard and only take them out on the weekend, but chances are, you’ll find yourself reaching for them after a long day at the office. If you want to eat healthier, you have to get rid of all the stuff in your pantry that’s calling your name.

Items in your pantry that need to go in the garbage include:

• Chips
• Candy
• Cookies
• Soda

Some of the things you should toss out might surprise you. You should get rid of white bread, white flour based pasta, snack crackers, and other simple carbohydrates that just end up converting to sugar in your system.

Eat Things as Often as You’re Willing to Make Them From Scratch

Many of our diets have gotten out of control because a food is so convenient. We no longer have to prepare our meals from scratch, which means we can eat the things we love more often.

That sounds great until you realize that the things we love the most are the ones that are the worst for us. Cookies, French fries, and fried chicken are favorites, but do you like them enough to make them from scratch?

Only eat foods as often as you would be willing to make them yourself. For example, French fries are very involved because they have to be washed, cut properly, and fried a few times in order to develop a crisp crust. That’s a lot of work!

If you would only be willing to make fries once a month, that means you should only be eating them once a month. Cook them yourself if you can, but at least think about the difficulty of the preparation process before ordering at a restaurant.

Strategically Shop at the Grocery Store

When you visit the grocery store, spend the majority of your time in the outer aisles. That’s where all the vegetables, dairy, and fresh meats are located. Only visit the inner aisles for items that complement what you’ve purchased around the perimeter of the store, like whole wheat pasta for chicken Alfredo or whole wheat bread for a cold meat sandwich.

Eating better may test your resolve, but by following a few easy tips instead of diving headfirst into a restrictive diet, you can set yourself up for success. With these tips, you’ll find yourself making better food choices immediately.