Almost every other day, we come across expert recommended tips and strategies to eat healthy. The underlying message in most of them though is to not lose your mind about it! A good starting point to healthy eating is as convenient as your own kitchen and the only other support you will need is some will power.

Here are 6 simple steps you can adopt every day to get on the right track to eating healthy:

1. Don’t ditch anything completely!
We all want what we cannot have, the most. Your body feels the same way too. Don’t deny your taste buds of a particular food or taste entirely. A little sliver of chocolate cake or a potato fry is ok to have from time to time.

 

2. Plan your meal through the day.
In a day’s meal, have a clear idea with regards to the portions of nutrients you are allowed. Even if you can’t avoid a high carb meal during lunch, you know that your evening snack and dinner should have your day’s protein.

3. Bland is boring!
Food that is bland and boring can make you repent going down the healthy road altogether! Jazz up boiled veggies with chilli flakes or make a sauce of your own to brighten up your salad. Remember, it is also about pleasing your mind; not just filling up your tummy.

4. Prep and Store
If you have a diet plan in your head for the rest of the week, it would help to ensure you have all the supplies in stock. Prepping in advance will enable quick cooking thus saving on those ‘I’m lazy’ snack binges.  Investing in a good set of containers would also aid in this process.

 

5. Eat snacks from a bowl, never from the pack.
If you must snack, research shows that when you eat out of the bag, your brain doesn’t know when to stop. These days, foods are packaged and marketed to make you buy more. When eating straight out of the bag, you run the risk of eating more than you should.  Use a plate or bowl instead to measure your portion size.

 

6.Whole foods over processed, any day!
Try to stick with eating whole foods (grains, beans, fruits) or foods you’ve made yourself. Though sometimes they may have more calories, you will definitely be getting more nutritional value than what you’d be getting from processed alternatives, which usually have loads of extra salt, preservatives and gluten.