These Hacks Will Make It Easier to Eat Healthy

Unfortunately, healthy eating isn't always quite as simple or fast as, say, stopping at McDonald's on the way home. Eating healthy all the time feels too expensive and inaccessible to many people. If it didn't, everyone would make the right food choices. But here's the thing: while eating better can definitely be a challenge, it doesn't have to be an impossible one. There are ways to make it easier and more convenient, you just have to go through a little bit of an adjustment period. Here are a few tips to keep in mind...

Skip the fad diets, and simply start avoiding processed foods. Anything processed, like bags of chips, salty frozen meals, fast food, etc., is going to be loaded with salt, calories, and probably a dose of chemicals as well.

You're better off eating whole foods, like fruits, veggies, whole grains, and healthy fats. Basically, anything you could grow or raise should be the main part of your diet.

Instead of aimlessly wandering the grocery store thinking about what you want to eat the next night or two, put more thought into it. Before you go shopping, sit down and come up with a few meal ideas for the next few days and fill your cart with those items. This keeps you from buying unhealthy items you really don't need and sets you up for success throughout the week.

Bonus tip: don't go to the grocery store hungry, or you'll end up buying all the snacks.

If you're making the change from not eating that great to eating healthy, be realistic about your goals and expectations. Don't Go into this thinking you're going to 100 percent change everything immediately. It may take time for you to adjust, and it's okay if you "mess up" and don't eat super healthy every single day. It's all about balance more than being "perfect."

Set small goals, lower your expectations, and allow yourself to do the best you can under your own circumstances. Taking the pressure off will make things a little easier even if you don't realize it right away.

One way to remove the temptation of eating unhealthy foods is to simply remove them from your kitchen. Toss any bags of chips or cookies that you want to remove from your life, and stock up on healthy options instead. Keep the fridge packed with fruits, veggies, yogurts, and other nutritious choices. Buy healthy snack options for the pantry. If the right foods are in your kitchen, you're more likely to put the right foods in your body.

Protein and fiber are two kinds of food that are going to make you feel fuller for a longer period of time. If you eat meals and snacks packed with these ingredients, you're less likely to reach for junk food the rest of the day. Eggs, lean meats, poultry, and beans are great sources of protein. Fruits, veggies, and nuts can give you the fiber you need.

Spend half of one day preparing and making meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner -- or at least for some of them. Separate each meal into its own container and stock the fridge. When you're hungry and short on time during the week, you can just grab one and heat it up.

You can prepare your own healthy snacks in bulk if you'd like, or simply buy them and keep them in your kitchen. It's never a bad idea to take them with you whenever you're going out too.

Some ideas for healthy snacks include protein bars that are low on sugar, carrots or celery sticks with hummus, Greek yogurt with apples or berries, a smoothie with lots of veggies or fruits (and no added sugar), or something like chia seed pudding that you can make on your own.

If you're finding it difficult to work with fresh produce that has a short shelf life, stock up on frozen fruits and veggies that aren't loaded with preservatives. These can make for quick smoothies or meals when you're in a pinch. You can also stock up on frozen meats or seafood to use when needed.

Make some of your favorite meals more healthy instantly just by switching the way you cook them. Bake instead of sauteeing - baking or roasting uses less oil and is therefore healthier. Instead of traditional frying, use an air fryer, which also uses less oils and fat and can actually be a faster process.

Make big batches of food in a slow cooker so that it all cooks at once and over the course of the day while you're doing other things. Instant pots and rice cookers can also make your life easier and healthier.

Whenever you're making anything, try making some simple healthy swaps to make your meal better for you. There are plenty of examples out there. If you're having a salad, opt for an oil and vinegar dressing instead of a creamy, store-bought dressing. If you're making a sandwich, use mashed avocado instead of mayo. If you're cooking with butter, use ghee or a little oil instead.

Baking or roasting? Spritz veggies or meats with olive oil spray instead of pouring olive oil over them so you use less. Instead of eating chips, make a batch of kale chips. The list goes on...

Whenever you're cooking a healthy meal, try cooking more of it by doubling the recipe. It won't take much extra time and it allows you to have leftovers to heat up for lunch or dinner. You should also learn to repurpose your food if you don't like eating the same things twice. Save leftover veggies from a stirfry and use them in pasta or with your eggs for breakfast...things like that.

Eating slowly can make you feel full faster and is just generally more satisfying. Eating healthy isn't just about eating healthy food, it can also be about more portion control. When you sit down to eat, try to do it without distractions -- if that's not possible, just chew mindfully and don't chow everything down as fast as possible.

Cutting out sugary drinks is one of the first changes to try. Soda, fruit juice, and some smoothies are full of calories and sugar...you should definitely consider cutting down if you consume them regularly.

Water is your life source, but it can also fill you up. Sometimes you might think you're hungry, but you're actually just thirsty. Drink a steady amount of water throughout the day to keep yourself full so you don't snack on unhealthy things.

Whenever you buy anything, take a good look at the nutrition label even if the front of the package touts how healthy it is. Phrases like "reduced fat," "low calorie," or "low sugar" don't really mean anything and are mainly just marketing terms. Instead, look at what an item contains. The first few items on a nutrition label are the most important. If you notice a lot of long words you can't pronounce, that's not ideal.

Sometimes things get so busy that you genuinely don't have time to cook your own meals. In those cases, a healthy meal delivery service is really not a bad idea. Something like Daily Harvest is great -- they deliver frozen, genuinely healthy meals like soups, rice bowls, smoothies, chia pudding, and oatmeal to your door. All you have to do is heat them or blend them up.

Counting calories takes a lot of time and effort. It makes things more complicated and isn't necessarily the healthiest way to approach things. Something that has low calories may have more sugar, salt, or unhealthy fats than something with higher calories and better nutritional value. Instead, focus on the quality of your food. This is where that whole thing about opting for whole foods over processed comes into play again.

Eating healthy shouldn't be about depriving yourself of everything you love. Let yourself have the ice cream sometimes, allow yourself to have some chocolate before bed, and let yourself get pizza for dinner once in a while. The key is balance...not removing every single unhealthy food from your life. If you treat yourself sometimes, you'll be better at eating healthy the rest of the time.

You might think that you're doing your body a favor when you skip breakfast, lunch, or dinner, but the opposite is actually true. When you skip a meal or go a long time without eating, your body goes into survival mode, which can cause your metabolism to slow down (the opposite of what you want) and lead to feelings of fatigue and irritation. That can also mean that when you do decide to eat, you're so hungry that you eat everything in sight.

Instead of skipping meals, try having a few small meals throughout the day, one every two-three hours. Make sure each meal is full of vegetables, fiber, and protein to keep you full.

Think twice before you substitute your breakfast each day for a green smoothie. Sure, that smoothie might be packed with fiber-filled greens, fruit, and some truly great-for-you supplements, but it's just not going to fill you up the same way a meal you chew would. Chewing foods actually makes you feel more full. When you drink your meal, in the form of a smoothie or even a soup, you don't feel as satisfied, and you're more likely to eat more later on.

That doesn't mean you have to avoid healthy smoothies forever, but choose to have them as a snack rather than a full meal.

For many people, it's just a habit to grab dinner, and sit on the couch to eat while watching some television. This can be relaxing, but it's also not the healthiest way to do things. When doing something else while eating, you're not focusing enough on the food in front of you. That can mean you're more likely to over-eat or just not feel satisfied when you're done eating. Try making it more of a habit to sit at the table and eat without reading or watching TV.

Almost everyone has forced themself to eat a food they don't like simply because they know it's healthy. Maybe you seriously dislike kale, but you make yourself eat it because you know it's a superfood green. This isn't doing you any good: sure, you're getting the nutrients, but you're also eating something you don't even like, which doesn't leave you feeling satisfied - it just makes you crave foods you do like.

Instead, avoid the healthy foods you don't like and focus on the ones you do like. You'll enjoy your meals and snacks much more and healthy eating will become more pleasant.

Portion control is incredibly important when it comes to healthy eating. If you eat too much of something, even something that's generally good for you, it adds up - and it's especially important if weight loss is your goal. To help make sure you're eating the right amount, switch to smaller plates instead of large ones. If you use a large plate with small portions, it will look like you aren't eating that much, and you may not feel as satisfied. But if small portions fill out a small plate, you'll feel more satisfied because you'll feel like you're eating more.