Making a change to your diet always sounds like such a great idea in your mind, but when it comes to implementation, it is slightly harder. You seem to find barriers everywhere, and it can take your motivation away. A change many people often make is towards a more plant-based diet – eating more vegetables and less meat. If this is something you are thinking of doing, then read on to see some tips that might be helpful in sticking to the change!The first tip is to start small.
Change only one or things that you are eating each week so that the changes feel much easier! Maybe try having one or two meat free meals a week to start with, and slowly increase that number if your goal is to cut out meat. Another good idea is to swap your processed snacks (chips, chocolate, etc.) for fruit. If you eat multiple snacks a day, just change one of them so that your body isn’t left craving the sugars it normally has. Remember, when changing your diet, you want it to be a lifestyle change, not a three week change. These things can take a lot of time to become accustomed to.It is also helpful to plan ahead of time, and to prepare your meals ahead of time, too. Take one day a week to grocery shop and prepare all of your meals for the rest of the week. This allows you to cook in bulk, saving you time later in the week, and gives you no excuses to not stick to the meals you had planned. If all your food is already sitting there perfectly prepared in the fridge, cheating on what you wanted to eat becomes that much sillier of a notion! Read more on meal prep for further needed!
The third tip is to create a variety of flavours in your cooking. If you are trying to enjoy more vegetables in your diet, adding different salad dressings to your foods works perfectly well to keep them new and exciting! Beware with salad dressings, though, that many store bought varieties are full of additives and added sugars as well. It is always best to make your own, which can be done quite easily with only a few ingredients. Have a look here for some quick and easy dressing recipes that can help to spice up your plate!
The last tip, and probably the easiest one to follow, is to start with foods you already love to eat! Massive fan of sweet potato? Have it in a stew or in place of chicken in a curry! Could nibble on carrots or celery all day? Then do! Use them as your snack foods! Don’t underestimate the power of the foods you really do like. It’s great to try new things, because you might find something new you like, but if zucchini just tastes so much better to you than brussel sprouts, then use it to your power! This may sound like common sense, but many people starting a new diet throw all of their old habits out of the window, when this shouldn’t necessarily be the case.
Hopefully these tips have helped you, and if you do decide to make a change to your diet in the future, good luck! And remember, all changes can start off small! This does not mean that they are insignificant.
Happy eating! Ebony
