Sticking to a healthy meal plan doesn’t have to be hard. In fact, it can be easy when you have the right support behind you.
But the truth is, eating healthy takes time and dedication. Like most things, practise makes perfect and developing new habits takes a minimum of 21 days to establish so be kind to yourself when starting your new healthy routine, especially if you’re going it alone.
Custom meal plans and support networks like Jenny Craig are a great way to fast-track your success and surround yourself with like-minded people. Here are five tips that will help you on your plight to healthy eating.
Plan ahead
Meal planning isn’t for everyone and neither is cooking, but sticking with healthy eating means planning ahead.
Sit down and consider which meals you’d like to cook (be realistic) for the week ahead and then compile a shopping list for ingredients. Custom meal plans that deliver to your home or office cuts out most of the thinking and planning for you.
Shop less
The beauty of planning ahead or having a custom meal plan is that you shouldn’t need to go to the shop more than once or twice a week.
Every time you step into a food store you will be tempted with the abundance of unhealthy food choices available. When you do go to the supermarket, have your list in hand and do not stray from it.
Dedicate time and effort
If you’re making your own meals, there will be work involved. Healthy eating doesn’t mean complex recipes, but it does involve some prep work.
Having a fridge full of fresh fruits and vegetables means you’ll have to wash, peel, cut and chop in order to eat. The best way to stick to healthy eating is to prepare vegetables and some fruits in advance so you can grab and cook or grab and go.
Veggie sticks make perfect snacks and grazing foods and they can also be made into a quick stir-fry at dinnertime. Preparing large tossed salads and storing in air-tight containers makes meal time fast and easy and also go well with portion-controlled meal plans.
Share your journey
Making lifestyle changes is a big deal and you’re more likely to stay with it if you have a support network. Try these points to stay on track:
- Tell your friends, family and co-workers what you’re trying to achieve.
- Post your wins (and failures) on social media.
- Join a healthy eating or weight-loss support group and show up to meetings.
- If you’re struggling, talk it out with someone you trust.
- Celebrate your wins with a non-food reward.
Include a delicious range of food
Healthy eating no longer means crunching lettuce and carrots every day. There’s a wealth of healthful, filling and satisfying foods on the menu so there’s no need to eat the same meals day in and day out.
Enjoy your favourite healthy meals but also change it up and try new things. Keeping your diet interesting and diverse is the key to maintaining your new healthy lifestyle.
Jenny Craig is the queen of healthy meal plans for busy people who are committed to a healthy lifestyle. The weight-loss specialists are available to support you through diet changes and make it easy by offering a wide variety of healthy meal plans to suit all tastes.
Meal plans are designed by qualified nutritionists and prepared by chefs who are passionate about health and food. The portion-controlled meals are delivered to make it convenient and easy to stay committed.
Jenny Craig can support you through weight-loss and help you stick to a healthy meal plan.
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