7 Quick Clean Eating Tips & Hacks for Beginners That Will Help You Get Started
Deciding to eat clean and limit processed food is difficult. Breaking old habits gets harder as you get older. so encouraging children to eat healthy is so important. What we start when we are younger, can continue on for a life time.
What is clean eating? Clean eating is a diet of healthy fruits, vegetables and starches that are free of any additives, preservatives or any added ingredients. Pure food choices without salt, sugars, fats or processing.
If you are new or a beginner to “clean eating” give it a try for 2 days to see what you think. Limit your food choices to foods that are in their natural state and have not been touched or processed.
Here is a list of clean eating foods to help you get started. Printable List of Clean Eating Foods
Here are 7 tips that will help you start your new clean eating lifestyle.
1. Eat Five or Six Small Meals
Eating clean will require you to eat frequent meals. This effort will help to ensure you are taking in adequate nutrients and keep your belly satisfied. Also, it will ensure that you avoid regular, unhealthy snacking.
Purchase smaller plates and eat several meals throughout the day instead of the three large meals that you’re used of. You’ll feel more satisfied and won’t have the urge to overeat.
2. Learn What Portion Sizes Look Like
Most people think they can look at a portion size and know when it is a serving. This isn’t true. America’s tend to overfill their plates and that has become the custom. Don’t guess, you’ll no doubt over eat if you do.
3. Eat More Fruits and Veggies
Get more fruits and vegetables in your diet. Change a packaged snack for an apple, banana or a bag of grapes. An easy way to get a few servings of both fruit and vegetables is to juice or make smoothies.
4. Eat Three Servings Of Whole Grain a Day
Trade the unrefined grains such as white bread products to whole wheat. Check the ingredients and make sure that whole wheat is listed as one of the first three ingredients or that that package says 100% whole wheat.
5. Take Lunch and Snacks On The Go
Make sure you pack your own lunch and snacks when you leave the house. You won’t be tempted to stop at the corner store to pick up something real quick or swing through the drive thru for an unhealthy lunch.
6. Five Ingredient Rule
Making your food from scratch is not always an option. Sometimes there are circumstances where you need to buy sauces in a jar or packaged products. When that happens make sure that you can read each ingredient on the label and that there are only five ingredients total.
7. Include the Family
Take into account how your family feels about clean eating and find recipes that you know they will like. Start with their favorite dishes and substitute one or two things. Instead of buying spaghetti sauce with mushrooms and green peppers inside a jar, buy fresh vegetables and add those to the mixture.
These are just a few of the hacks you will be able to start doing in your daily life. You can start with one or all of them the important thing is that you take action towards your goal every single day.
Getting Help With Portion Control
These perfect portion-control containers could be the key to your success! If you have never heard of these containers, they work with the BeachBody method of weight control and fitness.
We have seen so many people have success with this method of portion control that we think it’s a great way to get started!
Your secret to getting where you want to be without needing to count calories.
Let’s be honest. Nobody likes to count calories. It takes too much time and guesswork. So if you had a system that kept you from overeating without having to count calories, isn’t that what you’d want to use? And wouldn’t you use it all the time?
That’s Beachbody created these 7 color-coded containers, which quickly help you portion out exactly how much to eat for every meal. Each container corresponds to an essential food and macronutrient group, and is sized to deliver just the right amount of food to help you get great results. There’s no complicated math, guessing, or weighing—this is simple portion control that anyone can do.
Your Portion-Control Containers Package includes:
1 Green container – Veggies
1 Purple container – Fruits
1 Red container – Proteins
1 Yellow container – Carbs
1 Blue container – Healthy Fats
2 Orange containers – Seeds & Dressings
Give this system a try, you may find that this is a great solution for you! You can find this here – https://amzn.to/3PrVwRp
Quick Tips for Beginners to Start Eating Clean Today
Start with a Single Meal
Avoid making sweeping changes to your diet right away. Consider this; it may require a full year for you to make the transition. Instead, make gradual changes to your eating habits by starting with a single meal. According to Prevention Magazine, breakfast is an excellent choice for initiating your move to cleaner eating. Begin by removing processed meat like sausages and replacing it with two eggs or ditching those sweet cereals for whole-wheat toast and unsweetened peanut butter.
Plan Your Meals and Cook Your Own Food
Consistently planning your meals is the best first step you can take. This plan becomes the basis for your shopping list and what it is you will consume for the week. It also helps you to stay on track. Use the plan to introduce new foods into your meals slowly and as a method to gradually remove the bad stuff. Remember, try to avoid cutting everything out at once. Your body will not be able to adjust. Instead, plan each week out methodically. Keep a few of your favorites but make small changes.
Next, cook your food as much as possible. The only way to know what’s in your food and about to go into your body is to prepare it yourself. This action will enable you to feel confident in the fact that you are keeping with your new standards for clean eating. Research meals that fit the clean eating lifestyle. Sites like eatingwell.com and cleaneatmag.com are fantastic sources of information. YouTube university also offers a wealth of videos with clean eating recipes.
If planning to eat out with your friends, do all that you can in advance to prepare for the experience so that you can stay on track.
Keep Your Produce in Stock
One of the most significant components of clean eating is fruits and veggies. Make sure you stock up on your fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables will provide you with much-needed fiber which plays a critical role in reducing inflammation in the body, lowering cholesterol, and managing heart disease.
Give Yourself Permission
Permit yourself to eat a little junk food from time to time without feeling guilty (Prevention Magazine). A taste of the bad stuff from time to time will not sabotage your clean eating lifestyle. If you deny yourself a few guilty pleasures all the time, it can set you up for failure down the road.
These are just five tips to help you start eating clean today. Every step you take towards clean eating will bring you closer to a healthier way of living. Make your experience a positive one. Your body will thank you.
