It's almost September and you tell yourself that this is the month you’re going to eat healthy— you make a promise to yourself to stick with it this time. But then a couple of days go by, and your co-worker brought some donuts from the local bakery into work. You think to yourself: “How could I pass that up?” So you indulge, and promise yourself that healthy eating will start next week, as this week is already sabotaged.
Does this sound familiar? Don't worry, you're not the only one. These 5 tips below can help guide you towards a healthier way of life. Chicago nutritionist Kristin Houts provides insight into the helpful (and easiest) ways to start your clean-eating journey.
1. Make A Plan
Before you take physical action in this new phase of your life, it’s ideal to set some personal goals. Every body is different, so tailor these goals to your own needs and habits. With this in mind, Kristin suggests to start with small, attainable targets. Kristin informs us that “some good places to start are by drinking more water throughout the day, eating more veggies, and reducing intake of caloric beverages including juice, soda and other sweetened beverages. It's hard to make changes, so it's important that they fit for the person.”
2. Simple Swaps
This may sound easy in theory, but when you’re debating whether or not to order your favorite caramel frappaccino, it can be hard to stick to your goals. Look for alternate ways to incorporate your guilty pleasures into a healthy eating plan, such as swapping cream for skim milk or syrup-y sweetness for natural ones. After the first couple of days, you won’t even miss the old version.
3. Snack Smart: Protein + Produce
Many working women struggle to maintain a healthy diet when we’re on the go, whether it’s a quick breakfast or grabbing some easy go-to snacks. Kristin’s snack motto is protein + produce: “snacks are a great way to squeeze some extra nutrition into your day, but they should be thought of as another eating period, not just a time to graze, which is why I recommend that any snack have a combination of lean protein and a fiber-containing fruit, vegetable or whole grain. Some of my favorite examples are: an apple + nut butter, hummus + veggies, or plain Greek yogurt + berries.”
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4. Keep it Movin'
And while clean eating makes up the majority of a healthy lifestyle, it is almost equally important to stay active— for both your body and your mind’s sake. If you’re sitting at a desk all day or running from one meeting to a next, it’s easy to forgo an exhausting workout for a refreshing nap. Creating smaller exercise goals in the beginning of your journey, like aiming for at least thirty minutes of activity a day, can be the perfect stepping stone as you work to amp-up your exercise routine. So how can you incorporate more daily movement? Kristin presents the idea that, “there are so many ways to be active throughout the day that I think people forget. Taking a walk on a lunch break, using the stairs instead of an escalator or elevator, playing with their kids at the park, and doing errands on foot are all ways to be active throughout the day.”
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5. Make Your Life Easier with Meal-Prepping
Meal-prepping is a hot topic right now, but what exactly does it mean? Put simply, the intention behind this idea is to prepare your food for the week ahead of time, so that you save yourself time later on. As Kristin puts it, "this may mean cleaning and cutting whole fruits and vegetables, cooking up some whole grains like quinoa or brown rice to have to add to salad or eat as a side, or cooking a larger portion of protein to spread throughout the week. One of my favorite tips is to keep cut fresh vegetables like carrots, cucumbers, bell pepper or celery in the fridge ready for snacking and adding to meals. Once it's all cut, you are more likely to eat it."
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Now that you’ve gathered several bits of information on clean eating and maintaining a healthier lifestyle, you are ready to get started. Stay tuned for more tips and tricks in our nutrition series, featuring Chicago-native Kristin Houts.
Kristin sees clients in a private practice here in Chicago. You can reach out to her at KristinhoutsRD@gmail.com, or follow her on Instagram @KristinHouts_RD.