14 Tips for Getting (and Staying) Motivated to Eat Healthy
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Published Oct 26, 2011, Updated Dec 28, 2023
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Tips and tricks from a health coach for how to get and stay motivated to eat healthy!
- Set small, measurable goals that will help you get to your overall large goal. For instance – I will eat 5 servings of fruit and vegetables a day, incorporate leafy green veggies into 3 meals a day, drink at least 68 ounces of water daily, etc.
- Keep a food and exercise journal. This is extremely helpful to track how much you’re eating – sometimes you don’t realize how many small bites here and there add up. You can do a hand-written journal or go digital and log your food/fitness from the computer or your smartphone. MyFitnessPal is a great resource for this.
- Crowd processed junk food out of your diet by adding in nutritious whole foods.
- Skip the pantry and head to the fridge. No one really keeps a lot of processed foods in their fridge because they’re usually self-stable. When looking for an afternoon snack I tend to stick with something from the fridge (non-fat greek yogurt, fruit, veggies with hummus, edmamae, etc.)
- Try new foods. Eating steamed broccoli and baked tofu every night can get old. Look for new healthy recipes online, in cookbooks or magazines so you don’t get bored with eating healthy. I know a good place for recipes. 😉
- Enlist support from your friends and family. Whenever I realize I need to get back to my roots and clean up my eats the first person I tell is Isaac because he then knows not to offer me sips of beer and chips.
- Team up with a friend and hold each other accountable for eating healthy.
- Eat something every 2-3 hours. This keeps your metabolism running and also makes sure you don’t get ravenous and end up eating whatever is in sight when you get home from work.
- Keep nutritious foods on hand and ready to eat. Preparation is the key to eating healthy! Having fresh vegetables and fruits, lean protein, healthy fats and smart carbs each week is super helpful for staying on track. I like to make big batches of roasted veggies and brown rice or quinoa at the beginning of the week so I have healthy foods in the fridge ready to go for quick lunches.
- Keep tempting foods that trigger you to overeat out of the house. For me this is cereal, packaged trail mix, granola and other packaged foods. If the tempting foods are already in your house because someone else bought them, I’ve found that putting them away in a (high) cabinet is helpful. Out of sight, out of mind.
- Always bring a healthy snack with you when you leave the house for more than a couple hours. Apples, bananas, fruit and nut bars, homemade trail mix and carrots are super portable. And healthy bars like Larabar are always good in a pinch.
- Eat and enjoy your favorite foods in moderation. Deprivation tends to backfire so if you really want a treat, then eat and enjoy it.
- When going out to eat, look the at the menu for the restaurant online. Deciding beforehand what healthy option you’re going to get can be helpful so you’re not tempted by unhealthy options once you’re there.
- Don’t let one set-back keep you from working toward your goal. Don’t get down on yourself if you slip-up -just make sure your next meal is a healthy one!
Hopefully this little list helps give you some ideas on how to stay motivated to eat healthy. Like I said, everyone has off days and may not eat healthy ALL of the time, but it’s what you do 80-90% of the time that counts. Let me know in the comment section what tips you use to stay motivated to eat healthy. And if you liked this post, I will do another one with tips on how to stay motivated to workout!
Great tips! I think one of the biggest things is not to get discouraged/unmotivated if you cheat every once in a while. I think a lot of people than just end up forgetting everything and thinking they have to be all or nothing. But if you let yourself indulge every once in a while, you won’t feel deprived and will end up being more likely to succeed!
agree! yep that’s me.. I eat something unhealthy & feel like i failed & have to start over again which usually ends up with me eating more bad stuff ..
I think getting into habits is a good way to eat right, try stuff that is good & good for you like yogurt in the morning, or celery with peanut butter for a snack. little things will add up & when you start to like those foods you’ll crave them.
Well said @Derryck, it is not a good habit to eating more bad stuff..
@Brittany – These are really great tips and I’m also trying to do new stuffs!
Awesome post!! I try to do a lot of those things all the time and they definitely work 🙂
These are great tips Brittany! I love the one about trying new foods. I definitely need to continue to work on trying as many new and interesting foods as I can.
I’m so with you on #4 – and I always figure that when I grocery shop, more than half of my haul should require refrigeration (or freezing, for frozen veggies and the like). Besides, fruits and vegetables are so delicious!
#8 is a biggie I need to work on…I get so hungry then eat until I’m stuffed! If I use #11 and bring snacks for the afternoon to work, problem #8 solved.
Oh, and I am excited for Modern Family too! I hope its as funny as last years Halloween episode!
Thanks for sharing! It is so important to eat healthy. Am I going to see you at Foodbuzz? I’d love to meet the brilliant girl behind one of my very favorite blogs!
I WISH!! I’m not going to be there this year. :/ You’re going to have a blast though – I’ve gone for the past two years and had so much fun.
thank you for sharing this, i so needed it! i have fallen off the eat-right bandwagon and have been finding it difficult to get back on!
I’ve been using the livestrong app to track my food and that helps a LOT! It means I can let myself have a treat without going OVERBOARD. (That way if I have some chips at little mexico, I stop at a serving… and not eat the whole basket. haha)
Yes!! Chips are so easy to overeat – especially at Mexican restaurants where they keep bringing you more.
Great post that I really needed today!! 🙂
Great tips! Thank you. 😀
Thanks for the post, I had been starting to slip up in my healthy eating routine as well. One of my tips to eat healthy 80-90% of the time is to keep lots of healthy options available in your own fridge/pantry. If I only have a few options, by the end of the week I am hitting up starbucks and other places for snacks because I am bored of my few options. But, by keeping variety in my diet I can usually always find something healthy I like at home. I need to get better about packing snacks with me on the go. I work long days in the mall (food court = NO healthy options) and also travel an hour to take college classes. I find myself hungry on the drive home, and passing up tons of fast food drive-throughs is not easy. Perhaps you could also do a post about healthy snacks (brands or homemade) that are great to pack for on the go? I always need new ideas.
I definitely agree about keeping a variety of healthy things on hand so you don’t get bored with eating at home! And thanks for the post idea – I’ll definitely try to do one about healthy snacks. I love snacking so that’s right up my alley.
Just wanted to say thanks for this post. I’ve been following your blog for a while now and always find it well worth the read. These are great tips, especially with the upcoming “food” season (Thanksgiving, Christmas…)
Great list! I think #s 1, 11, and 13 are my favs.
I do #13 all the time now!
My struggle is getting bored with food and then finding myself desperate not knowing what to try new. I will get into a rut and then I literally don’t want to even eat. Blech. (I guess I tend to do that rather than eat junk — equally not good though!)
Going to Trader Joe’s today to try and fix that. Usually if I pick out some new foods then suddenly I feel so much better!
I think being a part of the blogging community (even just reading blogs) can help you stay on track – you never run out of new, great ideas!
Great tips!! I know we all need a little extra motivation every once in awhile. 🙂
Healthy eating affect picking food that gives the body essential nutrients that allow it to function normally. All food groups contain different nutrients that provide the body with the capability to perform specific functions. Healthy eating means eating the proper amounts of nutritious foods, eating a variety of foods from all food groups and choosing foods with low levels of fats and sugar.
It is known that adults should get 20-35 percents of their calories from fat. Fat is essential to your daily diet but most people eat fat too much, often without even knowing it. The damage of saturated fats can be deadly, including clogging your arteries and shorting your life. Saturated fats can be found in animal products, palm oil and coconut oil.
Great tips! I think most people get on track, then after a splurge heavy weekend or busy week they feel like they have fallen off the wagon. The last tip is definitely one of the most important – splurge when you really want to, and just know you can use the strategies above to get back on track after a fun week!
That’s a really great tip to head for the fridge instead of the pantry. I’m likely to grab an apple or some grapes if I look in the fridge, but probably some animal crackers or cereal if I head to the pantry 🙂
Thank you! I’ve strayed from taking good care pf myself lately and your very do able,
very smart list is the jumping point I was needed.
I also appreciate the tip about going to the fridge instead of the pantry (also, NOT the freezer either where treats might tempt). That is one I haven’t heard before, but I think it’ll stick in my head.
Like other people have said, having a community of healthy folks helps. Things I would never think to try have improved my diet and made food more fun — like putting peanut butter or pumpkin IN my yogurt. Man, that has kind of rocked my world (and my afternoon snack!), so thanks for those fun tips!
Great tips, Britt! I am in total agreement with you, especially when it comes to keeping nutritious foods on hand and keeping tempting foods out of the house. You rock!
Oh thank you, thank you, thank you for writing this post!
It has come just at the right time for me to be honest 🙂
Since I’ve been having difficulties the past couple of weeks my diet has been pretty bad, I snack waaay too much and I’m starting to feel the consequences so I’m desperate to get back on track!
Healthy eating here we come (and hopefully smaller stomach!)
Great tips! I especially struggle to eat healthy on the weekends, but I have been trying to keep in mind my motivations and the progress I’ve made so far. I don’t want all my hard work to go to waste!
These are really great tips – I especially think it’s important to tell everyone you know! They can help and hold you accountable!
So many great tips! I love it!! I find that keeping a food journal is one of the best ways for me to identify what I’m doing well and what needs more work. I also like that you suggested trying new foods. So important.
These are great tips. I find the hardest to follow is taking food with me when I go out for a long time (11). I would add one more. Meal Plan! I find that no matter how much healthy food I have in my fridge, if I don’t meal plan, I don’t eat it. I plan to have a lentil salad with a meal and then make enough for two more. This way I always keep healthy carbs handy in the fridge, in quantities enough for at least one lunch and a dinner as well. I plan what I want for the week and double up the cooking where possible, or freeze for later. It can also help a lot with # 8, 9, 10, 11, as well as making sure you add variety. When we are so busy these days with jobs, family, friends, and outside interests, a meal plan also helps with grocery shopping. I made a handy chart for each meal and snack, what cooking I need to do, what I need to take out of the freezer, and ultimately, my shopping list. I put it on the fridge to follow for the week – most of the time 🙂
Meal planning is definitely a good idea as well! A general meal plan with ideas for meals works better for me than a strict meal plan with what I’m going to eat for each meal. The flexibility is helpful. 🙂
I’ve been reading your blog for some time now, and I’m a big fan! This post came at the perfect time in my life! I was struggling with trying to find balance and to focus on my own well being, and the task seemed so daunting! Then, I read your post and I was inspired! I’m starting with setting small, measurable goals! This week, I will work out at least 30 minutes a day! I hope it is ok if I add your link in my own blog post?
My sister just called me yesterday to ask advice on eating healthy.I will pass on this blog to her. Great tips:)
Great tips. I never leave the house without raw almonds in the 100-calorie packs. They save me every time. I do well most of the time, but I’m such a stress eater and I feel like I always sabotage my good efforts. Any suggestions?
This post is great! very helpful, however I find the bit about keeping a food journal really tedious! I don’t know I find myself starting it and after about half a day dreading eating my next meal because I know I have to record it, I have some learning difficulties so I find it hard. That being said i need to keep or ill end up not knowing what I had. My boyfriend always asks me “what have you eaten today?” it really just a boring chore recording everything! But that’s just me! Has anyone any tips to maybe make it less of a bore?
Kate,
Do you realize that ‘boring’ is your state of mind? No one but you can fix that attitude. One solution is to ask yourself – why am I interested in better eating? Or the better question might be: Are you really interested in better eating? Nothing good can happen until you are HONESTLY determined to eat better – then it will work.
Good luck with your choices.
Great post! Eating healthy in my opinion is the key to a successful diet. This can be your starting point and before you know it you will developed healthy eating habits. Now your able to keep the weight off with a little exercise of course. Keep up the great work your blog rocks!!!
This was very helpful thank you I struggle with this and I’m looking for new ways to do it
Thank you for your wonderful tips Brittany.It will definitely useful for me and my family.
Instead of grabbing a bag of chips, get whole grains, fruits, and veggies. Your child will eat these foods when they could not find any junk foods in sight.
Nice!!! This post is written in a very good way and entails a lot of useful information for me. I am glad to find a good way of writing the post.
Hi, this recipe sounds delish but i dont bave soy at the moment. Anything to substitute it with? Thanks
Hi Isra. Which recipe are you referring to?
I didn’t realize that eating something every 2-3 hours helps to keep your metabolism running. My wife and I are going to be starting a diet, and we want part of our diet to include eating healthier foods. We will look for providers of healthy foods and be sure to eat something every 2-3 hours as we go on a diet.
There are so many ways to Stay healthier and still enjoying your food. Making the choice to eat healthily is to remove unnecessary fats, sugars, and carbs from your diet. Thanks For sharing these wonderful motivated tips to eat healthily. You’re doing a great job, Keep it up.
Oh. I’ve searched a lot and finally you helped me out with more information.
Helpful tips. These kind of blogs helps people a lot in understanding how maintain a healthy schedule. Thanks for sharing!
Great tips about how to get and stay motivated to eat healthy! Thanks for sharing these.
I am going to give your tips a try because I need to do this part of me is in the right zone for losing weight its just getting the rest of me to get into this zone. Which im hopeing that i can because sometime next year im getting married and i want to be able to have a dress i really love but its a 10/12 and then if i do lose the weight ill be able to run around and play games at the park with the kids. Also i have been advised to lose weighr and get into shape and tone up by my gp because I have fibromyalgia and spondlitus IBS irritable leg syndrome depression and anxiety low vitamin d deficiency restless legs syndrome depression and anxiety and if i lose the weight it will help the pain and stop me thinking that people are talking about me
Such an amazing article! Positive vibes only.
Hey Brittany,
I really like that all your tips are easy and doable. Maintaining food and exercise journal is the first I would try. Thank you.
I kinda did the same thing . I wanna to start eating healthy and i ate something bad , and i just said ima have to start tomorrow or a new week. So I’m trying so hard to stay motivated. But the past year and last year was so easy for me to stay motivated, even when people would always offer me something that was unhealthy i would say no thank you. Basically I’ll work out every year, around January. But this January i skip working out and eating healthy. And i don’t know why it was so hard to start again.i just got in a relationship this September of 2018, and i basically gain all my weight back. I’m not over weight , but i did gain weight this year. I’m tryin lol.
very good & unique article. thanks for sharing with us. keep up the good posting.
I like your idea to team up with a friend and hold each other accountable for eating healthy. My wife and I are trying to adjust our lifestyles to take care of our bodies more. We’re trying to be accountable to each other, but we might get a third party involved to help out.
This is some really good information about weight loss and how to eat healthy when you are staying motivated. It is good to know that it would be smart to think about getting healthy snacks. It might be smart to get some weight loss drinks as well. I want to lose weight but I really want to have something tasty to drink when I am on a diet.
One of my cousins is curious about the concepts of gastropubs, so I thought about taking her to one. Thanks for the tip that I should eat and enjoy food instead of depriving myself of food so I will still lose weight. I think I’ll take her to a gastropub that she might like so that she can get to know what kind of foods these types of restaurants serve.
Thanks for the helpful tools❤️❤️
Of course! I’m so glad you enjoyed this post, Darlene. <3
There is nothing new in all these tips, and they all work great towards a healthy life style . However, we humans are affected by so many factors that it is very unrealistic to think that these tips will work for a long term.We all will be derailed by one thing or another at one point.
I like that you mentioned that it is a good idea to track the amount of food you are eating when trying to have a better diet. My wife and I decided that it is time for us to be more aware of what we put in our body, but we don’t really know where to begin. I think it would be a good idea for us to hire a nutritionist that can help us come up with a meal plan.
I want to start eating healthy want to get rid of diabetic in my body wan to live.Thanks for your info.
That’s a good idea to keep nutritious foods more readily accessible and unhealthy foods out of sight. I have been thinking a lot about my diet and how my health and quality of life are affected by the things I eat. I would like to start incorporating better food into my life this year. Your tips will be helpful as I try to form better habits.
Hi Brittany,
Great article!
I am also a Health Coach and Registered Nurse. Yes…its all about Lifestyle, Exercise, Attitude and Nutrition.
—Lots of plants
—Lean Proteins, like Wild Salmon
—Good fats…avocado, nuts, seeds, clean oils.
—Quality sleep
—Lots of water
—Move your body
—Eliminate processed foods, especially sugar, and for some people who are sensitive, gluten and dairy.
Thank you for sharing.
Eating habit tips is amazing and effective. This is grate post. Maintain the tips and keep the health. Thank you for the post.
I want to try to eat better foods this summer. I have been having some stomach issues since the middle of April. So, I want to try eating more natural foods that are less processed. Thanks for explaining that I will want to think about getting some nutritious snacks like nuts and fruits.
I like the idea of heading to the fridge for a snack since it usually has healthier items like fruits and vegetables. My diet has been pretty bad ever since I started college a few years ago. I would like to create a nutrition plan and stock up on healthier foods so that they are accessible in my home.
Very nice article!
One day I just gathered all unhealthy food items lying around in my kitchen and got rid of them. I ate pretty healthily for the next week!
I really like how you mentioned that deprivation can backfire on yourself when you are trying to eat more healthily. I would say that it would be a good idea to go to your favorite restaurant once in a while. That way you will be happier while you are trying to eat better foods.
Great Tips Brittany! #6 – #11 are great for staying away from the unhealthy cravings.
These are some great tips to help you eat healthy. It’s important we take good care of our bodies through good nutrition. Thanks for sharing.
Hi I have been battling with food for a longtime. I am 60 yrs old and still battling with it. How can you help me?
I like that you said that one way I can start and stay motivated to keep a healthy diet is by having a food and exercise journal. It’s also great that you mentioned that I should not eat anymore processed junk food. Because of that, I’ll try to find a healthy food store nearby so I can do my groceries there instead of the supermarket. Thanks!
This is really an impressive article about yoga. Thanks for sharing it.
sleeping skin to skin with partner
It is wonderful. We should all benefit from this information because the most important thing in our life is our health.
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Thanks for sharing. Knowing about the importance of motivation is a great way to stay on the right track. Keeping yourself well fed, having support from your friends and family, trying new foods, and checking restaurant menus online are great ways to stay healthy and motivated. These are beneficial tips.
I have been reading posts regarding this topic and this post is one of the most interesting and informative one I have read. Thank you for this!
Hi,
Brittany,In your article this suggestion is very helpful or amazing
Eating steamed broccoli and baked tofu every night can get old. Look for new healthy recipes online, in cookbooks or magazines so you don’t get bored with eating healthy. Thanks for this tip.
So glad it was helpful!
Thanks for sharing such healthy and yummy health ideas for dinner. This is one of the best article I have crossed. I also came across one more ideas that you can also wish to visit for more options
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So glad this was helpful you, Chris! Thanks for the review. I really appreciate it!
Hi, Admin. Thanks for your nice suggestion. You have made a very good list, I must say. All these information are good for our health. Thanks for the helpful article.
Thanks for sharing. Knowing about the importance of motivation is a great way to stay on the right track. Keeping yourself well fed, having support from your friends and family, trying new foods, and checking restaurant menus online are great ways to stay healthy and motivated. These are beneficial tips.
Nice blog..!
Thanks! So glad you enjoyed it :).
Enjoyed your tips on healthy eating. Looking forward to hearing from you about workout motivation…ty
hey, nice article about eat “Healthy”. it is informative for me thanks for sharing these with us.I will definitely follow these for my self . Keep on adding this type of valuable content again and again. Hope to read more from you. Thank you!
Absolutely, I am so happy you are here and enjoyed this information!
That a fantastic post it is! This is probably the most concise post with very useful information. Keep writing.
It’s good to know that you should consume and enjoy your favorite meals in moderation because deprivation often has the opposite effect of what you intended. If you truly want a treat, then go ahead and eat it. I should have this in mind when I start to plan the meals I wish to eat each week. I’ll also think about the possibility of obtaining a nutritious and fresh food bowls I can eat all times of the day.
I’m so glad that this post helped you, Lily. Thanks so much for being here!
Appreciating the time and effort you put into your website and in depth information you offer. Very inspiring and clear explanation. You’ve really covered up almost all the possible info that every fitness enthusiast and health-conscious person should follow who is so curious about healthy food. Worth sharing! Please continue sharing your updates! Thanks a lot!
Absolutely, I am so glad you are enjoying this article, Jonathan. Thank you so much!
When it comes to eating well, I would agree that goal setting matters, especially if you can keep those goals realistic and attainable. Thanks for sharing!
Absolutely! I am so glad this was helpful.