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!
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!