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!Â
- 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!
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 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?
My sister just called me yesterday to ask advice on eating healthy.I will pass on this blog to her. Great tips:)
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?
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. 🙂
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 really great tips – I especially think it’s important to tell everyone you know! They can help and hold you accountable!
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!
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, 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!