How to Start Clean Eating in 7 Easy Steps. Eat more of the good. Eat less of the bad. Thats the whole idea behind clean eating. Its all about, well, cleaning up your diet so that theres a greater focus on whole foods think fruits, vegetables, protein and healthy fats, and less reliance on processed or refined foods. The benefits of adopting a clean diet are pretty clear reduced incidence of disease, increased quality of life, and a longer life expectancy, just to name a few. Healthy Chicken Ramen Bowls Super simple to make You only need one pot and about 20 min. Before you know it youll be slurping up this flavorful soup. Want to start eating clean Follow this grocery list of clean eating foods to stock your pantry. But ditching the donuts, pizza and mocha lattes can be a lot tougher than it sounds. Seriously, if you need proof, check out this obesity map. The good news is theres no need to wing it. Heres your seven step plan to help get your eating on track. RELATED 2. 1 Meal Prep Pics from the Healthiest People on Instagram. Steps to Start Clean Eating Without a HitchThe best motivation to inspire change comes from within. Pinpoint your reason why. Building any new healthy habit will require some effort, and eating clean is no exception. Thats why its so important first to determine whats inspiring you to change. Maybe you signed up for a race or have a reunion coming up and want to look your best. Maybe youve been feeling sluggish and want to increase your energy throughout the day. Perhaps youre thinking about your long term health and what you can do to stay healthy in the future. These are examples of intrinsically motivated, positive reasons to aim for cleaner eating. And thats a good thing. Research has shown that the best motivation to inspire change comes from within, and is rooted in positive thinking. Cleaning up your diet because someone told you to do it, or because you feel guilty about your current eating habits just isnt as powerful. Determine how much time youre willing to commit. It has often been said that new habits can be formed in just 2. Making meaningful life changes can often take several months or more. People need to be aware that any goal worth achieving is going to take time. There is no fast track to developing life changing habits, says Cassandra Smith, clinical counselor of health behavior change. After establishing your why, its time to sit down and think about how much youre willing to devote to the process from meal planning and grocery shopping, to food preparation and cooking. Clean Eating Meal Plan for the Whole Family Take the headache out of healthy eating by planning a real food menu the whole family will love. Eating clean isnt rocket science its planning Get all my secrets for healthy eating, and a two week eating clean meal plan designed for summer. If you want to. Quick Easy Budget Recipes. These crazyfast recipes are perfect for weeknightseasy, cheap and healthyMaking a relatively minor diet tweak, like changing your usual snack from a bag of chips to a piece of fruit each day, might be a habit achievable in the short term. But shifting towards a truly clean diet is a much longer term objective for most. Have an hour to steal from your Sunday TV line up That could mean prepping healthy lunches for the entire week try these brilliant meal prep ideas to get started. Have 3. 0 minutes a day How about kicking your greasy takeout habit for good with these 3. Cheap Clean Eating Recipes' title='Cheap Clean Eating Recipes' />RELATED 6 Easy Tips for Clean Eating on a Budget. Do a thorough audit of your current diet. Despite the ever growing obesity epidemic, 9. American adults report themselves as having a healthy diet. But how healthy is it reallyKeep a food journal, and theres no escaping the truth, says Erin Turner, certified wellness coach. So often we think that we are on track, but when we actually see on paper what we are consuming, it is easier to tell where we might need to cut back, she says. Start a food journal or download one of these fancy apps, and begin tracking everything you eat and drink for at least three days. This will help you gauge your starting point and allow you to identify any patterns emerging. Next, simply make two lists The not so healthy foods you want to reduce or remove from your diet. Note If this list gets long, pick three to five obvious choices that you would like to deal with first e. The nutritious foods that are missing from your current line up. A clean diet focuses on eating high nutrient foods, not simply cutting out the junk. How many veggies are there If youre coming up short, come up with three to five you like most and add those to your weekly grocery list. Choose your targets wisely. The Pareto Principle states that 2. This is true in many areas of life, including clean eating. After listing the less healthy foods you want to reduce or eliminate from your diet as well as the super healthy foods you want to incorporate, the next step is to make some strategic choices. Setting a few small goals that you can consistently act on is a much more effective approach than trying to take on everything at once. And they can add up fast. Case in point Leo Babauta, the best selling author of The Power of Less, who in less than a year quit smoking, lost 4. In his book, Babauta shares his secret Select one habitonly one habit per month. You can choose any habit whatever you think will have the biggest impact on your life. What small clean eating habit are you going to target first And which changes will likely to offer you the best chance of success At the start of a new month, simply add on from there. Make your goals specific and measurable. Lets say you want to begin the process of clean eating by tackling your evening cookie obsession this is your 2. Paretos Principle. But how exactly do you go about defining this goal Maybe youll make a statement based on moderation Im going to stop eating so many cookies. But what does that mean exactlyIs one cookie per day allowed Does the type of cookie matterBe specific and make your intentions measurable I will put all the cookies in the freezer and will only take one out per day. Or better yet, I will stop eating preservative laden prepackaged treats and allow myself one of these healthier homemade protein bites after dinner. There is no ambiguity in this statement. You have a clear path that will lead you to control your sweet tooth. The same goes for adding healthy foods to your diet. Saying I will make a green smoothie each day for breakfast is a specific action that will ensure your breakfast includes spinach, kale, or whatever green you choose. RELATED 9 Scary Salads Over 1,0. Lettuce Types. Calories. 6. Shop with a purpose. Just like eating itself, grocery shopping is based on habits. You likely follow a certain route when you hit the store, so be prepared to forge a new course hello, produce aisle. Bring a detailed grocery list, and stick to it. Pro tip Avoid those chips and soda aisles altogether. Sure, some research shows that clean eating will put a bigger dent in your bank account than a diet filled with cheap convenience foods, but that doesnt have to be the case. Some clean eaters practice a Meatless Monday to reduce their grocery bills by up to 1,5. Looking for in season produce, and buying in bulk are two other ways to keep your food costs down. For more clean eating on the cheap tips, head here. RELATED 9 Simple Tricks When Youre Cooking for One. Meal prep now, eat healthy when it counts. Last but not least, its time to turn those healthy ingredients into clean, wholesome meals youll love. Start by searching out simple recipes that you can whip up quickly. You can find inspiration on healthy food blogs around the web, or grab an app to do the recipe searching for you. Sure, meal prep is likely going to take a little more work than slapping together some PB Js, but you dont have to do it all by hand either. There are all kinds of kitchen gadgets that can help get the job done with less effort. And be sure to prep in extra large batches so that you have plenty of leftovers to store or freeze for easy clean eating all week long. RELATED 1. 3 Healthy Freezer Meals to Prep Now and Eat Later. When it comes to clean eating or any other health related goal, achieving a sense of mastery is vital. When you experience success, you are likely to want and get more. Set a time each week or every few weeks to evaluate your progress. Is your current clean eating goal still an effort to achieve each day If so, thats OK keep working on it until it becomes manageable, effortless, or even automatic.