How To Change Your Eating Habits in 30 Days

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Eating habits are hard to break, especially the ones we’ve been living with since childhood. But you have the power to change. In fact, you can start today. We’re sharing a week-by-week guide on how to change your eating habits in 30 days.

If you’re reading this, you’re not happy with your current habits. You understand that it’s time for a transformation. But maybe you’re not sure where to start. We’ve broken down a strategy for how to eat healthy into small, doable steps. Make these steps part of your routine. Over time, you can change your eating habits and how you look and feel!

Learning how to eat healthy is one part of the path to a slimmer and fitter you. When you’re ready to start or amp up your exercise habits, check out Workouts for Beginners, Fat Blasters, and Fitness Challenges.

Week 1 |  Focus: Plan menus.

• Make time to plan.
  If you don’t do so already, set aside time before each grocery trip to plan what you’ll eat for the next week. This helps you avoid resorting to unhealthy packaged foods or takeout because you can’t answer “What’s for dinner?” Use the FREE Clean-Eating Menu Planner to make healthy shopping easier.
• Plan menus with clean-eating foods.
  Choosing a clean eating lifestyle means eating foods that are minimally-processed or whole. It’s eating a fresh apple instead of packaged, artificially-sweetened applesauce. These foods are often found around the perimeter of the grocery store, like in the produce department. Discover tasty meal ideas with SkinnyMs. Recipes.
• Plan for snacks, too.
  Healthy snacks are just as important as meals. They help maintain blood sugar levels and provide the body with more consistent energy levels. Don’t find yourself with a hand in the chip bag to stave off hunger. Plan for nutritious snacks and put them on your shopping list. Add some of these 50 Clean Eating Snacks.

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Week 2 | Focus: Get clean.

• Clean out the kitchen and pantry.
  This step is a must-have. Processed foods, often loaded with refined sugar, artificial sweeteners, fat, or sodium, are a big reason it can be hard to lose weight and keep it off. Start a clean slate by clearing out packaged frozen meals, sugary cereals, and processed snack foods, like chips. Learn more in 7 Simple Steps to Clean Eating.
• Keep an eagle eye out for refined sugar.
  Change your eating habits this week by booting refined sugar from the kitchen and pantry too. It’s often found in surprising places, such as store-bought salad dressings or frozen waffles. Start by bookmarking or pinning 50 Names for Refined Sugar so you know what to look for.

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Week 3 | Focus: Pare down portions.

• Get a refresher on portion sizes.
  It’s easy to lose sight of what a healthy serving size looks like. Check out What is a Portion Size? Then get into the habit of sticking to that serving size for each meal and snack.
• Check portion sizes—always.
  Read the serving sizes listed on recipes and food packages for a better sense of how many calories you’re consuming. Eating out? Stick to portion size guidelines or look up the nutrition information on the menu or the restaurant’s website to determine how much of the meal is a reasonable portion size.
• Use smaller plates and bowls.
  Research suggests that people who eat from smaller plates consume fewer calories than those eating from larger plates. Consume less by serving meals in small bowls or on salad plates rather than dinner-sized plates. Try our Skinny Plate Challenge, too.

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Week 4 | Focus: Adjust drinking habits.

• Ditch soda.
  Whether your weakness is sugar or artificially-sweetened pop, it’s got to go if you want to make lasting changes to your health and weight. If you need a fizzy fix, try Zingy Pink Grapefruit Soda (no soda machine needed) or Healthy Lemon-Ginger Sparkling Water.
• Drink more water.
  Plain water hydrates the body with ZERO calories and no preservatives. It fills the stomach, taking the edge off of hunger that can drive you to snack on unhealthy foods. Need a flavor twist? Treat yourself to tasty Flavored Water Recipes.
• Consume alcohol in moderation or not at all.
  Alcohol is loaded with calories and sugar, plus it dehydrates the body. Pass on that nightly glass of wine or beer, and instead try the refreshing alternatives in 7 Non-Alcoholic Drinks.

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