Today is day five of my 31 Days of Clean Eating, Meal Planning and Prep series. Let’s talk about how you even get started with clean eating.
I realize it can seem overwhelming, but if you take baby steps over time eating clean becomes second nature.
When I started my clean eating journey I could not cook and I cried for two solid weeks in my kitchen wondering how in the world I was going to stop bringing in the processed foods.
I was at a cross roads in my life and I knew we had to change the way we ate for my son’s health.
We had to address his gut issues and later on even my husband and my health too.
I am going to share with you today what I did and how I was able to make the changes.
Clean Eating – One Step at a Time
The first step is making the decision that you will no longer allow processed foods into your life.
You have to write down your WHY because there will be so many times you want to give up and go back to your old ways, but if you have the reasons why you are starting this on your refrigerator or in your pantry you will most likely keep at it.
Next step is to go through your freezer, your refrigerator and pantry and anything that is processed get rid of.
I donated my food that I could to local shelters and the rest went into the trash.
Once your house is purged of the unhealthy foods make a meal plan with recipes that are clean and go shopping.
Have a prep day that allows you to be prepared for the week ahead.
If you have certain staples you love then replace them with healthier options like lunch meats that are nitrate free, organic versus regular veggies.
If you love pasta switch to whole wheat, quinoa or even zoodles (aka zucchini spiralized) as some examples.
Make sure you allow yourself treats every so often.
Remember this is a journey and to be gracious with yourself.
We do not change our old habits over night and the key is to remember that at least we are on the right path.
Tomorrow I will talk about what clean eating has done for me and my family and why you should start too.
