Four Tips to Sustain a Healthy Lifestyle

green juice – a great way to increase your veggies!

To be perfectly honest, I’m not big on making New Year’s resolutions. It doesn’t mean I’m not a goal-setter; I just prefer to set goals when I feel good and ready, and with a fair amount of preparation and planning. That doesn’t always coincide with the New Year.

However, many people want to commit to a healthier lifestyle in the New Year, and I’m all for supporting healthy changes. But simply stating “I’m going to eat healthier in 2013” isn’t enough to make that change a success. Nor is deciding to “never buy fast food/junk food again.” In order to make good on goals like these, a little planning and preparation can go a long way.

Here are four key ways to help you achieve success when setting your healthy lifestyle goals for 2013:

1. Plan your meals. I am a weekly meal planner, and while I might not always follow the plan 100%, I find a lot of relief knowing I already have answered the nightly question of “what’s for dinner”. It keeps us from scrambling or resorting to less-than-nutritious options. Here’s an example of my meal plans.

2. Make incorporating more veggies as easy as possible. On a day of the week where you have time, cut up veggies and portion them out into baggies or containers for easy grabbing. Make them visible so you see them as soon as you open the fridge – you’ll be more likely to eat them. If you want to incorporate juicing (i.e. making a green juice every day), make packs ahead of time for your daily juicing – it’ll make the process that much easier.

grain-free trail mix – a perfect on-the-go snack!

3. Make healthy snacks. There will be times when you’ll be away from home, either for the day, or even while traveling. Pack more than you’ll think you’ll need, and you can steer clear of convenience foods. Cut up vegetables, nuts, dried fruit, grain-free trail mix, or even homemade beef jerky are all great snacks.

4. Don’t be hard on yourself if you have a less-than-healthy meal or even a day full of treats. Simply enjoy a treat, and continue on down the road with your healthy habits. An integral part of every healthy lifestyle is a bit of moderation and acceptance, and no one should live without the occasional treat!

With a little preparation, a healthier lifestyle can be an achievable goal for 2013, and something that’s easily sustainable. Then in 2014, you can focus your goals elsewhere – or simply set a goal to continue to be healthy!

What do you think? What tips can you share to help sustain healthy habits for the long term?

Alta is the founder of the gluten-free, dairy-free blog, Tasty Eats At Home. Even without gluten and dairy, Alta can show you that meals can be simple and healthy, and treats such as cake, bread, and cookies can be mouth-watering! Her goal is to share with you delicious, gluten-free, dairy-free food that can bring your heart joy and nourish your body, one recipe at a time.