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“Eat clean”, “go vegan”, “plant-eater” and many other hashtag-worthy phrases pop up in our news feed from time-to-time. Let’s face it, we live in a time where eating processed foods is considered unhealthy and it’s finally common knowledge. Which is precisely why many major food brands and marketers are entering the “healthy choices” market by re-packaging and re-naming their items to appeal to a more health conscious individual. Now that we know what’s healthy and what’s not, why is it still so hard to make good eating choices?

Most people I know have interest in getting healthier through the foods they eat but don’t have the discipline, courage, and patience to make it happen. So, voila! Here are 10 healthy eating tips I’ve adopted along my personal veggie-line road. From the obvious and real simple to the life changing (at least for me), these tips just may help you optimize your eating habits for the long-haul.

1. Trash the crash diets
   
   It’s obvious but for a long-term change in eating behaviors you’ll have to finally quit those quickie crash diets because quite simply you are setting yourself up to fail and over-eat in the long run. Healthy eating needs to be a long-term lifestyle choice. So skip the diet of the month and get down to basics. Fill your daily diet with a healthy, delicious variety of low cost, non-processed foods. Yes, it’s that simple 🙂
2. Swap as you shopBe on the alert during your weekly grocery gig. Whenever junk food materializes in your cart, swap it for healthy snacks. Start small so that you don’t freak yourself out. Perhaps swap out one processed food item each week as oppose to all you may have in your cart and then work your way up to an entire swap out. You’ll celebrate the positive results, both at checkout and with an improved well-being.
3. Get your whole grains by the pound and skip the boxed mixesDitch the boxed rice and pricey mixes for dry whole grains by the pound. Brown rice, barley, wheat berries and whole oats provide you with essential fiber and B-complex vitamins. You’ll stay full, get proper nutrients and avoid the heavy processed sauces that come in those boxes grain mixes.
4. Frequent u-pick fruit farms and farmers’ markets
   
   Get the sweetest, ripest fruit by picking it yourself. You’ll save money, have tons of fun and bring home a healthy harvest. If time is tight, buy straight from the grower at your local farmers’ market. Farmer’s markets tend to be cheaper (depending on the season) and you’ll likely stick to eating better knowing you’ve spent a little extra time by going out of your way to visit the farmer’s market as oppose to quickly going to your nearest grocery store.
5. Cultivate the right kind of fat
   
   That is correct – fat. Foods naturally high in monounsaturated fat satisfy your cravings while keeping foods with unhealthy saturated fats – pork rinds, anyone? – at bay. Foods high in healthy fat include almonds, peanut butter, and avocados, according to the American Heart Association.
6. Choose cool, unadulterated hydration
   
   Pure water is your ticket to maintaining healthy hydration. Caffeinated beverages such as coffee and iced tea, in contrast, are diuretics that prompt your body to expel water. Save money and plastic by using a refillable water bottle.
7. Add one fresh veggie to your usual meal
   
   Keep the crisper in your refrigerator stocked with a variety of vegetables, and challenge yourself to use at least one a day. Cauliflower, fresh spinach, green beans, tomatoes and other fresh produce make delicious additions to rice, soups and stir-fries.
8. Pile up a smaller plate
   
   It may be one of the oldest tricks in the book, but using a salad plate rather than a dinner plate really does work. This no-cost strategy for eating less leads to a healthier diet because it helps you keep your portions smaller.
9. Start your day right
   
   Every business guru, motivational speaker, and top athlete preaches about this tip time and time again. How you start your day, sets the tone for the rest of your day. So, eat a good healthy meal when you wake up. Break your fast with fresh squeezed orange juice or lemon water. Then avoid any breakfast that comes in a box or drive thru. Prepare some old-fashion oatmeal and sweeten it up with fruit toppings and maple syrup or head on over to the Modern Monk Pintrest page and get loads of healthy breakfast ideas.
   
10. Make a list, get organized
    
    Impulse is the enemy of healthy eating. Arm yourself accordingly with a shopping list each time you head to the grocery store, and then stick to your guns. You will avoid spendy junk food that can sabotage your healthy regimen.

Healthy eating hacks are simply common-sense strategies that stand the test of time. Once you get into healthy eating habits, you will find that saving money makes it even more satisfying.

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