1. Buy a Weekly Meal Planner

A meal planner is exactly what it sounds like. A planner for your meals. A meal planner lists out the days of the week where you can fill in what you will cook for the day. If planning for 3 meals a day seems like a lot, start with planning for dinner. This hack is so simple yet so effective.

Choose a day of the week that you will dedicate to plan and food shop. Use a cook book, Pinterest or google to find fun, healthy recipes. List out your dinners for the week. make your grocery list and head to the store.

This also prevents you from over buying. Try it out! You’ll be shocked with how well this keeps you on track with your cooking and eating!

2. Prepare When Dining Out

Dining out can be overwhelming. If you are not sure what is on the menu or what options they have it can easily turn into an unhealthy impulse decision. Instead of stressing, prepare yourself. Look at the menu before going to a restaurant. Don’t be scared to ask the waiter to make modifications to accommodate for you a meal.

Find balance in enjoyment for you meal while also being cautious of what foods will make you feel your best. Maybe order the big salad with a small side of something more indulgent! Balance is key!

3. Look for Color

One of the easiest hacks for eating healthier is to look for color. And NO we do not mean the artificial kind. We mean, the natural colors that come from beautiful veggies and fruit.

When choosing or cooking a meal, look to incorporate multiple colors into your plate. The more color, the more nutrients. Choosing foods like bland pasta or bread gives nothing but an insulin spike to our bodies. Foods that are nutrient dense allow our bodies to function optimally from the inside, out.

4. Avoid Sugary Drinks

The most immediate change you should be making to your diet, to put you on a healthier track, is to cut out sugary drinks. Drinks that are high in sugar are linked to obesity and other health complications. We are talking concentrated juices, sodas, and that caramel macchiato you can't seem to resist. You would be shocked to know how much sugar is in these drinks and the impact they are having on your mind and body.

It is time to CUT THEM OUT! Replace these liquids with water, tea, or seltzer! Hydrate your body instead of sending into a sugar shock!

5. Eat Mindfully

It is so easy to sit down at a meal and inhale everything that is front of us without taking a moment to even think. When we add mindfulness to our meals, we put attention towards what we are doing in that moment. It also gives us a second to slow down.

It takes about 20 minutes for your brain to send out signals that you are full. So it is important to take the extra time to pay attention to what we are eating and how much. This is a simple hack that will help you raise your awareness towards the emotions and feelings around each of your meals as well as taking time to assess your fullness.