Are your eating habits holding you back from reaching your desired health or lifestyle goals? If you think they might be, it could be worth considering a change.

While adopting healthier eating habits can be challenging, many find the effort worthwhile.

In this guide, we’ll explore how to help change your eating lifestyle in 7 realistic steps. These steps include assessing your current habits, setting realistic goals, eating better, overcoming obstacles, and tracking your progress.  

Let’s start by clarifying the benefits of changing your eating habits.

Note: Remember to consult your healthcare professional before undertaking significant dietary changes to ensure they are safe and appropriate for your individual health needs.

Why changing your eating lifestyle can be beneficial

By learning how to change your eating habits, you may experience benefits such as:

• Better overall health: Drinking more water and avoiding sugary or high-sodium foods are habits that can positively impact your general health.^[1] 
• Prevent chronic diseases: Studies suggest that diets containing fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, lean meats, and fish can reduce the risk of developing major chronic diseases.^[2]
• Mental clarity: Frequently consuming refined sugars can harm your brain, leading to memory problems and reduced cognitive function.^[3] Switching to a balanced, nutrient-rich diet, such as the Mediterranean diet, may support brain health and even mood.^[4]
• Personal goal achievement: Would you like to lose weight or build strength? Changing your eating lifestyle to include unprocessed foods, practicing intermittent fasting, and avoiding overeating can help you work toward such goals.^[5] 

7 steps to change your eating habits

Changing your lifestyle to support healthy habits  may seem challenging, but don’t let that stop you. Remember, the long-term health benefits can be worth it. 

Here are our top tips for how to change your eating habits and become a better you:

1. Assess your current eating habits

Finding the motivation to change your eating habits requires an honest assessment of your lifestyle to identify potentially harmful eating habits. 

Where do you start? The first step can be recording and tracking your eating and drinking habits, hunger, location and mood for 1-2 weeks.^[6]

Next, study your entries to identify patterns of overeating or other unhealthy habits. For example, you might notice emotional eating patterns like craving sugary foods or over-snacking when you feel down or stressed.

Your journal entries may also reveal what triggers your unhealthy behaviors, such as skipping meals or being in certain social situations. Once you’ve identified your potentially unhealthy eating habits and what triggers them, you can work toward lasting solutions to improve your lifestyle.

2. Set realistic goals for a healthier lifestyle

Setting realistic expectations goes a long way toward setting sustainable goals. Unrealistic expectations may lead to frustration and dissatisfaction , causing a return to old, harmful habits. 

Maintain realistic expectations by setting goals that you can realistically achieve. The SMART goal methodology can be a big help here. It’s centered on setting goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).^[7]  

Applying the SMART methodology, setting a goal of simply “eating healthier” doesn’t qualify because it’s not specific enough to measure. Here are examples of SMART goals that align with changing your eating lifestyle:

• Include vegetables in every meal
• Consider swapping soda with unsweetened beverages, like sparkling water, herbal tea, etc.
• Drink 8 cups of water daily.
• Reduce alcohol consumption to 2 drinks per week.

Besides being specific, achievable, and relevant to self-improvement, these goals provide clear time frames and measurable criteria. Adding those extra details takes the guesswork out of tracking your progress.

3. Start small for long-term success

Drastic changes to your eating habits can be hard to sustain. For example, abruptly and completely cutting sugar from your diet after years of enjoying sweets might be too big of a starting point. You might aim for something more realistic and attainable instead. You could, for instance, replace sweet drinks with unsweetened beverages or, if you’re enjoying a sweet treat, keep it to a mini portion and enjoy it at the end of your meal.

Alternatively, try gradually cutting back on an unhealthy eating habit instead of abruptly quitting it. Say you’re a daily beer drinker, for example. You might aim to reduce your drinking to every other day to start, then twice a week. You could also try switching to a non-acholic beer and enjoy one with dinner. Over time, you could continue cutting back further until you’re ready to stop completely.

You’re more likely to succeed at changing your eating lifestyle if you start small and focus on making incremental changes.^[8] It’s less overwhelming and easier to stick with than sudden, wholesale changes.

4. Plan and prep meals in advance  

Another invaluable tip for changing your eating lifestyle is prepping meals in advance (aka meal planning).^[9] Meal prepping involves planning and preparing every meal for the week (breakfast, lunch, and dinner). 

It gives you full control over nutrition and portion sizes for every meal. Also, it dodges the hassle of daily cooking and the high cost of eating out. No more excuses to eat fast food or unhealthy processed foods.

However, meal prepping can only help change your eating habits and provide benefits if you do it right. Here are some simple tips to improve your eating lifestyle with meal prepping:

• Consider bulk shopping: Make a shopping list to buy every ingredient you need for the week’s meal prep in one trip. 
• Mix things up: Buy versatile ingredients that can make different meals, like chicken, rice, and veggies for stir-fries, burrito bowls, and more. This can help prevent repeating meals too frequently, which can lead to boredom and make it harder to stick to healthier eating habits.
• Prioritize nutrition: Your meal prep shouldn’t overlook nutrition. Get inspiration for nutritious, balanced meals with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) MyPlate food groups guide.

5. Overcome common challenges

Changing your lifestyle to be healthy won’t be without challenges, such as time and budget constraints. You could also face social or peer pressure from friends, colleagues, or family telling you a drink or a bite won’t hurt. Then there’s the inevitable craving for the unhealthy foods you’re trying to quit.

Fortunately, these and other obstacles aren’t unbeatable. Here are some ideas for overcoming challenges to changing your eating lifestyle:

1. Embrace time-saving recipes: Yes, meal prepping can be time-consuming, but you can cut your prep time with time-saving recipes. Some quick recipes to shorten your meal prep time include stir fries, rice and bean bowls, cold sandwiches, and simple pasta dishes.
2. Don’t sacrifice flavor: Unappetizing food makes sticking to clean eating harder. Experiment with recipes to discover flavorful ones that will keep your meal prep and lifestyle change exciting.
3. Be strategic about social events: If social events tempt you to engage in old, unhealthy habits, consider not attending them. If attending is unavoidable, be prepared to say no to foods or drinks that could derail your progress.
4. Have the occasional treat: Have the occasional treat, enjoy it slowly with mindful eating principles, to help keep your cravings at bay and prevent feelings of deprivation. This approach also reinforces discipline by teaching you to indulge in moderation, a valuable skill for sticking with lifestyle changes.

6. Build a support system

You don’t have to take on changing your eating lifestyle alone. A support system of friends and family can emotionally support and motivate you to continue. Their encouragement can make the difference between reverting to old habits and staying the course. 

Your supporters can also be accountability partners who check on your progress and help you stay committed to your goals. Reporting your progress to partners can keep you motivated and accountable, as you won’t want to disappoint them.

What if you don’t have friends or family for support? You can join online communities and these platforms can offer a wealth of motivation and advice from people on the same journey as you.

7. Track your progress and adjust

Keeping track of your progress lets you know how well your lifestyle change is going, which is another reason it makes sense to set measurable and achievable goals. 

If your progress isn’t as hoped, tweak your new diet and habits to better align with your stated goals. On the other hand, experiencing tangible and measurable improvements can provide extra motivation to continue your new eating lifestyle. 

You can document and monitor your progress with food diaries, pictures, or apps that log meals, exercise, and other details relevant to your goals. 

Commit to a well-balanced diet and healthy eating habits

If you’re ready to change your eating lifestyle, remember that results won’t come overnight. Be consistent with new, healthy habits to see gradual but visible results. But the effort and commitment are worthwhile for the mental and physical health benefits you can gain. 

As part of our commitment to helping you become your best self, our Sincerely Health platform offers points for completing daily tasks. You can redeem these points as grocery rewards and save money on grocery shopping by signing up for Sincerely Health:

• Step 1: Download the grocery app to start saving. You’ll get $10 off* groceries just for setting up your account.
• Step 2: Create a personalized Sincerely Health nutrition profile and receive 1,000 points* to kick things off.

With your nutrition profile, you can:

• Establish specific nutrition goals.
• Earn 10 points per eligible item purchased (up to 100 points per order — 10 items at 10 points each).

Join Sincerely Health and set up your nutrition profile today.

Download your app on the App Store today

FAQs about Changing Eating Habits

What are some simple ways to improve my eating habits?

Ways to improve your eating habits can include having more balanced, nutritious meals and consuming less alcohol, sugar, and sodium. Many people also turn to methods such as intermittent fasting, drinking more water, avoiding overeating, and eating only when hungry.

Do eating habits impact overall health?

Yes, eating habits can significantly affect overall health. Unhealthy habits can cause weight problems, chronic illnesses, and low energy. In contrast, a clean and balanced diet provides sufficient nutrition for better health and performance.

How long does it take to change your eating habits?

The time it takes to change eating habits varies between individuals. It might take weeks for some. For others, it might take months. It can sometimes help to focus on making small, incremental changes that you can stick with long-term vs. prioritizing abrupt, large-scale changes in your habits.

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Sources

[1] U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Steps for Improving Your Eating Habits. Last reviewed January 2, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-weight-growth/losing-weight/improve-eating-habits.html

[2] University of Minnesota. How Does Diet Impact Health? https://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/how-does-diet-impact-health

[3] Harvard Health Publishing. Nutritional Psychiatry: Your Brain on Food. Last reviewed September 18, 2022. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/nutritional-psychiatry-your-brain-on-food-201511168626

[4] National Library of Medicine. Food and Mood: How Do Diet and Nutrition Affect Mental Wellbeing? Last reviewed June 29, 2020. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7322666/

[5] Harvard Health Publishing. Diet & Weight Loss. Last reviewed April 4, 2022. https://www.health.harvard.edu/topics/diet-and-weight-loss

[6] Harvard Health Publishing. Why Keep a Food Diary? Last reviewed January 31, 2019. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/why-keep-a-food-diary-2019013115855

[7] Minnesota Department of Health. Objectives and goals: Writing meaningful goals and SMART objectives. Last reviewed March 3, 2023. https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/practice/resources/phqitoolbox/objectives.html

[8] American Academy of Pediatrics. Small Changes in Dietary Sugar and Physical Activity as an Approach to Preventing Excessive Weight Gain: The America on the Move Family Study. Last reviewed October 1, 2007. https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article-abstract/120/4/e869/71276/Small-Changes-in-Dietary-Sugar-and-Physical

[9] Healthier Texas. Mastering Meal Prep: A Guide to Healthier Eating and Savings. Last reviewed February 25, 2024. https://healthiertexas.org/mastering-meal-prep-a-guide-to-healthier-eating-and-savings/