Learning how to eat healthy can be a major mountain for people to climb. I’ve been there. I ate whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted in high school, and I paid for it when I got to college. It then took me almost six years to totally change my habits and get to the point where I am now. Honestly, these days I’d rather eat a sweet potato than an Oreo. It seriously tastes better to me.

If you are currently anything like what I was in high school, then a complete diet change isn’t going to happen overnight. The best way to get started, it to take small, easy steps, and then once those become a habit, you can start making new goals.

Here are my favorite beginner’s eating tips:

• You can never correct the nutritional deficit from the day before. Your body needs to be supplied with new vitamins and nutrients on a daily basis. Health comes from eating a wide variety of unprocessed foods. Try eating at least ten different whole foods a day.
• 25% of people eat more than needed at meal times. To help with portion control, eat slowly, chew your food well, and wait at least ten minutes after finishing your plate to decide if you are going back for seconds. This gives you time to digest and feel full.
• Don’t eat on autopilot or on the go. Sit down and eat, and focus on your meal. Consciously think about what you are putting in your body. You’ll get more pleasure out of the meal, and in turn be more likely to feel satiated.
• Eating the same foods over and over again is going to make you feel bored in the long run, and make you more likely to order in or go to the store for junk food. Change your diet up as much as possible. Buy some cookbooks. Look online for recipes. Be adventurous and try new fruits and vegetables when you shop.
• Don’t completely deprive yourself from all your favorites treats, or else you’ll be more likely to binge. If you want it, allow yourself five bites and then move on. It’s about moderation.
• Don’t keep junk food in your house. Purge your cupboards of potato chips, ice cream, baked goods, etc. This decreases the temptation of eating unhealthy greatly, as you are forced to leave the house to go get it.
• Plan your grocery trip ahead of time. Pick out what meals you are going to cook for the week and make a list. Stick to the list while shopping and when you are hungry later in the week, you’ll have an ample stock of nutritious food waiting for you.
• Eat breakfast with 30 minutes of waking in the morning. This gets your metabolism ready for the day and helps you to burn more calories. Staying hungry in the morning hours can cause you to fatigue quickly and can cause your body to use muscle as energy instead.

Try making these tips a priority in your day. Once you are able to do engrain these habits, you will be able to work towards even healthier eating.