Eating one healthy meal isn't hard. It may not even be hard to eat three healthy meals in a single day. The hard part is making changes in your daily life so that you start eating healthy every day—and keep eating healthy every day.

It's all about changing your habits. And changing your habits is easier if you make a plan first.

Starting a life of healthy eating—or making any kind of change in the way you live your daily life—is like being on a path. The path leads to success. There are three steps that can help you get started:

1. Have your own reasons for wanting to change.
2. Set goals.
3. Think about what might get in your way, and prepare for slip-ups.

Continue to Why?

Your reason for wanting this is really important. Don't do it because someone else wants you to. What makes you want to start eating healthier foods?

• You have a specific health concern (your heart, high blood pressure or high cholesterol, diabetes, depression, your bones and muscles, or something else).
• You want to feel better and have more energy.
• You want to lose weight.
• You have another reason for wanting to do this.

Write down your reasons for wanting to make this change. Put the list where you can see it easily. It will be a daily reminder of why you want to make a change.

It's not easy to make changes. But taking the time now to really think about what will motivate or inspire you will help you stay with it.

Continue to How?

It's important not to jump in too far too fast. Slow, steady steps will set you up for success. In this section you'll learn about the steps to follow in setting up a healthy eating plan:

• Set your goals.
• Track your progress.
• Think about your barriers.
• Get support—from others and from yourself.

Set your goals

When you are clear about your reasons for starting a healthy eating plan, it's time to set your goals.

What is your long-term goal? A long-term goal is something you want to reach in 6 to 12 months. For example, your long-term goal may be to:

• Lower your blood pressure and/or cholesterol.
• Reach a healthy weight for your body type.

What are the short-term goals that will help you get there? Short-term goals are things that you want to do tomorrow and the day after. For example, you might decide to:

• Switch to low-fat or fat-free milk or soy milk instead of whole milk on your cereal to reduce the amount of fat you take in.
• Cut back on eating fast food to once a week, or eat red meat only 3 times a week.

Change a Habit by Setting Goals

Here are some quick tips about healthy eating goals:

• Instead of changing your diet overnight, make your changes one at a time.
• Try adding something to your diet instead of taking something away. Add foods that you think you need more of, like fruits and vegetables. If you start off by taking things out of your diet—like foods that are high in fat or sugar—you might feel deprived. And that will make it harder for you to change.
• Choose more of the healthy foods that you enjoy. Make a list of the foods you like, and see how you can change them to make them healthier. For example, make pizza at home using low-fat mozzarella cheese and lots of fresh vegetables. Is there a special raw vegetable that you like? Stock up on it—and reach for it whenever you want a snack.
• Write down your goals, and hang them up where you can see them. Reading your goals can be a helpful reminder.
• Don't set goals that involve losing weight fast. Rapid weight loss is not healthy and is hard to keep doing.

Track your progress

Keeping track of your progress helps you see how far you've come. It also helps you stay with your plan.

• Use a notebook, journal, or food record form (What is a PDF document?) to keep track of the healthy things you do. Look this over when you begin to doubt yourself or feel discouraged.
• Pay attention to how you feel. Can you notice any difference when you are eating better? Or do you notice any difference when you sometimes eat poorly?
• Notice whether your food preferences change. As we change what we eat, we learn to like new foods. You may find that you don't like some of the foods you used to eat before you started making changes in your diet. And you may have learned to like new foods that you thought you didn't like.
• Look over any lab tests you might have if you are following a special diet. You may notice improvements.
  • Blood sugar tests will tell you whether your diet is helping to control your diabetes.
  • Periodic blood tests can measure your cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
  • You can measure your blood pressure to see whether dietary changes are improving it.

    High Blood Pressure: Checking Your Blood Pressure at Home

• Every time you meet a goal, reward yourself.

Think about your barriers

Take the time to think about what things could get in the way of your success. We call these things barriers. And by thinking about them now, you can plan ahead for how to deal with them if they happen.

Here are some tips for dealing with barriers:

• It's perfectly normal to try something, stop it, and then get mad at yourself. Lots of people have to try and try again before they reach their goals.
• If you feel like giving up, don't waste energy feeling bad about yourself. Remember your reason for wanting to change, think about the progress you've made, and give yourself a pep talk and a pat on the back. Then you may feel like eating healthy again.
• When you hit a barrier—and most people do—get support. Talk to your family members and friends to see if someone wants to eat healthy with you or cheer you on.
• Don't forget little rewards. Something to look forward to can keep you moving right along.

Expect to encounter some barriers. And remember: The idea is not to get rid of barriers but to identify them ahead of time and plan what you will do to deal with them.

It might help you to have a written personal action plan (What is a PDF document?) where you list your goals, your barriers, and your plans to get past those barriers.

Healthy Eating: Overcoming Barriers to Change

Get support—from others and from yourself

The more support you have, the easier it will be to change your eating habits.

If your family members tell you that they love how you're getting healthier, you'll probably be motivated to keep up the good work.

And there's more support out there. You can even ask for encouragement. Here are a few things to look for:

• Change your eating habits with a partner. It's motivating to know that someone is sharing the same goals. That person can remind you how far you've come. And that person can even motivate you with what he or she has accomplished.
• Friends and family may be a great resource. Family members can eat healthy meals with you. They can encourage you by saying how they admire you for making hard changes. Friends may tell you how good you look because your eating habits have changed. Don't be afraid to tell family and friends that their encouragement makes a big difference to you.
• You might join a class or support group. People in these groups often have some of the same barriers you have. They can give you support when you don't feel like staying with your eating plan. They can boost your morale when you need a lift.
• Don't forget to reward yourself. When you reach one of your goals—for example, eating five servings of fruits and vegetables a day for 1 week—give yourself a present. Buy a new healthy cookbook. Take a cooking class. Or just take some time for yourself. Do whatever it takes to remind yourself that you've been meeting your goals. You're successful!

Support is everywhere. You just have to look for it.

Healthy Eating: Getting Support When Changing Your Eating Habits

Continue to Where?

Now that you have read this information, you are ready to make a healthy eating plan.

Talk with your doctor

If you have questions about this information, print it out and take it with you when you visit your doctor. You may want to mark areas or make notes in the margins where you have questions.

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