If you want to improve your nutrition, then you’ve probably thought about changing your diet.

Here’s why it’s a bad idea to change your diet overnight even though a quick browse of the latest diet offerings would have you believe you can just switch with little problem. But changing your diet is not as easy as it seems. It’s best to follow an incremental approach if you want to create lasting change.

The process of long-term change

Long-term dietary change happens over time. It isn’t something you can do in the space of a day. If you’re thinking about going from a diet of burgers and fast food to a diet based on healthy protein and vegetables, think again.

For the brain and the body, this is like going from 0-100 without warming up, doing stretches, or checking that you’re mentally ready to do it in the first place. This approach doesn’t honor the process of long-term change, because you’re more likely to feel deprived. Feeling deprived will cause you to eventually revert back to your previous processed-filled eating style.

The transition towards a healthier lifestyle

How to change my diet to be healthy? Instead of yo-yo dieting, which is hard on the body and causes so much frustration, it is better to take a realistic and healthy approach to change. Instead of seeing healthy and unhealthy eating as all or nothing, consider it from the brain and body’s perspective.

If you’ve been eating a steady diet of manufactured goods, then your brain is already hooked on the additives and chemicals hidden inside the food products. Cutting off that supply by changing your diet overnight forces you into a detox mode, which places your body under stress. Even your taste buds need time to adjust, as you learn to discover natural flavors that aren’t overloaded with sugar, MSG, or salt.

Replace each food one by one

Start your transition to a newer, healthier way of eating by replacing each food one by one. Begin by picking one type of food you want to replace in your diet, such as your evening dessert or your morning cereal, and make that change first. Keep going with your one replacement food for at least a week before you make a second replacement. When you stagger your transition across weeks, you’ll find you have a new lifestyle that is easier to stick to. Plus, you will have avoided the experience of deprivation.

Easy ways to get you started changing your diet

How to change my eating habits permanently? Here are a few simple shifts to start implementing on the road to eating healthier:

Chocolates, desserts, and sweets

If you have a regular craving for sweet, chocolate-flavored treats or comforting desserts, you’ll be thankful to know there are plenty of health-giving alternatives. Consider replacing these items with a healthier version of chocolate, which is packed full of mood-boosting nutrients. It’s dense enough to satisfy with just a small portion.

Sugary sweet or diet sodas

Some people just can’t get through their day without a glass of their favorite beverage. The good news is you don’t have to give up this treat entirely if you’re considering a healthy life. Consider buying Kombucha or flavored sparkling water for the taste of soda, with extra nutrients, and without all those empty calories.

Crunchy potato chips or corn chips

Who doesn’t love a snack with a good crunch? If potato chips or corn chips make a regular appearance in your diet, you don’t have to say goodbye forever. Consider replacing these with kale chips or baked potato chips, which are just as crunchy and are packed with essential vitamins and nutrients.

Sauces and dressings

Salads are delicious, but they’re better with high-frequency dressing! Our Rockin’ Ranch or High Vibe Ketchup are the perfect replacements for your favorite high-calorie dressings and sauces. Sauces and dressings are typically stuffed full of sugar, salt, and are low on energy giving nutrients. Opt for quality alternatives to help you enjoy the full flavor range of your new lifestyle.

Morning cereal

While morning cereal is delicious, it’s often just empty calories. Make your mornings meaningful with a protein-packed chocolate shake. This will power you up until lunchtime, which will reduce your chances of snacking on poor quality nutrition.

Options when you eat out

Adopting a healthy lifestyle doesn’t mean you have to give up eating out altogether. To enjoy restaurant meals with your family and friends, simply order a side dish instead of a full main. Order all your sauces on the side to eliminate the possibility of added low-quality dressings, and ask to have your meal prepared without butter or oil.

A guilt-free healthy lifestyle

With this approach, you’ll be sure to obtain a new way of eating that is entirely manageable and completely guilt-free. You don’t need to change your diet overnight. The only question left to ponder is which meal or food you will replace first?