I'm scared to eat clean!!!!

NikkiSixGuns

Eating "clean" can be just as much about how much you eat as what you eat. You can still eat foods that are comfortable to you, just as long as you keep your portions in control.

Great job on kicking the soda and packaged cakes! Those are big achievements that you should celebrate. It proves that you CAN make the changes you want to make.

I'd suggest tiny changes. Pick one thing that you want to work on, and set small goals to achieve it. Maybe start with adding more fruit for the week. Then when you go through drive through ask for a fruit bowl instead of fries, add some berries or cut up peaches onto yogurt or ice cream for dessert, and throw an apple or banana in your lunch and your kids' lunches. Frozen banana slices are YUMMY when it's hot out. I slice them up, put them on a piece of foil or parchment paper, and freeze them for about 2 hours, then peel them all off & throw them in a zip-loc baggie. That way they're ready to go and not all frozen together.

When you find something you like, try making it in batches ahead of time. Go for it at a time when your motivation for eating clean is high. That way when you're tired & feeling overwhelmed by the whole process the work is already done! I'm thinking of things like chopping fruits into a fruit salad & keeping it in the fridge. It'll hold for a few days. Sliced up apples sprinkled with a tiny bit of lemon juice will also hold in the fridge for a couple of days. Chop your salad makings ahead of time & keep them in storage containers so you can assemble them quickly.

It can be overwhelming when you think of it as a total lifestyle makeover, so I'd suggest baby steps. One thing at a time, and one foot in front of the other. Each day you can do better than the day before!

For recipes, I've had some good results with Hungry Girl's recipes. She has some good tips for incorporating more veggies into your foods, and most are very simple to prepare. There is a recipe for a grilled veggie panini that is AWESOME. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it... Maybe try vegetable soup as a side with dinner? You can also bake your veggies with your protein in a foil packet for a different flavor than just plain steamed veggies. I like to throw some cauliflower and carrots in with a chicken breast, season with salt, pepper, onion & garlic, maybe a little cream of mushroom soup. Broccoli cooks quickly in a foil packet so I usually cook it with fish, which also cooks quickly. Corn on the cob is also a favorite of mine.

Again, congratulations! Keep up the good work

AEC50

Hi! You've got some great answers here! I was the same way you are, but I've found the biggest thing to help me change my habits is to constantly be surrounded by clean-eating messages and resources (like Healthy Living magazine, Carrots and Cake blog, Healthy Tipping point blog). I've actually found that when I ignore my daily ritual of reading healthy blogs in the morning, I eat horrible during the day!

A good way to start is just to always make sure there is a fruit or veg at every meal/snack. Soon, you'll find you crave that.

I also wash and cut all fruits and veggies as soon as I bring them home. Just fill the (clean) sink with water and a half cup of vinegar and soak for ten minutes. That eliminates any inconvinence excuse.

ErinRibbens

Starty by eating cleaner.. then cleaner..then cleaner. Why does it have to be an all or nothing?

This!!! I eat pretty clean but I'm still learning every day, trying to improve our diet. And yeah, we still hit the drive through every once in awhile still!

Planning meals ahead makes a huge difference. Or try making a big batch of something and freeze part for another meal.

Also it's better to serve veggies with butter or cheese than none at all!

Koldnomore

I cook because I don't want my child to grow up not knowing where his food comes from or thinking that fruit has to come in a juice or a roll-up or with a gummy coating. Showing him (and my boyfriend also) that you can make food with your hands or grow food in a garden is a big payoff.

If you have children, teaching them that they do not have to rely on Mc'Donalds or Subway or frozen entrees or chemically processed convenience foods if they want to eat is a very good thing. When we start running low on resources with 9 billion people on the planet those options may not be viable anymore. Wouldn't it be good if they knew how to feed themselves (and your grandchildren) in a more sustainable way?