How To Build Healthy Eating Habits + Weekly Meal Plan

It’s not easy to eat healthily. I admit I’d much rather eat fruit snacks than real fruit, but I sure feel a lot better when I eat actual fruit. We’ve always eaten pretty healthy growing up with home-cooked meals every night and packed lunches for school. But we had our pantry packed with our share of junk food. It wasn’t until I moved out that I decided to build healthier eating habits.

Here are some suggestions for how to build healthier eating habits + a week 3 meal plan.

Don’t buy food if you don’t know or can’t pronounce the ingredients.

I don’t buy many convenience foods. If I do, I check the labels to make sure I know what all the ingredients are (something I learned from Simply Real Health). If the junk isn’t in our pantry, we’re not tempted to eat it.

The same thing goes with ingredients for recipes. I try to use “real food” ingredients in all my recipes. But really, anything homemade is better for you.

The hardest thing for me to give up was coffee creamer, but I’ve found these Nutpod creamers that are pretty good. For my afternoon coffee, I blend it with grass-fed butter, refined coconut oil, and honey. (I use Amazon Subscribe & Save, included with Prime membership, for the products linked here.)

Encourage kids to eat healthier by having them help in the kitchen

Juliana and I have taken a lot of cooking classes together. Now she loves getting in the kitchen to help me cook and bake. This helps cultivate her habit of healthy eating because she wants to try everything she makes. 

Getting in the kitchen with your kids can be tough, but it’s definitely worth it.

If you load up on healthy snacks like fruit, veggies, and nuts, you’re going to eat them.

When there’s nothing else to eat, that’s what you start snacking on. I’ve started piling fruit into a giant bowl near our table so that we actually eat it. If it’s in the fridge, sometimes we forget.

Stick to your (Costco) list.

This month, the Haagen-Daz ice cream bars were on sale at Costco. They are my weakness. I used to eat them every day when I was pregnant. I’d eat them every day now if I bought them. 

The plan for Costco is to stick to the list. The only time we stray is if they have some new real food we want to try. Plus, everybody being on board with this food lifestyle makes it easier to stay strong.

(But seriously, I’d love just one Haagendaz bar. Please.)

Snacks we made this week:

Paleo Gluten-Free Sandwich Bread from Paleo Running Momma. This takes a lot of eggs, but it’s one of the better “bread” recipes I’ve found. I’m hoping to make a couple of other recipes soon to compare them.

The Perfect Gluten-Free Brownies from One Lovely Life. Beware –I can’t eat these at night because they keep me up. So we eat brownies as an after breakfast snack.

Week 3 Meal Plan for Healthier Eating

Breakfast

Sweet Potato Apple Breakfast Bake from 40 Aprons

Lunch

Buffalo Chicken Ranch Whole30 Meal Prep from 40 Aprons. I like this Whole30 ranch dressing.

Dinners

Sheet Pan Fajitas from No. 2 Pencil.

Chicken Pot Pie from Pioneer Woman. I substitute ingredients to make it Paleo.

Grilled or baked fish with veggies.

Sauce. I never feel right if I don’t have sauce in the freezer. It’s a family recipe.

Whole30 Zuppa Toscana from 40 Aprons. Seriously so good and easy to make.

One Pan Balsamic Chicken and Veggies from Chelsea’s Messy Apron. I haven’t tried this but it looks so easy.

For more suggested recipes check out:

Week 1 Meal Plan

Week 2 Meal Plan

Make meal planning easier by using a Meal Master List.