How To Improve Your Diet And Cut Out Fast Foods

If you skip meals or wait until your hunger is ravaging, you're more prone to make poor nutritional decisions. Pack veggies and hummus or a small portion of nuts to hold you over on the way home from work until you can cook or heat up your meal at home.

Contributors: Scott Burgett from PlantBasedScotty

Hate to cook, but want to eat healthy? Find a meal delivery service that does the hard work for you. Some services make ready-to-eat meals, while others pack the ingredients so you can do it yourself. Either way, they'll both help you avoid unhealthy fast food trips.

Contributors: Scott Burgett from PlantBasedScotty

Changing behaviors requires time, discipline, and motivation. Sometimes internal motivation can only take you so far, so using incentives can help reward your own decision making! Try this: set a goal of either avoiding or significantly cutting down weekly fast food trips, if you meet your goal, reward yourself with a shopping trip or fun activity. But do not make the mistake of rewarding yourself with an unhealthy treat, as that will likely increase poor nutrition behavior. 

Contributors: Scott Burgett from PlantBasedScotty

In general, eating food as close to its natural state as possible, helps us absorb the most benefits. The less processed the food is, the healthier it usually is. And the more life force our nourishment contains, the more gratitude we can feel for the natural blessings in our lives.

Contributors: Bracha Goetz from Bracha's Books

If you're looking to lose weight, you should make as few changes as possible to make your calories lower. The less you change, the more likely you are to succeed. If you've been hitting up Wendy's for the past 10 years, what's the likelihood you are going to wake up tomorrow and never eat it again? LOW!! Instead, order the small fries instead of the large. Eat a Dave's double instead of a triple. DON'T try to sub a kale smoothie for your value meal. 

Contributors: Charlie Seltzer from  Dr. Seltzer Weight Loss

Leafy greens are the number one food missing from the Standard American Diet (or SAD diet!) They pack a big nutritional punch and will help you feel full due to the high fiber, feel energized thanks to the vitamins and minerals and as a great prebiotic, they will improve your digestion! Great leafy greens to try are spinach, arugula, kale, romaine lettuce and bok choy. 

Contributors: Sarah Thacker from Wholistic Food Therapy

Back in college, my roommates and I used to do vegetarian month where we would challenge each other to see if we could go the entire month without animal products. Not only did it satisfy having accountability partners, but it also turned it into a fun game. For anyone ultra-competitive, try setting up a personal challenge with yourself or a few of your close friends.

Contributors: Andrew DeBell from Moving Mangoes

Fruit like apples and bananas are a more convenient grab and go, faster and often cheaper than a candy bar or sugar filled protein bar. Keep a bowl of fruit out on your counter and grab something when you're feeling peckish or heading out the door.

Contributors: Rebecca Cafiero from Elevate Your Life Project

Something as simple as picking up a couple chicken breasts and roasting them in the crock pot can provide you over 5 different meals for the whole week. The reason many people eat out at fast food restaurants is that they have nothing prepared. Meal prepping eliminates not having anything to eat since you've prepared it ahead of time. 

Contributors: Jenna Salerno from USB Memory Direct

Cutting fast food is extremely hard but making new habits that are convenient and healthy are easier than you may think! Smoothie cups are definitely cracking the code for convenient, clean eating.

New Sub-Zero Superfoods by Project Juice are delicious and nutritious smoothies you can store in your freezer! Featuring exclusive smoothie recipes from the famous juice shop now delivered door-to-door nationwide and ready in seconds, all varieties are made with organic ingredients, gluten-free, non-GMO and dairy-free. Plus, each are packed with whole nutrition that supports digestion, gut health, detoxing, energy, glowing skin and more.

Contributors: Project Juice

One of the most efficient, proven ways to excel with any goal is to get a coach. Your coach will provide the accountability, education, and support to help you eat healthy more consistently.

Contributors: Concita Thomas from ConcitaThomas

Most people that grab fast foods do some because of convenience or because they are short on time. Keeping small bags of raw nuts or seeds, or mini packets of organic almond butters in your bag, purse or car will keep you fueled with healthy fats and protein in between meals so that you avoid grabbing something unhealthy. 

Contributors: Rebecca Cafiero from Elevate Your Life Project

Have a craving for sugar that has you dreaming of drive-through milkshakes or a bag of cookies?

Often, sugar cravings can be a result of needing more healthy fats in your body! Nosh on a half an avocado or a big spoonful of almond butter, coconut oil and honey. The healthy fats are super satiating and a much better source of fuel than sugar, which can cause an energy crash.

Contributors: Rebecca Cafiero from Elevate Your Life Project

It’s all about feeling more comfortable in your kitchen. You need to learn to cook the basics, including things you’ll love to eat.

The Chef & The Dish lets you Skype a chef from Italy, Spain, Japan, Turkey, Hungary and more into your kitchen for a private, 1:1 cooking class. Without leaving your kitchen, you’ll have a 2-1/2 experience with a chef, cooking with just you in real-time, giving you tips and tricks on making some of the world’s most iconic dishes from around the world.

They offer tens of classes to choose from, including Turkish Vegan cooking, Jambalaya, Pan Seared Steak and more. Each class teaches fundamentals to give you confidence to cook something delicious without leaving home.

Contributors: Jenn Nicken from The Chef & The Dish

What do cravings, hunger and lack of energy that send you to coffee counter for that sugar laden latte have in common? They are all side effects of not drinking enough water! Proper hydration helps you stay energized, satiated and able to identify real hunger. 

Contributors: Rebecca Cafiero from Elevate Your Life Project

Shamballah Retreats is a retreat based in Portugal which combines three important elements that would help you cutting fast foods: Location, Diet and Meditation.

• Breathing pure air will help you find your balance, far away from the madding crowds.
• According to Shamballah, a vegan or vegetarian diet - free of junk food, would help your body detox.
• Together with a therapeutic meditation and yoga experience, your body can fully expel the substance and boost your energy.

Specifically, combining Vinyasa Flow and Hatha styles in a balanced flowing rhythm of asanas accompanied with deep breathing that strengthens the muscles, improves flexibility, increases the blood flow, drains lymphs, boosts immunity and helps to bring profound relaxation. Through meditation, you will positively influence processes that are essential to physical and mental health.

Contributors: Claudia Delrio from The Anderson Media Group