Your 24-Hour Healthy Eating Challenge

Do you get discouraged just thinking about adopting a healthy lifestyle? The thought of giving up for sweet, salty and fatty foods seems like too much of a sacrifice for many people. But you can do it in a way that isn’t overwhelming--and won’t leave you feeling deprived.

Start by making a one-day commitment to eat clean. Everyone can stick to something for 24 hours!

Here’s an example. Over the weekend, plan a simple, nutritious one-day meal plan for Monday. It can be as simple as this:

Breakfast: 2 whole eggs with a ½ cup of old-fashioned oatmeal topped with berries
Mid-morning snack: Apple with cashews
Lunch: 1 can of tuna on mixed greens with tomatoes and garbanzo beans, 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil and 1 tbsp rice vinegar
Mid-afternoon snack: 6 oz plain low-fat yogurt with 1 tbsp raisins and slivered almonds
Dinner: Chicken breast with green beans and a baked sweet potato

Accomplish this one day of healthy eating and you’ve succeeded with your first goal! This will strengthen your resolve and make you realize you can make a plan and stick to it.

You’ll also notice how good you feel--mentally and physically--when you wake up the next day. And that feeling of well being is what will motivate you to repeat the 24-hour healthy eating goal.

That’s when it’s time to start working on your next goal: your second day of healthy eating.

Stick to the 3-meals, 2-snacks approach, but feel free to vary the menu:

Breakfast: Whole grain English muffin with ham and 1 slice low-fat cheese with fresh strawberries on the side
Mid-morning snack: Apple dipped in 2 tbsp natural nut butter
Lunch: Salmon on mixed greens with tomatoes and cucumbers, 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil and 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Mid-afternoon snack: 2 whole eggs with fresh orange slices
Dinner: Skinless chicken thighs with salsa, black beans and brown rice, and broccoli

The key to changing your diet is making small changes. If, for example, you’re not accustomed to the 3-meals, 2-snacks approach, focus on eating on a schedule and less on calories. If you’re already eating 3 meals and 2 snacks a day but eat fast food for lunch and a candy bar in the afternoon, focus on making healthier choices. Remember, this is only for one day!

Eventually, your days will become weeks, and before you know it, you’ll be well on the path to a healthy lifestyle.

And there is one treat you can have without ruining your diet: dark chocolate! A 22 gram CocoaVia® chocolate bar, for example, has only 100 calories and is a good source of calcium, folic acid, vitamins B6, B12 and antioxidant vitamins C and E.

Why does this matter to you? Because attainable 24-hour goals will help you overcome your fears of committing to healthy eating for life. Eventually, your cravings for junk food will diminish because you won’t want to undo all that effort you’ve invested in your health!