We all want to eat better so we can feel better and look better. There are a lot approaches to clean eating. There are foods to avoid, superfoods to add in, and even extreme diets you can try.

For some folks, big and drastic diets can be life-changing. I speak from experience. I was a strict gluten-free vegan for years, and it changed my relationship with food in a huge and beneficial way.

But huge diet changes can be daunting, and honestly, they aren’t necessary. Please know that little, easy nutrition changes can be effective too. Sometimes little steps are easier to take and easier to maintain.

In that spirit, here are the 6 easy ways to eat a better, whole-foods based diet.

Learn to cook

If you prepare your own food, you have more control of what you eat. Cooking allows you to choose ingredients, quantities and cooking methods. And you’ll learn more about healthy substitutions. Try a cooking class, a meal delivery service (like Blue Apron or Purple Carrot), or a cookbook. Hey, you might just learn to love your food and take up cooking as a hobby.

Help to grow/forage/fish/hunt your own food

Check out these beautiful mushrooms that our instructor Kate foraged this season. Her mushroom soup is amazing

Home gardening, CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), and farmers’ markets help you appreciate local seasonal produce and may expose you to fruits and veggies you never heard of. That’s how I fell in love the garlic scrape and tomatillo. They came in my weekly CSA box. Once I figured out what on earth they were, I researched how to cook and eat them. Now I seek them out every season.

I’m not a big meat-eater, but certainly hunting and fishing can be rewarding activities that help you appreciate your meat and the process of getting it on the table.

Keep cooked whole grains in the fridge

We all get busy and tired. If you have a prepared grain like quinoa, rice, wheatberries, or farro (insert your fav here), you’ll be more likely to eat a whole grain than grab a handful of potato chips.

Pack snacks everywhere

Try to stash good, healthful food everywhere. Trail mix or nuts keep well in the car. I keep an apple in my purse for my son at all times. It’s easy to keep cut veggies in your work fridge for the week.

Try hearty greens

Spinach and lettuce are delicate. I find it discouraging when my delicate greens wilt before I have the chance to eat them all. Kale, Swiss chard, cabbage, and collard greens are heartier. They freeze well. They hold up in the fridge for longer than a lettuce. Heck, they are even easier to grow in my home garden. I love to make a salad of hearty greens and eat it throughout the week. It won’t get soggy in the fridge if it sits for a few days. I even like collard greens instead of a tortilla when I make wraps. PCC has a great recipe.

Get more storage containers

It’s simple. You need lots of containers in order to bring your lunch to work, cook at home, or split up big meals for the sake of portion control. Buy lots of different-sized containers. Make them easy to store and pretty enough to be appealing. Bonus points if you avoid disposable sandwich bags which end up in a landfill.

And remember to ENJOY. Eating should be enjoyable and food should be fun (not just nutritive).