Healthy eating is easy and hard at the same time. Many people make excuses that it takes too long or too much work or it’s too expensive. That’s true if you don’t have a plan. Making a plan, much like a workout plan or a study plan, is key to your success and will make life easier in the long run.

Meal planning takes work at first, especially if you are not sure how to cook, limited in your tastes, on a budget or busy with school, work and home life. You can seek the advice of a nutrition coach or dietitian, which will come as a relief to get you started. Ultimately, you will need to put work in by yourself and follow directions carefully. Here is a basic plan to help you get started:

Find time

Look at your schedule and find a time each day or a few times a week when you can do some cooking. If cooking and storing meals ahead is not an option, then you will need to make time each day to prepare for the day ahead or the next day. All you need is 30 to 60 minutes a day or a few hours on a weekend with some easy 15 to 20 minutes each day for heating, putting together and packing up.

Make a few lists

Write out the foods and meals you like and then figure out how you can make them healthier. You may need some help with this. Make note of what you already have stocked in your fridge and cupboards and eliminate junk.

Make a list of what you will need to buy at the grocery store or if you have a meal plan at school, make a list of all the healthy options at each food service place. Packaged items cost more so look for unprocessed whole foods as much as possible.

Write out what you will eat each day for at least a few days ahead or a full week. Plan for leftovers and include healthy snacks and water. Find new healthy recipes for your revamped meals. Plan for days when you will be going out with friends and eating or drinking more than usual. Make sure the rest of the day is super healthy and plan for some extra workout time.

Follow your meal plan

Keep it somewhere you will always see it. Take a picture and attach it to a reminder on your smartphone calendar so it will pop up on your phone at the right time. Prepare yourself for hiccups or unplanned circumstances and make sure you have alternate choices or carry healthy snacks when needed.

It will take some work at first so give yourself a month or two of getting into a groove and months or even years to really get things right. Baby steps.