Back in May, my family and I went to Ireland and had the trip of a lifetime! There were so many things that I learned, but I have to say that one of the most valuable lessons I gained from those 12 days was how to eat clean. Now, for anyone who knows me, you know that I’m a foodie—big time. If you give me a well-cooked meal, I’m going to praise it to the skies for weeks. When we were on our tour in Ireland, eating clean wasn’t even a matter of choice. We ate what was available. That sounds like a very pessimistic statement, but in reality, it was the best thing that could have happened to us.

The secret is that everything is fresh. Ireland is a country of farmers and fisherman. Their food is produced locally, and without GMO’s and other crap like that. Their cows are grass fed, and no chemicals and preservatives are used in harvesting fruits and veggies. One night, we had Irish beef stew, but with real Angus beef. I could definitely taste the difference between the fresh meat and the meat we have in the states. I seriously could have had four more bowls of that stuff! Breakfast was not just a mere Pop Tart and cup of coffee, but consisted of 4 kinds of fresh bread, soft-boiled eggs, yogurt and granola, toast and jam, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, cheeses and sliced meats, all the fresh fruit you could ask for, and a whole lot of tea. I’ve never been a breakfast person, but I ate substantially every morning because there were no snacks until the group stopped for lunch. I found that I was fuller longer. I didn’t need a huge lunch, and that I could survive without snacks until dinner. It was so nice having fresh cream and butter, to have real hearty bread instead of sandwich bread, and to actually crave fruits and vegetables. I didn’t want to come home for a lot of reasons, and one of the biggest is that I knew we couldn’t eat in the U.S. the way we did in the Emerald Isle.

However, that clean eating experience inspired my family to try and recreate that situation at home. We’ve been trying more recipes that involve healthier ingredients, and have considered using our bread machine this fall and winter, in place of buying sandwich bread. We’ve also changed the nature of the ingredients we buy. We now invest in organic milk without the GMOs, veggies from the farmer’s market in town, and the same brand of butter that we had in Ireland (Kerrygold if anyone’s interested). I’ve learned the importance of drinking water on a regular basis, and I now have a water bottle with me wherever I go. Life Factory is a company the produces glass water bottles, which eliminates the taste of plastic or metal commonly found in other brands. It has a rubber sleeve for an easy grip, and the glass doesn’t have any BPAs or other chemicals. I strongly recommend it.

Now, just because we’ve had all these grand plans, doesn’t mean that we haven’t slipped up and fallen back into our old habits. I still have a soft spot for Kraft mac n’ cheese, and I still take the Pop Tart route sometimes when it comes to breakfast. However, it sometimes feels like the elements are against anyone who really tries to make this lifestyle change. For one thing, everything truly wholesome and organic is always higher priced. Society pushes us to eat healthy, and yet they make it extremely difficult to do so, especially from a financial standpoint. Try to pick out the essential foods that you use on a regular basis, and then make the switch to organic. For my family, that includes milk, butter, Greek yogurt, eggs, olive oil, meat, and fresh produce, just to name a few. If you have several organic staples in your pantry, then you can use them to make organic meals. Another great way to eat clean is to eat based off the produce that’s in season. We’re closing in on the middle of autumn, so pumpkin, cranberries, butternut squash, pomegranates and other foods are all great things to experiment with. Be adventurous and try recipes that are healthy but fast to prepare. It’s very easy to give up on healthy eating if it takes too long to make something. Start with quick meals and work your way up to the fancier stuff.

This article is not about dieting tips, portion control, or anything that involves paleo, gluten-free, vegetarian, or vegan advice. I’m not talking about society’s definition of eating clean, but rather, I learned that by changing the quality of what we eat, we can feel and be healthier people. Not having to rely on junk food or processed food is really satisfying, and once I cut out that stuff, I felt less cravings for super sweet desserts and salty snacks. It’s certainly a challenge to stick to these choices, but the more you make an effort, the easier it’s going to become. So before you start making a detailed workout schedule and counting the calories, take a look at your grocery list and make some changes for the better.