eat at home challenge

Duration: 30 days or one calendar month.

Parameters: This challenge involves eating food that is prepared at home. When I do this challenge, I refrain from going to restaurants, eateries, and coffee shops. Most of the time, I also refrain from buying prepared foods from the grocery store (e.g., roast chicken, sushi, etc.) and purchasing takeaway or delivery.

Why this challenge? This challenge can help break a pattern of relying on restaurants, takeout, or delivery for sustenance. It can help you discover new recipes or rediscover a passion for cooking. It can also result in lower food costs!

My experience: I did this challenge for the first time in November 2016, and it was life-changing. Prior to completing this challenge, hubby and I spent a lot of money on restaurants. We now cook at home regularly, and it feels great to try new recipes while also saving money. This is a recurring challenge that I try to do at least once a year (usually in November).

no processed SNACKS challenge

Duration: 30 days or one calendar month.

Parameters: The idea of this challenge is to refrain from buying and eating processed snacks. When I did this challenge, I stopped eating packaged snacks like chips, popcorn, granola bars, chocolate bars, and cookies — anything that you would buy from the grocery store in a package that you’d just rip open and eat. If you decide to do this challenge, you can set the specific parameters as you wish.

Why this challenge? This challenge can help break a pattern of buying processed snacks. It can also help break a pattern of feeling compelled to eat processed snacks you have at home.

My experience: I did this challenge in April 2019. For me, the goal was to break our habit of buying processed snacks. Ultimately, I found this challenge too restrictive as I love processed snacks. Instead, I tried eating without distractions and intermittent fasting, which I found much more suitable for my lifestyle.

Variations: If processed snacks aren’t your vice, but you’d like to experiment to see if you have food sensitivities, you can modify this challenge by cutting out meat, dairy, or gluten for a month. If you choose to do one of these challenges, I highly recommend keeping a food journal to reflect on how you feel.

no SUGARY drinks challenge

Duration: 30 days or one calendar month.

Parameters: In this challenge, we refrain from consuming sugary drinks like pop or juice, coconut water, alcohol, and anything you might put in your tea or coffee (cream, milk, sugar, honey, etc.). When I did this challenge, I wasn’t drinking smoothies, but you can decide whether these count as drinks. I also didn’t drink anything containing artificial or zero-calorie sweeteners.

Why this challenge? This challenge can help break a pattern of consuming sugary drinks or having a glass of wine every night with dinner. It can help you develop a taste for coffee or tea without anything added to it. It can also help you develop a new routine of drinking lots of water.

My experience: I did this challenge in March 2017. While this challenge helped me break my pattern of drinking sugary drinks, I felt it was too restrictive. I’m happy with my current routine, which includes drinking water and plain coffee or tea every day, with the occasional soda or glass of wine. I haven’t felt the need to do this challenge again, but it can be very helpful if you find yourself consuming a lot of sugar via drinks.

Variations: A popular variation of this challenge is a dry month, where you cut out alcohol for 30 days.