Each year as our calendars flip forward for a fresh start, people are drawn to making all sorts of promises about things they want to do and change about themselves. Many of these perennial resolutions revolve around pledges to lose weight, get healthier and treat our bodies better. But there’s an easier way to feel healthier and ditch the dreaded New Year’s diet bandwagon. We’ll show you how you can shift your focus to something that will have a greater impact on your health: Clean eating.

But what exactly is clean eating, and how is clean eating for weight loss different from diets you might have tried in the past? As many people have discovered, quick-fix diets can often wind up as futile attempts to change long-time behaviors. This is why the typical New Year’s resolution dieting plan usually doesn’t last into spring. Instead of making a “diet resolution” this year, consider making a healthier lifestyle change. Focus on properly fueling your body with an array of good, nourishing foods. This can lead to more satisfying and longer-lasting weight loss results.

What is clean eating?

In the most basic sense, clean foods are whole foods like lean cuts of protein, vegetables, fruits, healthy fats and whole grains, all in their natural form. Eating clean means you are making decisions to limit highly-processed snacks and packaged foods. You’re also avoiding foods with artificial colors and flavors, and a lot of added sugar, salt and fat. For example, instead of hitting the nearest fast food drive-thru for a combo meal, you’re choosing to satisfy your burger craving with lean ground beef on a whole-grain bun and swapping that sugary soda for a glass of sparkling water. You still get the kind of food you want, just in a way that is healthier for your body.

Here are five reasons why focusing on clean eating over dieting in the new year will deliver better results.

1. Clean eating is a long-term solution

Deciding to eat clean is the opposite of rolling the dice on a quick-fix diet that promises to help you drop a pant size in a week. It’s a lifestyle change that you make deliberately each time you sit down for a meal or grab a snack. As you eat more whole, nutritious foods and continue to push away the highly-processed ones, you are building on this healthy commitment each day. The more you choose to eat this way, the more ingrained it becomes, and the more clean eating becomes a part of your long-term plans.

2. Simple is better

One of the great things about clean eating is that, at its core, it’s a lifestyle change that revolves around simple, no-fuss eating. There are no complicated menu plans to follow, no weighing your food, and no calorie-counting to keep track of. Snacks can be as simple as pieces of fresh fruit, a handful of almonds, chunks of cheese or a glass of vegetable juice. Meals can revolve around your favorite proteins paired with vegetables, pastas and whole grains. Your cookware can also help you create healthier, clean-eating meals at home. Amway’s iCook cookware set, for example, lets you cook without using high-calorie oils and butters. It also helps to lock one-third more nutrients into your food.

3. Clean eating is not a fad

We’ve all heard people talking about the latest fad diet, whether it’s the one that tells you to eat so many grapefruit each week, or a “flex” plan that spells out how to go vegan for a certain number of days before adding animal products back onto your plate. Social media is full of fad diet chatter, and certain celebrities are quick to tout their favorites. But there is often no substance to these in the long-term. A clean-eating diet is not a fad. It’s a way of choosing foods to eat that you know are better for your body. By making these decisions each day, you are creating a foundation for a healthier lifestyle.

4. Cost

Clean eating won’t break your budget. Because it’s a lifestyle change of your choosing, it doesn’t require a buy-in or a subscription fee. You likely won’t even notice a difference in your grocery bill. But you’ll probably be putting a few different things in your cart. Instead of highly-processed foods, soda and packaged snacks high in salt and fat, you can make more room for fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains that will become a big part of your clean-eating meals.

5. You can eat the foods you prefer

Because eating clean is a lifestyle change that puts you in charge, you can eat the foods you love and pick the best ways to incorporate these into your meal plan for clean eating. It puts the power of choice in your hands. It lets you find alternatives to “less clean” foods that will work for you. Instead of picking ice cream that’s packed with artificial sweeteners and additives, you can select a naturally sweet alternative that’s cleaner, like a homemade smoothie made with yogurt and your favorite fresh berries.

With a few simple changes, you can have the foods you love as you transition to a clean-eating lifestyle that can be a path to a healthier you in the new year.