We've all been there, chances are 99% of us will be there again at some point. That's okay, but if we make some of the easy nutrition choices when we can, it doesn't make the easy unhealthy choices our lifestyle.
And having good food in our body, makes our bodies feel better and we are able to get more done and feel better about it.
Don't worry about making ALL healthy choices at once, try adding one or two a week.
Make friends with your Microwave -
If you are cooking in the microwave you aren't limited to a scary frozen dinner. We like to scramble eggs, and make oatmeal. You can also cook Salmon or Tilapia. I always defrost the chicken breasts that I forgot to get out. It is also easy to cook the rice and veggies that I want to serve with that chicken. Microwaves do a lot more now than just heat up items that you buy on the frozen food aisle.
Make Simple Meals -
Peanut butter and Jelly might spring to your mind, but there’s an million easy and delicious combinations out there. There in a whole internet full of three-ingredient-meals. Make a baked potato or stuff sweet potatoes, breakfast for dinner, or chili, (or almost any soup!)
Be Sure You are Getting Your Nutrients -
If you are filling your body with empty calories with no nutrition, you aren't going to feel your best. For example, not eating enough iron can cause fatigue and even depression. Don't assume that morning multivitamin is going to make up for all poor choices that you might make in a day. Get your iron naturally by eating oatmeal, lentils, and lean meats. You can also get iron from spinach, so go ahead and add a handful of the green stuff to your morning smoothie. Whole foods are the very best way to nourish our bodies.
Turn to Soups and Stews -
I love making soups, you can make them ahead of time and put them in a slow cooker, or you can open a few cans and throw them together at the last minute. You can pack them full of veggies and beans. And they can be on the healthiest comfort foods out there, who doesn't enjoy sitting down to a hot bowl of soup? You can make a large batch and freeze servings for later, you can arrange a soup swap with friends. They make great lunches to take to work. They can be very inexpensive with lots of added veggies, beans and potatoes. And don't worry that you'll get bored, there are a zillion healthy soup recipes on the web. Try a new one this week.
Like a Scout, Be Prepared -
Choose a time that works best for you, grab a helper (or two) and meal prep for the week. Chop your fresh veggies, cook large batches of brown rice, roast a chicken or put enough chicken breasts for several meals in the slow cooker and then separate and store in portions that you need. Making a meal plan that uses ingredients multiple times and cooking several things at once while you are in the kitchen can make for easy weeknight assembly at dinner time.
Be A Smooth Operator -
Smoothies are a great way to fill up on tons of nutrients with minimal effort. To make them quick and even easier, We prepare smoothie bags at our house. Add to a ziploc bag berries, bananas, sliced fruit and your spinach or other greens. When you're ready to make a smoothie, just take a bag out of the freezer and add your water or yogurt and you're ready to blend. This is also a fantastic way to use up that last bit of fruit that is getting a bit too ripe, but isn't going to be eaten - save it for a smoothie.
Eat Mindfully -
At one time in my life, I kept a food journal, and I was shocked to realize all the food that I had eaten and hadn't even realized it. I hadn't enjoyed it, I had just consumed it. Sitting down and enjoying a meal or even a snack mindfully helps you to feel more satisfied, to relax and enjoy the food and the experience and take time from our busy lives to reconnect with the people around us.
Embrace your Slow Cooker -
It seems like there isn't anything that this multi-tool can't do, from meats, soups, breads and oatmeal, all you do is add the ingredients and give it some time to work its magic. Talk about being a kitchen dream come true.
Spice up Your Life -
Spices do more than just make things taste amazing. One of the hidden benefits of cooking with amazing spices is that you use less of the other (not so good for you) things that make food taste amazing... like butter, fats and salt. Instead of cheese on your eggs, try some Tabasco, instead of mayonnaise on that sandwich, try some mustard or a dash of oil and vinegar. Experiment with new seasonings and see what new flavors you can fall in love with.
Let Someone Else do the Shopping -
Almost as long as we have been married Joseph has been our grocery shopper. I am very lucky. But now, the rest of you can be that lucky. Most huge grocery stores and lots of the the smaller ones are now offering free grocery pick up. Making a menu plan, creating a shopping list and letting someone else do all that wandering through the store can save you a ton of money. It also can free up your time to do things that you really enjoy - unless you really enjoy grocery shopping.
Add Veggies to Absolutely Everything -
Adding some salsa to your scrambled eggs or spinach in a smoothie is a pretty common thing. But what are other ways that you can pack more veggies into your day. Add them to your omelet, or pile them onto your sandwiches. Make them your snacks and you can even add them to dessert. This is one tip all nutritionists agree one, Eat More Veggies.
