What is eating healthy? What does it mean to eat healthy? Is that a diet? Do I have to cut carbs or drink shakes?
Eating healthy is prioritizing foods in their most natural form, eating a variety of foods, limiting added sugars, limiting processed foods and eating mindfully. Eating healthy is not a diet, it's a lifestyle. You don't have to cut out any foods, take supplements or sip superfood shakes.
I'm sure you're thinking that's great and all Bri but where do I start? Start with shopping the produce section of the store first and filling your plate with fruits and vegetables. Keep reading for more tips to help you eat healthy.
Limit added sugar. Sugar is added to so many foods during processing. Everything from salad dressing to lunch meat has sugar added to it. Of course it sneaks in with names like dehydrated fruit sugar to keep us guessing, read your labels and learn all the terms.
Not all fats are created equal. Prioritize fats like olive oil, coconut oil, avocados, nuts and seeds over oils like canola, corn, vegetable, safflower, palm, and sunflower. Its also a good idea to limit saturated fats found in animal products (beef, chicken, pork, cheese, butter and whole milk).
Limit salt. Salt has long been used to preserve foods and cure meats, but too much can be damaging to your health. Processed foods typically contain high amounts of sodium, especially quick fix, restaurant, fast food and frozen meals. Salt does contain essential vitamins and minerals, but just a pinch will do.
Meal Plan. Planning out your meals for the week and writing a grocery list not only saves money, but also helps eliminates stress and save time. Start with planning 2 breakfasts, and 5 dinners for the week. Make extra servings of dinner and take the leftovers for lunch the next day. You can prep on Sundays, or stick to quick fix meals that take less than 30 minutes to prepare.
All foods fit. Thats right ALL FOODS FIT, even if you're trying to eat healthy. Please stop saying foods are good or bad for you, it's just food. It's best to prioritize whole fruits/veggies, lean proteins, whole grains, legumes and plant based foods but give yourself permission to eat chocolate, pizza, tacos, or whatever makes your soul happy occasionally. A mindset of abundance will help you far more than a mindset of scarcity and restriction.
Call in an expert. You don’t have to struggle alone, wondering if you’re getting enough of the right nutrients or eating to maximize health. Whether it’s a registered dietitian, meal planning service, food prep assistance or fresh meal delivery there are so many options available. You can improve what you eat even if you hate cooking, or loathe kale.
Eating healthy may not be the newest diet craze, but long term it's your best bet. The diet industry raked in $73 BILLION dollars last year. If diets worked long term, they'd be bankrupt. Do you really want to be on Keto in 10 years Sharon? Or still attending Weight Watchers meetings like your friend Janet in 10 years?
The best solutions are usually the simplest ones. As Michael Pollan once said "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants".
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