5 simple ways to get back to healthy eating
It’s the new year, and it’s easy to fall in the trap of all-or-nothing diets, fads, or restricted meal plans. While it’s incredible to use the new year for extra motivation and prioritizing your health, when things are too drastic it’s easy to fall back into old habits. That being said, I’ve written down a few simple ways to get back to healthy eating and begin your wellness journey in 2024.
1) Keep to Whole Foods - While leaning towards certain ways of eating can be helpful for certain goals, if you are simply wanting to eat healthier, feel better, have mental clarity and energy; eating clean, unprocessed foods is a no-brainer. Cut out all processed grains, sugars, and snacks and simply focus on fresh fruit and vegetables, good quality protein sources, nutrient dense complex carbs/grains, and healthy fats. Tossing soda and sugar-laden drinks and snacks is an incredible first step.
2) Shop the Perimeter - When grocery shopping, stick to the perimeter of the store. Where do all the processed foods dwell? In the middle aisles. Around the perimeter you find fruit and vegetables, eggs and dairy, meat and seafood- your whole, unprocessed foods. Making a list before going in the store of any pantry staples you may need is key, so you can go to the aisles that have the items you need but avoid the tempting snack aisle. I like to quickly look through my pantry to see what I am low on before heading out, and make sure I have basic items that I can use throughout the week. (Think dijon mustard, spices and herbs, quinoa, olive or avocado oil, canned beans, etc)
3) Prioritize Meal Prep - Take a look at your schedule before making a meal plan for the week. Mark days where you’ll need something fast, and days where maybe you have a bit more time to spend in the kitchen. I like to use the “cook once, eat twice” method, where dinner one night can easily be lunch or dinner the next day. If you have a bigger family, batch cooking or making a sheet pan meal, instant pot stew or a casserole can also be helpful. I also would recommend having fresh cut vegetables at the ready in the fridge, that way if you or someone in your home is feeling hungry, you can easily grab healthy options rather than going for a processed snack. Taking a few minutes at the start of your week to map out meals and prep snacks can save you so much time, money, and headache later in the week. (No more “I have no idea what I’m making for dinner” stress!)
4) Choose a Healthy Breakfast- When you prioritize a healthy breakfast, you set yourself up for success in the rest of your day. Choosing protein packed, fiber filled, nutrient dense breakfast that supports your energy and mental clarity can sound daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. Prepping a smoothie the night before, making chia seed pudding or overnight oats with a scoop of protein powder, berries and almond butter, or making a batch of veggie frittata muffins or boiled eggs. Research shows the power of a protein packed breakfast, which decreases blood sugar spikes and increases your satiety throughout the day. The afternoon slump is out, breakfast is in.
5) Make it fun and attainable- For anything to be sustainable, we have to be able to find it enjoyable and see the benefits of it. Start small. Maybe you just begin with prioritizing a healthy breakfast and once that becomes routine, move on to meal prepped lunch. Find what foods work for you, what meals you enjoy enough to put in your weekly rotation or gravitate to when you’re in a pinch. Instead of trying completely new recipes everyday, find a few basics you feel confident cooking, and try maybe one new, a little more demanding recipe to try once a week or as a fun weekend activity with friends or family. This is a lifestyle shift, and so don’t pressure yourself during the process of learning a new way of being. There will be ups and downs, weeks where you feel you nail it and weeks where you feel like you got off track- that’s okay. Keep coming back to these simple, basic tools and the motivation that healthy living is attainable for you and your lifestyle no matter where or who you are. All you need is consistency and a willingness to learn. Here’s to your year of wellbeing.
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