Although many people believe it is important to eat healthy, far too often healthy food is chosen second behind convenience when it comes to making food choices. In order to make sure healthy eating stays a priority, keep these five tips in mind:
1. Plan your meals
Ever feel like it is harder to eat healthy on the road or traveling than it is at home? Most likely it is because you are eating on the fly and without much knowledge of your options. One of the easiest ways to eat healthier is to plan your meals and have healthy staples on hand for times when you haven’t prepared. Before you go through the grocery store, determine how many meals you’ll prepare at home, how many lunches you may need, and write out a list. You may still choose a few impulse items when you’re shopping, but you’ll be better prepared to eat healthy when you have a plan.
2. Carry a water bottle
Ever feel like you are hungry even though you ate just an hour or two ago? You may be thirsty. Many times we confuse thirst for hunger and grab an extra snack rather than drink water. To prevent this, carry a water bottle with you on road trips, keep a water bottle at work, and opt for a water bottle with a filter if needed. On days when you are more active, make sure to drink that much more water. Sounds like common sense, but easy to forget!
3. Get a legit knife
This may sound silly but a sharp, high-quality knife is key to simple, healthy cooking. I used to think chopping onions, dicing peppers, or mincing garlic took too long until I upgraded to a sharper, better quality knife. Prep work not only became easier, but quicker as well. If your knife is dulling, make sure to sharpen or get a new one. A dull knife is more dangerous than a sharp one!
4. Focus on flavor and quality over quantity
Keep your ingredients simple, aiming to create fresh, delicious, and satisfying meals instead of low calorie or low fat meals. While calorie counting is helpful for weight loss, it is not an incredibly sustainable strategy. Focus on enjoying flavorful meals with quality, fresh ingredients, and eat until you feel satisfied, but not necessary full.
5. Simplify your diet
Every day, new stories and studies come out to promote certain diets and ingredients. In the end, all the news stories can just cause confusion. Keep your diet approach simple: eat lots of fruits and vegetables, choose lean protein at each meal, and choose whole grains whenever possible. I follow MyPlate [www.choosemyplate.gov] and try to eat about twice as many fruits and vegetables as I do protein or starch. Don’t feel bad or blame yourself for indulging every once in a while, as long as you keep your proportions of fruits and vegetables to protein and starch in check most of the time.
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