Five Ways to Make Healthier Eating Easier
Five Ways to Make Healthier Eating Easier
People often find it overwhelming, time-consuming and challenging as they start to eat healthier. But it doesn’t have to be. Here are five ways to make eating healthier easier.
And don’t worry - you don’t have to adopt all five immediately. Take small steps.
#1: PLAN
People say they hate this part – they do. But planning doesn’t take much time and saves more than it takes in most cases.
And don’t just plan; follow through.
Plan to make lasagna – great.
Plan to make lasagna on Sunday – better.
Make a plan to save time.
Plan to make lasagna on Sunday, so make sure you have the ingredients by that day. Or first, find a recipe, see what ingredients are needed, and add them to the grocery list, then buy those items.
Plan to make lasagna on Sunday and have a salad to go with it. Then make sure to get the salad ingredients (including salad dressing).
On Sunday – make sure you start the process with plenty of time to cook and eat at a reasonable time. So, if it takes an hour to assemble and another hour to cook, you need to start by 4 pm and eat by 6 pm.
Where people fail this section is saying that they will make lasagna but never plan the day (this one does take time).
Or they plan the day but don’t consider the time it takes or have the ingredients on hand, so they aren’t ready.
If you aren’t an experienced kitchen person – then probably tackle spaghetti over lasagna. It is a lot easier.
Planning out a few days or even a week’s worth of items is ideal – it can give you a plan of action for the week. For example, have an event at 6:30 on Wednesday, then plan a quick-to-make meal. However, if you have all day at home on Sunday, then this can take a bit longer to make something (if you want).
But don’t get overwhelmed, and don’t over-commit.
#2: DON’T OVER-COMMIT
What does this mean? Don’t go from zero to six in one week. If you are not a regular cooking person or don’t know how to cook efficiently, consider adding one or two days a week to your cooking plan.
It would be great to prepare home-cooked meals most days of the week, but if you aren’t doing that now, or doing it at all, then go easy on yourself. No need to do a 180 and say you won’t go out.
The lasagna example above was merely an example. Look for 30-minute meals (or less) and ones that don’t use much equipment. If you’ve got cooking equipment already – then use those. But don’t purchase a new kitchen appliance because it is all the rage only to collect dust and take up space next year.
A microwave, stove, and oven work just fine.
Sometimes eating healthier takes some small steps to get used to.
#3. SHOP AT YOUR REGULAR GROCERY STORE
While people believe that Whole Foods, Sprouts, or Trader Joe’s are essential for healthier eating, they are not.
If you shop at these stores regularly, that is great. But don’t think you have to go out of your way or to more than one store to purchase organic or overly priced food. Your local, neighborhood or other chain grocery stores carry that food too. They don’t spend a lot of money marketing that. So, you can get it at your neighborhood grocery store probably for less time, gas, and money.
Keep in mind that organic is not more nutritious or healthier than its conventional counterparts – it is only related to how it is grown, not nutritional value.
#4. DON’T SKIP CONVENIENCE FOODS
Convenience foods can be highly processed, but that is only sometimes accurate.
Some convenience foods that are not so processed and healthier include:
frozen vegetables
frozen fruit
precooked grains (like brown rice and quinoa bowls)
prechopped foods like diced onions, carrots, and celery
bagged salads
#5. MAKE IT VISIBLE
So often, people buy fresh fruit and promptly put it in the fridge. But many fruits are great at room temperature, so put them in a bowl on the counter.
Vegetables are often best in the fridge. Consider putting those on the shelf in the refrigerator rather than the drawers. Put the condiments in the drawers.
Put your menu plan for the week on the fridge or in another visible spot in the kitchen. Years ago, when I was late coming home from work, my husband knew what the dinner plan was and got started because the menu for the week was right there in the cookbook holder with the cookbook.
Need to get more water and less sugar-sweetened beverages? Keep the water bottle or glass visible and close at hand. Have the water at the temperature you prefer. If you are a soda drinker and want to make healthier choices, keep that at room temperature rather than in the fridge.
Little things can lead to significant changes – so don’t give up.
Want more help with healthier eating? Consider enrolling in the mini-course, Mini-Course: Six Tips for the Busy Person to Have Sustainable Energy (with a workbook, planner, and some recipes). Learn more and enroll today.
