Dolce Vita started this discussion ·
Hey guys, So I have decided that it's time to change my lifestyle and start making healthier choices. I wanted to check in with you all and see what you have to say about healthy eating. Do you have any advice or maybe some good recipes to try! I would greatly appreciate it. -Vita
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Hi you. I'm not a great eater... I mean I generally choose healthy foods, but I also indulge. My goal isn't realllllly weight loss (maybe a little, but it's not my real focus) so I'm not really as restrictive as I should be. I tend to like raw foods, both because I don't like cooking and because I actually like them. I find if things in your fridge are fresh, easy to find and ready to eat you will grab them over a bag of chips! When we come home with food we try to rinse it, cut it (if it's something that gets cut... We take the tops off strawberries, but don't slice them or the go bad faster) and store it in clear easy to find containers. When stuff gets jammed in the back it doesn't get eaten... And when prep work needs to be done, again it's easier to grab junk!
Ps the chicken is my husbands, and the blueberries are my kiddos. Blueberries creep me out.
I love using the MyFitnessPal app for logging meals. One of my favorite "recipes" is shredded chicken tacos. I boil chicken breast, then shred it with a fork. I make my own taco seasoning (I think it's "Taco Seasoning I" on AllRecipes.com). Anyway, mix the seasoning into the chicken, then serve up on corn tortillas. I like to top mine with cabbage, red onion, tomatoes, avocado, and cilantro. Serve with limes. Four tacos is super-filling and just under 500 calories. You get a good mix of protein and veggies and it doesn't feel like a healthy meal because it's so good and flavorful! If you don't eat meat, substitute the chicken with pinto beans!
My advice, try to avoid fad advice! All the articles and "rules" to not eat this or that are all great ways to deprive yourself into an accidental binge session! I think the best outlook to have when changing a lifestyle is to be healthIER than you've been. You don't have to be perfect . Just make healthIER choices. More whole foods and less processed ones. Fewer "health food isle" granola bars and more apples and bananas, etc. Don't be afraid of carbs, just eat more whole grains and less refined ones. You get my point! Go with the rainbow plate idea and eat as many colors of things as you can! Read food labels! Yogurt is something many people thinks of as healthy no matter what, but some of them have 20 grams of sugar per serving. I eat whole milk Greek yogurt with 10g sugar/serving. many ingredient lists will list sugar under 3-4 different names: sugar, corn syrup, cane sugar, sucrose/fructose. Companies do this so they can list them farther down the list. Another great thing to do is just be mindful. Pay attention to how your food makes you feel. Do you feel light and great the next day or sluggish and tired? Use this to motivate yourself to eat well. It doesn't mean you can't get pleasure out of your food. Use food to fuel yourself and take pleasure in eating. Mindfully enjoy your food and pay attention to it when you're eating it. If your like me and have seemingly zero will power around a bag of chips, candy, icecream: Don't buy it. Don't have it in the house. :) Finally, don't use food as a way to reward or punish yourself. Eat what's whole and tasty. If for whatever reason you don't eat well for one meal or one day, move on. Trying to eat better can be hard the first week or two when you're breaking an addiction to sugar or salt, but it gets easier! Be proud of yourself for starting this journey! Good luck!
Also, I'm convinced chili is the perfect food. It's got vegetables, meat, and beans. I put a bunch of bell peppers and onions in mine. I can make a huge pot the beginning of the week and eat it all week without thinking too hard about it!
^Ooooh!!! I second chili!
This Vegetarian Quinoa Chili is killer... http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/vegetarian-quinoa-chili/
Two Peas & Their PodVegetarian Chili {Quinoa Protein!}Vegetarian Chili made with black beans, kidney beans, quinoa, and loads of vegetables. This vegan chili is also gluten-free, yet it's so hearty even meat lovers will love this chili. This is the best vegetarian chili recipe - a sure hit!jennybug ·
I think the bit about cravings is really important. I gave up Bojangle's (a fried chicken fast food restaurant for those of you who don't live in the South) for Lent because I used to crave it all the time and since then I hardly ever want it! Just cutting it out for a few weeks was all it took for me to not want it any more. Keep in mind, too that eating healthier is a very long, gradual process. As an example, a few years ago I switched from regular yogurt to Greek because it has more protein. Then I switched from varied flavors that do usually have a good amount of sugar as previously stated to buying plain and then I add honey and cinnamon myself to sweeten it and to be a bit healthier. Now if I could just cut down on sweets in general and eat more veggies I'd be great :)
I am a raw food fan and find that raw food has more taste than the cooked and it's also healthier. I just love it. Here are the links to my favorite raw Queen, Kristina. I did the 2 challenges last year and this year....It's a great way to switch gradually to raw food. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtZ9FycUbl0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vctw6Ch1IIY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wN5gF63otc Inspired by Kristina, I have put in place a routine around my food and it works quite well for me. I buy my food for the week on Friday or Saterday and then spend 2-2h30 to prepare a huge salad bowl, leave it to rest a bit and then fill in 6 jars with the salad (no seasoning, as to keep it fresh). I do the same for the fruits salads and should say that they all keep fresh for the week. This saves me time during the week and I still enjoy healthy raw food. I am not 100% raw food, but one meal a day is just non negotiable.
Veena ·
Everyone has great advice and mine is repeating some of it!! Mine is simple.... Every time you eat make sure your plate is colorful!! 🌈 Stay away form "diet" food they often have weird additives to replace sugar and such. 🚫 Choose whole food when ever you can! 🌽🍅🍆🍍🍐🍇🍌🍉🍋
