Every week, aim to try one new vegetable. Our bodies need a variety of nutrients and to ensure we are meeting this requirement we need to eat a variety of vegetables. Incorporate a new vegetable into an old recipe every week and don’t be shy to exchange ideas with friends. If you get a small group together and you each share a recipe every week you will accomplish your goal in a short amount of time and try an array of nutritious and delicious meals!
Don’t try to be perfect. Choose one healthy habit to implement at a time and give it one or two weeks before adding another. This strategy leads to long term sustained success as opposed to the yo-yo diet cycle of all or nothing.
If it’s in the house, it will be eaten. Don’t depend on your willpower to avoid the chips, candy, cookies or other treats. You are not weak for succumbing to foods that are in close reach. Do your whole family a favour and keep the junk out of the house.
Prep time is vital. Life is busy, so carve out time once a week to do some meal prep. This can be chopping vegetables to have on hand, making healthy muffins or protein bars to snack on or cooking meals that will last a few days in the fridge or freezer. This way, you will always have healthy options available.
Eat in a relaxed environment as much as possible. Sit down to eat. Better yet, eat with friends or family. We tend to eat unhealthy items when standing up, driving or working at a computer.
Make as much of your own food as possible. Even with some smarter restaurant choices, it is nearly impossible to eat the same as if you make your own food. If you're eating out a few times a week now, aim to cut back on one meal per week until you are eating from home the majority of the time.
Get enough sleep. Lack of sleep messes with many hormones making it nearly impossible to make the best food choices. Figure out how much sleep you really need to feel rested and do your best to get that amount consistently.
Use spices! When trying to eat ‘healthy,’ people complain of bland food. Experiment with spices and use them to add flavour to your dishes.
Aim to get a serving of protein every time you have a meal or snack. Meat and eggs are very rich sources and you can also explore seeds, nuts, legumes and beans.
Buy as close to home as possible. Try to eat locally as much as you can. This will naturally lead us to eating foods in the season. For example, berries through the summer months and root veggies in the fall.