Eating healthy isn't as difficult as you might imagine. Once you start cutting out sugary and processed foods, you'll feel so much better that you won't want to feel like crap again.
1. Buy Frozen Vegetables
I know guys. Fresh vegetables are the best. But there's nothing worse than when you vegetables go bad because you didn't cook them in time. It's hard when you're working full time to fit cooking vegetables into your schedule. Buying them frozen is great, because it only take about 5 minutes to heat them up in the microwave, and they last for a while in the freezer.
2. Meal Prep Protein
We tend to cook our meats whenever we have time, sometimes that can be early in the morning, during the middle of the day, or at night before bed. By cooking our protein ahead of time, whether it's chicken, steak, fish, or turkey, we eliminate the hassle of cooking it when we're tired and starving. When we're tired and starving, the last thing we want to do is cook, and that's when we usually end up ordering pizza!
3. Find replacements for sugary, processed foods
Think of anything you buy that doesn't exist naturally in the world...bagels, candy bars, cereal? It's all horrible for you. The more you can cut out and the more naturally occurring foods you can eat (fruit, vegetables, meat, grains) the better! But sometimes, it's nearly impossible or incredibly inconvenient to not eat processed foods. It's especially difficult to quit cold turkey! That's why we try to find replacements for processed food that's much better for you! For example, we've switched from English muffins full of gluten to rice cakes! I promise, they really are delicious with the nut butter of your choice! We are addicted to cashew butter right now! Instead of cereal, I usually eat muesli, which is in between a granola and oatmeal! It's taste even better than cereal to me! Once in a while, we still like to indulge ourselves (which helps prevent us from bingeing!). Instead of eating something with no nutritional value, we reach for baked goods high in protein, like Kodiak cakes or Nature's Path Gluten Free Waffles! 4. Be mindful of what you're drinking
A lot of times, we forget about the calories that we're drinking, whether it's sugary fruit drinks or beer. While it's 100% OKAY to drink (as long as you're being responsible) there are ways to cut back on the calories and sugar you're taking in! First of all, the only beverages I drink is water and coffee, except when I'm sick or have a grueling, sweaty workout I'll drink some gatorade. But the drinks that are advertised as healthy fruit drinks are NOT healthy!! Even some teas both bottled and in tea bags contain sugar/artificial flavors. I would always rather eat my carbs than drink them, so I stay away from drinks like Vitamin Water, Monster, soda, etc. because they're adding so much sugar to your diet. Try drinking only water, coffee, and tea without sugar for a week and see how much better you feel (and how much better your skin looks!). If you drink coffee or tea with sugar, try cutting it out. In terms of alcoholic beverages, I always feel disgusting when I have a sugary drink! I reserve the super sugary drinks like frozen mojitos for special occasions. My drink of choice? A simple vodka seltzer with lime. Anytime you're drinking clear liquor without sugary juices you're dramatically cutting back on sugar and calories. Next time you go out opt for a "healthier drink" and you'll feel so much better! 5. Getting your groceries delivered
If you're looking to save money and time it's a no brainer to get your groceries delivered! We started doing it a couple of months ago and LOVE IT! Only one of the grocery stores near us delivers, so sometimes we do make small grocery trips to another store to find items we can only get there. It helps us to eat healthier, because we don't happen to find ourselves wandering down the snack aisle mindlessly throwing things in our cart when we're hungry. Although grocery delivery isn't available everywhere, it's definitely a growing trend, so keep can eye out for when it's available near you!
6. Enjoy going out to eat but be smart
I love going out to eat and trying new foods, but it can be a disaster if I'm not careful! For the last 6 months, I've been trying a few "rules" when eating out which has helped me immensely! I no longer feel bloated or uncomfortably full when I go out to eat, although chips and salsa and bread at Italian restaurants are still my biggest weaknesses! No matter what I get at a restaurant, I always make sure to put half of it in a box before I start eating. The same goes for when we ordered food at home! I always take 2 (or 3 depending on my day) pieces of pizza and then put the rest in the fridge. Otherwise I will eat it all! I always visualize my leftovers the next day, and that helps me to make sure I take some home! Whenever I order fajitas I think about the omelette I will make the next day and that gives me more inspiration to take some home! I also try to be smart with my choices. If I'm ordering a burger, I don't get butter on the bun, I don't add bacon or anything else crazy, and I don't get cheese. Whenever I get anything with a lot of gluten, I don't eat gluten for the rest of the day! Because remember it's all about balance and it's okay to indulge every once in a while, but making smarter choices can ensure you don't get off track!
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