I know it can be tough to eat well. I used to think eating a healthy diet all the time was overwhelming and required a TON of extra work.
I don’t think that anymore!
It does require planning, preparing and commitment, but it doesn’t have to be hard!
I have learned SO MUCH over the years that has really helped to simplify the process. I thought I’d share some of those things. Here ya go….
1. Freeze, freeze, freeze!
I freeze everything!!! It helps me SO much!! I always plan to make extra for dinner so we can freeze the leftovers for lunches or even dinner on crazy nights. I love it! Some of my favorite things to freeze are; grilled chicken, soups, healthy treats and protein pancakes. I freeze a ton of other things too!
Some leftover soup getting ready to go in the freezer…
2. Always have fresh, chopped veggies on hand.
I love to run to Costco (best produce ever!) or any other grocery store and load up on the fresh veggies! Then, when I get home I like to chop up a bunch and have them “ready to go” in the fridge. It makes it so easy to grab some for lunch or a healthy snack. Also, if I find they start to “die” before I get around to eating them all, I just cook them up for dinner or throw them in a soup or omelet or something! Yay! Quick tip: I love to cover the cut veggies in water to keep them fresh and crisp.
3. Use Spinach!
I love spinach so much! It is one of the healthiest foods you can eat and it is so simple to add to everything!! I love to buy the big ‘ol box of baby spinach (which also happens to be organic!) from Costco. It’s only like $3.50ish too….awesome!!! I love to add it to omelets, salads, protein shakes, stir frys and random dinners. It usually lasts for a couple weeks in the fridge.
4. Stock up and prepare your meat!
I shop the little grocery circular ads each week and when I see meat for sale, I stock up!! My favs are boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pork loin, lean ground beef and lean ground turkey. I’m also trying to like fish, so I keep my eyes open for deals on that too. 😉
When I buy chicken, I trim all the fat and goobers off and then cut the chicken into individual sized pieces. Then I put it into quart sized freezer bags and label each bag with the month and year. It’s a little bit of a pain, but it helps so much!! When I buy ground beef or turkey, I separate them into 1 lb. portions (I eyeball it) and then freeze them into quart freezer bags. I also label those bags with the month and year.
5. Always have healthy snacks on hand.
There are so many easy, convenient, healthy snacks out there! I always try to have a bunch on hand so I have no excuse not to eat something healthy! I also try to bring healthy snacks with me when I’m out and about. Some of my favs are kettle corn, hard boiled eggs, fruits, veggies, portable protein shakes, string cheese, yogurt, nuts and protein bars.
This is my favorite Kettle Corn, but I sometimes have a hard time finding it. My favorite is the brown bag (Cinnamon Sugar Sensation). It has no salt and only 52 calories for 1.5 cups! Wowza! If you can’t find this kettle corn, just read the labels on other kettle corns and find the best!
Some of my other favorite healthy snacks…
6. Simplify the process for your favorite foods!
K, what I mean by this is…..if there is a certain food you eat all the time, simplify it!!! For example, I eat omelets and protein shakes regularly. I love to chop up a whole bell pepper and 1/2 an onion and keep them in a little container in the fridge. Then when I make my omelet in the morning, I have them all ready to go! It simplifies the process so much. In the morning I just saute up the peppers and onions (already chopped) and then add my eggs and other ingredients. It takes me about 2 minutes total!
I also like to make little baggies of frozen fruit for protein shakes. I slice up oranges, strawberries, blueberries, bananas, peaches, whatever and put them in individual baggies in the freezer! This also really helps when I have fresh fruit that is about to die….I slice them up and freeze them! Yay!
Well there ya go!! I know I don’t eat well all the time, but when I employ some of these methods it makes it so much easier!!!
Thanks for the tips Mel, I love LOVE LOVE all that you share with us and have learned so much from you! xx
Thanks so much Jenzy! That means so much to me. I’m just learning as I go… 🙂
After preparing fresh meat for freezing. I place the pieces or patties on a cookie sheet covered with wax paper then cover pan w/ plastic wrap; freeze for at least 2 hrs (the pieces should be solid); then, put them in a zip lock freezer bag. Sometimes, I stack them with wax paper between. you can get quite a few in a gallon bag and you can take out what you need. I like broccoli, but only if it is steamed for about 2 minutes (It turns bright green) It is still raw but so tasty alone or in salads. I cut up celery sticks. In the am, stand them in a cup with about 2″ of water. By snack time the celery is so crisp eaten alone or w/ fresh peanut butter. If you want to slice apples for lunches dip them in pineapple juice they won’t go brown as quickly. Bananas also can be dipped pineapple juice bananas last about 2 hr. but they freeze looking better. Great blog! Aunt Linda
Thanks so much for your tips Aunt Linda! I will try all of them! I especially love the broccoli idea! I’m going to try that! Thanks so much! I hope you guys are well. I miss seeing you guys!
Melanie: I forgot to mention I put the steamed broccoli in ice water chill it quickly; then place it on a towel to dry; I put some paper towels in the bottom of a zip lock towel (to absorb any additional moisture); & then place in the fridge for snacks or salads.
Love that!! Thanks so much for all your amazing tips!! It really helps me so much!
Excellent tips, I am definitely going to use some of these, thanks!
You’re welcome!! I’m always looking for ways to simplify this whole “eating well” thing! I hope some of these tips work for you! 😉
These are awesome tips!! My problem “child” right now is my husband. He eats terribly. I sort of gave up for a while and stuck to my own program but now that we have a son I want him setting a good example. I am determined to get him to turn things around. Thanks for sharing!!
Thank you! That’s rough when your husband isn’t 100% on board with healthy eating. Several years ago my husband wasn’t really “down” with healthy eating either….he’s slowly turning around as he’s seen and felt the results! I wish you luck!