Super simple tips to eating better!
By Teri Gentes,
This article shares some essentials to eating better and some fabulous fast food fixes® for breakfast and lunch sure to become favorite go-to’s. They are plant-strong yet feel free to adjust the suggestions accordingly to meet your preferences.
You need to plan ahead!
‘Busyness’ disease seems to plague most of us, and we are fully aware of our chaotic pace, right? We also know we need to eat and ideally eat well, agreed? Well, like most everything we need to do, it’s essential to have a plan and the discipline to adhere to it. Implement this, along with applying the tips below that have my clients sticking to their healthy intentions with ease and consistency, and you too will master fast food fixes.
Before you read on, know this – It’s essential to be crystal clear about your intentions, realistic about your present lifestyle and habitual behavioral patterns, and really mean it when you state you want better health. There is some work to be done, for you won’t ace eating better with wishes and intentions alone. You need to make actual movement towards them.
Often we’re totally incongruent with our thoughts and goals, and our words and actions. While our word is powerful and carries with it potent energy, it pales in comparison to our actions. You’ve likely heard “words speak louder than actions” yet when it comes to experiencing tangible health and well-being results we need to partner up our healthy intentions with healthier actions.
Consider what you are saying and what you are actually doing. Do these two energies converge? If not, you need to make it happen, and I have an idea – start out with a plan. If you want to go somewhere, you need to know ‘where’ that some-where is and then determine just how you plan to get there. Here are my suggestions, and like all things, it’s first things first:
- Choose your destination – Healthier eating! No more 911 meals – you’re in a 411 state planning in advance!
- ‘Map out’ (yes pun intendedJ) your path. In this case, it’s a meal plan, menus, and gathering up a collection of your fave and easy go-to recipes.
- Next, create a shopping list and go stock up on what you need.
- Now begin your food/menu prep work and, voila, you are on your way to healthier eating!
- Traveling or eating out? Use an app such as Happycow.netor www.eatwellguide.com for listings of restaurants in your area providing healthier foods and scope out the menus before heading out, calling ahead for special requests.
Preparing in advance enables us to do what we intend to do, so throughout the excuses and get going. Take a committed step towards your objectives.
SOME OF MY FAVORITE GO-TO FAST FOOD FIXES:
Breakfast and pre/post workout grab-and-go options
- Pre-bagged smoothie fixens – leafy greens, fruits, nuts or seeds or butters, protein powder, and non-dairy milk all ready to be blended into a power shake. These can be frozen or fresh. (Add in super foods like maca, moringa, turmeric, and ginger if desired).
- Avocado or sweet-potato halves filled with nut or bean dip and topped with herbs and a drizzle of salad dressing or lemon juice.
- Sweet potato slices topped with nut butter, nuts/seeds, honey…
- Quickie cashew cream, (blend equal parts nut or seed butter with non-dairy milk, and a touch of maple syrup) or yogurt with fruit and granola.
- Pre-made overnight chia or oat parfaits made in mason jars, topped with fresh fruit and cinnamon.
- Power-ball/bars or these fabulous Bullet Proof Breakfast Cookies
Lunches in minutes
- Four ingredient salad: greens, beans, avocado and salsa. It’s a perfect protein, quality carbohydrate, and healthy fat combo.
- Avocado McMuffin on sprouted Ezekiel English muffins with avocado, tomatoes, chickpeas, cashew cheese, and sprouts.
- Ancient grain and chopped veggie salad with a delish vinaigrette.
- Bean dip or nut pate filled veggies: cucumbers, endive, peppers…
- Pan grilled or roasted Portello mushrooms stuffed with lentils, topped with vinaigrette and served on a bed of greens.
- Corn tortillas or Nappa cabbage leaves topped any way you like. My faves: greens, crumbled veggie burger or beans, avocado, chopped veggies, seasonings and sprouts.
Eating well isn’t rocket science, just basic common sense, a little creativity and kitchen time. Everything is about choice and action to bring about results. It’s cause and effect – a theory I’m sure you are familiar with. Even not choosing is choosing. So what is it you want for yourself? If it’s better health via healthier eating then begin eating the way a healthy person eats – real food, whole food. Get to the doing: map out your plan, collect healthy recipes, shop for great ingredients, prep your meals and you’re doing it – healthier eating! Once you start the ball rolling it is so much easier to keep it going, and oh it feels so good to truly eat well.
| To eat is a necessity, yet to eat intelligently is an art. Francois de La Rochefoucauld |
