How to make healthy eating work for you
Food is one of the many puzzle pieces of your day-to-day life. Between commuting, working, family or social commitments, errands, and many other daily factors, food may be last on your list of concerns.
The first step to following a healthier diet is to make food one of your priorities.
This doesn’t mean that you have to spend hours meal prepping or cooking elaborate meals, but it does require some thought and effort, especially if you have a particularly busy lifestyle.
For example, going to the grocery store once or twice per week will help ensure that you have healthy choices in your fridge and pantry. In turn, a well-stocked kitchen makes choosing healthy meals and snacks much easier.
When grocery shopping, stock up on:
- fresh and frozen fruits and veggies
- protein sources like chicken, eggs, fish, and tofu
- bulk carb sources like canned beans and whole grains
- starchy veggies like white potatoes, sweet potatoes, and butternut squash
- fat sources like avocados, olive oil, and full fat yogurt
- nutritious, simple snack ingredients like nuts, seeds, nut butter, hummus, olives, and dried fruit
If you’re drawing a blank at mealtime, keep it simple and think in threes:
- Protein: eggs, chicken, fish, or a plant-based option like tofu
- Fat: olive oil, nuts, seeds, nut butter, avocado, cheese, or full fat yogurt
- Fiber-rich carbs: starchy options like sweet potatoes, oats, certain fruits, and beans — or low carb fiber sources like asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, and berries
For example, breakfast could be a spinach and egg scramble with avocado and berries, lunch a sweet potato stuffed with veggies, beans, and shredded chicken, and dinner a salmon filet or baked tofu with sautéed broccoli and brown rice.
If you’re not used to cooking or grocery shopping, focus on a single meal. Go to the grocery store and shop for the ingredients for a couple of breakfast or dinner dishes for the week. Once that becomes a habit, add more meals until most of your meals are prepared at home.
Developing a healthy relationship with food may take time
If you don’t have a good relationship with food, you’re not alone.
Many people have disordered eating tendencies or eating disorders. If you’re concerned that you have one of these conditions, it’s critical to get the right help.
To develop a healthy relationship with food, you have to have the right tools.
Working with a healthcare team, such as a registered dietitian and psychologist who specializes in eating disorders, is the best way to start mending your relationship with food.
Food restrictions, fad dieting, and self-prescribed notions like “getting back on track” won’t help and may be harmful. Working on your relationship with food may take time, but it’s necessary for your physical and mental health.