Getting Healthier by Eating Right

I'm not interested in "dieting" because I know it won't last or I will fail at it!! My New Years Resolution is to start cooking and preparing healthier meals for my family.  It's so easy (especially with 2 toddlers) to open a box, or a can of something or throw a "pre-made" item into the oven and serve it up for supper! Bountiful Baskets has been a wonderful addition to our lives over the past year and not only are we making healthier selections, we are trying new fruits and vegetables that we may not have tried before! It's always fun and exciting to see what will be in our basket! Never heard of Bountiful Baskets or interested in more information? Read more here. 

This article makes a lot of good points on the many reasoning diets don't work for a lot of us!

MEAL PLANNER

I found this on healthyeating.org There are some great tips, recipes and even a printable grocery list. I've seen several requests for preparing on a budget and meal planning...thought this was a good resource. 

You will certainly benefit from using a meal planner, whether it is a formal printed or interactive planner or simply a few notes jotted down on the back of an envelope. With a little preparation, planning your meals in advance can help you save time and money at the grocery store or from dashing through the drive-thru at lunch or dinner. Developing a meal plan can also help you eat a more nutritious, well-balanced diet that includes nutrient-rich foods from each of the five food groups. You may find that you can better manage your weight if you plan and prepare meals at home more often. 

Here are some tips and ideas for developing and sticking to a meal plan:

• Create a two-week or one-month rotation of your favorite recipes and change-up as necessary
• Scour your pantry, freezer and fridge to plan meals around items you already have on hand
• Include meals in your plan when you will eat out or take-out/pick-up so that the meal plan reflects your realistic schedule
• Search our database of healthy recipes for ideas and new twists
• Plan meals that include foods from each of the food groups
• Include snacks on your meal plan so that you can use them as opportunities to eat more nutritious foods
• Look for meals that use similar ingredients (like fresh spices or leftover chicken) to avoid waste
• Remember to include beverages in your meal plan to identify where you may be taking in empty calories or have opportunities to add food groups like milk or fruit

Regardless of how you decide to meal plan, taking some time to think about preparing meals ahead will help you save time, money and eat healthier! If you're preparing meals for your family, you'll be ready with an answer when asked "What's for dinner?" or "What can I eat?" You can even plan family meals to cook with kids or for older children and teens to prepare on their own.

Another FREE app is MyFitness Pal, but you can also use your computer to track. Using your weight it calculates the amount of calories that you should eat daily (you can adjust it if you want) and you can also track specific nutrients in case you want to track daily intake of fat and/or sugar. As you log your food it will add the calories up so you know what you have left and if you add you physical activity it subtracts the calories burned!!! The best part about the app is that it is free, it has an awesome food log and you can also scan your food labels to log the information! You can also add friends and either compete or support each other.

Phew! That's a lot of information about eating healthier. Tomorrow I'll be back to discuss exercise. I'd love to see you back again!