In this New Year, a lot of people plan to become a healthier bunch, and the best way to do that is through the food they eat. Exercise is incredibly important, but diet may play an even larger role in determining how healthy you are and can be. With a little help from some inspirational tips, you can easily trick yourself into becoming accustomed to leading and loving a healthier, more fulfilling lifestyle.
- Fruity Dessert: My mom used to tell me that, when she was a child, she was given fruit for dessert. At the time, I was absolutely appalled by this idea. Now, I understand that fruit is loaded with sugar (the natural, somewhat nicer kind), and makes for a fabulous, sweet ending to any meal. Satisfy those sweet cravings with a fibrous, nutritious, and subtly sweet bowl of fresh fruit.
- Hearty, Yet Light Salads: Salads may quite possibly be my favorite food because they are the face of versatility; you can quickly change up ingredients to create salads that match any food mood you’re in. The freshness of a colorful, flavorful salad is an invigorating way to get your fill each and every day. Throw in some protein-packed beans to make it a nice, hearty meal, but remember to make your own light vinaigrette! The nutrition facts labels on those thick, bottled dressings are what nightmares are made of.
- Embrace Leftovers: Personally, I think leftovers taste better than hot off the stove dishes most of the time because all of those flavors have time to “marry.” Okay, I need to cut back on watching the Food Network. So, pretend you’re in second grade again; pack that leftover lunch! Eating out five times per week, on your lunchbreak, usually leads to an oversized, overpriced, and nutritionally poor meal. Last night’s quinoa is sounding pretty good right now, huh?
- Snack Prep: If you can meal prep, you can snack prep, too! When we’re really, really hungry, we tend to grab whatever is most convenient to shove in our mouths. For me, this usually proves to be a terribly poor choice, once I’ve come back to my senses. Instead of reaching for those sugary, packaged granola bars, make your own to have on hand!
- Fill Up on Veggies: As a vegan, I’d like to think I have a grand appreciation for vegetables. Since you won’t find grilled steaks, baked chicken breasts, or fish fillets taking up space on my plate, I make sure that there are plenty of veggies present at my dinner party. My rule of thumb is to have at least two different veggies making up at least half of my plate. Also, I eat my veggies first to ensure that I’m only eating enough carbs to no longer be hungry. Eating veggie-centric meals will allow you to feel full, without all of the heavy, excess calories.
