It’s Sunday night. You’re sweeping through the downstairs, attempting to tidy in preparation for the busy week ahead. When you get to the kitchen, you wash the pots that have been soaking, and you finish loading the dishwasher. As you’re wiping the counters clean, you wonder if your husband finished off the last of the Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream. Because you married the right guy, of course he didn’t.
Now you’re tapping your toes on the cold kitchen floor, debating about whether to polish off the rest of that creamy treat. You’d feel incredible in the moment – enjoying a dessert in a quiet, calm room – but you know that glob of ice cream will end up sitting on top of your dinner (and let’s be honest, on top of the kids’ sandwich crusts you ate as you were making lunches). And you fully understand that that sounds like a bellyache waiting to happen.
So you stand there a while longer. Tapping. Thinking. Tapping …. Thinking … Oh what the heck. You go for it.
And why wouldn’t you? I totally would too.
Except your husband – bless him – left more ice cream than you initially thought. And since you’re already eating straight from the carton, you feel as though you may as well finish what you started. And before you know it you have a half a quart of ice cream in your tummy and the empty container to prove it.
You trudge on up to bed, quickly brush your teeth and crawl under your covers, the ice cream already giving you a bit of indigestion. Tomorrow is Monday, you think, time for a fresh start, healthy eating every day. And then as you drift off to sleep, you realize the food shopping hasn’t been done, and you don’t have a clue what you’re going to make for dinners all week long.
Ugh.
I totally get it. I wish I had an easier time always eating healthy and preparing these incredibly nutritious, delicious meals. The truth is though, healthy eating is something that has slipped through the cracks for me in the past year. Between having a third baby and working opposite hours as my husband, plus having some picky eaters, I lost my way for a while when it came to food and nutrition.
Recently though, I have been devoting more effort to feeding myself and my family in a healthy way. I see what a difference nutritious foods make in my kids’ moods and behaviors, and I personally have so much more energy and mental clarity when I increase the number of veggies I consume!
Without a doubt, these 9 hacks have helped me succeed at healthy eating, even while juggling a busy household and crazy schedule. If you need a jump start in the nutrition department, I bet they will help you too!
- Go on Pinterest/Google/Your favorite food website BEFORE you make your shopping list. This way you’ll know what you want to make for meals, and you can plan your list accordingly.
- Now Make That List! Too often I quickly decide on what meals I’m going to make, only to forget to make the list and thus forget what it is I need to buy. Making a shopping list sounds so simple – which it is – it’s just not always easy. Remember to make your list!
- Grocery Shop On The Same Day, Same Time Each Week. Whether you grocery shop in the off hours on a Wednesday morning or primetime on a weekend afternoon, I have found great success when I surrender that time frame to the task of food shopping. I am able to channel my attention to that one errand, and therefore nothing else distracts me. Since I now go every week, I am not buying too much so that things go bad, nor too little so I’m left scrambling at the last second which always leads to pizza take out and impulse pre-made dinners.
- Don’t Even Buy The Sweet Stuff. For a few months, I was buying the cookies, ice cream, sweet treats, etc. and justifying it by saying something like, “well, if my kids have a good dinner, they can have a treat.” Or, “if we have company over, I’d like to serve dessert.” Ummm, ok. Nice try. I ended up being the one who ate most of that stuff. And the truth is, if I want my family to eat healthy, having those foods around all the time won’t help that happen. Sure a treat now and then is completely fine, but I now prefer to have desserts be more special or homemade rather than something completely artificial and expected.
- Roast Veggies. This method of cooking makes vegetables so appetizing even for non-veggie lovers that you’ll fill up on them without even trying. My go-to veggies for roasting are broccoli and asparagus: just toss them in a little olive oil with salt & pepper, roast in a 400 degree oven for about 25 minutes and voila! You can do anything though: sweet potatoes, cauliflower, carrots, brussel sprouts, kale, beets, the list goes on.
- Have Plenty of Garlic, Onions, and Spices on Hand. Scrambled eggs are ok, but when you dice up half an onion and crush a clove of garlic and add that to the mix, things get a lot more interesting. Sprinkle some oregano on your salad and you’ve added some nice extra flavor. And cinnamon mixed in applesauce makes a pretty tasty dessert … even for an adult! These additions to your cooking don’t cost much and are not unhealthy, yet they add so much satisfaction.
- Rethink Snacks. I am a big chips and cracker person; I love the crunch and the salt and the small bites! But let’s be honest, chips and crackers are nutritionally, pretty empty. I have found a great alternative in crunchy veggies with some sort of side or dip like carrots and hummus or celery and almond butter. I know – groundbreaking! But it kind of is when you’re not in the habit. This way now, I’m eating more veggies with protein to keep me full longer. But I had to make the conscience decision to change how I thought about snacks. Snacks don’t have to equal chips and crackers.
- The Crock Pot Is Your Best Friend. Seriously, I have our crock pot going almost every other day. When the food gets to cook for several hours, the flavors come together so magically that I’m left not really craving anything. Plus, tossing in the ingredients, turning the pot ON and then coming back 6 hours later and the meal is done? Yes please! When something is easy, you’re more likely to stick to it. And crock pot cooking couldn’t be easier!
- Water Water Everywhere. Keep a bottle of water with you at all times. I aim to drink about a gallon a day, and this much water keeps me feeling fresh, like I don’t want to muck up my insides. For ease of counting ounces (128 in a gallon to be exact!) I always keep my 40 oz. Hydroflask and straw lid nearby. The Hydroflask keeps your water at the exact temperature that you put it in, and the straw lid makes drinking super easy. So whether you’re driving the kids around to their activities or walking the dog or going to and from the gym, this bottle will ensure you drink all day long.
The great thing about these hacks is that they don’t require you to shift around your life too much, or at all really. Sure some food choices might be different and you’ll have to tap into your self-control especially at the beginning, but once you see what a difference eating healthy makes in your mind and in your body, you won’t even miss the old ways.
Did I miss any? What keeps you on track when it comes to healthy eating?
