Healthy Eating At Home

Do you find eating healthy at home is challenging?  I feel ya!  Being home 24/7 has its highs and lows when it comes to making right food choices.  If you have kids, it’s even harder!  Junk food takes up a good space of the pantry and way too easy to grab and eat.  Here are some tips and tricks to get back on the healthy eating train:

• Buy more FRESH fruits and vegetables– If you’re like me, when I have fresh produce in my fridge, it forces me to eat healthier because I do not want the food to spoil and have to throw it all away! TIP:  If you find that you cannot finish all of your fruits or veggies before they expire, freeze them!  Wash, cut, Ziplock and date your produce and store them in your freezer for future use.  I do this all the time and it’s great to be able to quickly grab and use these items when I’m in a pinch for dinner (or a smoothie)!
• Get rid of the junk food– OK, we’ve heard this before but realistically, junk food is comforting at times, especially at a time like now.  The key is to not go overboard with the quantity of unhealthy food.  Just have a couple items that bring you joy!  Allow yourself one or two portion size snacks per day to keep away those binge cravings. My comfort snacks are pretzel M&M’s, butter toffee peanuts and full-sugar coffee creamers!
• Have an accountability buddy– This “buddy” can be a family member, friend, neighbor, whoever!  Check in with each other everyday or just once a week to make sure you’re staying on track.  Make it a team effort!
• Write it down– I promise you, writing down every single piece of food down in a journal or app will open your eyes to what you’re consuming each day!  Whenever I feel like I’m getting off track on my eating habits, I fire up Myfitnesspal app and start documenting.  I know this may sound tedious at first, but just do it for a few days and it’ll be enough to make a difference make you more aware.
• Get moving instead of snacking– There’s a difference between eating because you’re really hungry and snacking due to boredom and something to do.  Get up and MOVE instead if you’re simply bored.  Even if it’s just doing some jumping jacks and push-ups in your living room, play with your kiddos or go for a walk outside…whatever! 
• Drink more water– I’ll admit, this is one that I’m continuously working on.  Thirst can sometimes be mistaken for hunger and that can lead to overeating when we should be hydrating instead.  Our bodies are made of about 60% water!   We should be consuming anywhere between 2-3 liters of H2O per day!  Have a re-fillable water bottle on your desk or next to you at all times and make sure it’s filled.  When hunger strikes and you just finished a meal, taking some big gulps of water and wait about 15-20 minutes.  If you really are hungry after that time, eat a light and healthy snack.  

Incorporate these tips and new habits into your routine and let me know if they worked for you!  

XOXO, Ally