Welcome to my blog, where I share evidence-based nutrition resources with women who want to look and feel their best. Whether you’re trying to lose weight, get healthier or fuel your workouts, you need to eat nutritious foods to achieve your goals.
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What to expect on this blog:
- How nutrition and lifestyle choices impact your health outcomes
- Science-based strategies to maximize your metabolism and lose fat
- Delicious recipes and creative ideas for healthy meals and snacks
- How to read and interpret nutrition labels to avoid marketing traps at the supermarket
Start eating healthy today with meal planning
Like many people, your schedule is full with work, family and community activities. You want to plan healthy meals to fuel your workday, but more often than not, you find yourself running on empty and lacking energy to meet the demands of life.
Does this routine sound familiar? You wake up in the morning, rush to get ready for work, skip breakfast, drink coffee all morning, and grab a not-so-healthy lunch to eat at your desk while working. By the time you arrive home for dinner, you’re starving and wondering what to eat as you stare at your empty refrigerator. You dream of hiring a personal chef.
The good news is that you can learn how to plan healthy meals and enjoy nutritious and delicious foods throughout your workday—even when pressed for time. Here are some ideas for healthy foods to eat, plus a few tips to take the stress out of prepping and packing your meals.
Tip #1: Eat a healthy breakfast
Each night, decide what you want for breakfast the next morning and prepare the ingredients ahead of time. Wash and slice fresh fruits and vegetables, and soak overnight oats or chia seeds. Place your favorite coffee or tea on the kitchen counter and pour the water in the coffee maker.
Taking an extra 10 minutes at night to plan breakfast feels SO much easier than adding the same 10 minutes to your morning routine.
Break the overnight fast with breakfast or a pre-workout snack if you exercise in the morning. If you’re in a rush, snack on fruit during your morning commute or when you arrive at the office. Skip the donuts and high-calorie espresso drinks with syrup and whipped cream.
BREAKFAST IDEAS:
- Sprouted bread products by Food for Life/Ezekiel and Alvarado Street Bakery, toasted and topped with almond butter and fruit or avocados and spinach.
- Non-dairy, unsweetened yogurt by Kite Hill and So Delicious with fresh fruit and seeds.
- Low-sugar, high-fiber oatmeal, muesli and ready-to eat cereals by Bob’s Red Mill, Familia, Nature’s Path and Cascadian Farms with plant-based milk, fresh berries and nuts.
- Almond milk by Whole Foods 365 Brand or Soy Milk (Unsweetened) by Eden Foods.
- Orgain vegan all-in-one protein shakes to drink or add to frozen fruit smoothies.
- Chia seeds, flax meal and hemp hearts by Manitoba Harvest and Whole Foods 365 Brand.
Tip #2: Prep and pack lunch
You control the quality of your diet when you prepare your own food. It’s great to have food that you love to eat whenever you feel hungry. Make and pack your lunch the night before.
LUNCH IDEAS:
- Leftovers from dinner, such as veggie burgers, lentil soup, sweet potatoes and chili.
- Grain bowls with whole grains, pasta, beans, lentils, leafy greens, nuts and seeds.
- Wrap sandwiches made with whole-grain tortillas filled with hummus and vegetables.
- Salad greens topped with beans, tofu, dried fruit, raw nuts and seeds. Whisk together tahini, warm water and lemon juice to make a healthy dressing.
Tip #3: Prep and pack snacks
Build an energizing snack by combining a source of healthy carbohydrates (fruit, veggies, beans or whole grains) with one serving of a lean protein and/or healthy fat (nuts or avocados). I’ve listed a few snacks below, and you can read my blog post for the full list of 25 plant-based snack ideas.
SNACK IDEAS:
- Sliced carrots, red peppers, broccoli or cauliflower florets dipped in hummus.
- Apple slices spread with almond butter.
- Whole grain crackers (Try Mary’s Gone Crackers) spread with Miyoko’s vegan cheese.
- Celery stalks stuffed with Kite Hill Almond Milk “Cream Cheese Style Spread” with chives.
Tip #4: Stay hydrated
Instead of drinking coffee or soda all day, try these healthier alternatives: fresh, filtered water, green tea with ginger and lemon, or seltzer water with a splash of pomegranate juice and a twist of lime on ice for a refreshing pomegranate mocktail. Avoid fruit juice, which delivers a concentrated dose of sugar, and ditch diet sodas, which contain non-nutritive sweeteners and harmful chemicals.
Most people should drink 8 to 10 cups of water daily, but endurance athletes exercising in the heat may need to drink more. Your urine will be a pale yellow color when properly hydrated. For more healthy hydration tips, check out my blog post on this topic.
Tip #5: Batch cook on the weekend
Prepare whole grains such as brown rice and quinoa in large quantities for several meals.
Cook dried beans in a pressure cooker or buy beans in BPA-free cans. Drain and rinse.
Wash, cut and store vegetables for several recipes to save time on weekdays.
Finally, use ready-made dressings, marinades and salsas (e.g. tahini, tomatillo, pineapple, peach, teriyaki and chipotle) to boost the flavor of your meals with minimal effort.
Make healthy eating a priority and take some time each week to plan healthy meals. You’ll be excited to open your lunch box and find delicious and nutritious food waiting for you to enjoy!