Break up with Processed Food!
- Nadia Woods
- Oct 13, 2014
- 2 min read
All bad relationships are hard to break. But this is also one worth doing, for yourself and your family. Try these easy stepsFall in love with Fruit and Vegetables.
1. Yes yes, 3 to 5 serves per day. BUT have a try at one serve of fruit and 5 serves of veg each day. You will love the way your body feels on this! And it's not As hard as it sounds.
Some tips:
- cook extra veg at dinner time for a mid morning or afternoon snack
- chop a salad or some celery and carrot to snack on in the afternoons at that crazy hunger time
- pile the greens up high on your sandwiches
2. Shop at the butcher, green grocer and deli.
If you find it hard to resist the impulse buying sections of the supermarket or fall for false advertising health claims on those packaged foods, aim to avoid the supermarket where possible.
It doesn't have to be expensive. Look around for a bulk whole foods store such as The Staple Store. where healthy eating is actually cheaper. And remember more often than not, a pantry and freezer full of processed ready to eat foods cost far more than real ingredients!
3. Capture pockets of time. I hear you! Where to find the time to make food from scratch? There are a few tips which help a little:
- double cook. Standing at the stove making dinner? Whip up a batch of home made muffins and chuck them in the oven at the same time
- cook extra large and freeze leftovers or pack them for lunches
- design some easy peasy meals for when you are busy or tired. They can be just as quick as heating that processed meal. Maybe it's some pasta with some broccolini thrown in at the end then add some cherry tomatoes a tin of tuna olive oil lemon and basil. Or a quick salad with a minute steak.
4. You gotta get onto those good recipes. Not the ones with hours of labour induced panic! But the no fuss, super speedy, two step recipes which just so happen to make really yummy and healthy muffins, slices and snacks.
5. Lastly, taste and experience your food. No seriously! When you eat take a moment to explore the texture of the food in your mouth, how it feels on your tongue, how it makes you feel as you're eating it. Conscious eating. Give it a try this week and at the end of the week you may see some more differences between real food and processed food!
6. Oh wait, there's one more ..... Please drink water. Thirsty? Yes drink water. Not the high sugar high fructose corn syrup and carcinogenic additives laiden can of drink sitting on the impulse buying shelf at the supermarket.
