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Let's get inspired to take care of ourselves [and the people we care about]! Our bodies do soooooo much for us, literally working non-stop around the clock, and in so many complex and beautiful ways. First, let's show some love and gratitude by quietly thanking our body for all it does. And let's support our body with the BEST fooduel. Fooduel: food as fuel (brilliant, I know!)
Healthy Cooking 101 in broken up into 4 sections for easy reading:
Sparkles- Part I
Eat fresh food. hint: cookies are not considered fresh food. Think about the rainbow of fruit, veggies, herbs, spices, seeds, beans and such.
Local- it's going to have more flavor and more nutrients because, 1. it's fresh and 2. there is a shorter distance between the farm to your table. Farmers Markets are cool, and most supermarkets showcase local and seasonal produce, making fresh and local easy to include in routine shopping.
Choose organic when possible - organic foods contain less [much less] harmful chemicals than conventional foods, and they're good for both your body and the environment. The dirty dozen is a great guide to help you decide which produce is best to buy organic. Check out the link below: https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/dirty-dozen.php.
Conventional produce is still great if you can't do organic or can't find it. The most important thing is to eat the healthier stuff.
Frozen and canned foods are really good, too. I'm talking fruit, veggies, beans, that sort of thing. Frozen is better than canned because canned foods can have high levels of sodium and an inner lining that can leach into the food --look for BPA free lining and low or no sodium.
Sparkles- Part II
Keep it SIMPLE-- save the fancier dishes and candles for the weekend or for special times and enjoy the efficiency... or...
Keep it FANCY-- spend a little extra time and enjoy the presentation and ambiance you create.
Include greens every day.
Choose ingredients that don't require a lot of prep time. Peeling and roasting butternut squash for soup to enjoy with a main entrée may be a bit much.
Prepare extra food so that you'll have leftovers for later in the week or to freeze.
Sparkles- Part III
Mix it up: bake, grill, steam, stir-fry, air-fry, sauté, quick boil. And don't forget raw foods!
Play with flavors by using different spices, herbs and sauces.
Look up a new recipe and give it a whirl. hint: you can use recipes as ideas or inspiration. No need to follow them exactly most times (baking cakes, breads and other treats are an exception- those are finnicky with ingredients and measurements).
Pick a fruit or vegetable you haven't had before or haven't had in awhile and incorporate into the week's meal planning.
Mistakes are totally fine. In fact, you'll learn a lot when a food comes out too salty, mushy, or whatever. So either you eat a fine meal or you do some learning for a future fine meal - it's a win-win, see?!
Sparkles- Part IV
Cook with others - it can make things more fun and reinforce healthy habits... or...
Cook on your own while listening to a podcast or book.
Don't eat stuff you don't like.
Enjoy your meals-- think about how you can make meal time more enjoyable.
Don't get caught up with negative self talk or criticism if things don't come out as expected.
You can choose one sparkly tip to play with for a week and then build on it. You can choose a bunch of them to include in your life right away. There's no right or wrong... only what works best for you. Hey, you may already be doing much of this already. No matter where you are, I'm sending fun, positive vibes your way❤.
With love and sparkles,
Senia