Eating healthy is a constant challenge, but with proper planning and repetition, doing so can be streamlined and simplified. In this post, I will share my personal approach to healthy eating and how I try to turn this goal into reality.
1. Bulk Purchases
Buy in bulk. It’s cheaper and provides motivation to cook more and eat out less. Without having ingredients on hand, you will be less likely to cook—and having food at home will encourage you to ensure that what you purchased gets eaten and is not wasted.
Keeping a stocked pantry also gives you motivation to have more dinner parties or to invite friends over for meals. After eating with friends, you can box up any of the food left over from the larger meal.
Costco is one of my favorite stores and a great stock to consider as well (and the largest global buyer of wine, believe it or note).
2. Increase Protein Intake
Protein builds muscle and reduces hunger cravings. If I am in a rush, I will usually just grab a protein shake to go. The one I like most is Premier Protein (chocolate flavor). Another option is a protein bar—again, after trying literally every one available on Amazon, I found two that I really like: Combat Crunch or Cliff Whey Protein bars (I like Peanut Butter & Chocolate the best). I usually have at least one per day.
The key with any protein bar or shake is to maximize the amount of protein per serving and minimize the amount of sugar at the same time. Many products have lots of protein but lots of sugar, too, which is counterproductive. One of the highest protein-per-ounce foods is chicken breast; I usually get the bulk organic pack at Costco (6 breasts for about $20-25 depending on the weight). I usually season and cook two breasts at a time in my in my Le Creueset Braiser—just turn your oven to 400 degrees and pop this in for 25 minutes and voila: idiot-proof, healthy, and delicious. I have tried 50+ different seasonings for the chicken breast and the best one by far that I have tried is the Napa Valley Rub by the Whole Spice Company in Napa Valley.
3. Check Nutrition Labels Meticulously
I normally hate most forms of government regulation, but I do believe there is significant value in the rules and regulations around the required display of nutritional facts on most food items. For those who want to get technical, the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA), which amended the FD&C Act, requires that most foods bear nutrition labeling and requires food labels that bear nutrient content claims and certain health messages to comply with specific requirements.
Before I buy any food item today, I ALWAYS read the nutritional facts and perform the following mental review:
(1) What is the applicable serving size consist of here? Get a rough idea of how many times to multiply all of the other numbers based on how much of it you think you will eat.
(2) How many carbs are in this? These should be minimized.
(3) How much protein is in this? This should be maximized.
(4) How much sugar is in this? This should be minimized or eliminated altogether.
(5) How much saturated fat is in this? This should be minimized.
(6) Are there any chemical sounding ingredients? Check for words that end in “sol” or “zyme” and, if present, these should usually be avoided.
4. Minimize Sugar and Processed Foods
Check the nutritional facts labels and always make an active effort to minimize added sugars (i.e., non-naturally occurring or refined sugars), and try not to eat things that are not natural or are highly processed (things like Oreo cookies should be avoided like the plague since they are both high in sugar and highly processed). A good rule of thumb is to check whether the product occurs in nature or, if not, if the product is very close to its natural form. If the answer is no, try to eat something else.
5. Eat More Fruits and Vegetables
Again, eating fruits and vegetables is important for long-term health and fitness performance. Fruits may be higher in sugar than many foods, but it’s naturally occurring sugar, which is ok. Many vegetables provide lots of beneficial nutrients and are high in fiber as well. And, of course, they are naturally occurring foods, so by eating them, you avoid any processed or synthetic ingredients like stabilizers, etc.
