PSA: It's not about cutting out foods. It's all about finding the right ones.
I truly believe we need to ditch the word diet. Gone are the days of no carbs and low fat diets. When you starve yourself, your overall health suffers and a hangrier less awesome you emerges. Your brain is foggy and your energy is low. It's hard to keep up with a busy routine if you only eat salads and breadless chicken sandwiches.
You want to be happy, healthy, and see and feel those results? Eat whole foods. I'm talking real foods that aren't full of processed junk and refined sugar. Best part about the real food lifestyle? You get to eat carbs and fats without that guilty feeling that has plagued these two foods groups for the past 30 years. Plus you get to add feta cheese to your salads and a whole wheat pita to your chicken sandwich.
There are some key whole foods that are keepers for your kitchen. They're easy and super awesome for busy ladies and gents in the home, for the office, and on the go.
1. Ezekiel bread (carb)
You know that bread that’s in the organic section of the grocery store? The frozen one with the religious name? It's totally worth it. Ezekiel bread is sprouted bread. What does that mean? There’s no flour, GMOs, or refined sugar. I can honestly say this bread is guiltless when you use it to make a sandwich. Plus this company not makes waffles and tortilla bread.
2. Hummus (fat)
I am completely obsessed with hummus. I add it to toast (Ezekiel Bread) every afternoon for a midday snack. In a world of toppings and spread with sugar and additives this option is exactly what the doctor ordered. I love ketchup, but this topping is full of sugar. This is my healthy swap. It’s also tasty and there a million and one hummus flavors. My favorite? Red pepper. I stock up when Sabra holds one of their 2 for $6.00 sales. WINNER!
3. Grapes (fruit)
I love the fruit group because these foods appease your sweet tooth in a natural way. While I love the popular fruits like oranges, apples, and bananas, they are not the easiest to eat at your office desk. What I love about grapes is they’re simple to prep on a Sunday afternoon for the work week. Grab five snack ziplock bags, fill them up, and throw in your fridge to grab every morning for the work day.
4. Carrots...with hummus (veggie)
First off, yes, I have a hummus problem. Second, I struggle to get my veggies in. What I’ve found is when you add hummus to foods like baby carrots, sliced peppers, or celery sticks it makes the veggie experience a heck of alot more pleasant. Seriously though, try this.
5. Almond milk (carb)
I was never a milk fan growing up. Once I started to look at what I was eating I realized the glory that is almond milk. I suggest to go with the unsweetened almond milk to avoid the sugar. Any honestly...outside of the million and one health benefits that you can Google, I dig the taste of almond milk so much more than cow’s milk. Sorry mom for those years of struggle. I just needed some almond milk in my life.
6. Eggs (an egg cooker is a must)
Okay, there are a million and one non-red meats to eat that will give you amino acids and all the benefits of protein. But here’s a simple and inexpensive way to get protein..eggs! My mom purchased an egg cooker for me last Christmas and it was a game changer. An egg cooker whips up 7 hard boil eggs at once. This is part of my weekend routine to prepare office eats for the week. I keep paprika and pepper in my work kitchen and it’s the perfect snack for that daily protein.
There it is. Now go get your carb and fat eatin' on. Find the real foods and embrace the lifestyle. Life's too short to be hangry.
