What is eating healthy?

Eating healthy is a constant topic of debate.  Should every thing be organic? Is it better to be a vegetarian or go the route of the Paleo?  Do I drink almond milk or dairy?  Do I need to be gluten free? With all of the diet fads continuously sweeping through our culture it can be hard to say “I am a healthy eater” without the fear of someone turning around and telling you differently. 

It is hard for me to believe every human should eat the same diet.  Our country alone has so many different landscapes and climates if we were all to live off our land our food sources would differ greatly. I will not go into detail or preach a specific diet in this blog. Rather I hope in sharing my eating habits it will spark an interest for you to do your own research and decide what is right for your body and family.

I believe these days to eat healthy is to make a conscious and disciplined effort to stay away from processed and packaged foods high in preservatives and added chemicals, which means taking the time to read labels. I try hard to stick to the outside of the grocery store. I barely venture down the isles except for pasta, beans, and rice. It can be difficult to keep the nostalgic food cravings at bay. Just think how tasty an Entenmanns crumb cake with coffee, or a giant bag of Lays sour cream and onion chips, or even the super cheap and unhealthy Kraft mac and cheese would be. However, anytime I have caved I have regretted it feeling sick and a major lack of energy after eating. Plus the taste just isn’t the same.

For the past year I lived out of my car and my tent on a yearlong climbing trip.  I had a two-burner stove and a small cooler. I spent on average 40.00 a week on food and ate well in my opinion.  There are certain foods I will not eat unless they are organic due to the absorption of pesticides and refuse to buy anything containing high fructose corn syrup.  They say in moderation high fructose corn syrup is fine, yet it is in everything (bread, chips, jelly, peanut butter, juice, granola bars…)

I personally do not eat much meat, but will have chicken or turkey once in awhile. I try to be very disciplined with my eating habits and have noticed the more fresh fruit and raw veggies I incorporate into my meals the more energy I have.  As a very active person it is important for me to consume a large amount of calories and to be conscious of my protein intake.  In the research I have done plant based protein is the easiest for the body or my body to process. Below are some of my go to foods;

Snacks

Humus and veggies

Cheese and Avocado

Almonds

Trail mix

Full carrots not baby carrots (the skin holds most of the nutrients)

Fruit

Dried cranberries no added sugar

Dried mangos no added sugar!!

Breakfast

Eggs and veggies

Breakfast burritos eggs, veggies, cheese, potatoes, beans, baby spinach

Oatmeal with peanut butter, fruit, and honey

Organic yogurt with granola

Lunch

Veggie sandwiches with apple and cheese slices

Peanut butter and jelly

Almond butter and jelly

Avocado, humus, and cheese sandwich

Quinoa salad

Pasta salad with oil and balsamic vinegar not mayo

Dinner

Quinoa, black beans, and veggies

Black bean tacos

Pasta with veggies, garlic, and olive oil

Quesadillas with cheese, veggies, black beans, and quinoa

Rice, beans, and veggies

I also substitute most oil and butter with coconut oil

Feel free to check out my personal blog to see the recipes for these. If you enjoy meat you can always add meat to any of these meals. www.yrofclimbing.blogspot.com

If you have a family with kids you may be surprised at how much they enjoy this style of eating.  I find it amazing how many kids love raw red bell peppers, carrots, and raw green beans as a snack! A lot of times if kids see their parent enjoying a snack they become curious and desire it as well.  A logbook of what you ate during the day and noting what your energy level was like at different points of the day can be a huge aid in the process of what is healthiest for your body. 

Trying to make a shift to a healthier eating habit can be difficult and frustrating. Just be open to different ideas and willing to try don’t worry about picking the right fad diet consider more what is right for you.