by Lucy | Mar 25, 2018 | Meal Planning, Well Balanced Wisdom
Meal planning and prepping take effort, skill and time, which makes it a bit challenging. The good news is that strategies and solutions exist to suit everyone’s needs. Let’s dive into your tendencies and your situation and how you could leverage them to your advantage. Below I make suggestions based on your tendency. If you don’t know what your tendency is, please read this blog post first.
Upholders – Since upholders readily meet expectations and get things done, they would do well with a meal planning service. Everything from the recipes to the grocery lists is done for you which can save you a lot of time. There are many options and a few of my favorites include Super Healthy Kids Meal Plans (done by registered dietitians and family friendly), My Happy Plates (a local company, includes grocery delivery service), No More to Go (has 3 options: cooking-for-2, gluten-free and family).
Obligers readily meet outer expectations that others impose but struggle to meet the inner expectations they want to impose on themselves. Therefore, they must find creative ways to set up some external accountability. Meal prepping partners or groups can keep obligers motivated and can be a ton of fun. Who wouldn’t enjoy cooking with your friends or neighbors and drinking wine while prepping your meals? Your group can meet weekly like in this plan or you can select a few freezer meals that can be pulled out at any time. Here is a great done-for-you meal prep party plan that includes recipes and all.
Furthermore, obligers tend to be motivated to do things that benefit others. These ideas could help:
- Have a reoccurring dinner date with a friend where you take turns cooking.
- Commit to bringing a home cooked meal to a neighbor or friend. Double the recipe so you can eat it too.
- View the responsibility of meal planning and prepping as something important you want to role model for your children.
- Make a pact with your bestie that you can’t do X until you’ve meal planned and prepped for the week and ask them to hold you to your word.
Questioners like to do the research, decide for themselves, customize things to fit their needs and act with good reason. Questioners will do well if they’ve already made their mind up to meal plan and prep. If they haven’t, they might need to explore why meal planning is important to them. Done-for-you meal planning services could work well, but it is likely questioners will want to customize it to their style and preferences. They will only stick to it if the plan is logical and efficient, which could simply take a little trial, error, and tweaking to suit their needs.
Rebels – do best when they take it one day at a time. They may want to keep a stocked kitchen and have several meal ideas that can be thrown together in a pinch. Having a loose plan, such as 3-4 meal ideas for the week is better than having a specific dinner for a specific day of the week (which could also be true for some questioners and obligers).
Hate to cook? – Clean-eatz is perfect for those who just want someone to cook for them. Another idea is to trade services with their friends that do enjoy to cook. For instance, a mom of young kids who likes to be in the kitchen but doesn’t have the distraction-free time to do so could pair up with a mom who hates to cook but would love to play with the kids.
Cooking for one? Cereal for dinner again? You can do better! It’s really easy to slack off at dinner time when you only have your own mouth to feed. Using the above strategies like inviting a friend, cooking for someone else or having a meal prep party might work well for you.
Hate leftovers? When cooking for one, finding the right recipes is important. You probably get turned off by most recipes you see because you’d be eating the same thing for DAYS. I really love this roundup of healthy single-serving meals and I think you will, too.
Food for thought:
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to meal planning and prepping, but it’s an important part of healthy eating. Without at least a little forethought, you’ll be eating cereal or fast food most nights. Thinking about your unique style, situation and needs can help you find the strategies that work. This will take some trial and error. The important thing is that you keep making an effort to choose nourishing foods that meet your health goals. It doesn’t have to be perfect and it may look different each week, but what matters is that you are putting in the effort continuously. That’s when you finally find your groove. Just don’t give up.
by Lucy | Mar 11, 2018 | Meal Planning, Well Balanced Wisdom
In March, we are delving into the subject of meal planning by breaking it down into a series of blog posts. Last week, you learned the significant differences between a done-for-you meal plan and the process of meal planning.
Meal planning on your own terms will help you build a sustainable habit that supports Well Balanced eating in the long run. No process is perfect and creating one that fits your needs is key. To do this, you have to jump in and go for it, learning and adapting to what you need along the way. Here are some things to keep in mind as you dive in.
Be flexible. Know it’s good to have a plan, and it’s okay to make a different choice at the last minute. Don’t beat yourself up for this. Trust that you can make a wise decision, even if it’s not quite what you planned.
Start simple. Healthy eating doesn’t need to be complicated or fancy. Pick a protein-rich food, a veggie (or two) and a complex carbohydrate. Round it out with a bit of your favorite healthy fat and call it a day. Combination meals, like chili, come in handy because they can include all this in one dish.
Jazz it up on the weekends. Have a little fun, try a new recipe or make your favorite fancy meal when there is extra time. While you are at it, make double the amount you need so the leftovers can last through the week or go in the freezer for another time.
Build off what you have. Take stock of what is in your refrigerator, freezer, and pantry. What can you add to your inventory to make a Well Balanced meal? Have canned beans, tomatoes and tomato sauce? Pick up the rest of the ingredients for chili.
Get inspired by the season. A stroll through the Farmer’s Market gives Lucy the inspiration she needs for a meal. Farmers often have great ideas and tips for cooking with veggies. Whether trying a new veggie or looking for a new way to enjoy a staple, ask your friendly farmer.
Go with what’s on sale. When you need to follow a budget, let the sales guide you. Are strawberries on sale? Load a bunch in your cart and think outside of the box to incorporate them in creative ways. A quick search online can help.
Food for thought: What do you need most when it comes to a meal planning process that will work for you?
by Lucy | Mar 4, 2018 | Well Balanced Wisdom
Every March the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics celebrates National Nutrition Month. The focus of NNM 2018 is Go Further with Food, which emphasizes the importance of making wise choices for your individual needs and reducing food waste by planning ahead.
Going further with food means meal planning, not meal plans.
Lucy and I often get requests for meal plans, and while we love to help you get Well-Balanced meals on the table, we feel strongly about helping you unleash your own meal planning powers. The key differences between meal planning and following a meal plan are flexibility, personal preference, and intuitive focus.
Flexibility
Meal plans can feel rigid. If you go off the plan you might feel like you are failing. Meal plans can’t possibly predict when you will have a long day at work or when a friend asks you to join her for dinner on a whim. They also don’t know what your budget is, what’s on sale or in season, or what’s currently in your kitchen.
Personal Preferences
Many things influence your food choices – from your culture and upbringing to your current mood. No generated or done-for-you meal plan is going to pinpoint exactly what sounds good this week or nail a plan that has you wanting to follow it to a T.
Intuitive Focus
Meal plans are often built around a calorie level or macronutrient goal but don’t allow room for intuitive choices. For instance, a meal plan doesn’t change on days when you need more fuel after an extra tough workout or your appetite is just not up-to-par for some reason or another. Only your body can tell you those things and if you are too concerned about following a plan – you could miss out on those important cues.
Don’t get me wrong, a meal plan created by someone else can be useful. It can give you inspiration or new meal ideas, a glimpse into what a Well-Balanced week could look like or get you started off on the right path. Ultimately, our goal for you is to be able to confidently make your own well-balanced plans and decisions that suit you. Plus allow for flexibility and intuitive eating.
In honor of National Nutrition Month, we will be sharing a series of posts centered around how to go further with food. We’ll cover ideas and strategies for having a plan, a backup plan, and knowing what to do if all else fails.
Food for thought: Do you plan ahead?
If you are highly organized and prepared in the kitchen this series is not for you. On the other hand, if you’ve struggled to stick to a meal plan or if you’re ready to start taking baby steps toward planning, you’ll find an idea below and more in the weeks to come.
Take the first step
If you typically don’t think ahead about what you will eat, you can start with this simple task. Take out a piece of paper while you are having your morning coffee and jot down what you will be having for dinner. Writing it down will solidify it and doing this in the morning while you are fresh will ensure you have plenty of mental stamina to make a wise decision. Once you get the hang of it, perhaps you can decide on more than one meal at a time, but for now, just focus on dinner for the upcoming evening.
Happy planning!
by Lucy | Feb 22, 2018 | Well Balanced Wisdom
If you are a regular reader or current client you know, fat is our friend. Although a little can go a long way, it absolutely deserves a spot on your plate. You also know that we want you to embrace more natural foods and limit processed foods. Keeping those things in mind, how do we include fats that will protect our heart health? Let’s dive in and find out.
What does the research say about fat and heart health?
Randomized clinical trials have shown that replacing 5% of your calories from saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat (omega-6 fatty acids) reduces total and LDL cholesterol. This swap is associated with a 9% lower risk of CHD events and a 13% lower risk of CHD deaths. That equates to just one simple swap a day!
Swap it, don’t eliminate it
It’s important to note that it’s not enough to just decrease saturated fat in our diets because when saturated fat is replaced by simple carbohydrates, like sugar or white rice, no benefit is seen. Switching from a regular cookie to a fat-free cookie is not heart healthy. Nor is swapping out steak for white pasta.
Okay, so what DOES this 5% swap look like IRL?
If you eat somewhere between 1600 to 2000 calories per day, you’ll want to replace 9 to 11 grams of saturated fat with 9 to 11 grams of omega-6 fatty acids to reduce your cholesterol levels and lower your risk. One simple swap a day can take care of this. Think about some processed foods or sources of saturated fat in your day-to-day diet that don’t provide a lot of nutrients and health benefits. Replace one of those items each day with an ounce of nuts or seeds as they are the best natural sources of omega-6 fatty acids in whole food form. Another idea is swap out buttered toast for avocado toast.
| Swap Out (food – amt of sat fat) |
Swap In (food – amt of omega 6) |
| 1 Bojangles biscuit – 8g of saturated fat |
2 TBS peanut butter – 4.4 g omega-6 fatty acids |
| 1 doughnut from Dunkin Donut – 6-11g |
1-ounce pecans – 6 g |
| 1 cup of ice cream – 10g |
1-ounce sunflower seeds – 10 g |
| 1 Honeybun – 14g |
1-ounce pumpkin seeds (pepitas) – 5.8 g |
| 1 TBS butter – 7.2 g |
1 cup sliced avocado – 2.4 g |
Where NOT to get your omega-6 fatty acids from:
Omega-6 fatty acids are very prevalent in processed and junk foods like vegetable oils, margarine, chips, and cookies, but of course, I can’t confidently recommend those for heart health. (Occasionally enjoying your favorite things is perfectly acceptable in our book, but right now we are talking about the healthiest thing we can do for our heart every day.)
Note: Omega-3 fatty acids are still important, too.
You probably know that omega-3 fatty acids are heart healthy. The beautiful thing about natural food is that it usually contains a package of nutrients. Plant-based foods include both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Both are important in lowering your risk of heart disease and contrary to what you might hear, research indicates that increasing both types is helpful.
Food for thought:
Often times meat, eggs, and dairy can get blasted in the media because of their saturated fat content. These foods deliver many nutritional benefits and aren’t necessarily the first things that should go in your diet if you want to be heart healthy. Moderate portions (think of them like a side dish on your plate) are part of a Well Balanced eating plan. We encourage you to look first at the processed foods in your diet. If there is room for improvement, replace a processed food with a serving of natural plant-based fat.
What will you swap for heart health?
by Lucy | Feb 12, 2018 | Well Balanced Wisdom
Don’t get me wrong; I love Pinterest. I think that it is a brilliant place to share creative ideas. I truly cannot imagine life without this excellent resource; however, I’ve noticed Pinterest is sometimes a trigger for body dissatisfaction. Lately, I’ve been reading The Body Image Workbook by Thomas Cash, Ph.D. I am addressing and reevaluating my body relationship and body awareness. Yes, even us skinny gals can have body image issues.
[Sidebar: I’ve decided to fast from Facebook during the Lenten season to spend that time with my creator instead of browsing mindlessly. Since I’m not banning all social media, I’ve spent a little more time on Pinterest & Instagram (@WBN_RDs)]
In this workbook, I’ve learned we all have what the author, Dr. Cash, calls Private Body Talk. In our private body talk, we have stories running through our mind – often unconsciously – about how we look. He uses the word ugly, which I truly hope none of you are calling yourselves because you are uniquely beautiful. The book goes on to explain that we each have different triggers, assumptions, and beliefs about our body image. And why wouldn’t we… What with all the perfect flat tummies and perfect booties depicted on Pinterest, Instagram, and other social media outlets. I mean seriously, who are these people with perfectly sculpted abs?! We may think “what are they eating or doing to look that way?” Or “I need to get more strict about my diet so I can have a body like that too.”
Good news, there is a tool to help.
My favorite part of the workbook is the emphasis on mindfulness. It goes into a lot of detail on increasing our mindfulness specifically around body image stories. I modified an idea in the book and created a new tool to start to notice and address these negative body image stories. It’s the TTE method:
- Thought
- Trigger
- Emotional effect
First, is noticing the body image conversation or thought. Example: you look at a photo of yourself and think “Wow, look at that fat face.” Which may spiral into a barrage of negative thoughts about other aspects of your looks you do not like. The next step is to identify the trigger. In this case, it was looking at the picture. For many, simply stepping on the scale is the beginning of a downward spiral into self-sabotaging thought patterns. Such as, “why do I even bother? I’m always gonna be fat.” The last step is recognizing the emotional effect these thoughts have on you. It does not feel good or motivational when someone calls us mean names. That usually hurts and feels shameful. How is it different for you to speak like that to yourself? We’ve shared before how words matter. Whether spoken aloud or in our minds, these have a profound impact on our behaviors and choices.
Food for thought:
I don’t actually blame Pinterest for body image concerns; however, I recognize those pictures of all the perfect airbrushed bodies can lead to negative internal chatter. That’s when I choose to log off and get centered in my own truth:
“I value feeling good. I have a healthy mind and healthy body to match.”
What are your big triggers?
What’s your truth?
You are more than a number on the scale and you matter.
If you need someone to talk about body image or to make more healthy lifestyle changes, we are here to help. Just click here to start the conversation.
