I am a big advocate of eating well. I am not perfect. I eat pizza. I occasionally make the much dreaded stop at a fast food chain. I have late night snacks of cereal and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I love chips and salsa and my water intake is less than perfect on a daily basis. Confession: I give my children frozen waffles and chicken nuggets on a regular basis. Most people reading this won’t be appalled by anything I am saying.Chances are you too have similar struggles. I am in a constant effort to improve though and in my opinion; you can’tget better than that. I am constantly encouraging my clients that perfection isn’t the goal- only progress. That seems to be a concept with which most feel comfortable.
I recently started working with Nutritionist Ginnie Hill and I really couldn’t be happier with all I have learned in just 2 phone chats and a couple of Facebook post. I can tell you that a few things we talked about would cause a little fear to surface with many. How about this- whole grains really aren’tgood for you!$%#&* Okay, this one really caught me off guard. My mind was put to ease though because I really do get Ginnie’s outlook on food. She is a realist. I am pretty sure that she has not completely cut whole grains from her diet. So though whole grains aren’t what I thought they were, I have no intention of cutting them out of my diet completely. In fact,I am eating a whole grain tortilla with black beans and Monterey jack as I type this. I will, however; find alternatives for many of my meals though- roots, veggies, fruits- I can do that! I happen to love all roots- roasted beets? YUMMY! See recipe below.
Here are some things that I am going to start changing.
1. No more frozen waffles. Just this past weekend, my husband and I made a large batch of pancakes and sweet potato waffles to use for the rest of the week for the kids. It will be a tradition for us now.
2. I am going to make my own chicken fingers for the kids. Again, a large batch on the weekend to use for the next week or 2. I have already started making my own ground chicken breast using the food processor (the best chicken sandwich ever!). Now it’s time to expand. ideally, I would like to start using hormone free and cage free chicken breast for my grinding. Baby steps. I will let you know when I perfect the recipe.
3. More potatoes and less pasta: Hear me now; I am not cutting out pasta and grains cold turkey. That just isn’t my style and I do need to be realistic with 3 (almost 4)small children.
There you have it; 3 small steps in my progress of better health. Every person is starting with different goals. I don’t expect you to read this and jump on board. I would love for you to really evaluate your eating habits and decide what you can do to make small improvements for you and your family. I can’t give you the answers. I simply don’t have them. The best I can do is do a little research,ask the professionals (like I did with Ginnie Hill), and make the very best decision I can for me and my family.
Can I ask you to do the same? Are you willing to take the first small step to making positive changes in your eating? Please comment below on your next baby step. Progress- not perfection.
Mediterranean Roasted Beets: From Ultimate Reset
Ingredients
1¾ cup beets cut in½-inch cubes
1½ tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
Himalayan salt and herbal seasoning (to taste)
Directions
Preheat oven to 400° F. Toss beet cubes with oil, salt, and seasoning.Spread in a single layer on baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven and toss with lemon and parsley. Serve warm or chilled. Serves 1.
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