Start talking about healthy eating or a weight loss plan, and you’ll notice that most people don’t look excited. They might even get that, “oh no, not this again” look in their eyes.
We don’t often associate healthy lifestyles with “fun”. Mostly, this happens because switching to a more nutritious eating plan involves changing our habits. And since habits are ingrained, even small changes can feel like burdensome work (or just another obnoxious thing you have to remember).
As you get started on a weight loss plan, you will indeed need to make some changes to your habits. Incorporate these six tips into your weekly eating or food prep plan, and you can make the transition a little more fun.
Prep for the week. After a long day of work, most people dread coming home to chop veggies and fruits, or otherwise prep for healthy meals. So instead, pick a relaxing time (perhaps Sunday afternoon), turn on some music or a Netflix show, and get all of your prep work done at once.
Let someone else do the prep work. Pick up pre-cut fruits and vegetables at the grocery store, rotisserie chickens or prepared sides from the deli, and bagged salads in the produce department. Throwing together a healthy meal doesn’t have to be expensive. And while you’re at it, stock up on a few healthy frozen meals, for those nights when unexpected schedule interruptions happen.
Try out some different appliances. A pressure cooker, crock pot, or air fryer can be used to prepare healthy meals or sides. They’re often easier to clean, and you can just set the timer and forget it. This is a switch that won’t feel like too much work!
Infuse your water with fruit. For some people, the switch to drinking water feels boring. Freeze pieces of fruit in ice trays, and pop a few of these infused cubes into your water bottle each morning. You can jazz up your water with hardly any extra work.
Add protein to your shakes. Sometimes, trying to cram enough grams of protein into your diet can feel like a drag. If you enjoy shakes or smoothies anyway, toss in a handful of cooked quinoa, protein powder, or peanut or almond butter.
Try themed meals. Rather than focusing solely on ingredients, have some fun with themed food nights as well. Declare an ethnic theme to the evening (Mexican, Indian, or Japanese, for example), play the appropriate music during dinner, and enjoy an after-dinner film that fits the evening’s theme. This can be especially fun for families with kids.
As always, come see us for advice on healthier living and your weight loss plan. We can help you with nutrition advice and exercise tips to help you achieve your goals.
