Eating Healthy to Celebrate March’s National Nutrition Month

Spring is the season of rejuvenation, and it is the perfect time to ramp up a healthy eating routine.

The best way to start is by giving the refrigerator and cabinets a healthy spring cleaning. Get rid of processed foods that come in boxes, and anything made with white flour or refined sugar. Swap out sweet treats for fresh fruit, and replace salty snacks and chips with healthy roasted nuts.  If a product has unpronounceable ingredients, get it out of the kitchen and move towards healthier, all-natural foods.

Eating healthy is a choice, and it's a choice that leads to more energy, sharper mental clarity, greater focus, and better sleep; not to mention a leaner physique and more toned abs. Stock up the refrigerator with leafy green vegetables and hormone-free eggs and meats. I recommend switching out white rice and pasta for protein-rich quinoa and whole grains.  These simple changes can drastically improve the entire family's health in a short amount of time.

Cooking healthy, budget-friendly meals is easy with recipes on SideChef! Once the kitchen is cleaned out and re-stocked, check out kale bowls, scrambles, snacks and smoothies that will fool the family into thinking they are being decadent.

Here are some really simple ways to transition to cleaner eating:

1) Make sauces and salad dressings from scratch: Bottled, store-bought versions are filled with corn syrup and unpronounceable chemicals.  SideChef has many easy dressing options, but one of my favorites is a mix of balsamic, olive oil, salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon.

2) Skip the bread: Try wrapping sandwiches in a sturdy green such as collard or romaine lettuce. If preparing breakfasts at home, swap out toast for a lean turkey patty or almond butter covered apple slices.  Hundreds of empty calories can be cut out of diets this way.

4) Re-purpose vegetables:  The same kale bought for salads can be thrown into smoothies and tossed into quinoa bowls.  The broccoli purchased as a side for chicken can be added to scrambles and salads as well.  Experiment in the kitchen and have fun by adding extra vegetables to meals in creative ways. See SideChef for guidance.

By Elise Joan for The Healthy Moms Blog Magazine

For a comprehensive and accessible fitness routine to go along with your new eating choices, check out yoga and fitness flows on www.elisejoanfitness.com.

*image credit: freedigitalphotos.net

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