If you struggle with knowing what to eat or sticking to a nutrition plan, you’re not alone. Nutrition is often one of the hardest parts of our health to master. Everyone has a different approach to food, and this can make it very difficult to know what will work best for you. Figuring it out requires lots of trial and error, just like every other part of your health. Today I’m going to provide you with three simple places to start.

One of the most important things to do when it comes to our nutrition and will make a huge difference in how you feel is prioritizing whole foods. Whole foods are foods that come from plants and animals and are not processed or are minimally processed. Let’s use apples for an example. An apple is a whole food. Apple sauce is minimally processed, meaning it mostly mimics the whole food and can be found without additives. Apple juice, on the other hand, is extremely processed and barely mimics a whole apple. It often times also has added sugar and other added ingredients. Eating as many whole foods as we can throughout the day will help us reach our fiber intake goals, will regulate our digestion, and will provide us with the micronutrients we need to keep us energized and healthy.

Another simple way to start eating healthier is to balance the macronutrients in your meals with a source of protein, a source of complex carbohydrates, a source of fat, and a source of vegetables. Eating all of these at each meal will help balance your blood sugar, which minimizes the crash you feel after eating. Meals that are balanced in macronutrients can be simple and easy to make, such as a dinner including a source of protein like steak or chicken, rice, and a salad or frozen vegetable. It’s easy to make, tastes great, and is a staple in my household. Eating healthy doesn’t need to be complicated.

One of the most common ways we “eat healthier” is by cutting out entire food groups. Although I know this sounds like a good idea, it usually leads to an unhealthy relationship with food. There isn’t a certain food or food group that is causing all of your problems, and unless you have an allergy or intolerance, cutting them out isn’t going to help you make lasting changes. The more we can practice awareness around our food choices and notice how we feel after eating, the easier it will be to make food choices that make us feel our best, and not feel so guilty when we don’t. I encourage you to allow yourself to eat the cookie you’re craving and move on, rather than dwell on how you’re not allowed to have it and then eat twenty later. 

Our relationship with food is one that we get to nurture for the entirety of our lives. There’s no rush to have it all figured out right away. How we eat in the future will likely look different from how we eat today, and that’s perfectly normal. Take it one step at a time, find something that feels exciting to you, and adopt it to fit your life and your goals. There’s never going to be a perfect plan that will solve all of your problems for the rest of your life. Your way of eating will change with you as you change and grow. Embrace it.

Xoxo

Coach Maggi