Trying to eat healthy without a plan can lead to failure before you begin. Set up your healthy kitchen with these tips.
Health and fitness start from the kitchen. No matter how much you work out or diet, without a proper nutritious diet, it is impossible to get your “dream figure” or obtain a decent level of fitness and a good, healthy body. A lot of us struggle to find out what a healthy kitchen consists of or where to hide the cheat eats and what not. We basically have to create hiding spots and ban certain foods in order to achieve well-being. Here are a few steps on how to set up a healthy kitchen.
Step 1:
The first, most important step is to figure out what kind of diet you want to follow. If you have a large family, then it requires a joint discussion. Everyone has to be on the same page for the most part. It is important to view health as a goal for your family and to do it together, whether it is going vegan, gluten free, raw, paleo, or what have you. Once you’ve decided on the diet, you can feel confident this is not leading to a dead end.
Step 2:
Regardless of what diet you pick, the next step is to remove all processed food—Fruit Loops, whey protein powders, junk food, burgers, inorganic foods, and so on. For some people, this could be an excruciating process. If that’s the case, before you throw away stuff I strongly suggest you find healthy replacements for your craving. Some replacement examples include wheat pasta to mung bean pasta, candy or sugar to dates or honey, and so on. Once you know you have a replacement, the cleaning up process will be easier.
Step 3:
Time to go shopping! Create a list of things you need to buy and go shopping. While shopping, start creating the habit of reading the ingredients on each package. Anything unknown or processed on the label, simply don’t buy it. The other trick is to always start on the fruit and vegetable isle. By following the 80% fruit and vegetable and 20% whole grains and cheat eats rule, you can be crystal clear about your shopping technique.
Step 4:
Creating a healthy lifestyle needn’t be boring. Be excited and keep yourself excited. Find some fun and yummy healthy recipes and start making them 3–4 times a week. Share with your family and friends and enjoy this transformation. Take some time to read articles on health and fitness and embrace this opportunity to build your knowledge on creating a healthy mind and body.
Step 5:
Last but not the least, don’t be too hard on yourself. Once you’ve set a tone for what enters the kitchen, you’re on the right track. There will be times when pizza or beer enters that kitchen. Learn to embrace those moments as well and know that you can always get back on the wagon any time you want.