Welcome to 2018!!
I’m not sure about you, but January 1st always makes me feel like a bit of a failure.
I know what you’re thinking…if you follow me you know that I try to kick off every year with some good information to share with all of you to guide you, healthfully, into the new year. But, like everything else on the internet, there are so many people to watch and, inevitably, you start to think that whatever you are doing is not enough/right!
So, I thought that, this year, I would simply give you some tips (30 days worth) to keep you on a healthy path but, also, get you into the kitchen and cooking more…which will almost always lead to better eating!
We are only 5 days into January, but so far I’ve shared some secrets about cleaning out your fridge, drinking more water, eating your greens, and making your own oatmeal-to-go packs! I’d say we’re off to a good start!
Below are some things I’ll be talking about this month (but follow along on Instagram or Facebook or Twitter to make sure you don’t miss a thing!).
Here Are Some Tips to Healthfully Easing your way into The New Year:
First things first…I have a confession to make. I love pizza…like seriously LOVE pizza! But it doesn’t love me so much – and by that, I mean it won’t let me eat 15 pieces without gaining 15 pounds. For me eating pizza is like eating peanuts…I can’t eat just one piece. Now, I’m all about treats. But, I also want to find new ways to enjoy treats in a different and more healthy way. So, I’d like to introduce you to the cauliflower crust pizza. I got on the bandwagon in 2014 when it was all the rage. I think I perfected it, so I put my yummy recipe on the blog here if you want to try it yourself!!
Another thing we’ll be talking about is trying to do a vegan meal once a week (even if you’re not vegan, it will increase your veg intake and will force you into thinking outside the box about getting protein from plant based sources). Sometimes, thinking outside the box and eating in a way you’re not used to will stoke the fires of your kitchen creativity and maybe even get you to change up your weekly routine into something that’s better for you!!
If you want to give it a shot, try this vegan queso recipe that I used to make vegan mac and cheese…so yummy!!
And getting your greens in is often about availability and ease. I mean, if you ask most people, they’ll tell you that they love eating greens but they take too long to prepare. I think that if the greens are readily available, you’ll be more compelled to use them every day! In this post, I talk about prepping your greens for the freezer so they are ready to cook at a moments notice!!
I also love to be able to grab something out of the fridge that is ready to take to work or on the road. Looking for the prefect solution? Look no further than a salad in a jar. If you want to take a peek at this post, I give you step by step directions on making a killer mason jar salad (tip: make a week’s worth…you’ll thank yourself later!!)
Have you ever had Thai rice paper rolls? They are amazingly fresh and generally good for you. So why not try your hand at making them yourself? They are fun to make (I even used to get my kids involved by setting it up like an assembly line and they can make their own…I’ve even been tempted to do it at a dinner party!!). If you want to give it a shot, check out this post!!
I don’t know about you, but in my house, there is always a jug of juice in my fridge with like 2 tablespoons of juice left at the bottom. It, seriously, drives me crazy. So, one day I decided to freeze it in an ice cube tray (can you tell I’m a freak about waste?). Then, when I was drinking water, I remembered my frozen ice cube so I plopped it in my water…eh voila, the fruit cube was invented (okay, maybe I didn’t invent it, but it’s really made my water intake game strong!!). If you want to try and see if it helps you drink more water, check out all the deets on this post.
Okay, are you sitting down? Check this out…vegan creme brulee made with coconut yogurt and coconut sugar…aaaaamazing!! Give it a shot (it’s crazy easy) by clicking here and checking out the step by step!!
And we can’t talk about healthy eating without a shoutout to the all ever-so-popular smoothie. If you are short on time, it can be a lifesaver (everything you need in a cup!!). Now, the danger with smoothies is that you can consume a ton of calories without even knowing it (I liken it to those crazy whipped cream, caramel laden coffee drinks that are more fattening than a huge slice of cake!!). So, if you want to read about making your own smoothie the right way, take a peek at this post…and then you can look at this winter inspired recipe with all the flavours of the season!!
I find the biggest hurdle to starting off the year with a bang is that all the changes that are expected in January seem so monumental. But I think baby steps are the way to go. So, why not start small by exchanging a few meat servings a week with some succulent fish dishes? I find “hearty” fishes like scallops feel more like meat than fish so why not start with an easy scallop dish like these orange glazed scallops that’s quick to put together?
Now, you all know how much I love a mason jar full of salad, right? Well why not use those mason jars for some other healthy alternatives? Like these yogurt parfaits that can be made to suit your taste and changed up each week to combat breakfast boredom. A batch of overnight oats, some yogurt and some frozen fruit are all you need to make up some hearty to-go yumminess. For more on the step by step, check out this post!!
I’ll definitely be talking about poaching pears this month. It’s just fruit cooked in a poaching liquid. It’s usually served as a dessert but why not cook up a batch and use them in your breakfast oatmeal? I think that sounds fantastic!!
And finally, my go-to hunger curbing treat that I keep in the glove compartment of my car are these small bags of “DYI Instant oatmeal”…if you take a peak here at how to put these simple bags together, you’ll never go hunting for a donut to curb your afternoon pangs again.
So now that you’ve seen how easy it is to start you year off right by taking baby steps to change some bad habits into good, I hope you feel more encouraged to not throw in the towel just yet.
I’d love for you guys to tell me if you’ve tried any of these! Just leave a message below or tag me on any posts you might put up on social media. I’d be tickled pick to hear from you!!
