10 Healthy Eating Goals for 2020

Here’s to starting 2020 off on the right healthy foot!

Here are 10 Healthy Eating goals I think you’ll love.

1.)  CLEAN THE KITCHEN AND TOSS THE PACKAGED FOODS

All of those items lurking in your pantry with hidden preservatives and fillers - toss them! Cookies, crackers, chips, canned soups, and microwaveable meals - say bye bye!  I like to start the year off with a clean pantry!  There’s something amazing about stepping into a clean kitchen without all the junk.  Out of sight, out of mind.  There’s a reason I purposely don’t buy crap and leave it in the house.  If there are chips or ice cream in my kitchen, I will sure as hell eat it. Better to keep those things far from reach!

2.)  FILL YOUR PANTRY WITH PRODUCE-FRIENDLY STAPLES

Now that your pantry has been cleaned of packaged products, you’ll need to restock with healthy grains, herbs, spices, and ingredients that will help you transform all that fresh, seasonal produce into delicious meals!

Here’s a list of items I always have on hand in my kitchen:

• Eggs (pasture-raised)

• Avocado oil, coconut oil, olive oil

• Lemons

• Avocados

• Sprouted Whole Grain Bread

• Greek yogurt (full fat, grass-fed)

• Butter (grass-fed)

• Spices - salt, pepper, garlic, taco seasoning, chilli sauce, tamari, coconut aminos

• Brown rice, quinoa, wild rice

• Almond flour, coconut flour, tapioca flour

• Legumes, beans, lentils, chickpeas

• Nuts/seeds - almonds, cashews, pecans, walnuts, chia, almond butter, peanut butter

• Frozen meats (grass-fed, wild-caught) and canned fish (wild-caught tuna, salmon, sardines)

• Canned vegetables (organic with no added sugar or preservatives)

• Vegan Protein Powder (Organifi is the cleanest and you can use my code khofitness for 15% off)

• Almond milk, Coconut Milk

3.)  MAKE AN EFFORT TO EAT/SHOP LOCALLY

One of my favorite things to do is go to my local farmer’s market. I love being able to support the local farms and farmers. Also, I’m ensuring that the fruits and vegetables I consume are in-season and didn’t have to travel far and under sub-optimal conditions to get to me. This means higher nutritional value and less expensive too. Often times produce at the farmer’s market are grown without pesticides (even though they don’t actually say organic) which is another health benefit. Eating and shopping locally will transform the way you cook and eat because you’ll discover new ingredients, add flavor to your meals, and you get to support your community, which makes you feel good inside and out.

4.)  INVEST IN AN AIR FRYER, SLOW COOKER OR AN INSTANT POT

This is one hack that will change your life.  Instead of only using the traditional stove or oven, investing in an air fryer, slow cooker, or instant pot will revolutionize the way you cook meals.  I love tossing veggies in my air fryer. They come out crispy with hardly any oil.  If you're in the mood for "set it and forget it", the slow cooker will come to the rescue.  I just throw everything in the slow cooker in the morning, then come home to a delicious smelling kitchen and dinner ready to be eaten.  The Instant Pot has been my absolute fave these days because it has so many functions in one appliance - saute, stews, steam, slow cook, rice, etc. Pressure cooking is also so much faster so I get meals cooked in a fraction of the time. Regardless of which cooking companion you choose, picking one will make healthy eating and cooking so much more fun this new year, trust me!

5.)  EAT THE RAINBOW

And I don’t mean skittles!  Eat all the colors of the rainbow, plus it makes your plate look pretty!  Having great ingredients on hand is key to making and eating healthy, delicious meals.  Different colors represent different vitamins and minerals so pairing different colors can give you plenty of nutritional benefits.  Aim to get 4–5 different colors of fruits and vegetables in your bowl at each meal. It’s easier than you think, and so much more fun. By adding colorful foods to each plate, you’ll add interesting flavors and appealing textures — and each of those ingredients brings a whole lot of nutrition to your meal. Bright red beets, brilliant orange pumpkin, crunchy purple cabbage, fresh cilantro, and crunchy black sesame seeds are all great examples of ingredients that might not be in your repertoire but guarantee you’ll never have one of those boring green salads again! And if you find it hard to get the rainbow in, my super easy health hack is to make a colorful smoothie.   Starting the day with a powerful colorful smoothie is a clever way of making sure you get all your nutrients in! My other hack is investing in some Green Balance by Arbonne which provides the phytonutrients of 37 fruits and vegetables in one serving. (kristinehedrick.arbonne.com)

6.)  COOK IN BULK!

This year, make a vow to have leftovers. Really!!! And, promise yourself that every week you’ll set aside time to dedicate to some meal prepping. Planning ahead is key.  As the saying goes… “Failing to plan is planning to fail!” Just pick a day each week to batch cook for the week ahead!  You're setting yourself up for a successful healthy week of delicious home-made meals by doing this.  Select a protein, grain and several colorful vegetables to prep and have on hand so meals come together in a pinch. This makes colorful eating and lunch packing a breeze!

7.)  BYOL (BRING YOUR OWN LUNCH)

Packing your own lunch is another really simple way to guarantee a great, healthy meal in the middle of the day.  You're being healthy and saving money in 2020, woohoo!  Practice the eat-for-color rule above, and prepare yourself a little mini buffet spread from last night’s dinner. It doesn’t take more than a little bit of fore-thought to produce a great packed lunch. By bringing your own meal, you’re doing something good for your body and your wallet.

8. )  MAKE BREAKFAST AHEAD

When life gets crazy (as it often does), breakfast is usually missed.  We know that breakfast is an important meal of the day.  Eating a balanced healthy breakfast is important for stabilizing your blood sugar levels early on (so you don't end up craving bad stuff later), keeps your metabolism running, and fuels your body with healthy nutrients for you to use throughout the day. Without proper fuel, your body and brain get sluggish and you lose motivation and focus.  How else will you have energy for work, play, and exercise? 

My favorite easy pre-prepped breakfast ideas include pre-packaged smoothies, overnight oats in mason jars, and egg muffins.  For the smoothies, to save time you can have all the ingredients ready in pre-made single serving baggies.  Overnight oats are an easy go to as well.  Just fill a mason jar with oats, fruit, nuts, chia, and almond milk or whatever healthy ingredients you love.  Let the ingredients sit over night and the next morning you have delicious overnight oats.  Egg muffins are a great protein-packed breakfast for on the go.  Just load up your favorite ingredients (spinach, mushrooms, sausage, basil, etc) add eggs and then bake in a muffin tin.  By making breakfast ahead, there's less stress in the morning!  You'll have a nutritious meal to take with you as you rush out the door in the morning which means you'll be able to tackle the day without a nutrient deficit and be able to think clearer and make better choices all day long!

9.)  MAKE SALAD FOR DINNER

Even when you batch-cooked healthy meals for the week, there will be times when you want to eat something else.  Consider making a delicious salad on these nights.  I like to keep a bunch of spinach, kale or arugula on hand so I can whip up a salad in a pinch.  I keep healthy dressings or make my own (olive/avocado oil, lemon, salt, pepper).  Other fun things to keep on hand to spruce up any salad are nuts (crushed pecans, walnuts, almonds), fresh or dried fruit, leftover protein, and my all time favorite ingredient, avocado!  Even just once a week, you’ll find that this lighter, fresh, healthy, balanced meal is a nice way to get yourself back on track and feeling amazing.  And the best part is that means you still have leftovers in your fridge for you to have the next day.

10.)  SWAP YOUR SWEETENERS

Sugar is on ingredient that we can do without and yet it seems to be in everything. It drives me crazy! Sugar and processed/refined carbs increases inflammation, spikes insulin, and can cause unwanted weight gain.  Be smart about the sweeteners in your meals.  If you can ditch them, do it.  If that's too hard, at least start to think about the source of the sugar and consider using fruit or honey rather than refined sugar.  My sweet dessert option of choice would be fresh fruits or antioxidant-rich dark chocolates.

Cheers to an AWESOME & HEALTHY 2020!!!

If you want to take this further and make these health goals really feel effortless, I’d love to help you. As a Certified Health Coach and Master of Habit Change, I help rewire your brain so you don’t have to remember to be healthy, you just are healthy because that’s what you do!!! Interested in learning more? Set up a FREE Health Strategy Session and let’s chat! Here’s to an AWESOME & HEALTHY NEW YEAR!!!

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