One way to combat the boredom many people complain accompanies eating healthy is to "eat outside your box," by experimenting with new foods and cuisines and by challenging your long held notions about what to eat and when. Iceberg is not the only kind of lettuce, apples and oranges aren't the only fruits and there is no law that says you can't eat mushroom lasagna for breakfast and a southwestern omelet for dinner. And just because your parents always eat turkey on Thanksgiving, fish on Friday and meatloaf on Mondays doesn't mean you have to. Dare to step outside your comfort zone and put an end to your eating rut, by accepting one (or more) of the following challenges to eat and live more healthily and creatively.
1. Make a list of 10 foods that you eat on a regular basis. Over the course of the next month, eat outside your box by avoiding these foods.
2. Try a new food every day. Have you knocked eating brown rice, tofu, sushi or kiwi without ever giving it a try? Don't allow the opinions of others to inhibit your pallet. Give your taste buds an opportunity to decide.
3. Look back at your food diary. Don't eat any of the same foods you ate last month. Use cookbooks to invigorate your mundane menus.
4. Do not visit any of the same restaurants you tried last month. If you eat out, it must be somewhere new. And don't forget to order something new and nutritious off the menu.
5. Look back at your food diary from last month. Use a cookbook to explore ways to make the foods you ate more nutritious ? and unusual.
6. Ask people from different racial, regional and religious and cultural backgrounds to share their favorite foods and recipes. Incorporate at least 2 of these into your menus.
7. Buy a new cookbook with recipes from a cuisine you have never tried. Prepare at least one meal a week from the cookbook.
8. Sit down with a healthy cookbook. Make a list of 30 recipes that look appealing. You don't have to use them immediately ? but they will be there when you need them.
9. Make a special trip to the grocery store to shop for herbs and spices. Buy at least 5 you've never tried and experiment with at least 1 new herb or spice each week.
10. Take a cooking class. Check your local YMCA or community center for course offerings.
11. Flip the script. Make a list of the meals you usually eat for breakfast, a list of meals you usually eat for lunch and a list for dinner. Then eat what you normally eat for lunch for dinner, dinner for breakfast and breakfast for lunch.
12. Each time you go grocery shopping buy at least 5 different brands than you usually do. You may be surprised to learn that different brands offer better taste, nutrition and price.
About The Author
Jackie Stanley is the author of a series of personal wellness and weigth loss journals titled Lettuce Is Not Enough. She can be reached at 336-854-8667 or at www.lettuceisnotenough.com. www.lettuceisnotenough.com
tidy up service Glenview ..It is a question we must ask ourselves continually if... Read More
Your face turns flush and your skin starts to itch.... Read More
Great news on the chocolate front! Chocolate is good for... Read More
Before the thirties, people knew the importance of mineral. Their... Read More
Since the 1930's the western diet has dramatically changed. This... Read More
Some fats are good for you. Your body can't function... Read More
These are questions we have to ask ourselves? because after... Read More
Archeological records indicate that man has cultivated the olive tree... Read More
The best weight training and cardio workouts will do very... Read More
If you do not take time to stand back at... Read More
Although many realize that the liver has its own cleansing... Read More
The concept isometric has been a part of the health... Read More
New studies bring to our attention that high levels of... Read More
Carbohydrates - found in grains, breads, pasta, and sugar, as... Read More
What ancient tribes and people of the Amazon have known... Read More
The typical American diet already provides plenty of protein and... Read More
Random thoughts taken from valuable sources, what many nutrition experts... Read More
Inflammation is not a disease.Inflammation is best described as a... Read More
Finally, dieters and healthy eaters everywhere have reason to rejoice,... Read More
Aging occurs when the body's cells die at faster rates... Read More
It is always amazing to me when I find a... Read More
For the executive, maintaining the much-needed balance between career, family,... Read More
It is believed that cane sugar was discovered before the... Read More
Established in 1989 by Stephen DeFelice, "Foundation for Innovation in... Read More
Following these simple nutrition guidelines will allow you to lose... Read More
maid service near Winnetka ..Most of us eat at restaurants for a variety of... Read More
If you drop a bomb, you kill not only your... Read More
It is always amazing to me when I find a... Read More
With all the news about Splenda of late and the... Read More
The body is a marvelous creation, a carbon, oxygen combustion... Read More
The most dreaded word in many dieter's vocabulary is 'fat'.... Read More
I spent a few days at a resort in Mexico... Read More
Most red and white meats are very fatty and are... Read More
Do you want more energy? How about more of the... Read More
Calcium helps reduce constipationUsing calcium and magnesium in the right... Read More
Eating out when you are on a restricted diet always... Read More
I know that the headline is a oldie, but it... Read More
Detoxifying the body has become an apparent key preventative measure... Read More
Eating right to suit your blood type" is a subject... Read More
Here's a conundrum: While experts agree that high cholesterol and... Read More
Our bodies need cholesterol. We use cholesterol to produce vitamin... Read More
The Human Body is in a constant flux with the... Read More
Dieting is a pain. I think basically everyone would agree... Read More
Protein must be a part of a healthy diet for... Read More
Images of "protein powder" containers with accomplished bodybuilders on their... Read More
Coke, more commonly known as cocaine is a highly addictive... Read More
THE RISKNo doubt you've heard of the increasingly popular "raw... Read More
A flood of scientific evidence about fish oil points to... Read More
Information on potassiumWhen you read about potassium and senate document... Read More
Diets don't work. If they did the U.S. of A.... Read More
Nutrition |