We’re on a mission to simplify the Healthy Habits that make a difference. Small, positive changes than you can stick with FOR LIFE are the key to vibrant health, reaching and maintaining a healthy weight and preventing lifestyle related disease.
In the coming weeks we’re introducing 10 Healthy Habits that are must do to be your most vibrant, happy and productive self. And we’ll teach you how easy it is to make these behaviours part of your life.
Our first Healthy Habit is arguably the most important and easiest thing you can do to drastically improve your nutrition. It’s also a simple cue for building a healthy meal in any situation.
Fill half your plate with plants at every meal
We love this Healthy Habit because it’s all about adding something healthy in rather than taking something away. Let’s shift our mindset from deprivation to abundance!
Vegetables pack a big nutrient punch for relatively few calories. They’re also packed with fibre and help keep you fuller for longer – key to weight loss.
Eating more vegetables means that you’re crowding out the other less healthy options that tend to fill our plates. It’s a common habit to fill your plate with starchy carbs like pasta and bread and way too much animal protein. That’s a recipe for weight gain, gut issues and a general feeling of yuckness.
By instead focusing on colourful and leafy vegetables you’re promoting a healthier gut, and helping your body perform a host of disease fighting functions.
So how do we pack more veggies into all our meals?
Eat the rainbow
Aim to eat include a wide variety of vegetables daily. This is the key to ensuring your body gets the micronutrients it needs. The easy cue for this is to make your plate colourful with a range of different veggies that include:
- leafy greens like spinach, rocket and kale
- sulfur rich veggies like broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower and cabbage
- colourful veggies like tomato, red capsicum and carrot
Learn a few simple cooking methods to prepare your veggies. Enjoy them raw in a salad with a yummy dressing, steamed, blanched and stir-fried. Our favourite way to enjoy a wide range of veggies is roasted with a drizzle of olive oil and a good crack of salt and pepper.
Make a green smoothie
Getting veggies into your breakfast is often the biggest shift for clients. The best way to have a plant-packed breaky in a hurry is to make a green smoothie. I promise they’re far more delicious than they sound (and often look). Making a green smoothie is easy. Just use this formula and add the following into a blender:
- 1 cup liquid (water, coconut water, almond milk or coconut milk)
- 2 cups leafy greens
- 1-2 scoops of protein powder (we use Clean Lean Protein by NuZest)
- 1 cup of berries or low sugar fruit
- Blend and enjoy!
Have options ready to go
When you’re ravenous and in a rush, no one craves a vegetable. That’s why you need to plan ahead and be prepared.
- Peel and chop carrots, cucumbers and celery to enjoy with hummus as a snack when you get home from work
- Wash salad leaves and combine dry ingredients ahead of time, adding ingredients like tomato, avocado and salad dressing when you’re ready to eat.
- Chop stir fry veggies and pre portion in Ziploc bags to throw in the wok for a quick dinner.
Enjoy fruit but limit to 2 servings a day.
A serving is a small piece of fruit or half a cup of berries.
Make great big veggie packed soups
Soups are an easy and delicious way to load your meal with vegetables. You can also make a big pot on the weekend that will last you a few days of lunches and the odd dinner. Add a portion of protein and you’ve got a seriously satisfying meal.
Make this one change this week and see how good you feel! Stay tuned for our next Healthy Habit.
