Change the Way You Look at Food!

I wanted to post some pictures of the types of foods we have been eating. I've changed my diet a lot, and I'm eating mostly clean -- eliminating processed foods, sugar, junk food, high sodium, white flour, and ADDING more wholesome, nutritious food. I am focusing more on protein, since I don't think I was getting enough beforehand. I also try to incorporate vegetables into every meal of the day.

And I said *we* at the beginning of this post because Derek and Jared have been joining with me (and of course Noah too, but he was always eating healthy). Derek has still been eating some junk a few times a week but overall he has been making a lot of healthier choices, which makes me happy! 

One thing I wanted to point out was that I don't consider myself on a "diet". And I'm not trying to lose weight. I think this is the problem many people have. They have the mindset of, oh I'm on a diet so I can't eat anything that I want, only "healthy, low calorie" stuff.. so they eat a bland salad every day and load up the ranch dressing, or they drink lots of sugary juice instead of pop, or they eat all of those boxed cereals/snacks/bars that say, "only 99 calories & fat free" but they are loaded with sugar, sodium and preservatives!!! Instead of just having the mindset that I CAN eat what I want, and what I want to eat is food that is GOOD for my body. And if once in while, I'm at a family party, and I want to have a piece of cake, or a cookie, then it's not the end of the world and I don't need to count how many calories and grams of fat I just consumed. If you restrict yourself SO much then you'll eventually just binge. If you really crave a dessert, simply try making a healthier alternative version of it! That's what it's all about!

Eat healthy because you want to BE healthy, not because you want the world to think you're "skinny". If that's your motive, then that's why you've failed. Because at the end of the day, if you're not doing it for yourself, you don't care enough to continue on for the rest of your life. This is a lifestyle, not a fad diet. 

I'm far from a nutritionist or clean eating expert and in no way perfect at eating 100% whole food all the time, but I do believe that we really need to change the way we THINK about and LOOK at food. I'm only just beginning on my journey and I'm still learning new things every day. But I'm excited for this new chapter in my life. Two months ago I wasn't even cooking dinner most nights, and on the nights that I did it was mostly Kraft mac & cheese (gross!). Now I actually look forward to experimenting and trying new things!

Here's some examples of things we've been eating lately...

Brown rice, lentils, pinto beans with sautéed broccoli, acorn squash, & zucchini

Green smoothie with kale, spinach, peanut butter, banana, & almond milk 

Steel-cut oatmeal, almond milk, banana, blackberries & a drizzle of honey

Juice for everyone! Beets, carrots, radish, celery, orange, lime, lemon, kale, parsley & cilantro

Similar to the first dish but a little different - Quinoa with lentils, chicken breast, zucchini & acorn squash

My favorite lunch! Whole grain toast with avocado, swiss cheese, tomato, salt/pepper & oregano. Sometimes I add egg whites to this as well. And a berry banana protein smoothie blended with coconut milk, chia & flax seeds

Combination rice (5 kinds - including wild rice), red kidney beans, & a spinach salad with strawberries, almonds, olive oil/stevia, & sprinkled hemp seeds, 

This is Noah's version of that dinner ^^

Chocolate protein milkshake made with cottage cheese, protein powder, stevia, peanut butter, cocoa powder, & almond milk (and ice)

Energy balls made with peanut butter, honey, semi-sweet (didn't have dark) chocolate chips, oats, flax, chia & chocolate protein powder

Protein bars made with peanut butter, almond butter, almonds, craisens, dark chocolate chips, agave, chia, flax, choc. protein powder, & oats (would have been even better with coconut!)

Protein cookies made with chocolate protein powder, peanut butter, almond milk & agave (will use honey next time instead because it's better for you)

We always use natural peanut butter, natural almond butter & unsweetened almond milk. And I use olive oil and/or coconut oil when cooking.