Top 50 ways to enjoy food, be healthy AND lose weight

I have to like what I eat.
It’s not that every meal has to be 5-star. I know people who, when there’s “nothing to eat in the house,” graze on whatever is available, never getting satisfied, but over-eating in the process.
The common problem of people who hire me is that they’ve experienced healthy eating as boring and depriving. Or, as too hard. The changes they do try to make haven’t stuck.
Unfortunately, too many people think that enjoying food is opposed to healthy eating and weight loss. 
But it’s not true!
Take a look at these top 50 ways to enjoy food, be healthy AND lose weight:

  1. Eat with people you like – you’re likely to make better choices (e.g. you don’t seek “extra” enjoyment from food)
  2. Eat when you’re hungry – snacking/grazing when you’re not hungry is over-eating
  3. Experience gratitude for provision
  4. Slow down – chew, don’t swallow nearly whole
  5. Pay attention to the various flavors
  6. Create artwork on your plate – we eat with our eyes, too
  7. Notice the texture of your food
  8. Try new restaurants – keeps life interesting
  9. Order different meals at your regular haunts
  10. Order something you normally wouldn’t just because you think it’s too expensive
  11. Splurge on quality meals at home
  12. Make veggies taste good – there are ways (and not just with cheese 😃).
  13. Take a cooking class
  14. Search “tasty & healthy recipes” online
  15. Create appetizers from your favorite meals – a little goes a long way
  16. Don’t eat food you don’t like – Brussels sprouts for me? No, thank you!
  17. Avoid foods that don’t make you feel good – like a stomachache or headache
  18. Less is more – when you overeat, enjoyment is diminished
  19. Ask “How can I add ‘healthy’ to this meal?”
  20. Experiment with spices – just a little can transform a dish
  21. Stop eating meals in your car
  22. Stop checking email and social media while eating
  23. Eat alfresco
  24. Use fine linens
  25. Candlelight dining
  26. Sit down, rather than stand
  27. Turn off the TV
  28. Before eating, decide how you want to feel when you’re finished
  29. Find your umami – what hits your pallet just right?
  30. Check out cookbooks at the library – I got The Plantpower Way and made several recipes before deciding to buy.

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    Vegan lasagna. This was so good!
  31. Blend up frozen berries for a delicious dessert
  32. Trade out white flour for whole wheat
  33. Use brown rice instead of white
  34. Try different grains, like quinoa
  35. Substitute apple sauce for 1/3 to 1/2 the oil in baked goods
  36. Learn to make delicious salad dressings – easy to whip up and make a big difference in taste
  37. Experiment with the plethora of vegetarian “burgers” on the market
  38. Eat half the bun of your hamburger (the whole bun is usually too big)
  39. Top a burger or sandwich with less condiments and more veggies
  40. Experiment with juicing – lots of concentrated nutrients in one glass
  41. Reduce the amount of sugar in your coffee/tea – train your taste buds to enjoy less
  42. Substitute olive oil mayo for the regular stuff
  43. Better yet, try using just mustard or smearing avocado on a sandwich or burger
  44. Try a turkey burger in place of beef
  45. Serve yourself smaller portions – then wait to see if you’re still hungry
  46. Have fresh herbs, like basil, readily available in your kitchen
  47. Legumes – a fiber-filled addition to many meals like scrambled eggs and salads
  48. Hummus – a healthier and heartier dip than, say, ranch dressing
  49. Have three healthy & tasty go-to meals that you can make in a pinch
  50. Focus more on adding, less on subtracting

Enjoying healthy food is about more than just what we eat. I’ll bet you’re already doing some of these. Pick a few more. And rather than making an overnight, wholesale change to your eating, remember that small steps lead to big results. Another way of saying it: the tortoise wins every time.
If you struggle with squeezing these and other healthy habits into your hectic schedule, let’s talk about how I can support you in reaching your goals.
Enjoy food. Love life. Be you again.
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