March Challenge!

No More Junk Food!

In our hectic everyday lives, convenience has become the name of the game. Grabbing a quick meal deal, settling for a ready-meal, and snacks over-loaded with sugar and salt are all far too easy (and tempting!) and what should be an occasional treat has become the norm. So this month we want to challenge you to make a change to your eating habits. The easiest way to do this is to avoid processed foods. Here are our suggestions for a successful month of healthy eating.

• Read the ingredients label
  5 or more ingredients that are unfamiliar or unpronounceable? Then back to the shelf you go!
• Increase your consumption of whole foods, especially vegetables and fruits
  No more counting calories, fat grams, or carbs when your only concern is selecting whole foods that are more the product of nature than “the product of industry.”

• Buy your bread from a local bakery
  If you check the ingredients on most superstore breads you’ll find 40 different items on the list, including white flour and sugar. Why would there be so many on the list if it only takes a handful of ingredients (like whole-wheat flour, water, yeast, and salt) to make bread?
• Go for the Whole-Grain option
  When selecting foods like pastas, cereals, rice, and crackers always go for whole-grain; and don’t just believe the health claims on the outside of the box.  Read the ingredient label to make sure the product is truly made with only 100% whole grains – not a combination of whole grains and refined grains which is unfortunately how a lot of so-called “whole grain” products are made.
• Avoid store-bought products containing high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS)
  HFCS is “a reliable marker for a food product that has been highly processed” and food “that has some form of sugar (or sweetener) listed among the top three ingredients” should be avoided where possible.

• Don’t order from the kids’ menu
  Avoid the kids’ menu’s pre-made chicken nuggets, deep-fried French fries, pasta made with white flour, and so on. Instead try assembling some sort of side-item plate with a baked potato and whatever vegetables your kid will eat and/or try sharing some of your meal.