Bucking the Fast Food Marketing
Making fresh, homecooked meals every night is a rarity for millions of people that are busy with work and family life. Today, convenience foods and fast food restaurants have become the go-to for many busy families around the country. Convenience food products such as frozen pizzas, prepared mixes, canned soups, and other microwaveable foods means that individuals and families are lacking quality, wholesome nutrition. Processed food items like these usually have very little fiber, high saturated fat and sodium content, and lack the nutrients that fresh foods have. There has been controversy for many decades over microwaving food and the dangers of zapping nutritional content.
Yet, advertising and commercials make these processed foods appealing because they’re fast and easy to prepare, but in fact, they’re doing real damage to your health and can be a hazard to healthy living. Don’t fall victim to fast food marketing tactics. A whole food diet can be quick and even more economical. Here are some mistakes to avoid and tips on how to change what you eat so you can live a healthier lifestyle.
#1: Plan.
Set aside time to plan your menu for the week and if you’re short on time, get your shopping done in one trip at the beginning of the week to cut down time spent on stopping at the grocery store multiple times. Planning can not only save you money, but it will also help you prepare on what meals you need to cook ahead of time and which ones you’ll need to set aside time to prepare when you get home at night. Planning ahead will help you start integrating, fresh, homecooked meals into your diet rather than relying on convenience food day in and day out.
#2: Make your diet a “whole” one.
If you live a busy, active lifestyle, you can still eat well while on the go. Just prepare fresh meals ahead of time and then freeze them until you’re ready to eat it, then add some fresh organic fruit and vegetables as your side dish. Your diet should include a variety of raw, fresh fruits and vegetables, so if you’re hungry during the day for a snack, instead of giving into your craving for a greasy bag of chips, have a variety of fresh items on hand or items that have low saturated fat and no processed sugar to eat instead. Or, invest in a blender or juicer, as this can allow you to drink your fruits and veggies and make it a flavorful treat during the day! It is very important to make each meal as well-balanced as possible.
If you’re tired of feeling lethargic or even “empty” after eating processed, packaged foods, it’s time to make a change. Do your homework when it comes to the importance of what you’re putting in your body. If you’re struggling with how to make a positive change in how you eat and you need help on how to adjust your diet and lifestyle, I can help provide some helpful tips and some of my favorite go-to healthy foods. Your health as well as the health of your family is incredibly important and making a shift away from convenience foods to fresh, wholesome products will be life-giving in the end.