5 Simple Ways to Eat Healthier
Filed Under: Featured, Healthy Living
photo by The Wandering Angel
I was inspired recently by a series of posts by Steve Pavlina on his 30 day experiment eating a raw diet. Since reading most of his posts I have started making some changes in how I eat. When I think about how I have gone from being a true junk food junkie about 5 years ago to now eating very healthy, I realize that I made small changes along the way.
Now I am not a raw foodist and I’m not a vegetarian, but I may become close to one someday. For now, I have been taking the approach of slowly substituting healthier choices more and more. And from all the reading that I’ve done, including a fantastic book called The China Study, it appears that eating lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grains is the healthiest way to live. It lengthens life and improves the quality of your life with better health and more energy.
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to eat animal food products and in fact those types of foods are what leads to today’s top killer diseases. You don’t even need that much protein in your diet. You can actually get all the protein you need from fruits, vegetables and whole grains! Yes, it’s true! I haven’t cut out all animal foods, but the less I eat of them, the less I want to eat them.
So I thought I would suggest 5 simple food ideas that you could incorporate into your day to begin a habit of eating healthier. My recommendation is to implement one idea each day. As you go along in your life you may choose to add more healthy choices, and hopefully one day you’ll wake up and realize that you have become a healthy eater!
1. Eat a Raw Breakfast. Before you cringe, let me tell you this is so delicious. Once you try it, you’ll be hooked.
Green Smoothie
In a blender mix:
- 2 Bananas
- 1 Cup berries (any kind, frozen is perfect)
- 1-2 cups spinach or any other type of green leafy vegetable
- 1 cup water
Optional (these are not vegetarian)
- 1 scoop whey protein
- 1/4 cup yogurt (plain, vanilla, lowfat, no fat, whatever you like)
photo by faster panda kill kill
And if you want to become serious about eating healthier, I can’t recommend anything more highly than a VitaMix blender. It’s a little pricey, but they last a lifetime and they make eating healthy a breeze. I love mine!
2. Eat a Green Lunch. Here are two great choices.
Hearty Salad
- 3-4 cups greens (baby spinach, romaine, field greens, arrugala)
- 1 diced tomato
- 1 chopped avacado
- onion
- olives
- 1/2 - 1 cup chickpeas
Dressing Ideas
- 1/4 cup Hummous, Tabouli, or Baba Ganouj
- 2 Tbsp your favorite dressing
Optional (non-vegetarian)
- 2-4 oz grilled chicken breast
- toasted whole grain bread (Alvarado, Ezekiel 4:9) with 1 tspn olive oil and shredded garlic
Avacado Salad
- 2-3 mashed avacados
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in halves
- onion to taste
- 1 clove grated garlic
- 1/4 lemon or lime juice
- 1-2 stalks celery
Eat this on either
- 1-2 slices toasted whole grain bread
- several whole romain leaves as a roll-up
3. Eat a Healthy Snack. Choose fruit for your snack and bear in mind that you can’t eat too much fruit. Don’t believe the old notions about it having too much fructose. Fruit also has fiber which evens out the fructose. No need to stop at 1 banana. If you need it, have two!
Yummy Apples
- 1-2 cut up apples
- 2 Tbspn natural peanut butter
(Peanut butter is OK in small amounts, but get the natural kind with no sugar or hydrogenated oils. The ingredients should say: “Peanuts, salt”)
4. Eat a Veggie Dinner. When you eat a veggie dinner like this it takes a little longer to eat, but it’s quick to cook. Also, keep in mind that since your body will digest this food faster than animal based food, you will likely need an early evening snack/dessert.
Green Bean Delight (feeds 1 person)
Saute in a frying pan:
- 1 large bag of fresh green beans
- 1 8 oz box of mushrooms (your favorite kind) (mushrooms boost your immunity!)
- 1 Tspn of olive oil and/or 1/4 cup water to steam/saute - at the end the water should be mostly all evaporated. Add more water a little at a time if needed during cooking.
- 1 clove grated garlic - add at the end.
Cook on medium high, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms are cooked. At that point the beans will be cooked but still crisp. Add the garlic during the last 30 seconds to 1 minute of cooking and stir briskly to keep garlic from burning.
5. Enjoy a Nutritious Dessert. This is not vegetarian because of the yogurt, but it’s still healthier than plain ice cream. The lower the fat content you choose the healthier it will be.
Creamy Fruit Smash
Combine either chopped or mixed into a smoothie. Choose one or all of these fruits:
- 1-2 Mangoes
- 1-2 cups berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blueberries (wild=best) - a frozen mix is easiest) Leave frozen for smoothie or defrost for 20 minutes if leaving whole.
- 1 cup yogurt
photo by traci_todd112
Enjoy!
And please share your favorite healthy recipes with us in the comments below! If you like this, please share with a friend or on your favorite bookmarking service.
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Stefan|muscle building program | Feb 28, 2008 | Reply
It seems like a really healthy thing to do. But I don’t know, there are so many wonderful spices that taste good cooked. There must be a reason for that. I also saw a picture of a guy that has a raw food cook book. He looked unhealthy skinny.
Stefan
Shopwiser | Feb 29, 2008 | Reply
Are you sure this replaces all the things you loose from giving up meat? I recently gave up meat (well about 6 weeks ago) and I have found it hard making sure I get enough iron, vitamins, minerals etc. A lot of people recommend meal replacement shakes, what do you think of those compared to putting the effort in like in your post?
etavitom | Feb 29, 2008 | Reply
Truly some great advice. Thank you very much….
amh | Mar 1, 2008 | Reply
Green beans… for dinner….
WTH. You couldn’t add a few more veggies in that stir fry? Some brown rice or something?
I already have smoothies for breakfast and dessert, so that’s one good recommendation.
One of my favorite smoothies is bananas, yogurt, peanut butter and flax seed for fiber. Ground flax seed also has a great nutty taste, I’ve found.
A friend of mine and I made pumpkin smoothies; here’s the recipe:
1 cup soy milk
2 cups soy ice cream
1/3 c. pumpkin
1 tsp cinnamon
dash cloves
2 dashes nutmeg
dash ginger
Makes a DELICIOUS dessert.
Buck | Mar 1, 2008 | Reply
I think I’ve have a hard time convincing people to try that green smoothie but it sounds pretty tasty.
June Tanner | Mar 2, 2008 | Reply
Really great recipes. I like to do the same thing you did with the green beans, but using rapini or kai choi instead. I saute the garlic and mushrooms in the olive oil, just until the garlic is fragrant and then throw in the greens. Saute 1 minute, turn of the heat and put the lid on for one minute. Rapini and kai choi both cook rapidly, like spinach, and you want them to be crisp tender. So tasty and so good for you.
Evan | Mar 2, 2008 | Reply
I’m mostly vego in my eating.
However there are a couple of cautions about being vego in a (largely) carnivorous society.
Women especially need to be sure to get enough iron. A (VERY) rough guide is the redness you can see through your nails and if you look at the redness when you pull down your lower eyelid.
Tofu can lead to thyroid problems. If you eat a lot of tofu (and people who go vegetarian often use it as their protein replacement) watch out for any weight or temperature regulation problems.
Raw food is probably best for a cleansing diet. After a months or three try re-introducing some cooked food and see how it feels.
However just about every study shows that a largely vegetarian diet is much healthier. And it is easy - think convenient (an apple takes not time to prepare) not convenience food and enjoy the health and energy you deserve.
Gregorio | Mar 2, 2008 | Reply
I’m addicted to smoothies this article is perfect for me.
agentsully | Mar 3, 2008 | Reply
@Evan - thank you for commenting and sharing!
agentsully | Mar 3, 2008 | Reply
@June - I like your idea of how to cook the garlic. I’ve never tried rapini or kai choi. I’ll have to seek them out! thanks!
agentsully | Mar 3, 2008 | Reply
@amh - mmm, that sounds really yummy. thanks
agentsully | Mar 3, 2008 | Reply
@Etavitom - thanks as always for your support! Everyone needs to check out your site!
agentsully | Mar 3, 2008 | Reply
@Shopwiser - yes! it does. check out “the china study.” It very completely outlines how you get everything you need from a vegetarian diet. I didn’t believe before until I saw the nutritional facts.
agentsully | Mar 3, 2008 | Reply
@Stephan - I think it must be very hard to be a raw foodist, but it is very healthy. From what I read some people need extra hydrocloric acid (stomach acid) to be on this diet. I agree that cooked food tastes so good. I couldn’t do it all the way, but I’ve been trying to incorporate some elements of it into my diet and it feels very positive.
Fitness Friend | Mar 3, 2008 | Reply
Good article. The healthiest, most vivacious people I know are vegans.
Jim | Mar 4, 2008 | Reply
It seems that as of late, all of these organic food cravings have been going a bit out of style as the domestic economy becomes more and more conservative in consumer spending through what appears to be a mild recession. These diet tips are great, lets just hope all of these products continue to appear on the shelves
theregoesdave | Mar 6, 2008 | Reply
These are great ideas! Sometimes it’s hard to remember that it takes small steps to make big changes in our health and our diets.
Thanks!!
Rabatt | Mar 7, 2008 | Reply
Eating healthy is so important! There is a need to spread the word.
Diet Advice | Mar 11, 2008 | Reply
Until recently, I was caught in the more meat = more protein = more muscle myth. However, after eating a lot healthier, adding fruits and vegetables to my diet and being less reliant on meats (don’t get me wrong, I still get plenty of meat), I feel a lot better and even notice that my body is still growing at a steady pace :). Nice article, it makes me feel good that people are actually caring enough about themselves to make a difference.
Utah Transport | Mar 12, 2008 | Reply
that green smoothie looks pretty cool and sounds good and all, except for the spinachy part. wont that mess up a delicious fruit smoothie? o_O
George Lindemann Jr | Mar 13, 2008 | Reply
I would add that in addition to making a plan for shopping, that a plan should be made for (at least) the entire week for what you are going to eat. This will cut down on junk food binging and “quick stops” at fast food places.
James Blake | Mar 15, 2008 | Reply
Oh my goodness!!! I love da fruits
Better be strawberry but anyway I cat eat all of this and want to eat wright now 
Akhmad Guntar | Mar 15, 2008 | Reply
The frightening truth is that a high percentage of the field crops we are eating have been sprayed with a wide variety of deadly poisons! These include chlorinated hydrocarbons, pesticides, toxic fertilizers, herbicides, fungicides, and other phosphorus and toxic compounds that are used in growing.
Also, the next time you eat an apple, green pepper or cucumber, etc. take a good look at its surface. Is it bright, smooth and have a glossy look? If so, beware! Chances are it’s coated with a wax paraffin solution which is one of America’s most serious health threats, according to medical experts!
chris | Mar 15, 2008 | Reply
Whats not vegetarian about whey? its made from milk. its not vegan but thats not that same thing.
Angela | Mar 15, 2008 | Reply
I’m insane of Creamy Fruit Smashes, now that doubles.
smithlist | Mar 16, 2008 | Reply
Nice photo. Yummy Apples - best! thanks!
Great Scott | Mar 18, 2008 | Reply
Green smoothies really do rock.
Erikka Fasting Arone | Mar 19, 2008 | Reply
This is a nice post. Why not try fasting? It is considered as the most effective and safest way to increase elimination of waste buildups and enhance the body’s miraculous self-healing and self-repairing process that keeps us healthy and youthful.
Easy Witchcraft | Mar 20, 2008 | Reply
Just trying to choose the vegetarian option whenever possible will do a lot for your health. Since becoming vegetarian, I’ve lost my excess body-fat and gained so much energy.
When you’re vegan, you can actually try to eat more cakes and desserts because they usually use nuts and fruit rather than sugar and are really pretty healthy.
Evan | Mar 21, 2008 | Reply
To all the vegetarians and (especially) vegans out there.
It is a much healthier diet than the standard western one. One precaution: watch the amount of tofu you eat - it can affect thyroid function.
It took a friend of mine 18 months to two years to get her weight back to normal.
agentsully | Mar 21, 2008 | Reply
@Evan - thank you for that advice.
Top Dog | Mar 23, 2008 | Reply
hey thanks for the advice, seems theres so much to learn about healthy eating out there.
agentsully | Mar 25, 2008 | Reply
@Top Dog - You’re welcome! Hope to see you again soon.
wordpress best blogs | Mar 25, 2008 | Reply
those smoothies look good. My favorite healthy thing to eat is chicken.
wordpress best blogs
Mike | Mar 30, 2008 | Reply
I usually go to Jamba Juice for my daily fix of fruit smoothies. Thanks so much for posting these receipes.
Philippe Rathé | Mar 31, 2008 | Reply
Let’s just take your 1st point.
This isn’t a good option. First where is your fat? Not eating fat, nor a great amount of protein make your digestion too quick. This may cause you problems in over-stimulating your pancreas and leads to hypoglycemia.
Someone that has hypoglycemia eating this lunch will give hime a hard time. Health is more complex than this.
new zealand tourism | Apr 1, 2008 | Reply
Some great advice for people who need to get their food lifestyle in check.
I am not too sure I would be into my spinach being in my smoothie, but considering I always pile lots of it on my sandwich at lunch I think I am ok.
Teenage Love | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply
Your advice is good. But I would like to point out that is it really worth taking those foods? Because we really need to enjoy our life and therer is no meaning of taking such a diet just to keep healthy. Moreover health only comes from balanced diet. So, my opinion is that we should take raw food but also take other spicy tasty foods in a balanced way. I would also like you to chalk out a diet of raw food for the eastern world. And I invite you to visit India. I bet after eating our food you will not stick to your raw food diet for long. Good Luck with your blogging and to your children. Thanks.
Mark | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply
The Creamy Fruit Smash, quick, easy, and delicious.
agentsully | Apr 3, 2008 | Reply
@Teenage Love - the truth is you can have a healthy diet and it can be yummy too! Really! I don’t think I could do raw all the time, but when possible it would be good. Also vegan seems to be the healthiest diet to choose. I’m working on that. It takes a little while to learn new ways of cooking and also converting my family! I’d love to visit India! I love Indian food! It’s my favorite!! Thanks for the well wishes!
Relieve back pain | Apr 6, 2008 | Reply
One my favorite smoothie is:
2 banana
some strawberries
pineapple
4 raw fertile eggs
blend everything in a blender and drink.
Very nutritious, enjoy.
Carey Mathias | Apr 7, 2008 | Reply
mmm! That green smoothie looks appetizing. Never been a fan of spinach, but i’ll be sure to try it.
Mike W. | Apr 8, 2008 | Reply
Thanks for the great tips.
Eating healthy is tough to do. I’ve been trying to eat well, but I tend to run out of ideas for foods that are healthy AND tasty. I’ll definitely be using your advice, as well as some variations on the things you’ve listed.
Utah Warehousing | Apr 9, 2008 | Reply
That green slushy drink looks intriguing! Id love to sip on one of those while im driving. maybe its time i get myself a blender..
~Mike
aerobatics instruction | Apr 12, 2008 | Reply
Thanks for sharing. I am so lucky that I love healthy food