Finding Positives on Food Labels

It's been said before, but it needs to be said again.

It has shown in research that those who read food labels (facts and ingredients) eat healthier and maintain a healthier lifestyle. It makes sense people! Paying attention to the details is super important.

When you read a food label, what are you looking at? Calories? Fat? Sugar? You should look at these three things to make sure they are not dominating the item. But what else should you look at? When it comes to positives look here:

• Protein - eating protein along side of carbohydrates has shown to curb your hunger for a longer time, thus causing you to eat less Calories and keep the weight down. Also, for recovering purposes, protein in the ratio of 3:1 carbs:protein will help you recover faster.
• Mono and Poly unsaturated fats - a lot of labels can be misleading. It can be super high in fat so the Calories and Fat from Calories will be high, but the benefits from these fats is still great. When buying high fat items (oils, nuts, some meats) look not only at total fat, see what fats they are. These fats help with heart health, skin health, and vitamin absorption.
• Fiber - many of you probably already look here. Keep the fiber content high. And remember, fruit and veggies are still the best option on where to get your fiber.
• Serving Size or Serving Per Container - this one is REALLY important. All of the other stuff you look at will be thrown completely out of proportion if you don't look here at all. See how much one serving size is. If you can't imagine how many that is for you, try to split it by the serving per container. And then be realistic. When you will use the product, how much will you use?

There are definitely more things to look at. How about those ingredients? People like to avoid high fructose corn sugar, enriched grains, MSG, weird chemicals, and more. All of that is ok, but there are other things to keep in mind. Remember that the list of ingredients goes in order by its weight inside the product. So if something is towards the beginning, theres a lot of it. If it is at the end there is much much less. Here are two good things to look for:

• Recognizable items - Peanuts, apples, milk, eggs, salt, etc. All of these things are ingredients you've seen or know of and are things you'd eat. Making sure that there are not too many unpronouncable or unfamiliar ingredients will increase the wholeness of the product and the nutritional value of the product.
• Less items - Less is better. If you are reading a whole book of ingredients in something as simple as bread, you may want to look elsewhere. That is some super processed food. Not only is your body not always happy about the amount of processed food that goes through, but it loses a ton of its nutritional value when processed too much.

Finally, make sure you are checking the dates. I want you guys being safe with those perishables.

Don't get thrown off by the front label. Look at that nice black and white nutrition facts label and ingredients before throwing it in the cart. Simply by reading, you will be on the way to healthier eating! The more you knoooooow...

The Best Things to Have in the Fridge

Woah, I need to do posts more often...

Ok! Your fridge is a useful tool. Use it! Sure it keeps stuff cold, but in all honesty, it saves you time. I was looking in my fridge recently and noticed a few things that can make life easier for many people by cutting down on prep or providing a quick, healthy snack.

1. Chopped up Peppers/Onions/Mushrooms/etc. - This idea is super simple. Buy your favorite veggies and chop them up and put them in a container and put them in the fridge. Do a bunch at one time. Now you've got aweome omelets, awesome mac & cheeses, awesome rice dishes, and awesome salads. Think about it. The next time you make scrambled eggs, all you have to do is open the container and dump in a bit of your veggie cocktail with the eggs. Boom. Instant upgrade.
2. Hummus - I know, I know...you all already love this stuff and have it on hand. But wait. Did you even realize how much you can do with this stuff? It can literally be eaten with all kinds of chips/pretzels/crackers. You can also use it to spread on anything as well! Think about your favorite sandwich, subtract the mayo or dressing, and add in a layer of roasted red pepper hummus. Oh yeah, deliciousness.
3. Steel-Cut Oats - So these are just super tasty and good for you. As far as carbs to eat in the morning go, these are at the top. They'll give all you athletes long term, low glycemic energy to help you get through those long mornings or afternoons. But of course the oats come with a warning. It can take forever to make. Seriously, sometimes up to 20-25 min just to cook on the stovetop. Then it's incredibly too hot to eat. So you're looking at like a 40 min start to in-the-belly time. So it's simple. Cook some to the side next time you're making dinner, cap it, and heat it up the next morning microwave style. You'll thank me.
4. Whole Romaine Hearts - I make sure to have these stocked in my fridge at all times. I'll tell you why. First, they stay fresh for a loooong time. You don't have to worry about eating that bag-o-salad super fast before it gets smelly and gross. Second, it's easy to wash and cut for salads. All you have to do is grab a heart, and chop it lengthwise like you would a carrot or celery and then throw some perpendicular cuts in there to keep it bite sized. Third, the leaves are already perfect size to put on sandwiches. No more lettuce falling or needing alterations just to fit. Lieterally rip off a leaf and place on sandwich. And if you complain to me about needing to rip it one more time...Fourth, this stuff is good for you! These dark green leaves will provide you with more nutritional value than your basic iceburg lettuces. You're looking at calcium, vitamin D, and other boosters for your diet.
5. Cooked chicken breasts - Are you starting to see a pattern? Make bigger batches and save! Next time you're making chicken, go ahead and throw 2 or 3 extra breasts on there. Why chicken? It's not only a solid source of lean protein, but it can be added to many things: sandwiches, soups, salads, rice dishes, jambalaya, or eaten just plain! Pro tip: wrap and cover the chicken before reheating in the microwave to conserve some moisture and prevent drying out. This can be wax paper, a paper towel, or even just the container it was saved in.

These are my ideas! What are yours? I'd love to hear from you :)

Remember that tackling your diet is up to you and big changes take time! This is one good reason to read tips (on funky blogs like mine) from time to time to refresh your thinking!