The grocery store is full of food that isn't good for us! Here are some tips for making healthy choices. First, clean out your pantry and get rid of the food that no longer serves you. Once your kitchen is cleared out, don’t buy foods that you shouldn't eat – you'll be tempted to eat them if they are in your home. Whatever you do, don’t go to the grocery store when you are hungry! They are set up to tempt you with bright packaging and misleading labels. The closest you can stay to organic, whole foods the better.
Eating organic food is better for you AND the environment, but it isn't always possible. Second best is being aware of which produce is the least and most contaminated by pesticides. Here's a helpful list from the Environmental Working Group:
CLEAN 15™ - LEAST CONTAMINATED - 2022
Avocado | Sweet Corn | Pineapple | Onion | Papaya | Sweet Peas - Frozen | Asparagus | Honeydew Melon | Kiwi | Cabbage | Mushrooms | Cantaloupes | Mangoes | Watermelon | Sweet Potatoes
DIRTY DOZEN™ - HIGHEST IN PESTICIDES - 2022
Strawberries | Spinach | Kale+Collard+Mustard Greens | Nectarines | Apples | Grapes | Bell and Hot Peppers | Cherries | Peaches | Pears | Celery | Tomatoes
Use fresh, whole ingredients as building blocks for your meals. Remember to keep meals simple and close to home. Feeding ourselves can seem like an endless job, but doing advanced preparation can help avoid ordering take out at the end of your work day.
• Cut up a bunch of veggies one afternoon for convenient snacks throughout the week
• Keep fruit in the car or a fruit basket at work for quick and easy snacks
• Keep nuts and seeds in the car/office for snacks (raw and unsalted)
• Make a simple salad dressing to last the entire week
• Prep ingredients for smoothies for the week in individual ziploc bags and freeze
• Boil a dozen eggs for snacks or quick breakfasts
• Batch cook on one or two days during the week
• Don’t forget to freeze leftovers
Healthy eating is key to healthy living. What we put in affects all the systems that work together to keep you going. Take some time to think about your food, your body will thank you! If you’d like to learn more about healthy eating and how it affects your overall health, Linden Acupuncture offers herbal and nutritional counseling to complement our acupucnture services. Find out more and book an appointment at this link.
