Since getting pregnant with Little Lion, I have been much more aware of what I put into my body. When it comes to health and nutrition, my philosophy is to keep things simple. There are lots of trends in the nutrition business, and no matter what method you choose, it seems that there is research to back it up. While many people get incredible results from one extreme plan or another, I have a hard time following strict rules on a daily basis. I have read a lot about going vegan, and a lot about Paleo, and I have decided to take a more middle of the road approach… I call this “Less Chemicals, More Vegetables.”

By this I mean that my main goals are to eliminate foods that contain added chemicals and preservatives when possible, buy organic when practical, and make sure half of every meal is made up of vegetables.  I am yet to find a research study saying that this strategy is bad for us (and basic logic tells me that it is better than doing nothing), so for now I figure it is the best plan for our family! I have made some very simple changes in the way I shop that have enabled me to eliminate lots of unnecessary chemicals and preservatives from the food we eat, and have also worked hard to incorporate lots more veggies!

1. Buy “plain” foods and add flavor at home – I had no idea how many added ingredients there were in things like yogurt and oatmeal! I now buy the plain version and add to them later. My favorite add-ins for yogurt are honey or fresh fruit. I love adding peaches or blueberries to my oatmeal before I cook it (I use quick oats). If I don’t have any fresh fruit I love to add peanut butter and fruit preserves instead! (Yes, it sounded crazy to me at first too, but it is delicious!).

2. Plan your meals around the veggies – Rather than start my meal planning with the meat or grain element, I plan for the vegetable. If it is going to take up half of my meal, it needs to be tasty! We are fortunate that we have a farmers market close by, so every week (when we have time) we like to check out the local seasonal produce. When I grocery shop, I try to find one or two veggies we have never had before to try each week. I cooked spaghetti squash for the first time last week and was amazed at how delicious it was!

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3. Buy “full flavor” cheese – I LOVE cheese! In efforts to cut back on calories in the past I have tried low fat or fat free varieties…but unfortunately, they just don’t taste as good! I have also learned that when they take the fat out, usually they add something less desirable back in (namely, sugar) so you might as well enjoy the good stuff! I just use less of it now instead.

4. Hit the freezer section – I like to keep a few bags of frozen broccoli in the freezer at all times. It is the one vegetable that Mr. Lion and I both always enjoy, and it is a great go-to when I don’t have anything new and exciting to try (or don’t have time to try to cook something new and exciting). I buy the steamable bags…5 minutes in the microwave and it is ready to go (although if the non-steamable bags are cheaper, they work just as well… just pour the contents into a bowl before cooking!). We share an entire bag for dinner, which is plenty of veggies to fill half our plates for about a dollar! I also like to buy peas, corn, and fruit frozen. Many times frozen fruits and veggies actually have more vitamins in them because they are flash frozen very soon after picking, sealing in the nutrition. They are a much better option than canned, and are just as inexpensive!

5. Shop at Trader Joes (if you have one) – I know that this won’t be possible for everyone, for obvious reasons, but I had no idea what a gem this store was until recently! I am able to buy organic foods for the same price, if not cheaper, as the non-organic foods at my regular grocery store without having to deal with coupons. Their deli-meat is nitrate free and their dairy products are made from cows not treated with hormones, and it costs the SAME! Seriously, if you have a Trader Joes near you, shop there!

 6. Shop at the Farmers Market – I mentioned this briefly above, but we are lucky to have an amazing farmers market close by, with smaller ones all around town. Shopping here enables me to easily choose foods that were grown locally (within the state) and therefore that have higher nutritional value, since they didn’t travel long distances to get here. I also love that we are supporting our local farmers. As of right now we are only purchasing our produce here a couple times a month, but I am working toward making the commitment to buy there weekly and am looking into making some room in our budget so that we can purchase grass fed beef and organic cheese from our farmers market as well.

How do you encourage healthy eating in your home?