5 Tips to Make Better Food Choices

Have you ever considered the environmental impact your food choices have on the world?  I went from eating a ‘healthy’ (by the USDA’s guidelines) diet, to aiming for grass fed & sustainably raised animal products, to now aiming for plant based. 

A meat center diet not only causes you health problems, but it causes environmentally problems due.  Raising livestock is resource intensive, wasting water, land, & energy.  When you hear people argue that rainforests are getting cut down for farm land, well my friends, this is so that we can grow food for the cattle industry and drive cattle on it. Mongabay.com states that ‘the cattle industry is the major driver for deforestation in Brazil’. 

If that doesn’t make you want to decrease your meat consumption, maybe thinking about your health will. Eating a plant based diet helps to lower your risk of diseases of civilization, including cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, hypertension, obesity, autoimmune disease, certain, & certain cancers, to name a few.

If you find eating plant based difficult, maybe you can try some of these tips below. 

So how do you go about making healthier food choices?

1. Avoid commercials. Have you ever watched a commercial and thought “Damn, that sounds good”? I know I have. Just as with anything, the more you’re exposed to something, the more likely you are to think about it and then take action to buy it.
2.  Don’t buy it. Don’t even walk down the chip and candy aisles.  Make sure you go to the grocery store when you’re full or you’re more likely to make impulse buys or unhealthy food choices.  
3. Drink more water. Your body can get confused when it sends you signals.  If you’re thirsty and your body isn’t getting what it needs, these signals may change to say “give me food” instead of “give me water”. Aim to drink 1/2 your body weight in ounces of water.
4. Buy more produce, then eat it. If you have healthier food, prep it so it’s ready to eat.  I hate when people say “enjoy your food but eat less”. Preparation is key.  Plan your meals, take that list to the store, and buy only whats on it. If you’re eating healthfully and avoiding the oils, sugars, dairy, meat, and refined grains, you’re giving your body the nutrients it needs when it’s asking.
5. Learn new recipes with things you like. If you love spaghetti, why not try spiralizing noodles then topping it with your favorite sauce? Or make pancakes with oat flour & blueberries instead of regular flour and chocolate chips? If you’re hungry, your body needs the food and calories, just not the carbs, meat, and dairy you maybe putting into it.  Eat a variety of fresh fruits and veggies to your heart’s content. 

Do you have favorite plant based recipes? Let me know some! I’m always looking for new things to try.

I’m not a RD, but if you change any lifestyle, make sure to consult your healthcare provider to ensure you’re doing it safely and effectively.