Making Nutrition Easily Accessible

Everyone has the intention to eat better, exercise more, and all together live a healthier lifestyle. Unfortunately, we do not always take the necessary steps to make this happen. But that's okay! Here are some things I do to make eating healthier a little easier.

My favorite tips:

1. Create a balance of flavors:
• sweet, creamy, salty, savory, spicy, etc.
2. Use multiple textures in your dishes:
• ex: add a crunchy topping by toasting nuts, seeds, lentils, or quinoa 
3. Eat all the vegetables:
• and not just salads!
4. Learn new skills:
• How to properly use your knife
• Cooking temperatures and times
• Techniques to prepare specific ingredients
• Martha Stewart has great tutorials here that are only a minute or two each!

Ideas for cooking food that is nutritious and delicious:

1. Integrate more vegetables into the meals you already like!

• Swap zucchini noodles, spaghetti squash, sweet potato noodles, or rice noodles in exchange for your regular pasta: recipe
• Make a zucchini or cauliflower pizza crust with coconut flour instead of regular pizza dough: recipe
• Make paleo (grain-free) tortillas instead of traditional four tortillas
• Sub cauliflower rice for traditional rice
• Sub cauliflower mash for mashed potatoes: recipe 
• Try a bun-less burger ~ or stick a patty between portobello mushrooms tops, between sweet potato slices, or on top of a bed of veggies: recipe

2. Make more sauces to diversify your meals!

• Try making a pan sauce with butter and wine from the pan you used to sear your meat 
• Whip up your own home made dressings for both hot and cold salads (you can use nut or seed butters, oils, vinegars, citrus, herbs, spices, etc. to create something delicious)
• To switch it up, try making more soup-like dishes (comforting dishes like chilis, stews, and coconut milk curries are great in colder months)

3. Change the way you think about typical ingredients!

• Instead of simply steaming your vegetables, try them roasted, bake them into a tasty dish, or puree them in a sauce
• Did you know you can toast or "pop" more than popcorn? Lentils and quinoa can be thrown into a pan with oil and toasted for a nice crunchy topping on salads!
• Toast nuts and seeds to add a new layer to dishes
• Simply change the way you cut your vegetables! (thin noodles, purée, julienne, chop, slice, dice, cube)

4. Spice it up!

• Don't forget about your spice cabinet! There are so many great things you can make yourself to spice up proteins, roasted vegetables, and marinades
• Check out some DIY spice blends on Women's Health Online Magazine here

Happy Cooking :)Most importantly, just enjoy your food!

****** I am not certified in any health-related field. I am not giving medical advice, I am only sharing what worked for me!***********