How To Eat Healthy When Life Gets In The Way

Transcript:

Amy: Welcome to Dishing Up Nutrition's midweek segment called “Ask a Nutritionist”. My name is Amy Crum, a Registered and Licensed Dietitian at Nutritional Weight & Wellness. Today we are tackling the reasons so many of you gave us when a Dishing Up Nutrition listener asked, what trips you up when trying to eat healthy?

I think each of us can relate to this question. We had lots of people respond to this listener question about what trips them up when it comes to healthy eating. The top three reasons we got were emotional and psychological triggers, lack of planning or convenience and cravings or specific food temptations.

The answers are different for everyone. Some of the responses were beer, soda, pizza, and wings are my kryptonite, realizing that you're hungry and don't have anything to eat with you, or my spouse's cooking plan isn't on my program. I think it can be helpful to see that you aren't alone when it comes to having something that trips you up when you're trying to eat well, and it might not surprise you, but one of the most common denominators from all of the responses was that planning ahead would make most of these situations easier.

How can we eat healthy when life gets in the way?

So let's dig in to how we can conquer eating healthy when life gets in the way. In counseling, I spend a lot of time with people talking about this topic, and I love having the time to really dig into what is tripping people up when it comes to eating healthy. So many times I hear, I do so well throughout the day, and it's this one thing that gets me off track, or I have such good intentions at the beginning of the week, and then something unexpected happens and my whole plan is thrown off.

So maybe take a second and think about what the hard parts of eating well are for you. I think after today's podcast you might have some new insights as to how to conquer those tricky times of the day or week.

Tips when emotional eating hits

One very common issue is emotional eating. So many of my clients say they're doing well with their eating, and then a stressful life situation gets them off track. Why do I eat when I'm not hungry is such a common question. I can remember this happening to me when my kids were little. They would start fighting with each other, and before I knew it, I had found the chocolate chips in the pantry. So what can we do to help you from turning to food you'd rather not be eating when you're having a hard time?

I think it's important to make a plan when you are feeling good. If you wait until you're in the middle of that stressful event, it's hard to think clearly. I like to work with clients to make a list of non-food activities that they can do when they have different emotions. For example, if I'm feeling lonely, I'll call a friend.

If I'm bored, I'll go work on a puzzle or take a walk. If I'm tired, I'll go rest or take a quick nap. Put the list somewhere you will remember to look at on those days you are having a hard time. The list will be different for each of us, but thinking it through now instead of the midst of a stressful time can help you to avoid turning to food when you aren't actually hungry.

Plan ahead to avoid giving in to unhealthy temptations

Sometimes when you're looking for a snack, it's because you really are hungry. Maybe you let a little too much time go between eating and you're starving. Some of the questions that came up were what to eat when I want chips, or what to eat when I want candy. In those cases, it can be nice to have a balanced snack ready to go.

If you find yourself having a craving, maybe it's eating late at night, or maybe it's two or three in the afternoon, but if you have ever been searching the pantry, not quite sure what you're looking for, and then end up making a not so great food decision because the craving got in the way, planning ahead could be your answer.

Picture the next time you get hungry for a snack. You walk into the kitchen and you already have a balanced snack ready to go. It has protein, fat, and healthy carbs. It's easy and it doesn't involve any prep. Your future self will be so happy. Try cutting up your veggies ahead of time. What if you mix last night's leftover chicken with some avocado based mayo and some cutup pickle slices in there and you have a little chicken salad ready to go with those veggies?

Or maybe you make a big batch of protein balls over the weekend and you can easily grab a couple when you get hungry. Protein balls will forever be my favorite go-to for a sweet snack that I look forward to and will keep my blood sugar balanced. When I'm making smoothies and have extra, I like to put it in a small mason jar in the freezer. I'll often take that jar out in the morning, leave it on the counter, and by the afternoon it's thawed and a perfect snack.

Chia pudding can also be another great snack that you can make ahead and then grab easily. Taking a few minutes early in the day or over the weekend to prep snacks for the week can save you from giving into that craving for chips or cookies.

What about those times of the day when you're not at home and a craving hits? It might be tempting to drive through somewhere or pick up a fancy coffee that's loaded with sugar. How about always having a stash of snacks in your car or bag or desk at work that are shelf stable and can cut the edge off of that hunger so it's easier to make better decisions about what to eat?

I buy the big bag of nitrate free meat sticks at Costco and then stash them in my car, work bag, desk, or anywhere I can think of. Little containers of nuts or seeds can also be a great easy snack to have ready to go. Pair those with a piece of fruit, like a small apple or a clementine, and you've got a great balanced snack.

Mini RX bars are another thing I like to have in my purse just in case I need a quick snack when I'm out and about. It's amazing how much easier it is to say no to that tempting treat if you've gotten your blood sugar in balance with a little snack. Try it and see if that high sugar coffee doesn't seem quite as tempting.

Meal ideas when you feel like you have no time to cook 

Another common issue when it comes to getting off track is what to eat when I have no time to cook. Or maybe you think you'll have more time to cook at the beginning of the week and then life happens. A kid gets sick, you have an unexpected work project, or you need to help out a family member. I think it's great to know of a couple meals that you can make when you haven't been to the grocery in a while or just don't have the time or energy to make a big meal.

For me, that could be eggs and any veggies that are in the fridge. I like to have some prepared meat in the freezer. A nitrate free sausage or meatball can be a quick option along with frozen veggies with butter on top. A balanced smoothie can be a quick meal that doesn't take long to prep. I like cottage cheese or yogurt with nuts or seeds and frozen fruit on top for another fast option.

I always have the ingredients for tuna salad and can usually find some raw veggies to have to go along with it to make it a balanced meal. Maybe take a few minutes to write out a list of meals that you can make with the ingredients that you usually have on hand in your house. This can help you to avoid having to turn to a more unhealthy takeout option and you can have a nourishing meal.

Having an emergency supply of a meal or two or more if you're able in the freezer is also a great plan. If you have extra leftovers from a meal, think about putting them in an individual sized container and freezing it. So many of our recipes freeze well. Soups, stews, and chilis usually freeze great. You don't have to spend a whole day batch cooking. Just throw one leftover meal in a container in the freezer, and you'll be ready for a day that you don't have time to cook.

Navigating social situations

Another common theme on this particular thread was social situations. This can be a tricky one when it comes to meeting up with people for a happy hour or at a restaurant or a party. My first piece of advice would be, again, planning ahead. If you go into the happy hour without a game plan, it's going to be hard not to succumb to that fried appetizer and drinks that everyone is having.

Decide what you would like your evening to look like and how you want to feel after. Always take a look at the menu of where you'll be eating so you can make a decision on the food before you are in the environment where the food can look so much more tempting.

Most restaurants have at least one item on the menu that can help you stick to your goals. Some of my favorite things to look for on happy hour menus are steak bites, chicken skewers, salads, capreces, sides of veggies, guacamole, shrimp cocktail, and deviled eggs.

If it's at a gathering at someone's house, you can be the person that brings a real food dish. Most people will appreciate having a delicious snack with their meal or an appetizer of wild rice meatballs or chicken skewers, and you'll know you have some healthy options to make you feel your best.

Another tip when it comes to a social situation is to avoid going into a social event too hungry. If your blood sugar is in balance, it will make it a lot easier to choose a healthy option.

Alcohol can also be a hard part of social situations. Make a plan when it comes to drinking ahead of time instead of someone, when someone's offering you a beverage. I love sparkling water with a squeeze of citrus. We have a lot of really great ideas on the article, Fun Cocktail Alternatives, on the article, weightandwellness.com. You might like them even more than that alcoholic drink, and you will definitely be feeling better the next day if you plan ahead for those social situations.

I hope that after listening you've thought about what the hardest times of the day for you are when it comes to eating well, and that you've been able to find some easy meal and snack ideas to have on hand, or when life gets in the way of eating healthy.

I hope that you've seen that planning ahead can make such a difference to how your day goes with food. Maybe you can find some time today to make a list of activities you enjoy to put up on the refrigerator and help remind you when you've been tempted by emotional eating. Or maybe you can run to the store and get some balanced snacks to have in your desk or car, or maybe you can plan ahead for the food you're going to eat at that social situation.

Whatever it is that trips you up when it comes to eating healthy, I hope you've heard some ideas today to help you plan ahead and eat foods that nourish you and make you feel your very best. Thank you for listening to Dishing Up Nutrition's “Ask a Nutritionist”.

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