Have you ever noticed the ‘food and mood’ connection? It works like this: when you feast on a fast food burger and fries, you’re likely to go into a food coma. But, when you eat a protein packed and nutrient rich meal of real food (and free of chemicals and preservatives), your energy increases, and you’ll enhance your productivity and mood for the rest of the day.
There’s a connection between the food that you eat, and the mood that results from the food you eat. Here’s some ways to eat healthy without even trying.
Make It About the Presentation
We don’t know about you, but we’re a big fan of food presentation. Even if it looks good, we’re more enticed to eat it (and that goes double for healthy foods). Mason jar salads are the cutest presentation we’ve come across lately—and its’ perfect whether you’re having someone over for lunch, or you’re eating lunch at your desk at work. Here’s how to do it:
· Pick your greens. Use organic spinach, romaine, or mixed. Grab a generous handful and place it in the bottom of your mason jar.
· Pick your protein. You can layer your greens with black beans, cooked tri-color quinoa (a serious super food that will really fill you up!) or lentils.
· Add the rest. Some salad fixings we love are tomatoes, cucumbers, feta cheese, avocado (slice right before eating), pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sliced almonds and dried cranberries.
· Drizzle with your favorite dressing. If you want to increase your health, skip the creamy dressings and go for an olive oil based one (like a delicious vinaigrette).
Mason jar salads are easy as pie, simple enough for anyone to create and delicious. If you’re on the go, its makes the perfect convenient snack or meal for even the busiest of lifestyles.
Make Sunday Prep a Weekly Thing
Whether you’re a single working professional or a work from home mom of three, your weekdays are no doubt, busier than they have ever been. If you aren’t fueling your body with nutrient rich, leafy green, protein and fiber packed meals, you’re making your week ahead much tougher than it has to be.
To prep your meals right, devote Sunday to getting everything all lined up. That includes grocery shopping, cooking, assembling and freezing. Buy some mini mason jars and fill them up with individual helpings of cut up celery sticks, carrot sticks and cover the bottom of the jar with ranch dressing or your favorite hummus. Put together snack size bags of shelled pistachios and blackberries (to pack in your kid’s lunches, or yours, for the next few days!)
Cook up some seasoned rice, black beans and chicken. Freeze them until you’re ready to assemble into a pita or tortilla. It’s an easy, protein rich burrito you can have ready at a moment’s notice! Add chopped up tomatoes, avocado, onion, or whatever else strikes your fancy (adding a layer or hummus is a smart choice too).
Eating healthy is so easy, when you prepare ahead of time. Mason jar salads? Yes please! A burrito packed with my favorite meat and veggies? Yeah, I’ll take two. Prep and enjoy delicious food that allows you to enjoy real food, while losing inches off of your waistline.
