Through lockdown it was super easy to pick and nibble, and enjoy more home baking than normal, as well as justify extra drinks to deal with the stress! Now that we are transitioning back into this new phase of life being back to semi normal, here are two smart health hacks to help you get some healthier habits back underway again.
Health hack #1 – Sort a veggie snack box
Many of the decisions we make about food are subconscious. You can know everything there is to know about food and nutrition but does that always result in eating well? To be able to make positive changes to the way that we eat, we need to address our eating behaviours.
We often eat whatever is the easiest food to access. It has been suggested we are around three times more likely to eat the first thing we see than the fifth, so making the healthier option the easier option is a smart trick which can support you to eat better.
Enter the veg snack box. A simple box that you top up every couple of days with whatever seasonal vegetables you like munching on. Carrots, celery, cucumber, broccoli, cherry tomatoes or mushrooms all work really well. Pop it at the front of your fridge, so it’s the first thing you see when you open the door.
The bonus is that not only will you have something easy to snack on, you also have chopped up veg ready for lunch boxes and afternoon snacks. Having the prep done, reduces the barrier of you having veg as a snack during the week when you’re busy!
Pop a piece of damp paper towel in the box too, it will help to stop them drying out, replace every few days.
Need a healthy dip to go with your veggie box? Try these:
Roasted capsicum hummus
Edamame, mint and parmesan dip
Baba-ganoush
Beetroot dip
Health hack #2 – Soup it Sundays
Try to get into the habit of, every weekend, making a batch of soup. Not only do you then have soup ready for a yummy lunch at the weekend, if you make enough, you will have some for lunches during the week, and you can have a mug of it in the afternoon if you are feeling a bit peckish but know that dinner isn’t too far off.
Keep the soup in the door of the fridge or near the front so it is easy to access and makes an easy first choice when you are looking for something to eat. Also, you can try freezing it into individual portions so you can grab a serving out when you need it for a quick go-to lunch.
Try these delicious soup recipes:
Thai green blender soup
Spicy roasted pumpkin soup
Creamy mushroom soup
Vegetable barley soup
Winter lentil soup
In the warmer months, instead make a batch of slaw at the weekend or a salad that can last for a few days in the fridge and be the base for healthy lunches during the first part of the week ahead.
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