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Plant Based Lifestyle

7 Ways to Eat Healthy at Home

Image of Megan Kerry pointing to text that reads "7 ways to eat better"

Today I’m sharing with you 7 ways you can eat better today to lose weight and get healthy, even if you are stuck at home in quarantine.

It’s hard when you are self-isolating and practicing social distancing not to fall into unhealthy eating habits. Afterall, a lot of us (myself included) tend to reach for food as a comfort measure during these incredibly stressful times.

But, it’s during these times when we may be less active, or experiencing sleep disturbances and added stress that we need to be extra vigilant with our healthy diet plan.

This post is going to cover 7 ways you can eat better while you’re at home. It’s going to include tips on finding healthy foods in store as well, even when typical foods may be in short supply.

Before we dive in, I want to extend an invitation to you and your friends to join me over at plant-based health for women. It’s a free online coaching community dedicated to helping women lose weight and regain their health through plant-based nutrition. Come join us today!

7 Ways to Eat Healthy at Home

Okay, so how can we easily improve our health and lose weight to reduce our chance of experiencing complications related to coronavirus if we happen to get infected? Let me show you my top 7 tips for staying healthy.

  1. Control your environment
  2. Buy frozen vegetables and fruits
  3. Eat beans and legumes daily
  4. Eat only plant protein sources
  5. Eat plenty of whole grains
  6. Avoid all oils (even the “healthy” ones)
  7. Lower your salt intake

Control your environment

My number one tip to eating healthy is to control your environment.

These days we are all encouraged to do our part and only go out for groceries a limited amount of times.

I really want you to resist the temptation to reach for those comfort foods when you’re there. Skip the ice cream and opt for an extra bunch of bananas that you can freeze and turn into “nice cream”.

Instead of reaching for chips and dip, try some whole wheat pita bread or tortillas toasted and hummus.

It’s the choices we make when we are in the store that will have the most impact on our health throughout the week.

A new resource for you

If you’ve been thinking about transitioning to a plant-based diet for a while now but you aren’t sure where to start, then check out Zero to Vegan.

It’s my mini-DIY package that offers all of the exact information my private health coaching clients receive, at a fraction of the cost.

It’s my way of making plant-based eating accessible to everyone, because now more than ever it’s so important that we are on top of our health game.

Frozen fruits and vegetables

Stock up on the frozen fruits and vegetables to make sure you always have great nutrition on hand.

Frozen vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, edamame, green peas, spinach, kale, and others are excellent ways to get your veggies in when you are limited to a small number of grocery runs.

Try and have frozen berries and other fruits on hand as well. These are perfect in a smoothie, in a bowl of oatmeal or even just defrosted and eaten on their own.

It’s also a great idea to have some greens powder on hand.

I personally really love this one by Ora Organic. You can make it in a green smoothie, or just mix it up with some water.

It has a really nice orange flavor, and is packed with nutrition that will last for months on end.

And, honestly, I really have to give them a huge shout out right now, because while other companies have been profiting from the huge demand for immune-boosting products, Ora has responded by lowering their prices to help support the community.

If there is any company I could really get behind, these guys are it!

Eat beans and legumes daily

Eat beans, lentils, and legumes every day.

These are the cheapest sources of protein and they are the best shelf-stable option to stock up on.

Now you may have noticed in your area that the canned section is a little bare these days, so I encourage you to check out the dry beans.

They are really easy to make at home, and if you use my dry bean hack, you don’t even need to presoak them!

Eat plant protein

Plant sources of protein is where it’s at.

By now you probably know that I advocate for plant-based nutrition and a vegan lifestyle.

Today it’s even easier to choose plant-based options for protein.

Time and time again when I visit the grocery store, I can see the meat section ransacked while the tofu and meat alternatives are just waiting for me to pick them up! 

For an easy way to make tofu taste just like chicken read this recipe post for Crispy Tofu Chicken 3 ways.

Eat whole grains

Don’t be afraid to eat whole grains.

Keto has gotten a lot of press and that has led to good sources of carbs being linked to weight gain.

I can assure you that when you are eating whole grains, you don’t need to worry about gaining weight.

Choose brown rice, quinoa, whole-wheat couscous, oatmeal, buckwheat, and others to round out your plant-based meal, and keep your belly full.

The best thing about whole grains? They are an awesome shelf-stable source of calories you can rely on.

Avoid all oils

Skip the oil.

There is no evidence that “healthy oils” are all that healthy.

Olive oil, coconut oil, and others are just an added source of calories and saturated fat that your body can live without. Choose nut butter, seeds and whole coconut for your fats.

Water sauté and dry roast your food instead.

Lower your salt intake

Lower your salt intake.

When you start eating closer to a whole-foods diet you automatically drastically reduce the amount of added salt, sugar and oils found in processed foods.

This is a great start! To take it a step further, use low sodium soy sauce, salt-free spice blends, lemon juice and vinegar to season your foods with instead of adding extra salt.

Final thoughts

Although it can be tempting to stock up of unhealthy comfort foods during this time of uncertanty, it’s important to eat healthfully.

You will save yourself money by eating as close to a whole-foods diet as possible, and your body will thank you.

Don’t forget to join me over at plant-based health for women so we can continue the conversation there.

Watch this video next to learn the top 5 things you need to know before you go vegan. This video will help you on your health journey!

Chat Soon!

P.S.

Whenever you’re ready here are 4 ways we can work more closely together:

  1. Follow my Youtube channel and Instagram account
  2. Join my free coaching community over on Facebook, just for women!
  3. Take my mini DIY Zero to Vegan course
  4. Apply for my personal, 1:1 coaching program

Megan Kerry

Megan Kerry is a Vegan Lifestyle Educator and Licensed Practical Nurse. Her content focuses on vegan recipes and ethical living. She is a mom of four children, a long time vegan, and an even longer time foodie. She loves veganizing any and all dishes and sharing her recipes and lifestyle tips with all of you!

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