With the current crisis, it’s a priority now than ever to take care of ourselves, mentally and physically. Read on for a guest post with Kayley George, a Registered Dietitian, on tips for healthy eating at home.
The COVID-19 pandemic is causing unprecedented stress for brides, but don’t let this uncertain situation compromise your health as well. Take advantage of this extra time at home to focus not only on your physical health, but your mental health as well. It’s not only important to stay healthy for yourself, but also to care for the people around you.
Healthy eating at home during quarantine can be a struggle. As a Registered Dietitian working with brides, this topic has come up in many conversations over the past few weeks.
Here are 6 helpful tips on how to avoid mindless eating while you are at home:
1. Do a Junk Food Sweep
Take this time to organize your pantry and get rid of anything that is tempting you to eat junk food. It’s simple: If it’s not there, you won’t eat it. If it’s something that absolutely can’t go, put it far out of reach (like in the freezer or back of the pantry). If it’s something you want as an occasional treat, go out and buy it rather than keeping it in the house.
2. Plan & Prep Your Snacks in Advance
If you know you’re going to snack a lot because you’re bored and stuck at home, plan out some low-calorie snacks and have them prepped and ready on the kitchen counter. If you want to sip on something to keep you occupied, go for flavored water, sparkling water, or tea!
3. Try Delaying & Not Denying
This is a technique to differentiate if you’re eating out of stress or boredom or because you’re actually hungry. If you have a craving, set a timer, go do another activity, and circle back in 15-30 mins. Chances are you won’t be hungry anymore!
4. Don’t Multitask While Eating
When you are eating your meals, remove all the distractions around you to fully be mindful of what you’re eating. Don’t eat your lunches or snacks while working or watching TV.
5. Take a Look at Your Routine
It could be that you’re eating mindlessly because there’s a specific event that’s triggering your stress (i.e. conference calls). If you notice that certain activities make you snack more, identify and set up a way to prepare yourself better for those situations.
6. Set Goals For Yourself
Healthy eating at home can be a challenge. Set goals for yourself to improve the area that you’re struggling with. Set a goal that would improve on the choices you made last week (“I’m going to cut down mindless eating at least 3 evenings this week by doing XYX”).
If you need some ideas of something to munch on while you binge Tiger King on Netflix, here’s a quick list of 5 delicious snacks that you can eat mindlessly with zero guilt:
- Raw veggies
- Pickles
- Kale chips
- Seaweed
- Popcorn
For more tips on healthy eating at home, head over to Kayley’s blog post on Health Tips & Tricks During COVID-19. Stay safe, brides and grooms!
