Q:) Every time I start a diet about two weeks in I get really bored with the food and the process. What can I do so I stay on track?
A:) Variety is key to keep things interesting. Focus on fresh produce and get into the habit of going to your local farmers’ market. Get in the habit of eating fresh, organically grown produce that will wake up your taste buds. You’ll start to crave healthier foods instead of the overly sugared or salted processed foods most people eat.
Other suggestions:
1) Invest in a healthy cookbook, visit your local library or go online.
2) Twice a week prepare something new that you haven’t had before. Try ethnic cuisines, new seasonings or maybe just a single new food. This is to avoid getting in a rut and eating the same “rabbit food” daily.
3) Once a week try a healthy food that you have never tried before. Even if it’s just a Korean pear, it’s something new.
4) Never repeat the same meal two days in a row.
Remember that as long as you keep things interesting and fresh you will be better able to stick with your healthy plan.
Q:) I recently started eating almond butter in place of peanut butter because I love whole almonds so much. Is almond butter nutritionally better for you than peanut butter?
A:) No, because they are very similar. They both have healthy fats, a little bit of protein and are jam packed with vitamins and minerals your body needs. It just comes down to personal preference.
Read labels though, as there are a lot of “dirty” nut and seed butters with added sugar and salt. A clean nut butter will be made up of only the nut or the seed. Any additional ingredients listed should be a warning sign. Salt is a common nut butter ingredient that should be avoided if possible in order to maintain healthy sodium levels.
Nut butters are also “calorie dense” meaning even small amounts are high in calories. A leveled tablespoon, not a rounded tablespoon, packs about 100 calories.