I’ll be honest, this is tricky! Working in the corporate world of catered lunches and candy bribes (I swear that’s how they bait us, haha), it really is hard to stick to healthy eating habits. Luckily, the beginning of a new year always lends me a little more resilience and motivation to get sh*t done! I’m a believer in using momentum to your advantage…

Preparation

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail….

It’s much easier to revert back to old ways when your goal makes your life more inconvenient. That’s just how it is. You want to make it easy for yourself to reach for a banana rather than a candy bar. Putting in the work upfront will make it harder for you to disregard your investment.

Buy groceries and bring them to work. Having your secret drawer of goodies at work (you know you have one!) stocked with apples, peanut butter, mixed nuts, and other sustainable options keeps cravings in check and saves you money in the meantime!

To meal prep I personally buy the Ziploc container packs at Walgreens. They are all under $4 and come in different sizes for snacks and lunches. Sunday is a good day but I like prepping on Wednesdays too.

Look for simple recipes and videos on Pinterest or Instagram that don’t look like too much of a stretch from what you are eating now. The simpler the better. Once you get your meal prepping basics down it’ll be easier to make more complex recipes or to simply have more of the groceries you need already around the house. Just keep in mind you need Veggies, Carbs, and a Protein.

I’ve found a simple infographic here and meal prep ideas here!

Practice

Eating healthy doesn't just happen overnight. It’s always going to be challenging to change a routine or habit at the beginning and that’s okay! Set tangible goals that allow you to progress overtime. For example. Replace one lunch with a healthy one three times a week. Then every two weeks, increase it to four, five, and eventually seven. Start with healthy snacks if that is easier than meals.

The main thing is you want to hit your goal a majority of the time. This is the one thing that really helped me break through my cravings. Once your taste buds become adjusted to tasting real flavors and whole foods your cravings will get weaker with time. It’s really awesome and gets easier with time!

Mindset

I’m all about a more balanced lifestyle but getting into the habit of withholding or creating negative emotions around food is dangerous! Improving your relationship to food or maintaining a healthy one is important. Don’t beat yourself up over one bag of chips or a catered lunch.

Use this time to discover new flavors, foods, and things that get you outside of your comfort zone. You’ll be surprised how much is out there that you haven’t tried. Don’t just eat something because you think you should. Try a new lunch spot or ask what your co-workers are doing. Chances are you will find inspiration to replicate these meals at home or meet new lunch partners that will help keep you accountable.

Food should always be enjoyable!