Rather than make a sweeping change in your eating habits this year, why not consider one micro-change that can have an upward spiral effect?
Incorporating more unprocessed food into your life can be as simple as replacing all your junk food with fruits and vegetables. But simple is not always easy, amirite? Read below for tiny shifts that I use in my own home that have had big - and long-lasting - impacts.
Micro Shift 1: Join a CSA
Purchasing our vegetables from a community-supported agriculture program had the most profound effect on our family's transition to consistent, healthier eating. Not only is it cheaper than store-bought veggies, but they are also fresher, and your dollars support local farmers.
Multiplier Effect: By simply shifting where you source your vegetables, you will increase the variety of vegetables you and your family eat, force yourself to try new recipes, and feel an increased sense of pride in your dishes because they are local and fresh!
Pro tip: start with a small share for your first season, then adjust accordingly. Click here to find a CSA in your area.
Micro Shift 2: Keep a Healthy Snack in the Fridge
My go-to is hummus and cut-up veggies. It's my favorite, easy way to snack.
Multiplier Effect: When I have a go-to fresh snack readily available, I'm more likely to eat it, feel greater satisfaction while doing so, and I'm more likely to make better eating decisions the rest of the day. And since the snack incorporates vegetables, I also ensure I'm not wasting food.
Pro Tip: If you're not ready to make your hummus, go store-bought for now. You might be inspired later to give your own a try for a perfectly unprocessed snack.
Micro Shift 3: Let the People in Your Life See You Loving Fresh Foods
You'd be amazed at the impact you have on the important people in your life. Be it children, your parents, best friends, or co-workers, letting people see your shift and learn from it, will be further motivation to keep this lifestyle up.
Children are often a reflection of their parents and other adults in their lives. They watch when we don't realize it and adopt habits (good and bad) that they see. So be intentional about your own commitment to eating unprocessed and fresh foods, because they will want to join you!
Multiplier Effect: When others see your positive relationship with food, they will follow in your footsteps. If you have children, one way to engage them is to let them help you cook unprocessed meals and snacks. This experience gives you an opportunity to spend quality time with your kiddo and it can help them understand what foods they like, not to mention the fun of eating food they helped prepare!
Pro Tip: When cooking with kids, be sure you're not in a time crunch and be ok with imperfection and a lot of mess. Keep cooking fun!
Micro Shift 4: Unprocess One Go-To Meal
Go through your inventory of recipes and go-to meals for the week and identify one meal that is highly processed. Can you find ways to unprocess that meal?
In my house, pizza is quite popular, and we relied heavily on frozen, highly processed options for quite some time. I decided I would start making pizza at home even though I had zero tools to do so (enter makeshift pizza stone and makeshift pizza peel hilarity). The pizza was so tasty that it's now a weekly staple in our house.
Multiplier effect: Once you unprocess one meal successfully, you'll want to do it to other recipes. And once your family sees that eating fresh isn't an endless rotation of carrot sticks and kale chips, they'll start to open up to this concept. Dip back to tiny shift #3 and get your kids involved to expand their interest in cooking.
Pro Tip: Have fun with it. And let your family see you have fun with it. It makes this whole process a lot more fulfilling.
As you embark on a less processed 2024, please remember this is not a sprint. Take your time to ensure that your new habits stick and I am certain they will multiply beyond your expectations.
Which small shift would you like to try this year?