Eating healthy all day can seem like a chore, what with all the rules to follow and lists of things to avoid. But going about your day and making healthy eating choices doesn’t have to be hard or always based on following recipe rules. Follow these steps for how to eat healthy all day without using a recipe. By keeping a few tricks in mind, making healthier eating options will seem easy-breezy before you know it!
1. Make Breakfast Routine and Reach for Nuts
Fluffy, decadent pancakes and French toast are certainly a delicious meal to look forward to in the morning, but these dishes take some effort and careful measurements of the various ingredients. Right when you wake up, keep things simple and don’t cook anything if you aren’t inclined to do so. Instead, set up a routine where you make sure to always eat breakfast. If you skip it, start eating it, now! It really is the most important meal of the day, since what you eat can set up your choices for the rest of the day. Have a couple go-to options always ready for the morning, such as nuts and seeds. Raw nuts with fruit and nut butter with sprouted grain toast are my two choices. From cashews and almonds to brazil nuts and hazelnuts, nutritious nuts offer so many benefits for plant-based eaters, such as vitamin E, protein, and healthy fat. Have a few tablespoons of raw nuts before you head out of the door, or spread some nut butter over apple slices or a piece of whole wheat bread.
2. Freeze Organic Sprouted Grain Bread
If you’ve never purchased or baked organic sprouted grain bread, put it on your to-do list. Now that I eat this type of bread frequently, I honestly can’t stand the taste and texture of white, refined bread. Sprouted grain bread has a tougher, grainier texture than the soft, chewiness of ‘typical’ bread, but it’s far healthier than those loaves. Always keep a loaf of this bread in the fridge or freezer; it will go bad too quickly if you leave it on the shelf. Having it stored and frozen ensures you’ll always have something to eat in a pinch.
3. Combine Protein, Carbs, and Good Fats
Throughout the day, choose food pairings that will Support your health and vitality. Even without following a recipe, you can eat whole, complete meals by remembering to combine protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fat. For example, have a tempeh sandwich complete with a lemon tahini sauce. Have a burrito bowl with brown rice, beans, vegetables, and guacamole. You can make quick pairings while thinking this way and sorting through your fridge and pantry.
4. Play With Texture
If you don’t like to follow recipes, think about texture instead of thinking in measurements and steps for how to cook. This is especially helpful for those who would rather throw things together than carefully measure. If you think in terms of texture, you’ll find yourself starting with something crunchy, then adding a soft texture and a creamy one to balance everything out. Great meals often have several different textures going on, which makes for a pleasant experience as your tongue relishes in crunchy, creamy, crispy goodness. This is especially a good technique for salads and sandwiches. Crisp, cool lettuce topped with steamed, smooth fava beans, crunchy almonds, and creamy tahini dressing is one example of how you can quickly whip up a meal by thinking about texture rather than following a recipe.
5. Build Your Meal Around One Ingredient
To create a meal without a recipe, choose one ingredient as the focal point of your dish. Do you have a large bag of brown rice? Think about stir-fries. Did you have tofu for dinner last night and still have some leftovers that need to be eaten? Fry it and put it on a sandwich. Is your bunch of kale starting to wilt? Make a huge kale salad. Scan your fridge for items that need to be used the fastest, or items that instantly give you an idea or inspiration. Who knows, your creativity session might help you come up with a new favorite dish whose steps you’ll want to write down into a recipe! Sometimes, the best meal ideas come to us when we are just browsing the kitchen and combining ingredients for fun or out of curiosity.
Image source: Seeds and Goji Berry Granola
