I have a confession to make: 2020 changed the way I eat at home. Like so many others, my usual routine of dining out occasionally came to a screeching halt, and while I did my best to support my favorite local restaurants by ordering takeout, I found myself cooking at home a lot more often. The eternal optimist, I focused on the silver lining— trying out new recipes and recreating my favorite restaurant meals at home was fun! But the truth is, I also picked up some not so great habits. I leaned on comfort foods like never before, and when the ball dropped at midnight on December 31st, I vowed to make some changes for the new year.
I'm still figuring out exactly what those changes will look like for me, but I definitely want to eat more mindfully and strive for more balance, so I've decided to use Green Chef to help give me the kick in the pants I need to shake things up. Of course, "healthy eating" means different things to different people, but even if your goals might look a little different than mine, Green Chef might still be able to help. One of the great things about Green Chef is that it's versatile; there are several different menus available every week that support a variety of special diets and lifestyles.
Are you looking to overhaul your current eating habits? Want to turn over a new leaf in the coming year? If so, read on to explore how Green Chef can help you eat healthier in 2021.
Or, if you already know that you want to try Green Chef, you can cut straight to the chase (and score 12 free meals across your first 4 boxes + free shipping on your first box) by signing up with this link!
This is a post sponsored by Green Chef and contains affiliate links.
Up Your Veggie Intake
Images via Green Chef.
When left to my own devices, I will very frequently plan meals that overlook veggies in favor of "the good stuff." (What can I say, I will always favor roast chicken, mashed potatoes, and macaroni and cheese over green beans and broccoli.) The truth is, though, that I really enjoy eating my vegetables. I like the way they taste, and I love the way I feel when they make up a significant portion of my diet; I just sometimes struggle to come up with veggie-centric meals that I can get excited about. Enter Green Chef. Every week, Green Chef releases an entire menu that's dedicated to vegetarian and vegan dishes. I'm always amazed by the creative recipes; they're seriously enticing! Some of the dishes that have recently blown my mind are:
- Peruvian-Spiced Cauliflower, with Creamy Chimichurri, Quinoa with Cilantro, and Guacamole Slaw
- Green Pea & Feta Falafel with Lemon-Basil Yogurt Sauce, Whole-Wheat Couscous, and Kale Salad
- Creamy Corn & Potato Chowder with Carrots, Roasted Red Peppers, Coconut Cream & Croutons
- Black Bean & Mushroom Enchiladas with Sautéed Bell Pepper, Corn & Tomato with Chimichurri, and Cashew Crema
Green Chef's "Plant-Powered" menu has been great at jumpstarting my own personal healthy eating journey. If you're also looking to add more vegetarian and vegan meals into your diet, I highly recommend checking it out.
Eat Organic
There are lots of good reasons to add more organic foods into your diet: organic produce contains fewer pesticides and is often fresher because it doesn't contain preservatives, organic farming is frequently better for the environment, and organic meats are raised without antibiotics and growth hormones. Personally, I like to buy organic when I can. (I feel pretty strongly that avoiding pesticides is a good idea.) Green Chef is one of the few USDA-certified organic meal delivery services out there, which is a huge selling point for me. Here's a little bit more about that from their website:
Our ingredients have no GMOs, toxic pesticides, irradiation, sewage sludge, antibiotics, growth hormones, or steroids.
If you want to add more organic foods to your diet, Green Chef certainly makes it easy.
Give Keto a Try
Images via Green Chef.
The Ketogenic Diet is a special diet that's experiencing a moment in the sun; I have friends who absolutely swear by it. Keto is all about drastically reducing your carbohydrate intake and replacing it with fat, a balance that will put your body into a metabolic state of ketosis. The keto diet can help you burn fat, preserve muscle, and help you feel less hungry. Sound like something you'd like to try? Here are some of Green Chef's recent keto recipe offerings:
- Cheesy Pesto Chicken Bowls with Sautéed Squash Noodles & Balsamic Tomato Topping
- Beef with Creamy Mushrooms, Sautéed Zucchini with Artichokes, and Red Peppers & Almonds
- French Onion Pork Chops with Creamy Pan Sauce, Sautéed Cremini Mushrooms & Kale
- Barbecue Pork Meatloaves with Green Beans with Toasted Pecans, Cabbage & Apple Slaw
Skip the Takeout
Oh, man. My 2020 takeout habit has been brutal on both my wallet and my waistline, and this coming year one of my goals is to keep it in check. Having meal kits delivered to my door has been a great help with this so far, and I have Green Chef largely to thank for keeping my eye on the prize. I don't know about you, but I often get the "takeout itch" when I neglect to plan dinner in advance. There’s nothing like opening an empty fridge at 6pm when my tummy is grumbling to have me quickly reaching for your phone to order up Chinese delivery or takeout Thai. Green Chef has helped me keep my kitchen stocked with exciting meal kits, which makes it a lot easier to get home-cooked meals on the table.
Try Out the "Caveman Diet"
Image via Green Chef.
If you want to go back to basics and eat the way our ancestors did, it might be worth giving Paleo a try. Paleo, also known as the "Caveman Diet" or "Paleolithic Diet," emphasizes lean meats, fish, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds— essentially the foods that were available in the past by hunting and gathering. (So that's a hard no on delivery pizza and Pop-Tarts.) Every week, Green Chef releases a new "Keto + Paleo" menu that's filled with options to support this style of eating. Curious about what types of dishes you can expect to see? The menus are stacked with recipes like these:
- Pecan-Crusted Pork Chops with Collard Greens, Butternut Squash & Bell Pepper, and Creole Dijonnaise
- Roasted Sausages & Sauerkraut with Sautéed Mushrooms & Caramelized Onions, and Kale Salad
- Honey-Mustard Salmon with Smoky Roasted Rainbow Carrots & Sautéed Broccoli
- Honey-Citrus Glazed Meatballs with Coconut Milk-Braised Sweet Potatoes, Red Bell Pepper & Kale
Practice Mindful Eating
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If you're anything like me, there are times when you're just so hungry you go into (what I like to call) zombie-mode. No food is safe, and you shovel whatever's in front of you into your face in an attempt to quell your grumbling tummy. Obviously, this isn't ideal. It's a chaotic way to approach meals that can lead to overeating and unhealthy choices. One of my goals for 2021 is to practice mindful eating. I'm going to make an effort to sit down to dinner at the dining table instead of the sofa (without the television blaring in the background), appreciate what's in front of me, eat slowly, and really savor my food. The first step is to plan out meals that I can get excited about, and Green Chef has been a big help in this regard. I enjoy browsing upcoming menus, carefully selecting my meals, and anticipating upcoming recipes. I'm not sure I'll ever be a meditative master (I'm a little high-strung for that, I fear), but this approach has really helped me appreciate mealtime and make good choices about what I put in my body.
Find Balance
Images via Green Chef.
Sometimes simple tweaks can affect the most lasting change. If big modifications, special diets, and mental shifts don't seem like a good fit for your lifestyle, perhaps a focus on balance is all you need. Green Chef's "Balanced Living" meal plan is diverse and flexible. There are plenty of different choices available each week, and menus feature meat, seafood, and vegetarian recipes. Here are some examples of what you can expect to see on an average "Balanced Living" menu:
- Baked Penne with Sausage, with Mozzarella, Parmesan, Mushrooms, Peas & Roasted Red Peppers
- Blackened Salmon with Dijonnaise, Couscous with Corn & Roasted Peppers, and Apricot-Glazed Green Beans
- Salisbury-Style Beef Bowls with Mushroom Gravy, Cheesy Mashed Potatoes & Scallion
- Caribbean Shrimp & Coconut Rice, Mangos & Green Bell Pepper, and Chard Salad with Cabbage & Carrot
My Final Thoughts
I'm ready to shake up my eating habits and excited to start making better meal choices in the coming year. Green Chef has helped me approach this journey with eagerness and positivity, and I'm absolutely certain that Green Chef's meal kits will be a big part of my dinnertime routine in 2021!
What about you? Are you eager to try Keto or Paleo? Excited to add more organic foods into your diet? Ready to give takeout the boot? Will you enlist the help of Green Chef to help you eat better and healthier in 2021?
If you're ready to give this healthy meal kit subscription a try, make sure to sign up using the link below to save on your first four deliveries!
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