Healthy Habits

Healthy Habits – Tips for Eating More Whole Foods

As with every January, people make a laundry list of how they are going to become a whole new version of themselves, which often includes an element of weight loss or healthy eating. And while this oft-repeated resolution comes with the best of intentions, it often wears out its welcome by mid-February. Sphinx Date Co. encourages people to make small steps toward their health goals this year rather than big giant leaps that might get overwhelming or frankly too difficult to stick with in the long run. One easy way to focus on health is by choosing more whole foods. Sphinx Date Co. offers the following tips:

Skim the Outside of the Supermarket — Those giant grocery stores with aisle after aisle of boxed, packaged and canned goods are filled with temptation. And much of what’s inside those packages isn’t even real food! When seeking out whole foods, stick to the perimeter of the supermarket — including the fresh produce, eggs, dairy, nuts, seeds, lean proteins, and “one ingredient” items such as rice or look for “100 percent whole grain” when shopping for bread.

Don’t Know What it is? Don’t Buy it! — Ever look at the ingredient list on certain foods and start asking “what is that?” That’s a red flag to put that item back on the shelf and keep going. Most real foods are directly picked from nature and need know nutritional label or ingredient list, so bulk up on those and supplement with items like whole grains.   

Shop Small — Local places — like Sphinx Date Co. Palm & Pantry, of course! — as well as farmers markets, mini grocers, co-ops and CSAs are loaded with the whole foods needed to stock the fridge and pantry. So consider stocking up at businesses like these (which are also likely locally owned and very grateful for every customer!) for those whole food staples.  

Keep it Simple — Instead of creating “work” for one’s self when trying to enact this health habit, make it easy. Keep bags of fresh nuts, seeds, dried fruit on hand, chop up veggies for snacking or tossing on a sheet pan to roast, and keep fresh fruit in plain sight — like in a bowl on the kitchen table or on the dead center shelf in the fridge so it’s not forgotten able in a drawer down below. When dabbling with new recipes try to look for those with 5 ingredients or less, or when fixing a plate consider a balance of a third vegetables, a third protein and a third whole food grain.  

Have a Plan — Dropping all packaged, canned or convenience foods in favor of a 100 percent whole foods lifestyle is serious work. And it’s not something that has to be done overnight! Working toward a fridge and pantry stocked with less artificial foods and more whole foods can be a gradual process — and remember to recognize progress along the way! Building in mini goals, like taking on one of the suggestions from above each week or month, can help keep the momentum going.  

The Sphinx Date Co. family wishes everyone health long into the New Year. With a few “baby steps” over the course of the next few weeks or months, big changes will soon become apparent. So why not choose whole foods in the name of healthy habits this year?