How to keep up with your good intentions at the beginning of the year?
After the busy Christmas period a lot of people start the New Year with some good intentions: working out, starting a new hobby, spending more time with your loved ones, finding a balance between work and pleasure, being more positive, drinking less -or more depending on what drink you are talking about- and eating healthier.
The perfect time to enroll in a new gym. Next post will be on The Brick, the new gym by my sister and brother in law. A top place to start working on your body and to reduce stress.
Eating Healthier
As for the eating healthier part, this isn’t so difficult if you just make a few changes to your regular routine.
Everyone has cravings for sweet or salt snacks such as chips. Once in a while a nice cupcake or a gin tonic during the weekends is great and OK. The key word is balance. I live by the 80/20 rule….80% Healthy and 20% Cheating. It really works for me and as for the healthy part I can say that I am not starving and I am not running around moody all day because I can’t indulge in my cravings.
Healthy snacking
A couple of years ago I started food prepping in the weekend for the week to come. Preparing some nice and healthy snacks you can eat during the day or at night when you are hanging on your couch.
It starts with stocking you pantry:
- nuts
- dates
- pure chocolate
- seeds (pumpkin, line, chia..)
- can of chickpeas
- oats
- veggies and fruits
Nothing better for late night cravings as a piece of dark chocolate or a nutty balls. Check out the recipe here. They are easy to prepare and keep a while in the fridge or freezer.
Roasted nuts are another favorite of mine. The herbs give just an extra dimension to the taste. Also really nice to top off a salad these savory nuts. Just roast them in a pan over medium heat with no extra oil and add herbs such as rosemary or thyme.
Mixed Nuts
The chickpeas are great to create a dipping (humus) or roasted in the oven with some herbs.
If you want cookies why not these paleo cookies? No butter, no gluten and just a little maple syrup. Really worth a try this recipe. You can freeze the cookies and heat them over a toaster.
Don’t forget fruit and veggies…what better to snack on?
What are the healthy snacks you indulge in? I am always open for new ideas.