Hey y’all!
Being very much obsessed with health and fitness, I remember how difficult it was to learn and understand food. Nutrition is the most important factor not just for weight loss, but it’s the most important in regard to mental and physical health. I used to eat terribly. I genuinely didn’t understand what I was eating affected my energy, emotions, physical goals, and overall mindset. After getting myself in check, I discovered that I had a fog over my mind that slowed me down. Cleaning up my nutrition made me feel like I was opening myself up. I finally felt freed from the junk that deterred me from my daily activities.
With this in mind, I wanted to share my kitchen staples that I started my journey with and I still eat to this day! Most are very versatile and I’ll share some of the different ways I integrate them into my meals/snacks!
1. Greek Yogurt
Greek Yogurt is ALWAYS in my fridge. I use the Fage 0% Fat Greek yogurt because it has the best macros I’ve found (18g of protein for 90 calories!) and I put it in everything. I’ll use it for both sweet and savory things like, for example, it’s a great alternative to sour cream, and I’ll use it with fruit and granola as a snack. I’ll also put it in smoothies which make them sooooo creamy. Also, if you are prioritizing protein, I’ll mix in a flavored protein powder also which legit makes it taste soooo good.
2. Popcorn
When I was losing weight, I often found myself to be hungry all the time, which is expected. Lightly buttered or self-made popcorn was a great thing for me to eat mindlessly and satisfy the urge to binge eat. I’d even add some nutritional yeast at times to give it a cheesy flavor as well as added nutritional benefits.
3. Beef JErkey/Protein
I have always prioritized protein because it makes you feel more full and I also have been weight training and trying to build muscle. Zero sugar beef jerky is an amazing snack that has less calories for a very decent amount of protein. This is always a popular snack of mine.
4. Frozen Fruit
I have always had a HUGE sweet tooth and honestly, I didn’t appreciate fruit as much as I do now. I always have frozen fruit in the freezer because it doesn’t go bad for a while, and often after a meal I’ll have a bowl to satisfy my sweet tooth. Additionally, having fruit on hand is also great for smoothies and yogurt bowls. So this is also a definite staple.
5. Hard Liquor :))
Alright in all honesty, a big part in losing weight in this day and age is that we all like to go out and have our fun. Drinking can deter your results and affect your mental health. I can confidently say that you do not have to give up drinking to lose weight!! You just need to know what you can drink. Most of the calories in drinking come from mixers and beer. Hard liquor itself only has around 100 calories per shot, and combining that with a zero calorie mixer like seltzer or water and Mio minimizes the amount of calories you consume. This is the WAY my friends.
To finish, I just want to say these are just the things that helped me the most personally on my journey and everyone will find their own preferences! I hope some of this wisdom helps :)