Swaps & Substitutes That Fuel Your Goals

This post is by Shaina Weisgerber.

If you hear the words nutrition and hydration and wince, you are not alone. It is not easy to address these parts of our health journey at times. I want to tell you now that you are not alone and I am here to help assure you that there are things you can do today to help you make better choices! 

Nutrition was something that did not come naturally to my household growing up. Money was tight and so the grocery cart consisted of foods that were shelf stable, easy to prepare, and affordable. Vegetables were from a can or frozen bag, or we didn’t have any. Fruits were summer things if we had them in the house or perhaps apple sauce. As you can see, healthy options weren’t at my finger tips. Snacking after school was a daily thing and I grew up with grandparents that taught us to wipe our plates clean. So much for being taught how to eat healthy or even intuitively. We always learned about the food pyramid in school, and I knew what eating healthy was supposed to be, but I did not understand how to do it, and I wasn’t raised with the opportunity to let my pallet learn to enjoy healthy foods. 

Fast forward to life as an adult, and I still struggle with wanting sweet and salty snacks over fresh and healthy. I would much rather eat chips and salsa over carrot chips and hummus. 

I turn 40 this year, and I will tell you that eating healthier and making good choices is definitely on my radar. Along with healthy weight management comes blood sugar numbers, heart health and bone health as well. 

Let me share just a couple of things that help me with making some more healthy and nutritious choices. 

First of all, when you buy your produce, wash and prep it as soon as you come home from the store. Don’t let it sit in the store containers in your fridge. It will most certainly go bad. Wash, rinse, cut and store away fruits and veggies asap! They will be ready to assemble salads, put in your lunch or snack on! This helps with kids grabbing healthier snacks as well! 

Second, find ways to add in veggies to things you already make or make healthier swaps. Making spaghetti for dinner tonight? Add chopped up veggies to the sauce or use a veggie or protein pasta. Want to ditch the pasta all together? Use zoodles! Chili is always a yummy go to and you can load it up with sweet potato and even zucchini and squash. Don’t forget that beans add in a ton of protein! If you decide to bake, use applesauce instead of oil. 

Hydration is our next focus, and I just want to say that getting you a tumbler or cup that you love is KEY! It sounds silly, but a fun cup that keeps that water cold is a game changer! Put stickers all over it or accessorize it any way you choose! I love putting a fun pouch on mine that holds my phone, Chapstick and any cash or cards I need. I also have a hand sanitizer holder attached as well. Working in a school, this gives me access to all I need as I stay hydrated! Some other ways you can easily stay hydrated are zero sugar water enhancers. There are so many these days! Some come with caffeine in them if you need a boost of energy! I also love a good sparkling water when I want bubbles, but need to get my water in! I hope this inspires you to keep drinking your water and to have fun while you do it! 

Whether you are working more on nutrition or hydration or both, know that you are not alone and taking one day at a time is the only and best way to achieve goals in these areas of your life! Every time you make a choice in the right direction you are bettering your quality of life and your health! Good luck and blessings on your health journey! 

Shaina is a wife, mom, daughter and sister living in the Panhandle of Texas. Born and raised a church girl, she is a recovering people pleaser and former worship pastor. She still loves leading worship when she can, writing for Hello Mornings and sharing life over at Sycamore and Sparrow on Instagram and Facebook!

Photo by Herbert Goetsch on Unsplash