Want to know the easiest way to stop sabotaging your health goals? 

✨Cut the crap!✨

And what do I mean by crap? Highly processed, artificial foods. The ones that are meant to be addictive and maybe the ones you love the most? Zero judgement! They are delicious!

Now, I’m not saying you have to give up all of your favorite foods like Oreos and Cheetos, but maybe just don’t bring them into your house, to tempt you.

You may be saying, “But Natalie, I have kids and they love that stuff!” I hear you, but since we are the guides in our home and the ones who decide what we buy, you have the control to substitute better options.

It may be tricky at first, but they will adjust and you never know, they may start loving the healthier peanut butter and apples for a snack or the Simple Mills crackers instead of Doritos?

The easiest way to start living a healthier, more nutritious life, really can be as simple as not bringing junk into your home.

I do my best to keep our kitchen stocked with plenty of fresh & frozen produce, organic poultry & grass-fed meat, wild caught fish, pasture-raised eggs, nuts, seeds, herbs, spices, oils & vinegars, but I also buy plenty of packaged foods. I mean, I am an American mom of two 🤪

Real, whole foods are clearly more nutritious than packaged, processed foods, but when you are buying something with a label, make sure you pay attention to the label on the BACK.

The front label can be deceiving & is mainly used for marketing. Food companies can claim things like “All-Natural” which means nothing in the food label world.

Once you get to the back label, I check out the ingredients list first (I don’t look at the calories b/c not all calories are created equal & I don’t count calories anyway).

I ask myself:

Are they words I recognize & can pronounce? How long is the list of ingredients (less is best)? Is this something that will make me feel good?

These are a just a few ingredients I do my best to avoid:

1.) Artificial colors, flavors & sweeteners

2.) Trans fats (including partially hydrogenated oils)

3.) Processed vegetable oils like canola, corn, soy, grapeseed & others

Check out the difference between these two peanut butters:

Next, I look at the sugar amount and do my best to avoid “added sugar” and sweeten food on my own w/ things like honey, dates & maple syrup.

I know it can be confusing, but eventually, you’ll get to know brands you trust so you don’t have to spend an hour dissecting the label…who has time for that?

If you need more help with this, I offer Pantry Makeovers and Grocery Store Tours (virtual and in person).

Remember it’s about progress, not perfection.

I am not perfect in any way and buy Mac n cheese & frozen pizza, but I do try to buy higher quality foods filled with less crap and more nutrients which yes, I recognize is a privilege.

But year after year, more grocery stores are offering better quality packaged food which you can get on sale with certain grocery store deals. This was not the case a few years back. Hopefully, it will continue in this direction.

What would you like to learn more about when it comes to food shopping & label reading?

This is just one of the many things I help you with in my Begin to Thrive 1:1 coaching program. Click the link to learn more or send me an email!