Hello Highchair Organizer audience! My name is Lauren Pickens. I am a fellow lifestyle blogger and writer, and I am proud to introduce my first guest blog on this site. Today I thought that I would share some of my personal secrets to something that we all struggle with, healthy eating. As I am a college student, I try to keep the base of my diet as natural as possible to keep up with my busy lifestyle. However, due to time and budget constraints it can become easy to eat processed unhealthy foods. Below, I have listed three items that I make sure to have in my kitchen at all time that make eating healthy meals easy and affordable whether you are making meals for a single person or a family.
1. Avocados
Photo credit: Farmanac
This super food will get you full and satisfied in no time. There are so many ways to eat them. You can make some easy guacamole with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and fresh salsa. Or, add a few slices to a turkey sandwich to make it more filling.
My personal favorite way to eat avocados is put them on top of whole grain toast for breakfast. When they are ripe (when the avocado can be easily squeezed), just put it directly on your toast and sprinkle it with a little salt and pepper to taste. This is perfect for those days when you need to throw something healthy together for breakfast!
2. Detox tea
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
If you are a tea lover, then you should give detox tea a try. The brand Yogi makes detox teas in a variety of different flavors. You can find this brand at Walmart and all major grocery chains, and a box goes for an average of about three to five dollars. They are all natural and are a healthier alternative for morning coffee on days that you feel a little sluggish or lethargic.
Detox tea can help to cleanse your body and regulate the digestive system. I can really tell the difference when I drink it 3-5 times a week. If you have gone through a week of unhealthy or binge eating, drinking detox tea every day for a week can help you get back on track.
3. Spinach
Photo credit: michelle@TNS
This leafy green vegetable is full of vitamins, iron, and calcium. You can incorporate spinach into all three meals of the day in order to create colorful and healthy dishes.
Breakfast: Adding spinach to a smoothie can be an easy way to create a great tasting green smoothie. Blend together about five pieces of ice, three strawberries, one banana, a handful of spinach, and about a ½ cup of water or soy milk. Green smoothies can be a bit intimidating if you haven’t tried one, but this recipe is great because the sweetness of the fruit camouflages any taste of the spinach.
Lunch: For an easy lunch salad; I toss together freshly washed spinach leaves, dried cranberries, some feta cheese, and a bit of balsamic vinaigrette.
Dinner: Spinach is great to add into any pasta dish and works well with a variety of sauces, including pesto and cream based sauces. When you have boiled the pasta just cook the spinach down in a separate pan with a bit of coconut or olive oil and add it to the dish once you have added the sauce that you are using. This simple addition turns an ordinary pasta dish into a more health conscious alternative.
Follow me on Twitter at @laurenpickens92, and tell me in the comments below if you have any holy grail food items!
The Highchair Organizer 