Ten Healthy and Green Eating Tips for the New Year

For most of us at this time of year, the holiday pounds have been packed on, and I don’t know about you, but my pants have been feeling a bit snug lately. I’m definitely not complaining about all of the turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes that I’ve eaten in the last two months. I just know that it’s time to stop procrastinating about eating healthy and to actually start doing it!

To help start the new year in a green, healthy and natural way, here are ten great tips that might inspire you to get grooving to your own healthy beat:

1. Shop and buy local
When you buy locally grown foods you not only get the best and freshest of what’s in season, but you also support local farms. Want to find a local farmer’s market or family farm near you? Check out LocalHarvest.org.

2. Replace breadcrumbs with oats
Instead of using breadcrumbs in dishes like meatloaf and meatballs, try using oats. Oats are a great source of fiber and they have little impact on your blood sugar.

3. Never skip a meal
It’s important to never skip a meal or starve yourself. Doing this will just create hunger pangs, and you’ll want to eat more food when you actually do eat. Always eat your recommended three daily meals (especially breakfast), and carry small bags of snacks with you like veggies or pretzels to curb your appetite between meals.

4. Learn how to preserve your food
You can make your fruits and vegetables go a long way by learning how to preserve them. Preserving includes the process of canning, drying, vacuum sealing and freezing foods. Some examples are pickling cucumbers and drying fruit for snacks! You can learn everything about the preservation process at PreserveFood.com.

5. Be fishy about your fish
Fish is rich in omega-3 fatty acids (which is great for blood circulation), but you should always be careful about the type of fish that you’re eating. Many fish contain toxins like mercury, and some are harvested in through unsustainable methods that cause harm to entire fish populations. To see an entire list of the safest fish and seafood to eat, check out the Environmental Defense Fund’s Seafood Selector.

6. Calcium does your body good
Calcium not only builds strong bones, but it also helps to prevent osteoporosis. Yes, milk is a great source of calcium, but so are foods like green leafy vegetables, yogurt, cheese, seaweed, oranges and beans.

7. Go organic
You don’t want to eat food that’s full of pesticides, steroids and other toxins, so your best bet is to eat food that is USDA certified. This means that the food is completely organic and is grown using natural methods. You can read more about organic certification on the USDA website.

8. Avoid bottled water
It’s important for you to drink water every day, but you don’t have to buy tons of plastic bottles to do this! Instead, purchase one reusable container and filter the water you put in it.

9. Make your own compost
If you have your own garden, or if you just want to reduce waste in our landfills, compost leftovers like raw fruits and veggies. You’ll be eating extremely healthy, and you’ll be creating the perfect natural fertilizer for your soil. You can even throw in some used coffee grinds!

10. Roast a whole chicken
Cooking an entire chicken means less packaging and more room for food like chicken salad, chicken pot pie and chicken with dumplings. You can even use the bones to make chicken stock for soups. Here’s a great step-by-step process on how to roast a chicken on AllRecipes.com.

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