Look, I get it! Sometimes the thought of cooking a meal, let alone cooking a healthy meal is just out of the question. Sometimes, keeping fresh fruit and veggies in stock at home is just asking too much. And meal prepping??? Well, that’s just downright a fantasy.
We all “know” that we should be doing those things… meal planning & prepping, eating fresh fruits & veggies daily, cooking super healthy meals each night. But the reality is that that’s not happening for most of us on a daily basis, especially when you have kids, work responsibilities, etc.
Part of what I do as a health coach is make healthy living easier for my clients. So I have quite a few tricks up my sleeve when it comes to healthy eating and how to make it easier.
1.) Hit the farmer’s markets or get a produce subscription
It’s “almost” that time of year again when farmers’ markets pop up everywhere with all the goodies they have to offer. Shop local, shop fresh! It’s a win-win. But when farmer’s markets aren’t an option. Those listed below tend to be a great way to still get quality produce.
Misfits Produce – This company lets you build a box of fruits and veggies to be shipped directly to your door. Tons of organic options + they now have items you can get shipped via a cold pack like cheeses, meats, etc.
Imperfect Foods – This started as a produce subscription but is actually just a huge online grocery store now. They have great options for shelf-stable and fresh foods including produce, dairy, and meats.
CSA – You can also check out local CSA and crop shares near you. This is an excellent way to support local farmers and your own health!
2.) Get your groceries delivered
This blew up during the pandemic, and rightfully so! But aside from the joy of not having to leave your house, getting your groceries delivered is a great way to make sure that you always have healthy food on hand. But it can also help you to stay on budget with groceries because you can see your total as you add things to your virtual cart. This is huge for me as I have a tendency to go into a grocery store for 1-2 items and come out $300 later.
Here are the best options for grocery delivery…
Instacart – Great store options & great customer service. They also send out lots of coupons and discounts.
Shipt – Similar to Instacart. I recommend downloading both and seeing which one has better store options near you.
Amazon Fresh – A great option for folks who already have an Amazon Prime membership, especially now that Whole Foods Delivery has an automatic $10 delivery charge.
3.) Try a meal delivery service
When grocery delivery isn’t enough, get the whole meal delivered (without turning to Uber eats or pizza delivery). These services range from premade meals that just need to be heated to meal kits that you have to still chop and prepare the ingredients they provide you. So you can find what suits your needs.
Daily Harvest – Fruit & veggie-focused frozen meals ranging from smoothies to flatbreads. They boast no dairy, no gluten, no gums or fillers, and no artificial anything.
Purple Carrot – These 100% plant-based meals will ensure you get your recommended fill of fruits and veggies each day.
Sunbasket – By far the best tasting and highest quality meals from a delivery service. They also let you set your account to gluten-free, keto, dairy-free, and other options. And they have high-quality meats like organic chicken and grass-fed beef.
Hungryroot – This company is cool because you can choose to either shop individual items as groceries OR put all the ingredients necessary for one meal into your cart at a time. I like the flexibility here and the food options are amazing and continuously expanding. These are also meals that require very little prep and minimal cook times. So that’s a definite plus!
4.) Set your staples to autoship
This is one that I avoided for a while because I have a problem with having too many subscription services. But you can do this via Amazon or Thrive Market and once you set it, you can forget it. I use this for my basic healthy staples like raw honey. This just makes your life easier, in the long run, to know that those things will always be on hand.
So there you have it! A few ways to make this whole healthy eating thing just a bit easier. Because you deserve to eat the best so that you can be your best!
