3 Tips for Reviving Your Food Routine

We all know how summer goes – we start enjoying the season and this often leads to making less healthy choices with our food as we go camping, attend weddings, throw barbecues, and head out of town on vacation. After all, letting loose is what summer is all about. But with the “back-to-school” buzz happening all around us, we all start thinking about getting back into our usual routine, whether you have kids you are sending back to school, are off to school yourself, or are simply just getting ready to transition from summer fun to the familiarity of fall. 

Part of getting back into routine includes getting back to our usual eating habits. Whether there has been a bit too much junk food, processed food, or simply just some over-indulgence, plant-based eating can help cleanse the system and get you re-energized.  And with fresh Canadian produce from local farmers available everywhere, this is the perfect time to do it!

Here are some tips and tricks for getting you and your family back into a healthy eating routine:

1.     Break the Fast:  Summer vacations mean sleeping in and eating whenever. One easy way to make sure you and your children have energy for the day ahead is to eat breakfast.  When we sleep, our bodies use up a lot of the nutrition we took in the day before. Replenishing with nutritious foods first thing in the morning will energize you, start your metabolism off on the right track, and help you eat less throughout the day, in addition to a whole list of other benefits. 

Choosing nutrient-dense whole foods without added sugars for breakfast will give you the greatest benefit. Processed foods lose their nutrition content reducing their value to you. Alternatively, having whole grains, fruits, and vegetables for breakfast will give you long-lasting energy for the day ahead.

2.     Be a Prepper:  As you start getting back into a routine, set aside some time each weekend to organize the food you will need for the week ahead.  Washing and chopping fruits and vegetables ahead of time makes them easy go-to snacks and helps cut down the prep time for cooking a full meal.  If you follow a plant-based diet, this is also a great time to soak your beans and lentils for the week. All of this will help take some of the stress out of meal prep when you get home after a long day. 

You can use this opportunity to prepare healthy snacks too. Making quick and easy snack foods like chia pudding cups, healthy banana cookies and hummus to have on hand helps ensure you grab something good when hunger strikes. Putting them in single-serving reusable containers will also help make packing lunches a breeze!

3.     Quench the Thirst:  Whether you have had a few too many wobbly pops this summer or have been spending too much time in the sun, you likely have not had enough water.  Water is pretty much the best remedy for a number of sins.  Flushing out your digestive tract, hydrating your skin, boosting your brain power, and more, water is your BFF when it comes to resetting and maintaining your body’s operating system.

If you want to add some extra benefit to your water, try adding lemon juice, cucumber slices, or herbs. Not only do these make for a tasty beverage, they also help with hydration and cleansing your system.  And, with fresh herbs and cucumbers available from local producers right now, you will also be supporting your local farmers.