If you’re anything like me, you love food. I mean plans are basically centered around food, especially here in south Louisiana. "We’re gonna go shopping, so where will we eat lunch? Oh and we HAVE to stop and get frozen yogurt!” “Our friends are coming over and we’re gonna cook some good food and have a few drinks!” In these situations, we usually do not pick the healthier options because food has become some sort of reward. We believe we deserve some delicious, yet carb and calorie filled treat to give us some type of fulfillment. But, why can’t we always choose the healthy alternative?!

Fast food is fat food (sometimes). Most people lead busy lives and sometimes we just don’t have time to cook a delicious and healthy meal. So we pass through McDonalds, Popeyes, or Sonic for a quick meal. Yes this food is delicious, but it definitely does not fit into your low carb or low calorie meal plan. These quick meals are sometimes loaded with calories, fat, carbs, and preservatives. When you do stumble upon a “healthy” fast food place, you usually have to spend a pretty good amount of money to get a decent amount of food and then it’s probably not as healthy as you first thought. After considering all the options, finding the time to prepare your own nutritious meals is more than worth it. Check out Pinterest for balanced and healthy meals that can be prepared in a reasonable amount of time and you won’t be disappointed!

You get less for more. Grocery shopping is something we have to do whether we are dieting or not dieting. I’ve experienced both sides of it. When my mom and I decided to start meal prepping, we would grocery shop for the things we needed for our recipes and then we’d spend Sunday preparing containers. Before we began meal prepping, our buggy was filled to the top with boxes and boxes of snacks, frozen meals, chips, and the occasional healthy items. When we started meal prepping, our buggy was only halfway filled, but the bill was just as expensive, if not more. Sometimes eating healthy is more expensive, but doing your research for delicious, inexpensive, quick, and healthy meals is well worth your while.

So start researching NOW because even though dieting and eating healthier is more challenging and takes a bit more time, it is so worth it! You owe it to your body to make better choices for your nutrition and health. God did not put us here to plan our next meal, so try not to make life about food. Food is merely fuel for our bodies so use it to give you energy and to keep you strong. Because you are just that. Strong.