With the whole weekend ahead of you, today is the day to get things ready and set things up for the week as best as possible. The extra time you have today can help make sure that you can make healthy choices throughout the week. Half of the challenge of eating and staying healthy is making sure you have the right items available. In Europe, the small corner vegetable markets make it easy for people to head out for a tomato or two when they need it. In the States, it takes a little more planning to make sure that you don’t run out of fresh food and wind up relying on processed goods. Here are some ideas to help get you on the right foot for the rest of the week.
Get All Workout Clothes Ready
When you’re doing laundry on Saturday, set things up to make sure your morning workout is a breeze. Set aside all of your workout clothes. Instead of putting your tees, bottoms and socks separately, make piles of the clothes you need for each day – including undergarments. With all of your clothes ready to go in one pile, you can set out one pile each day and you’ll be ready for your workout right away. For those heading out to the gym, roll your tee, socks etc. into your leggings and tuck in the end to make a neat workout clothes bundle that you can easily throw into your bag.
Buy the Rainbow
For your Saturday supermarket run, think about the rainbow when you look at your cart If you’ve got mostly boxes and bags of processed foods, think again. Head to the fruit and veggies aisle and buy the different colors – bright red tomatoes, rich green kale, yellow zucchini, and deep purple eggplants. Buying the different colors means you will get a wide variety of vitamins and minerals and you can be sure you will get all the good things you need to get you through your week.
Stock Your Freezer and Pantry
While still steering clear of the pre-made and the processed, you can stock your freezer and pantry with the foods that can get you through the week in a healthy way. Frozen fruits and veggies contain the same health benefits as fresh. Buy bags of greens like spinach and peas that can easily be incorporated to recipes. Load up on frozen blueberries and raspberries to top your yogurt with the antioxidant rich fruits. Head to the canned goods aisle and look for canned beans and legumes without added salt. These pre-cooked foods can easily be added to salads or built up into a stew or chili.
Indulge in a Workout
You heard that right. While the rest of the week working out means finding enough time to squeeze in some movement, on Saturday, you can take your time. Choose a new activity that you have wanted to try like row boating or biking and head out with friends. A workout doesn’t need to be in a gym, you can head outdoors and enjoy time with friends and family while still staying active. Find a local trail or pick an outdoor pond or pool to check out. There are so many things right around you to see and experience, don’t waste a sunny Saturday in the movies. Get out and get to know your neighbors and neighborhood. The fresh air will do you wonders!
Eat Something Complicated
Healthy eating mid-week means making sure you can put something good together in between all of the crazy. It can be a challenge to make sure you’ve got the goods to make some goodies, but on Saturdays, the world is yours. Take advantage of a long and lazy evening and try a recipe you would never have the time for during the week. Look on Pinterest for something like a spicy curry or complicated fish dish. Buy some ingredients you can’t pronounce and unleash your inner Julia Child. Your mother always told you haste makes waste, so enjoy the process of getting down and dirty with your food. Get the right wine to accompany if you are feeling fancy.