One of the things that has been very helpful to me I learned from my years of involvement with Montessori schools. Integral to the philosophy is something Montessori refers to as the, "Prepared Environment." The idea is to thoughtfully set up the physical space in a way that is visually appealing and invites one to engage in activities beneficial to well-being. This facilitates desired behaviors while discouraging that which might be destructive. Or as engineers, architects and planners like to say, "Structure determines function."
If you are wanting to eat more healthfully, I'd encourage you to give some thought to setting up your kitchen as a "prepared environment" that will encourage you to eat more fruits vegetables and legumes while discouraging the consumption of processed foods and animal protein --- the saboteurs of health. One of the first things I'd recommend -- is to not bring into your home the foods you'd like avoid. If you can only eat junk by getting in your car and driving somewhere in order to have it -- often that extra effort is enough to keep you on track. But eating optimally also requires us to consume large amounts of the most nutritionally dense foods -- vegetables, fruits and legumes. One great way to do this -- especially in the summertime, is to use this idea I got from Allison Rivers Sampson, and create a salad bar in your refrigerator.
I know that I am vulnerable to eating things I later wish I hadn't eaten when I am hungry and just want to simply grab something and with very little prep be able to eat it. This is a large part of the appeal of chips, crackers and baked goods. That's why having a salad bar in the refrigerator is so helpful -- with a bit of advance planning, eating the healthiest food can also be the most convenient. Make it visually appealing and delicious and you will guarantee your success!
Usually my fridge salad bar is super simple --- a bag of ready to eat washed lettuce or greens some diced tomatoes, frozen green peas in the freezer, leftover beans (or cans in the pantry) and my favorite salad dressing. Literally in 3 minutes time, I can have a huge beautiful, tasty, satisfying salad. But today, I went all out to surprise my husband. When it was dinner time here is what I put out on the counter.
I know that I am vulnerable to eating things I later wish I hadn't eaten when I am hungry and just want to simply grab something and with very little prep be able to eat it. This is a large part of the appeal of chips, crackers and baked goods. That's why having a salad bar in the refrigerator is so helpful -- with a bit of advance planning, eating the healthiest food can also be the most convenient. Make it visually appealing and delicious and you will guarantee your success!
Usually my fridge salad bar is super simple --- a bag of ready to eat washed lettuce or greens some diced tomatoes, frozen green peas in the freezer, leftover beans (or cans in the pantry) and my favorite salad dressing. Literally in 3 minutes time, I can have a huge beautiful, tasty, satisfying salad. But today, I went all out to surprise my husband. When it was dinner time here is what I put out on the counter.
If you'd like to do this too, it's very simple. Begin by washing and chopping your favorite salad ingredients -- like lettuce, red cabbage, spinach, bok choy, (or buy one of the boxed mixed greens which makes this super simple) tomatoes, bell peppers, carrots, celery, cucumbers, chopped onions, sprouts, etc. and put each into its own attractive covered container. You can also include frozen vegetables like green peas, or organic sweet corn, Open a can of any beans (or use fresh cooked beans if you are up for that --- I like to make a big pot once or twice a week and then freeze small portions that can be easily defrosted.) I also love freshly cooked beets on my salad --- just scrub and slice a few large red or yellow beets, put them in a pot and cover with water and boil for ten minutes. When cooked transfer them to a glass jar store them in your fridge. Finally -- the other critical factor is to have a GREAT SALAD DRESSING ready to use!
If I haven't planned ahead, I will just top my salad with slices of ripe avocado and then drizzle balsamic vinegar over the whole thing. But here also are three salad dressings that take only minutes to make and store well in a jar in the refrigerator for at least week:
 Goddess Dressing |  Sunflower Ranch Dressing |  Creamy Dill Mustard Dressing |
