The Complete Guide to Eating Healthy

What do you struggle with most when it comes to healthy eating?

From your emails, comments and our interactions on Facebook, you’ve told me that you’re challenged by the time commitment, late night snacking, the cost, cravings, the stress of it all…

If any of these roadblocks are standing in the way of you embracing a healthy eating style, then this guide is absolutely perfect for you!

I’ve spent days compiling resources and adding in my personal tips where ever possible to this online book. And the best part? The solutions to your struggles don’t have to be expensive, overwhelming or complicated.

Are you ready to learn how to eat healthy using these easy and inexpensive tips?

Let’s get down to business!

The Complete Resource Book on How to Eat Healthy

Here’s how it works: When you click on one of the chapter links below, you’ll be directed to your selected chapter without refreshing the page. So, pick which chapter you’d like to get started with and have at ‘er!

• Chapter 1: How to Stock your Pantry and Fridge with Healthy Food
• Chapter 2: How to Eat Healthy and Save Money
• Chapter 3: How to Prepare Meals in Advance
• Chapter 4: Using the Same Ingredient Multiple Ways
• Chapter 5: Make Breakfast Ahead of Time
• Chapter 6: Quick Snacks that Curb Cravings
• Chapter 7: How to Make Healthy Lunches
• Chapter 8: Inexpensive 30 Minute Meals
• Chapter 9: How to Travel and Stay Healthy
• Bonus Chapter: Free Meal Plans

If you like this resource book, please pass it on to your friends by sharing on Facebook or Tweeting it. And sign up for Healthful Pursuit updates for more healthy eating tips!

Chapter 1: How to Stock your Pantry and Fridge with Healthy Food

If you have unhealthy food in the house… you will eat it.

When I made the commitment to eat healthier I divided my pantry and fridge up into two sections: healthy and unhealthy. As soon as an unhealthy item was finished, I replaced it with something new, or learned how to make it from scratch, and put it in the healthy section. I did not throw things away but rather picked away at it until I had only healthy things around me.

Here are some of my favorite resources for filling your pantry and fridge with healthy food:

• Stocking your Pantry | Healthful Pursuit
• Vegan Pantry Tips | Oh She Glows
• Stocking your Fridge | Healthful Pursuit
• Vegetarian and Gluten-free Shopping List | Healthy Tipping Point

Chapter 2: How to Eat Healthy and Save Money

Eating healthy can be expensive… but it can also be super inexpensive, too. Refined packaged goods can set you back hundreds of dollars whereas a bowl of cooked grains, seasonal vegetables and a cooked bean, lentil or lean ground meat can be cheaper… if done right. Here are a couple of awesome tips on how to eat healthy and not go broke while doing it:

• 20 Simple Ways to Eat Healthy on a Budget | Strong Lifts
• 10 Tips for Healthy Eating on a Budget | Canadian Living
• 15 Healthy Foods for under $2 | Web MD
• A Guide to Seasonal Eating | Fast Company
• How to Find Local Farmers (USA and Canada) | Local Harvest
• 45 Foods to Make at Home and Save Money | Greatist
• How to Save Money as a Vegan | Taste Space
• 52 Ways To Save Money at Costco | The Nourishing Gourmet

Chapter 3: How to Prepare Meals in Advance

The key to sticking to a healthy eating style is in the preparation. Simple, easy and effective strategies for food prep can save you money, stress and time. I double up when I’m making a casserole and prepare two or three of the same thing. The leftovers can be frozen and reheated on the fly… a huge help after a long day.

Here are a couple of my favorite meal preparation resources:

• Prepare a Week of Meals in Under an Hour | Natural Bias
• 10 Meals That Will Last the Entire Week | The Kitchn
• 1 Day a Week Cooking | Live Strong
• Freezer Cooking Paleo Meals | Once a Month Mom

Chapter 4: Using the Same Ingredient Multiple Ways

Each week, I buy 5 different vegetables, 2 different proteins and 1 type of starch. Then I eat those items in as many ways as possible – in a curry, stir-fry, soup, salad, roasted, barbecued… When you have a nicely stocked spice cabinet and pantry this strategy can save you money and time.

Here are a couple of tips I use to spice things up in the kitchen:

• How to Eat Half a Squash for Dinner | The Kitchn
• 10 Ways to Prepare Lentils and Beans | Best Health
• 10 Amazing Oatmeal Recipes | Family Fresh Cooking
• 52 Ways to Eat Kale | Daily Bites

Chapter 5: Make Breakfast Ahead of Time

Starting your day with a healthy breakfast helps you make healthy choices for the rest of the day… but when there are buses to catch, kids to feed, and an office to get to, taking the time to eat healthy often gets pushed to the sidelines.

My trick? Breakfasts that can be made ahead of time for quick, on the go, consumption.

• Baked Oatmeal to Go | Healthful Pursuit
• Grain-free Breakfast Cookies | Nourished Kitchen
• Overnight Banana Almond Pudding | Healthful Pursuit
• Basic Oatmeal Squares | Oh She Glows
• Overnight Cinnamon Raisin Chia Pudding | Tasty Yummies

Chapter 6: Quick Snacks that Curb Cravings

The more consistent you are with healthy eating, the better you’ll become at it and the less cravings you’ll experience. The key to eliminating cravings is to:

• Prepare snacks that taste good. If you’re snacking on food that’s less than inspiring, you’ll be more inclined to reach for something that tastes better and makes you feel good.
• Eat fiber. Fiber keeps you fuller, longer. A sprinkle of ground flax seed on a fruit salad, or a handful of nuts with some chocolate chips can go a long way.
• Make healthier versions of your favorite treats. Coconut oil on your popcorn instead of the artificial butter stuff, sweet potato fries instead of potatoes, single serving cake in a cup instead of a full cake…

I’ve prepared each of these snacks countless times and can attest to how simple and satisfying they are!

• Oh My Gosh if I Don’t Eat Right Now I’m Going to Die Snacks | Healthful Pursuit
• Energy Bars | Inspired Edibles
• Basic Hummus | Bake Online
• Microwave Potato Chips | My Fabulous Recipes
• Vegan Almond Butter Chews | Oh She Glows
• Breakfast Cup-cake (for any time of day) | Healthful Pursuit

Chapter 7: How to Make Healthy Lunches

Salads rock. They’re easy to put together, are extremely versatile and highly forgiving. Throw a bunch of random things in a bowl and call it a salad!

Here are some of my personal tips on how to rock your lunch salad:

• Use leftovers like roasted vegetables: Roasted Vegetables | For the Love of Food
• Throw in some homemade crackers for crunch: Grain-free Thyme and Onion Crackers | Healthful Pursuit
• Keep a bunch of this salad dressing on hand at all times: Smokey Bear Salad Dressing | Healthful  Pursuit
• Who said salads had to have greens? Rainbow Citrus Slaw | Real Food Real Deals
• Any protein is fare game. Use a combination of leftover chicken, beans or fish.
• Throw in leftover pilaf, risotto, whatever grain you have.

Chapter 8: Inexpensive 30 Minute Meals

You don’t have to go broke when you choose to eat healthy or commit to spending your life in the kitchen. Here are a couple of great recipes, tips and guides on how to make yummy, healthy meals for cheap and continue living your life!

• 20 Cheap Heart-Healthy Meals under $3 | Heart Healthy Online
• Cheap, Healthy Entrees | Greatist
• 12 Healthy Dinner Recipes | Healthful Pursuit

Chapter 9: How to Travel and Stay Healthy

All is fine and dandy when you’re at home, but when you have to take healthy living on the road; out into the real world, it can be a bit overwhelming… but it doesn’t have to be!

Traveling healthy is actually pretty simple. Whether you’re able to bring healthy food along with you, or you simply need tips on how to make the healthiest choices with what restaurants are available to you, know that you can always make a healthy choice no matter where you are or what you’re doing.

• How to Pack for Success | Healthful Pursuit
• Healthy Eating on the Road (Great Restaurant Guide) | About.com
• How to Stay Focused on your Health Goals While Traveling | Healthful Pursuit
• Packing List for Backpacking Trip | Healthful Pursuit
• Healthy Camping | Healthful Pursuit
• 11 Tips on Healthy Travel | Eating Bird Food

Bonus Chapter: Free Meal Plans

If you’re not creative, get overwhelmed at having to come up with day after day of healthy things to eat, meal plans are for you! And while being gluten-free can make things a tad bit more complicated, here are four solid, gluten-free meal plan resources to help you along your healthy eating journey:

• Gluten-free, Grain-free, Vegan Meal Plans | Healthful Pursuit
• Gluten-free, Dairy-free Meal Plans | Once a Month Mom
• 1 Week Gluten-free Diet Plan | Dr. Oz

Do you know of a resource that I could add to this resource book? Awesome! Add a comment below with the link!

If you like this resource book, please pass it on to your friends by sharing on Facebook or Tweeting it. And sign up for Healthful Pursuit updates for more healthy eating tips!

Tagged as: health, healthful hints, healthy meal, journey to health