Skip to main content

JUST EAT THE BANANA

I’m gonna make it short…shorter….short-ish….today.

Just eat the banana. I don’t care if it’s organic, sustainably-grown, non-GMO, blah, blah, blah. Just eat it.

If it comes down to eating a candy bar or eating a banana…..eat the banana.

Pick the healthier option when you have a choice, but when you don’t, eat what you’ve got. I face this dilemma often when we go to sporting events for Mini-Me. Concession stands are notorious for having lots of junk food, and not a lot of whole food options. You’re going to find chips and candy more than you’ll find vegetables or fruit. And if we don’t pack it ourselves, we’re stuck with whatever the concession stand has.

Mostly, I go with popcorn because it’s a whole grain. I’m fully aware that it’s not air-popped, all natural, no unhealthy oils, etc. I’ve seen the palm oil substance they use to make it. I’ve seen the popcorn salt. It’s still better than a bag of Doritos. So, popcorn it is.

Nachos or a burger? Probably go with the burger. Is it 100% grass-fed, organic, 96% lean beef patties? No.

Is it the healthiest protein source with the option to load it with lettuce, tomatoes, and onions for an additional veggie boost? Yes.

Are the VEGGIES 100% organic, blah, blah, blah? No.

Is it……

You get the idea.

We live in a broken system, people. Easy, convenient, and shelf-stable are more important than fresh, healthy, or NUTRITIOUS. And while these are not mutually exclusive, they are more difficult to reconcile together.

FRESH and SHELF-STABLE are polar opposites. It doesn’t mean you can’t still try to find healthy options even if the conditions aren’t perfect.

Stop aiming for perfect. If you can eat 100% clean and healthy all the time….great.

But honestly, there’s not a lot left in the world that is completely “clean” anyway, so don’t skip the HEALTHIER option just because it’s not perfect.

Do you honestly, truthfully believe that a hotdog is more nutritious than grilled chicken? Under certain circumstances COULD that be the case? Possibly.

Most likely? Probably not.

It’s not always possible, convenient, or financially able to “eat clean” all the time. If you can make it work, great.

If not….just eat the banana.


www.thehiddenpoweroffood.com

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

WHAT TO DO WHEN CREATING HEALTHY HABITS BECOMES A CHALLENGE

As you’re working on your health, wellness, or nutrition journey, you’re going to face daily challenges. It happens. Obstacles. Setbacks. Faltering Motivation. Resistance. It’s frustrating to hit a roadblock. But hopefully some of the tips compiled here will help you navigate around these challenges and continue on your way to a healthier you. Focus on Your Behaviors, Not Your Outcomes .  I know I’ve talked about this before, but it’s actually a critical step of creating healthy habits. Outcomes vary. If you’re trying to lose 10 pounds, but the scale hasn’t moved past 5 pounds, it’s easy to get caught up in the number on the scale and fail to give yourself credit for the habits you’re creating like riding your bike 4 times per week, cooking healthier meals at home, and losing inches from around your waist. It’s important to praise and celebrate each habit you do, rather than only giving yourself credit when you hit a certain milestone, like the number on the scale. Take a...

NAMING THE PROBLEM

I love working with clients. I love walking them through the process of their health concerns, what their goals are, and how those goals can be achieved. But there is inevitably a glitch in the process where clients get stuck. For me, as well, when I’m working on my own personal goals. They hit a point where they feel like they’ve stalled in their progress. Or they feel like they don’t know where to start. Or how to navigate through an issue. And when these obstacles happen, the secret ingredient that health coaches use to help clients through these barriers is to Name The Problem . In my own personal experience, I have a tendency to get overwhelmed when I’ve made a goal too big. I get sucked into the vastness of the “forest” and I struggle to recognize the individual “trees” around me. For example, let’s say you’ve set a goal to “ Eat Healthier” . That is a very broad goal, and it could cover hundreds (if not thousands) of options. But you’ve made some changes that work for yo...

A BUSY MOMS CAUTIONARY TALE: SPORTS MOM EDITION

I had a conversation with a friend the other day, and it got my brain stuck on this topic, so I thought I’d write it out today. I’ve always had kids who were into sports. From the time my sons were 4 years old (and they just graduated from college), until now with my daughter in her senior year of high school. A large majority of my friends also have kids in sports. Recently, our coaches have been talking to the players, as well as their parents, about nutrition. The players are running out of fuel for their bodies long before their events have ended. The result has been kids getting quite sick in one way or another during or immediately after their event. The majority of the issues are coming from a lack of proper nutrition and a lack of hydration. The coaches are taking it all VERY seriously, and have taken a lot of steps to help remedy this situation. The conversation with my friend brought up this point (which is the one that stuck with me), as we were discussing how much ...