It's been a crazy year for all of us, and I've found myself wrangled into too many bad habits. Sugar (ahem, too much sauvy B), dairy, and take-out have wreaked havoc on my body (and face!). So I'm going to implement a few small hinge changes to my diet and lifestyle and get myself back to the lean, mean, sexy machine I was on the way to being!
Well, if you read the title, and see the image, I think you'll know that this story is about SOUP. Ahhhh yes... SOUPER SOUP. One of the 4 S's that we learned about during Culinary Medicine and Wellness Coaching class.
4 S's to Eat for Optimal Wellness -
* Smoothies
* Salads
* Stews
* SOUP
SOUP is SOUPER for many reasons, but most notably because you can jam pack LOTS of nutrition into one delicious bowl.
No, I'm not talking about soup in a can, or ramen that you heat up with boiling water from a teapot, I'm talking about the good stuff... HOMEMADE SOUP.
Most of the popular soups are veggie-forward, like minestrone, butternut squash, split pea, cream of mushroom, and even chicken noodle usually contains carrots and celery! So how can we implement a few small hinge changes to amp up our health using SOUP as the key ingredient?
It's simple -
First, I am going to eat soup everyday for dinner. Its easier to digest and if I eat 1 - 2 cups of soup that I have jam-packed with veggies, I will help ease digestion and restore my good gut microbiota while I sleep.
Second, I am going to meal-prep said soup and store the servings in my fridge & freezer for ease at the end of the day. Evenings are stressful in my house - bathe and feed kids, take dog out, wrap up work, clean the kitchen, take the garbage out, pay bills - the LAST thing I need is to cook something from scratch. *Soups store easily and heat up quickly for a nutritious and delicious meal.
And last but not least, I am going to avoid the SOUP sides and add-ins that make my soup less healthy. Instead of dipping a grilled cheese into tomato soup, try a rice cracker. Instead of making Italian wedding soup, I'll make pasta e fagiole with added veggies and brown rice pasta. While I avoid the bad stuff I need to add in more of the good stuff - veggies, veggies and more veggies.
These 3 small hinge changes are not hard to make and will get me back into the mode of meal-prep and eating more veggies, which will shift my current bad habits to good ones!
Don't worry, I would never leave you hangin'... along this SOUPER-Healthy-Journey I will post videos, recipes and, if you live in Westchester, where to buy my souper soups!
Here are a few recipes to get you started:
Will you join me on this SOUPER journey? What small hinge changes are you making in the New Year? Don't forget, this is your life, your health and your body. You are solely responsible for what you put in it. Make sure it is just as nutritious as it is delicious... I'll be here to help!
Love & Yum,
and... HAPPY NEW YEAR!
XO,
Lindz