Happy Leap Day friends! I already posted this on my Facebook page, but today isn’t just a Monday, it’s February 29th – a day that only comes once every 4 years. Wouldn’t it be awesome if today you decided to take a step towards that big scary dream you have in your head? Whether it’s to run a marathon, start your own business, buy a home, have a baby, lose 30 pounds, write a book – whatever! Wouldn’t it be fun to start TODAY and then the next time February 29th rolls around you can say, “Look how far I’ve come since last February 29th!”
I think so. Plus it makes it easy for you to remember when you started. 🙂
It seems only fitting that on this Leap Day I tell you about the 100 Meal Journey Challenge the Dieticians of Canada are putting on for Nutrition Month (which is March). If your big scary goal is to get healthier and/or lose weight, this could be take first step you take today towards the realization of that dream!
Last week I had the opportunity to chat with Halifax based Dietitian Kelly Whalen
about the challenge and learn a little bit more about the initiative.
The 100 Meal Journey is designed to help participants make small changes meal by meal so that the path to a healthier life doesn’t seem so overwhelming. Over the month of March we will be eating approximately 100 meals, and little by little challengers will be making those meals healthier and healthier. The reason many people fail at life changes is because they try to do too much too soon. This meal by meal plan challenges breaks healthy eating down into bite-sized pieces (pun intended 😉 ) which feel much more manageable for most people.
A recent study has shown a 35% decrease in the number of people who want to make a change in their healthy habits. The idea behind this challenge is that by pledging publicly that you are taking the 100 Meal Challenge you will be more successful than if you didn’t take the pledge. Behavioural contracts are proven to be more successful, and if you share with friends and family that you are taking the challenge, it might encourage them to join you!
[Tweet “Get ready to join Canadians in making a small nourishing change! Pledge here: www.NutritionMonth2016.ca #nutritionmonth”]
The challenge takes participants through 5 weekly focuses:
Week 1: Get Ready! Encourage Canadians to take a pledge and join us in a 100 Meal Journey throughout March.
Week 2: Quality Counts! This week focuses on making food decisions that support individuals’ goals, such as cooking more meals at home, choosing nutrient-rich foods and substituting ingredients.
Week 3: Prioritize Portion Control! This week, we provide strategies for Canadians to be aware of selecting realistic portion sizes during their 100 Meal Journey.
Week 4: Try Something New! Because taste is the number one reason for food choice, this week focuses on nourishing meal and snack ideas that are delicious!
Week 5: Make It Stick! Every journey encounters detours along the way. This week’s tips will equip Canadians with doable strategies to put in place during their own 100 Meal Journey and make healthy eating stick!
It’s totally free to take the pledge by visiting NutritionMonth2016.ca, and once you’ve taken the pledge you can share on social media to encourage friends and family to join you.
[Tweet “Get ready to join Canadians in making a small nourishing change! Pledge here: www.NutritionMonth2016.ca #nutritionmonth”]
You can also check out their free applications: Cookspiration, eaTipster and eaTracker.
Because I think the mindset of healthy eaters versus unhealthy eater is so different when it comes to food, I asked Kelly to share three things she does every day to help her stick to a nutritious diet. They are:
- Maintaining a healthy food environment. They don’t keep unhealthy food in the house, and if they do have something for a party or holiday, they keep it up away out of sight until the event so they are less likely to want to eat it. She also keeps healthy foods like fruit salad prepared and at eye level in the fridge so when she goes looking for a snack, that is the first thing that catches her eye.
- Making sure she eats enough veggies every day. Ensuring that her plate is half filled with veggies before she starts adding protein or starches helps her stay on track towards her daily veggie goal.
- Eating mindfully. Taking smaller bites, putting her fork down in between bits, and not eating in front of a screen so she can better enjoy her food.
And finally, I always like asking dieticians this question – what is your current favourite nutrition packed food?
Kelly’s answer – lentils. Apparently 2016 is the International year of lentils (who knew? Not me!), so she’s been all about the lentils lately. She suggested adding red cooked lentils in fruit smoothies where you won’t see or taste them, and cutting ground beef with lentils to add additional nutrition and cut back on red meat intake.
And then she wanted to know what my favourite nutrition packed food is – and that was an easy one for me. Avocado. It’s so darn good for you!!!!
[Tweet “Get ready to join Canadians in making a small nourishing change! Pledge here: www.NutritionMonth2016.ca #nutritionmonth”]
I hope you’ll consider joining the 100 Meal Journey with me. Let’s make the next month amazing! And the next four years until the next Leap Day our healthiest EVER!
Take the Pledge for the 100 Meal Journey Today!
Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post in any manner, just a fantastic initiative I wanted to share with you all.