Simple.

If you’re interested in eating in a healthier, more real way but are afraid or unable to do it full-out, here is a list of some ways you can change your eating. You can just do one or try them all.

Simple Changes:

–       Do not underestimate fruits and veggies. They can be main parts of a meal too, you know! It’s also helpful to try to think of them as snacks as well. Apples with peanut butter, grapes and cheese, or carrots and hummus are all yummy snacks.

–       Go with baked instead of fried.

–       Give honey a try (or pure maple syrup).

–       Go for whole wheat and grains. In your bread, in your pasta, and in your flour.

–       Less. I’m not talking about less food but less stuff in your food (like chemicals, preservatives, dyes, etc.). There’s almost always a less messed-with version of whatever it is you’re eating, you just need to take the time to look. And remember, all you lazy or time-crunched people out there, you really only need to spend extra time searching once and then you’ll know where and what to look for next time!

–       Eat out less. It’s harder (sometimes impossible) to eat “real food” when you eat out.

–       Start buying some (or all) organic fruits and vegetables.

–       Start small. Pick a day of the week where you follow the rules or maybe even just one meal once a week. As you find more recipes or build up leftovers, you can start adding more days and meals.

–       Freeze stuff. Make a big batch of soup, freeze it and now you have multiple real food meals!

Also as a little side note, today was my first post-challenge day and I decided to get one of my much-loved frappeccinos from Starbucks. I’ll tell you what, although it still tasted yummy, the sweetness was a bit overpowering! It was almost like a shock. I’m not sure if it was totally in my head (very well may have been) but I swear I could taste the artificialness. Not sure how else to describe it but there was a distinct taste or feel that I had never noticed before. Interesting.

Preparations Part 1: Meal Ideas

So following the 10 Days of Real Food challenge is going to require some preparation (big surprise, huh?)

First off, I needed to figure out what the heck I was going to eat. The website offers a lot of ideas with full instructions on making things that need to be made like crackers or granola bars or even full meals. I also found some ideas on other blogs and am also planning to just tweak some of the things I already eat. I would imagine that is a key to succeeding in this challenge, you don’t need to completely change your diet, just start by adjusting some of the things you already eat (like switching to whole-wheat flour and whole-grain pasta).

Anyway, after planning out food options I made a list of all of the things I would need in order to make these things as well as what will need to be made before the challenge starts.

Today I’m just going to share my meal ideas list but if you’re interested in the shopping list or schedule, be sure to check back.

Breakfast:

–       Homemade whole-wheat waffles with strawberries (I plan on making a batch and then freezing them so I don’t       have to make them in the morning before my 8am class)

–       Organic yogurt with homemade fruit syrup (for flavor) frozen (because I love it frozen)

–       Grapefruit

Packed Lunch Ideas (I’m sure there will be many more variations):

–       Hummus, pita (or crackers), veggie pieces (cucumber, pepper, carrots), and grapes

–       Soup with a piece of toast or crackers and fruit

–       Cheese, crackers, apple slices and celery with peanut butter

–       Peanut butter sandwich, homemade potato sticks, salad (with homemade dressing), and fruit

–       Pasta salad, nuts and fruit

–       Salad, fruit, and cheese

–       Salad, fruit, and a hard boiled egg

At Home Meal Ideas:

*add a veggie and a fruit as sides to the ones that need it

–       Homemade soup with grilled cheese

–       Toasted bread with hummus and cheese

–       Veggie cream cheese (may have to make this) on bread or crackers

–       Pesto grilled cheese

–       Pasta salad (some yummy ones: cucumber dill and caprese)

–       Pasta with pesto

–       Pasta with homemade alfredo sauce

–       Pasta with butter and garlic

–       Homemade quiche

–       My mom’s mac and cheese

–       Tortellini (Buitoni has one that fits the criteria) with pesto or alfredo (Ooo or maybe even pesto alfredo?)

–       Ricotta mashed potatos (more of a side but they sound yummy!)

–       Potato skins

–       Peanut butter sandwich

Packed Snack Ideas (to bring to class since I generally can’t make it more than an hour or so without getting hungry):

–       homemade granola bars

–       crackers

–       cheese

–       popcorn

–       fruit

–       homemade potato sticks

–       nuts

Not-necessarily-packed Snack Ideas:

–       smoothies

–       crackers and cheese

–       fruits and veggies with hummus or peanut butter

–       popcorn

–       homemade breads

–       potato sticks

–       nuts and seeds

–       hummus and crackers

–       toast

–       hard boiled egg

So there you have it, what I will be eating for ten days. Doesn’t look so bad to me!

Think of something I missed? I would love to hear if you have any other “real food”, vegetarian meal or snack ideas!