Baby Steps towards Better Health (plus salad tips!)

Written by Kim, Contributing Writer

You may have in mind a whole list of wonderful healthful habits you’d like to incorporate into your lifestyle. We all know, however, that the steps between good intentions and practical application can seem arduously uphill.

I always encourage folks to start with small, “do-able” goals. For instance, if you’re new to healthy eating, you might simply strive to choose a fruit over an otherwise poor snack selection. Or maybe you want to eat salads regularly. These both may seem like “do-able” goals, but without the practical preparation, even these small goals won’t be met.

For instance, it’s not enough to rid your shelves of less-than-ideal foods. You need to intentionally stock your pantry and refrigerator with great options. So if you want to make healthy snack selections, be sure to have your fruit bowl and cupboard stocked with attractive, easy-to-grab options for you and your family.

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And if you want to eat salads on a daily basis, there are simple steps to encourage this along as well. Having pre-washed lettuce on hand (whether store-bought or hand-washed by you) is probably the biggest help. If you haven’t invested in a salad spinner yet, you’ll find this to be a handy tool for expediting this process. Be sure to have some basic salad toppings (tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, etc.) always on hand and then “mix things up a bit” by offering other toppings (dried fruit, nuts, toasted seeds, chickpeas or kidney beans) on a regular basis.

I sometimes keep a little bin of salad toppers in the refrigerator that automatically comes out with our salad course (seeds, nuts, oils, sprinkles, dressing, etc.) so everyone can further customize their salads. You don’t want your family to become bored with the “same old” green salad.

Keeping salad prep simple increases the chances of it becoming a regular part of your diet. We all know it’s all too easy to drop the salad from our meal plan when time gets tight or energy gets low.

Click here for an excerpt from my Everyday Wholesome Eating book for more tips on simplifying salad preparation.

And don’t forget that a great dressing can really make a salad. There are more healthful options in grocery stores now than there were years ago, but it’s always best if you can prepare your own salad dressings. I find I don’t need to be shy applying dressing when I’ve made it myself because I know it’s full of good stuff!

Many dressings are super simple (like my Italian Dressing, just combine and shake!) and some require only a little more preparation (like my Ranch Dressing made from sunflower seeds!), still ready in under 5 minutes. You can find other dressings in my cookbooks that are quick, easy and far cheaper and healthier than store-bought!