When it comes to eating real food, forging a path can feel like a trip through the wild wild west. We all know what to eat, right? How to put it into practice in our everyday lives? That’s another story.

The internet is full of stories and testimonials of  “real food” gurus, eating and loving food like it is their full time job (which it is). For the rest of us, in the real world, we need to eat well while also making sure our precious free time is not spent slaving in a kitchen.

A lot of people I see in my practice get stuck with implementing a new way to eat into their lives. They are usually in the routine of making at least five confusing trips to a grocery store (without a list) and supplementing with a trip to their local gourmet market for prepared foods and takeout. If we want to start eating and living in the clean, real food world, while relaxing into the process, we need to debunk a couple of myths:

Eating Healthy Takes Way Too Long. You know what takes long? Waiting the 45-minutes for takeout. Wth some solid meal planning, a realistic expectation of your level of cooking and a solid repertoire of recipes, dinner could be on the table in less than it takes to wait for pizza.

Eating Real Food Is Expensive. I am guessing that you make sure you have good heath insurance. Think of your food as an additional insurance policy for your health. The better the quality the better your well being. Yes, good quality food costs money. Yet, if you focus on seasonal produce, go to farmers markets for deals  and eat a well planned out, mostly plant based diet, you really should not be spending anymore money than what you would normally spend on convenience foods. Food is medicine. Real food is one of your body’s best bets against illness.

Eating Real Food Takes Planning, and Planning Takes Too Much Time. My motto is “fail to plan, plan to fail”. and it has never let me down. I have learned the hard way that when I don’t plan out my week’s worth of meals for myself and my family, I am in the grocery store multiple times during the week and scrambling with what to even make. Not only does that waste my time but causes a lot of undue stress (no need for more of that!). I can promise you that taking time to plan out your meals at the beginning of the week is the key to healthy eating success.

Eating Real Food Means You Have To Love Cooking, And I Don’t. I know it can seem frustrating to try and cook a meal, only to burn something or not have it taste like you thought. Cooking can feel tiring at the end of a long day with kids and work. No one was born knowing how to julienne basil. Practicing with tried and true recipes and having continued success can give you the confidence to keep going. Real food tastes so much better and is so much better for you then processed and packaged any day. That could be motivation enough to keep going.

There are all sorts of tips and tricks to get around your feelings towards cooking so that you can feel more confident in the kitchen and really enjoy real food. What questions, or challenges, do you have about cooking and incorporating more real food into your diet everyday? Ask me below!