SLCo Employee Wellness Wellcast
The SLCo Employee Wellness Wellcast is a fun, entertaining, and enlightening look at health and wellness. It breaks down complex health topics and interviews experts in the wellness field to help participants live healthier lives.
SLCo Employee Wellness Wellcast
Nourish Without Perfection: Real-Life Food Strategies
Ever feel like healthy eating is an impossible goal in your busy life? Take a deep breath—this episode is your permission slip to ditch perfection and embrace progress instead.
Wellness Coordinator Brittany Perry breaks down how sustainable nutrition actually works in real life, not just in aspirational Instagram posts. She introduces a refreshing perspective: instead of focusing on what to eliminate from your diet, concentrate on what nutrient-rich foods you can add to your meals. This simple mindset shift transforms healthy eating from a punishment into an opportunity.
Did you know your taste buds regenerate every 10-14 days? If you've written off certain vegetables based on childhood experiences, your adult palate might surprise you. Brittany explains how to stock your kitchen with versatile, budget-friendly staples that make nutritious meals possible even on your busiest days. Her practical advice on ingredient prepping (not necessarily full meal prepping) helps you create mix-and-match components that adapt to your changing schedule and cravings.
The episode demolishes common nutrition myths, explaining why all three macronutrients—carbs, proteins, and fats—are essential for your body's optimal functioning. Using a clever car analogy, Brittany illustrates how each nutrient group serves a vital purpose in keeping your "engine" running smoothly. Her tips for mindful eating help you reconnect with food enjoyment while honoring your body's natural hunger signals.
Whether you're a cooking enthusiast or someone who dreads meal planning, you'll find actionable strategies that work for your lifestyle. From smart grocery shopping to creative leftover transformations, these techniques help you build sustainable habits without sacrificing satisfaction.
Ready to personalize your nutrition journey? Take advantage of the six free health coaching sessions available through the Salt Lake County Employee Wellness Program. Visit the website to find the perfect coach for your specific goals and start nourishing yourself in ways that feel good, taste great, and fit your real life.
Hi everyone. I'm Brittany Perry, wellness Coordinator with the Salt Lake County Employee Wellness Program, and you're listening to our Wellcast, the show that breaks down big health topics and makes them simple, practical and easy to put into action so you can boost your well-being one step at a time. Welcome to Nutrition on the Go eating well anytime and anywhere. This is the episode where me and you, we're going to talk about making some healthful eating doable, whether you're at home or at work, or running from one commitment to the next. Today, we're going to be exploring practical, realistic ways to fuel your body without stressing over perfection. Let's kick off with a little reflection. Think about the best meal you've had recently, or perhaps the best one ever, where it was a total five-star meal. Give you a second to think about it. Then think about the setting that you ate it in, your surroundings and your environment Got it. Good Food is about nourishment, but it's also about joy and connection, and that's a thing that you're going to hear again and again today. So it starts with shifting your focus.
Speaker 1:When it comes to healthy eating, there's a powerful mindset shift. Don't aim for perfection. You heard me right. Don't aim for perfection. Perfect eating doesn't exist, not in real life and not in a way that's sustainable. I know crazy Chasing that perfection often leads to guilt and frustration and eventually giving up altogether, which is not what we want to do.
Speaker 1:Instead, we want to focus on consistency the small, steady habits that you can realistically keep up over time. Think about it this way One single meal isn't going to make or break your health. What truly matters is what you do most of the time. That's where small, sustainable improvements come in. Things like adding an extra serving of veggies to your dinner, or adding some fruits or veggies to your pizza topping, or into your lasagna or into your pasta sauce blended up. Or swapping soda for sparkling water with the twist a few times a week. Or perhaps it looks like packing a protein and fiber rich snack for your afternoon slump. These changes may seem minor in the moment, even now, but over weeks and months, I promise you they add up to big results.
Speaker 1:Again, the goal is progress, not perfection. Right, we want to keep moving, not aiming for perfection, because the best health plan is the one that you can actually stick with. Let me say that again. The best health plan for you is the one that you can actually stick with. Let me say that again, the best health plan for you is the one that you feel good about and that you can actually stick with. So this brings me to another key principle Think in terms of addition, not subtraction or restriction. This is my number one favorite principle in really and truly everything when it comes to health and wellness Addition, not subtraction.
Speaker 1:Instead of allowing your thoughts to be occupied with what to cut out, focus on what you can add into what you're already eating or doing to nourish your body even further. I feel like that makes things so much more sustainable and it makes me look forward to the activity or the item that I'm eating, because I can add to what I love rather than taking away what I already love. So we're going to look at adding more colorful vegetables, more whole grains, more protein, fiber rich snacks, more water. When your plate is full of satisfying, nutrient dense foods, you'll feel better and you look forward to the snacks and eating in general. Just like that satisfaction and excitement that you found when I asked you to think of your favorite meal. We aim for that similar satisfaction in our meals in general.
Speaker 1:Right Eating isn't supposed to be boring. Eating nutrient-dense food is supposed to be exciting and taste really good. So if you find yourself bored with your same fruit or veg that you keep grabbing, try something new. I know that's not groundbreaking, but try a different way of cooking it or seasoning it. Did somebody cook a certain fruit or vegetable in the past and you didn't like it? Maybe that just isn't the way that you Like to eat it because of the way that it got cooked, or it was bland, or it had too much seasoning or whatever it was. Try cooking it or seasoning in a different way. Or is there a fruit and veg that you once were like yeah, no way, I cannot do this ever again. I again urge you to try it again, because I have a really cool fun fact for you Is that your taste buds recycle. Yeah, you heard me right. I know my jaw dropped too. They regenerate every 10 days to two weeks. While your taste preferences can evolve over time, this is due to a combination of factors beyond just your lifespan of taste buds. However, that does help, and things such as your perception of taste due to aging or personal experiences and exposure to different foods. So give something a go again and you might find yourself changing your stance on a particular item.
Speaker 1:Another tip to back up these principles is keeping nutrient-dense staples stocked so that when your life gets chaotic, you've got the building blocks for a balance meal. So go through your food groups, pantry staples that are long shelf life and easy to store. Here's a couple of examples Whole grains, like brown rice, quinoa, oats, whole wheat, pasta, barley legumes, canned or dried right Great options. Dried is very inexpensive to stock up or have in containers in your pantry, like black beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, lentils, split peas, nuts and seeds are another great one to stock up on. Things like chia seeds and flax seeds very inexpensive. Healthy oils like your olive oils or avocado oils, nut butters, canned proteins another great option and a very easy and convenient building block tuna, salmon, chicken, all of those in water sardines. So think about that. That's an example for your pantry staples, but do the same for your fridge and your freezer.
Speaker 1:Your canned or frozen fruits and veg are a great option when it comes to making nutrient-dense choices for building a meal. Now, there's a myth out there that canned or frozen fruits and vegetables aren't as nutritious. However, there's a few things to consider, few things to consider. Oftentimes they're just as nutritious, sometimes even more than fresh, because your frozen and your canned are actually picked at their peak ripeness and then stored or frozen within hours, locking in those vitamins and minerals. So that's one thing to take into consideration and the other thing is that it's great for reducing food waste, since the last months in the freezer or your pantry, your canned produce are generally well preserved during canning. Things to think about when you go to canned items is to watch out for added salt or sugar in the syrup or the liquid. So choosing low sodium or no added sugar or packed in water slash juice can be really great options for those storage and building block items for more nutrient dense foods.
Speaker 1:And remember, listen to your body. So that leads us into eating with awareness. So I want to talk about mindful eating, and mindful eating is all about being in that exact present moment while you sit down to eat. Oftentimes we find ourselves finishing a meal and, if you're like me, sometimes I can't even remember what I ate just barely, or what it tasted like, right, because I was so busy with other things while I was eating. And sometimes life does call for situations like that. But we want to be able to find ourselves centering ourselves around our mealtime for most of the time, or when we have the opportunity to do so, and that's called mindful eating.
Speaker 1:So here's a few tips for mindful eating Reflect before you eat. What are you eating right now? It's a simple question, but break it down Really, look at your plate and ask yourself what you're eating. Perhaps even are you excited to eat it, or do you know what it's going to taste like. Another one to center yourself right before you eat, or to bring yourself to the present moment, is give gratitude for the food that's before you. Did you make it? Did somebody else make it? Did you have to go grocery shopping for it? Was it a meal that was hard earned, meaning you saved up some money and bought some of your favorite food items, that maybe they're more expensive and you wouldn't necessarily buy them on a regular basis, right? So paying gratitude to yourself or to those that prepped that meal for you.
Speaker 1:And another one is to, after you're eating or while you're eating, allow yourself to resign from the clean plate club. When I say the clean plate club, that means that you allow yourself to listen to your body cues as you're eating and as you're enjoying your meal, ask yourself put down that fork and ask am I still hungry, am I looking forward to eating more or am I done? And if the answer is I'm done and I still have food on my plate, give yourself permission to then not continue to eat if you're not hungry. I know that sounds silly, but some of our learned experiences are taught to us and that's the factor that's taught as we clean our plate when we eat. Now we have opportunities to put those extra food items that are on our plate away in the fridge and save those for later. That doesn't mean they have to throw them away, but maybe you're not wanting to eat them all right now. Put it on your plate, cover it, put it in the fridge, come back to it later, right? So that's a big one is resigning from the clean plate club. I do want to add to that is your body's cues are more important than an empty plate, right? So please take that into consideration if you find yourself in the clean plate club.
Speaker 1:I want to share one of my all-time favorite quotes with you. It's from Julia Child, and it was once said in matters of taste, consider nutrition, and in matters of nutrition, consider taste. You don't have to sacrifice flavor for health. Nutrition and taste can coexist beautifully. And remember, listen to your body.
Speaker 1:Mindful eating is about focusing on how you feel and not what's on the plate or what's not on the plate. So please allow yourself to center yourself and be present for your meal or your next meal. Try it out If you've got the time. It doesn't take more than an added. However long you decide to practice a mindful eating right, you can pause right before your meal. Think about it, reflect. What are you eating, are you excited, pay gratitude and then eat? And then ask yourself mid-meal, as you're seeing that food disappear, put your fork down your utensil, whatever it may be, and ask yourself am I still hungry or am I getting full? And then go from there.
Speaker 1:Let's talk about the essentials for life Macronutrients, your body's core fuel sources, your carbs, your proteins and your fats. Carbohydrates and proteins and fats are all three things that you absolutely need for sustainability and for your life in general. They all serve a purpose and diet culture has a really good time picking on these categories, saying no carbs and no fats and only proteins, or vice versa. Right? We've seen these cycle through social media and diet culture in general over decades. Right Of attacking one category versus the other Bottom line. We need all three carbs, proteins and fats. Carbohydrates are your brain and muscles go-to for your energy supply. Proteins build and repair muscles, skin, hair and bones. And fats protect your organs, store energy and help your body absorb vitamins. Those all are very important things and we need all of those things to continue on throughout our day.
Speaker 1:To drive this point home even further, think of your body like a car. Carbohydrates they're your fuel, your gasoline or your electricity, whatever your car is what keeps that engine running and lets you get from point A to point B. Without enough, you're sputtering along on fumes. Protein it's like the metal frame and the repair crew. It builds and maintains your structure, the metal that holds you all together and steps in to patch things up when there's damage, from your muscles to your skin, hair and bones. Protein is constantly doing repair work under the hood. And fats they're your car's insulation and oil system. They protect engine parts, keeping everything running smoothly, and help your body absorb essential tools like vitamins A, d, e and K. Without fats, those vitamins just slide right past without doing their jobs. And here's the good news you don't need a complete engine rebuild to make nutrition work for you.
Speaker 1:Small upgrades make a big difference. How can you find what you're already eating and add to it to make a more nutrient-dense meal or snack? Or perhaps you make some more nutrient-dense swaps. Here's a couple of ideas for you Swap mayo for avocado or hummus. Trade white bread for hearty whole wheat bread. Switching soda a couple times a week for sparkling water with a citrus twist. Right, just like upgrading a few car parts can improve your ride, these little swaps boost your energy, improve your health and keep your engine purring for years to come.
Speaker 1:All right, let's dive a little bit deeper and talk about shopping and shopping smart, specifically, and stocking up. I know grocery shopping can feel very overwhelming, but I've got a few key components that may help minimize that overwhelm. First things first is prioritizing whole foods over processed ones when the option is available. So you know the ones fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean proteins right, processed foods can be convenient, but thinking about the extra additives, like we talked about. So if you have the option to make that decision, if that is something you're interested in, is taking a look at.
Speaker 1:If you are selecting a processed food, what is those additives in there, like the extra salt or sugar or additives. So the idea is, to stick to the perimeter of the store is a super easy and simple trick. That's where most whole foods live is a super easy and simple trick. That's where most whole foods live, while in the inner aisles, that's where more of the packaged and processed foods live. Now, there is a balance in all things, so by no means am I telling you to only shop those perimeter of the store, right? We all have different delicious recipes and things like that. But the idea is to think about this in addition versus subtraction, right? Where can we add to some more nutrient-dense options? And that may be swapping a processed food with a whole food.
Speaker 1:Next up, bulk buying where it makes sense. So think rice, oats, beans, lentils. Buying larger quantity usually saves money in the long run and it can reduce packaging waste, right? So something to also think about is store brands. Don't forget about them. They often have the same identical quality as some of the other brands, but at a fraction of the price. I promise your wallet will thank you when you start looking at those store brands.
Speaker 1:All right, let's move on and talk about produce. Frozen, canned and seasonal fruits and veggies are your best friends here, like we talked about, frozen and canned options can be just as nutritious as fresh, and sometimes even more so. And talking about seasonal produce, it's usually cheaper, it tastes better and you can have the opportunity to support local farmers in your seasonal produce. It's a win-win-win type of situation. And now let's talk about affordable staples that you can always have on hand. We broke this down earlier for your pantry, so think again when it comes to shopping. Grocery shopping in general is thinking about beans, lentils, chicken thighs, oats, brown rice, sweet potatoes, spinach, bananas, carrots. All of these items are very versatile and they pack nutrient-dense options. So with these basics, you can whip up a breakfast, a lunch, a dinner without even breaking the bank, and that sounds perfect to me. And here's a little insider tip for you Keeping your produce fresher longer Things you can take into consideration Moisture, airflow and temperature are everything.
Speaker 1:So keeping leafy greens in a loosely sealed bag with paper towel to absorb extra moisture could be the difference in saving your greens for a couple more days versus the days that it went moldy in your fridge and you didn't know about it. Right, storing onions and potatoes in a cool, dark place and not the fridge, and remembering that some fruits and vegetables don't get along. For instance, apples release ethylene gas, which is very interesting if you want to learn more on that on your own time. Ethylene gas is something that speeds up ripening of fruits and vegetables, so apples release that gas and then, if they're next to something, it might speed up their ripening process as well. So if you have apples and bananas on the counter next to each other, it looks cute and it's a good idea in theory. However, it may be speeding up the process of ripening your bananas. So the difference between having bananas throughout the week versus having a whole bunch of bananas ripe at one day might be a little bit better for your pocket as well.
Speaker 1:So, to sum up, shopping smart and stocking up. Focus on your whole foods, embracing frozen and seasonal produce, stocking up on those staples and treat yourself to a little fresh produce with a little TLC, taking care of those items when you come home. A little bit goes a long way. Little bit goes a long way. So think of grocery shopping your next time when you go to the store. Without it being stressful, it can be a little strategic game, can be fun and maybe even a little empowering. Now that you know some of those tips and tricks.
Speaker 1:Alrighty, I promise I'm making this full circle here and we're going to talk about making meals easy and fun. We've talked about grocery shopping and making nutrient-dense swaps and now let's talk about making them. Let's talk about a game changer here ingredient prepping. Now, I'm not saying you need to do a full-blown meal prepping for the whole week, and if you do and that works for you right now, amazing. But if you've tried meal prepping and that is not the thing for you try ingredient prepping, because sometimes we don't have the energy for it. Energy for it Having a cooked protein ready. Think about chicken, tofu, beans, right, a complex carb like brown rice or quinoa, or some prepped veggies. When these building blocks are ready to go, you can mix and match them all week long. It's like having a little personal chef in your fridge without actually hiring one. Who wouldn't love that? I know I would.
Speaker 1:When it comes to leftovers, don't do what I've found myself doing often and stare at them and sigh. Repurpose them, those roasted veggies from last night. They can become now tomorrow's omelet filling or a tasty addition to a delicious rice bowl. That leftover chicken from lunch. Chop it up and toss it into a pasta, or make tacos or even a little salad. A little creativity goes a long way and suddenly nothing goes to waste, right? When it talks about resigning from the clean plate club, we are not wasting that food. We're actually going to repurpose it into something for tomorrow, right? Challenge yourself, make a game out of it. See who can come up with the best idea on how to repurpose that leftover item. I know that there's got to be a TV show out there somewhere that talks about that, so make it fun.
Speaker 1:Another fun trick would be themed nights, right? All of us or at least almost all of us are very familiar with Taco Tuesday or Pasta Night or Stir Fry Friday Whatever makes you excited to cook. Then do that Themed nights. Take the guesswork out of planning and turn mealtime into something you actually look forward to. Right, it's a little celebration in and of itself, because who doesn't love a good taco? I know I do. That has been the food of the summer for me, and I don't want you to underestimate the power of convenience.
Speaker 1:Without compromise, quick options like sheet pan dinners, crock pot recipes or even tapping into that microwave-friendly meals these can save you a lot of time and can still be delicious and very nutrient-dense. One-pan recipes are especially magical, especially in the season of life that I'm in right now. You throw everything on a sheet, turn on the oven and throw it in there, roast it dinner's done right. Minimal cleanup and maximum flavor. It's really what I'm going for here the crock pot. You just dump all of your ingredients in the morning and you go about your day. And then you come home after a long day at work or wherever you were at running errands, and your home smells delicious and you've got a nice hearty meal to return to. Now you know, when people hear the microwave, they're like oh, I don't know how good that can be, but your microwave can be your friend when you use it smart.
Speaker 1:So think about your steamable veggies or your steamable veggie packs that you can buy at the store, or reheating prepped ingredients, right, there's a little bit of science behind it, but I'm sure you can do it. So the key takeaway here is to focus on ingredient prepping rather than full meal prepping. If that is not it for you, just like me, getting creative with those leftovers, adding some themed fun nights in there and embracing those one step or easy to cook meals right. You're not sacrificing flavor or nutrients, with it being quick, right, it doesn't have to be this elaborate meal, however. Sometimes that might be nice and sometimes it sounds like the worst. So do yourself a favor and think about ingredient prepping when it comes to cooking. Your future self and your taste buds will thank you. I promise that.
Speaker 1:Now I have some final reminders for you as you've listened to today's episode. There's a few things I want you to keep in mind. Number one food, ultimately, should be pleasurable. So don't forget about that satisfaction factor. Satisfaction, when it comes to eating nutrient-dense foods and really doing anything in life, is what keeps us coming back. Was it good? Did we like it? Did we find it a pleasurable experience? And if the answer is yes, then most likely we'll come back and do the same thing or something similar again. So don't forget the satisfaction factor.
Speaker 1:Number two focus on adding those nutrient-dense foods rather than restricting yourself. It's the principle of adding, not subtracting or restricting. Number three don't turn prepping and cooking into a punishment. Right, it's about supporting your body and your lifestyle, right? Not controlling it. So allow yourself to have fun in this season of life that you're in and have fun with the food that you're eating as well.
Speaker 1:Number four, you are in charge of your choices. So next time you go to eat, next time you go to grocery shop, next time you go to order something, just know that you are allowed to make the choices that feel best to you. And then thinking in the back of your mind, how can I add to this right and not restrict, making these food choices? Informed and making it a joyful experience. Informed and making it a joyful experience. So that's it for today's episode of Nutrition on the Go.
Speaker 1:If you'd like to dive deeper into your personal nutrition goals, remember you can sign up for six free health coaching sessions per year through your employee wellness program. We have it on our website under health coaching. You can read about our wonderful health coaches that we offer on our team and then find the health coach that would best fit you and what your goal is. So, just so you know, after listening to this, that's something that's of interest to you. Go check it out. Thanks for tuning in and until next time, keep nourishing yourself in ways that feel good, taste great and fit your real life. Thanks, everyone.