Hola! So this thread is all about food! I figure it's a good place to ask questions about it, share great recipes you have come across, or ask for the etc!

I am going to start by saying this! Food is the KEY to our success with losing weight and being healthy! I know I have already shared it in our old thread, but I'm going to post a pic of my fridge here as well!



Now, I'm not saying your fridge has to look exactly like this. Not by a long shot! However, I will say that having healthy food easily accessible and ready to grab will make turning to fresh veggies over a handful of chips MUCH EASIER! Which leads me to my next comment... CHIPS! You still got those things in your house?!?!? If so, I recommend ditching them off to a co-worker, your office, a family member outside of your house, a food bank or your local homeless person. I know that we all want to believe we are strong enough to surpass the chips, so we keep them around, but honestly, we wouldn't be on there if we could do that...

AGAIN- because I know it's hard. I shall repeat it.... If you have chips or other processed crap in the cupboards- don't kid yourself- throw it out or give it somebody at work! I know we all think we can have it "here and there," but leave that for emergencies or better yet, as an unexpected treat when you are out. There is no reason to keep that stuff in the house- you're only setting yourself up to fail!

Besides, we are living in the year 2012, if you REALLY get a craving for chips or candy or cakes or whatever, your calories allow for it and it's your monthly treat- it's easy enough to go out and buy them at anywhere in the world! For me, I have a Walgreens, grocery store, farmer's market, Fresh and Easy and numerous gas stations within 5 minutes of me. Talk about temptation! LOL So, i try to keep that crap out of my house.

My junk food? Raw nuts, dried tropical fruits (important to measure trail mix and nuts), sugar free popsicles, Natural peanut butter and a melted sugar free popsicle (tastes like a peanut butter cup- yuuuuuum), coconut, A PIECE of dark natural chocolate, roasted crunchy chickpeas (a great snack), or a Trio Bar. Granted, most bars are anywhere from 100-300 calories, so if you eat them, it's really more of a meal/snack. I don't get the ones with junk in them. So read the label. I like Lara, Think Thin, Trio Bars, Kind Bars and Rawvelotion!

So, slowly mix out the bad treats, for the good treats! Luna makes a DELICIOUS dark chocolate covered cherry bar that is like a dessert. Again, you don't want to make a habit of eating these, but as a transition, they are great! After all, a bar is better than a Pop Tart!

TIP OF THE DAY FOR EATING CLEAN, HEALTHY, WHOLE FOODS OVER SNACKING ON JUNK...
As soon as you get home from your store/market of choice with ALL your fresh veggies/fruit...

(I buy apples, bananas, pears, grapes, oranges, apples, blueberries, peaches, pineapples, mangoes, watermelon, avocados, tomatoes, broc, cauliflower, celery, mushrooms, cucumbers, squash, zucchinis, onions, all sorts of greens, beets, potatoes, red peppers, etc)

Go ahead and put on some music, grab your cutting boards, knives and some air tight containers and start washing and cutting as much as possible! I know it seems like a pain in the *kitten*, but really, if you take the 30 minutes on whatever day/evening you have free, the week will be much kinder too you! You will look in your fridge and see an array of beautiful chopped veggie and washed fruit! Get your family/children involved! Sure, maybe not let them use the big knives, but they can definitely wash and dry fruit, place it in a pretty bowl AND learn some healthy habits!

This way, it's just as easy to grab a washed cut up bunch of carrots as it would be to grab chips!

CHEERS :drinker: