The year is half way over! Time flies when you are making healthy choices. It’s time for the third quarter of our 52-week challenge. For those of you who are already following along, good job! For those of you new to the challenge, it’s never too late to jump on the bandwagon. It’s all about focusing on one small change each week. Overtime, these small changes in behavior can become a new lifestyle and make you more aware of your nutrition and health. Bookmark or pin this blog post. Revisit each week to keep yourself on track. Below is a checklist you can print off to keep yourself accountable.
Week Twenty-Seven – July 2-8
Get back on track with menu planning. Menu planning is the real key to success when it comes to healthy eating. If you are new to menu planning, or have slipped a little since the start of the year, now is a great time to recommit. Check out my latest posts about menu planning here and here.
Week Twenty-Eight – July 9-15
Track your food and exercise. It is said that people often underestimate how much food they eat and overestimate their activity level. Tracking each bite of food that goes in your mouth and each minute of physical activity you do, will help you get a realistic picture of what is actually happening. After tracking this week you will be able to see where you want to make changes and set goals for the weeks to follow. MyPlate offers a tracking program called Supertracker that you may find useful.
Week Twenty-Nine – July 16-22
Try a new veggie. With so many to choose from, you are bound to find something you like! Check out our Create Amazing Veggies Pinterest page for great ideas to try.
Week Thirty – July 23-29
Halt the salt. Salt, or sodium, can take it’s toll on our bodies if we are eating too much. Read this blog post for ways to halt the salt.
Week Thirty-One – July 30 – August 5
Make and use homemade seasonings and spices. Homemade seasonings and spices can save you money and greatly reduce your sodium intake. For our favorite recipes, click here.
Week Thirty-Two – August 6-12
Spend 30 minutes browsing choosemyplate.org. Educating yourself about different nutrition topics will help you on your journey to a healthier lifestyle. Choosemyplate.org is a wealth of information. Find a topic that interests you and learn something new.
Week Thirty-Three – August 13-19
Eat 2 cups of fruit every day. Fruit is nature’s sweet treat! Click here to view our the recipes on our Create A Fruity Dessert Pinterest Page and here for information about fruits in season.
Week Thirty-Four – August 20-26
Focus on drinking enough water. Are you staying hydrated? The 8 glasses of water a day recommendation is a good starting point. The Mayo Clinic offers some tips on determining how much water you actually need. Click here to read about it.
Week Thirty-Five – August 27 – September 2
Learn about Family Mealtime Month. September is Family Meal Time Month. Check back all month long for blog posts, recipes, and fun family mealtime activities!
Week Thirty – Six – September 3-9
Increase physical activity effort. Whether you’ve started out with just 30 minutes a week or have worked your way all the up up to 5 hours a week, try increasing your physical activity effort this week. Walk a little farther, run a little faster, lift a little heavier. Be safe, but challenge yourself.
Week Thirty-Seven – September 10-16
Try a new grain. There are so many grains to choose from other than wheat, rice and pasta. Click here to check out my latest post about grains for a yummy Cilantro Lime Quinoa recipe.
Week Thirty-Eight – September 17-23
Learn the difference between good carbs and bad carbs. Read this article from The American Heart Association to learn about simple and complex carbs and why each are considered good or bad.
Week Thirty-Nine – September 24-30
Try a new fruit. Be adventurous! Visit your local farmers’ market and pick up a fruit that is in season that you have never tried before. If you need an idea of how to cook or prepare it, fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org offers great recipe ideas.
If you are looking for a healthy recipe to try this week, consider Teriyaki Chicken Bowls.
If you are feeling extra brave, check out my last post on grains. Instead of using brown rice, try using something new. Enjoy!
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