Healthy Grocery Girl

Working women often struggle to maintain balance in life, including a balanced diet. Megan Roosevelt, also known as the "Healthy Grocery Girl," has a plethora of great advice on how to eat well even on a busy, working woman's schedule. Here are some practical tips for you to take into the New Year:

As a career woman, what makes eating well difficult?

As a busy woman myself, I know how hard it can be to balance work, faith, relationships, being active and eating well. That's why I love working with busy people! Even though I am not perfect, I have been able to master the art of eating healthy with a hectic schedule through my personal health journey and career. It is such a joy for me to help others achieve the same thing.

Personally, I have to remember to bring healthy snacks and water with me wherever I go. I do not function well when I am hungry or thirsty—in fact, most people don't!

When we're busy, it's easy to cave to convenience foods. Not all convenience foods are bad. What matters is the quality of the ingredients and the quantity consumed. I help my clients learn which convenience foods are good and which ones to avoid like the plague.

How do you avoid "caving to convenience foods" during the work day?

That depends on what my day looks like. If I'm in my office, I have access to my refrigerator, so I can munch on things like raw veggies, salad, sandwiches, hummus, avocado or a green smoothie. If I am going to be out and about in the day, I pack things that do not have to be refrigerated, like apples, trail mix, peanut butter packs, crackers, and healthy protein/snack bars.

I eat every few hours, and drink lots of water. I know that buying the more unhealthy convenience foods will do more harm than good, so it is not even an option for me. To me, they don't even sound or look tasty. My body craves the good stuff!

What are some of the drawbacks to not eating well? And what benefits come as a result of having a healthy diet?

Unhealthy eating has some short-term effects like fatigue, weight gain, headaches and digestive troubles. Long term unhealthy eating can lead to diabetes, cancer and other degenerative, diet­related diseases.

When we are unhealthy and sick, we are trapped inside our body. We may feel the desire to be more, or do more, but it's hard to accomplish much when we are dragging, run down and insecure. This unhealthy stronghold often leads to a lot of self-focused thinking: "How do I feel?" "How do I look?" "What will give me comfort?" Like a domino effect, when we are unhealthy in one area of our life, it can start to affect other areas of our life. This is exactly where the enemy wants us: stuck, sick and feeling bad about ourselves.

On the flip side, good nutrition nourishes our mind, body and soul. Nutrition is just one piece of living a healthy, whole and real life, but it's a vital foundation to build upon. I doubt God was eating chicken nuggets when he made the world.

What have you found to be the most common misconception about eating well from busy career women?

That if you want to lose weight, you have to diet. Diets are depressing. Better lasting health results come from healthy lifestyle changes. Also, skipping meals does not help you lose weight, because extreme hunger leads to extreme eating! And lastly, a latte does not count as breakfast or lunch.

Many people also have a hard time making healthy choices when they dine out, assuming that a salad is a safe choice. However, a salad does not guarantee you're eating healthy, as some salad toppings and dressings are more fattening than a burger and fries. When working with my frequent travelers and business clients, I love to teach them how to make healthy habits no matter where they are: home, office, vacation, meeting or business trip.

Helping people eat better is like being a detective. It's not just about eating an apple instead of a cookie. I examine all the struggles we face: schedule, sleep, stress, exercise, hormones and more. All these factors affect one's health. I then create a realistic plan that fits your life and produces real results towards your health goals.

Where do you find your favorite healthy recipes? Do you have any resources you can share?

One of my best friends is a natural food chef, so she is my favorite resource. I also love to make my own creations in the kitchen. The Healthy Grocery Girl Club is a resource we started that provides seasonal, easy healthy recipes each month. We also feature a brand­suggested grocery shopping list and monthly meal planner.

This is a great starting point for someone who wants to change just a few meals a month into something healthy and homemade. It also complements the desires of my coaching clients. Almost everyone asks for healthy recipe ideas, and this is a simple way we can provide them. All of the recipes are created by a registered dietitian.

And what about you, reader? How have you found success in eating healthy? What are your favorite resources for recipes? Let us know in the comments!

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