"I let go of the wheel and we fell off the wagon..."

We recently had some close friends who had been successful on their REAL food journey tell us they got lazy and let go of the wheel.  Because of this, some medical issues crept in and they are inspired to get back on track, bringing their focus back to REAL food.

Does this sound like you or someone you know?

Whether it's staying on track or thinking “I want to make a change” or “I know we need to eat better, but we just don’t know where to start…”

It is possible!  And, the results can be life-changing!

If you are struggling, or need a boost of inspiration, remember, it's about progress not perfection!  This kind of change doesn’t happen overnight.  Fortunately, there are small steps you can take to make progress!

These small steps often lead to bigger steps and, eventually, the benefits of REAL food begin to be fully realized…the flavors, the taste, the health benefits and even the family and social benefits!

Try these ideas, and hear what our Eat REAL America members have to say:

1.  One meal at a time!  “I pick one night a week to make something new and we have discovered so many new things we like.  I especially love the slow cooker ideas!”  Pick one night a week to make something new.  Choose a meal made with REAL ingredients, and enjoy the satisfaction from making such a great-tasting (and good for you) meal  -- it can even outweigh having to clean a few dishes!

2. Try roasting vegetables instead of using canned.  All you need is a little olive oil, salt and pepper and you can roast vegetables in the oven in as little as 20 minutes!

“I had no idea roasting vegetables was this easy!  We tried this recipe last week and included beets.  It was delicious.  Now that I know how easy it is, we’ll be roasting these vegetables all the time.”  Check out our roasting vegetables video and coaching tip to see how easy it really is!

3.  Planning is key!  “We plan it out, use the online shopping list, and then I love not having to think about what to make for dinner, especially when life is hectic.”   Because life can seem to be hectic ALL THE TIME, planning is an important part of getting it together to include more REAL food meals in your routine.  

Invite everyone in the family to sit down together to help plan the menu, and take advantage of 2-For-1 meals! If you have a plan, it's a huge stress-reliever and time saver — no floundering about “what am I going to make for dinner tonight?”  And plan out breakfast too -- try ideas such as overnight oats ("I never thought I would like cold oatmeal, but this is amazing!") and mini frittatas ("one of my all-time favorite breakfasts, I make a batch almost every week, plus they freeze great!").

4. Enlist help from the family!  That's right...delegate!  It's not all on your shoulders Mom, or Dad!  Anyone 12 years of age or older is fair game for helping in the kitchen. They can EVEN OWN one whole night a week for themselves!  "I took your advice and assigned each of my kids (11, 14, and 16) to be responsible for one REAL meal per week.  They've been preparing fantastic healthy meals for months now!"

7.  Try something you think you don’t like!  “Brussels sprouts?  I didn’t think I liked Brussels sprouts…now, I can’t wait to make them again!”  Do you think you don't like sweet potatoes?  We have been told "The Southwest Stuffed Sweet Potato went against everything I know when it comes to flavor combinations to put together and the whole family loved it -- even our pickiest family member, our daughter!"  Beets are another great example.  We have heard countless times how people don’t like beets - "they taste like dirt")!  Now, we are not talking the pickled kind on the salad bar…try roasting fresh beets— you won’t believe how great they taste!  Remember, poor preparation methods (canned spinach anyone?) may be the very reason you are stuck in boring "dinner prison!"

8.  Just do it!  "You can make healthy, fast, delicious recipes without being a chef or having 2 hours to prepare a meal!”  Don’t be afraid you will mess it up - your confidence will grow the more you try new things.  And really, what is the worst that can happen?

9.  Choose local when you eat out!  For the times you do want to eat away from home, choose local restaurants vs. the chain restaurants that may be in your “comfort zone.”  See our coaching tip for more about how to make the best choices when eating away from home!

We know you can do it!

There are many Eat REAL America members who have done it — and we are blessed they have told us about it!

“We are military and our life is crazy, but Eat REAL America has given me the tools to make healthy meals and life easier.  In fact, it even saved our marriage.  My husband and I were not eating dinner together and I was gaining weight, but this website changed that and taught me the way to provide new options for us.  Eating right can be a chore, but with Eat REAL America, kale does not have to be scary.”

“Our life has gotten so busy in the last year, and I don’t have time to hunt for whole food recipes.  I can’t tell you what a relief it is to have one central place to search for new recipes to add to our monthly menu.  I love knowing that any recipe I choose will be free of questionable ingredients.  You and this website are a blessing to our family.”

Chances are, you are thinking about someone who wants to change their eating habits and may need a little encouragement and tips on where to start.

Please share this information!

For those of you who are continuing to make REAL food the focus of your meals — remember to not let yourself fall “back in the box!”  It's so easy for us to fall back into old habits or to get stuck in a rut.  Of course, it is great to make things you love, but keep trying new things — there is a whole universe of amazing REAL food out there!

We will continue to bring you new ideas, and please let us know if there are other ways we can help you enjoy more REAL food and the benefits that go along with it!