Plan your meals each week!
Tip #2 for National Nutrition Month is to plan your meals each week. The key to any habit is being able to repeat the action consistently. Big wins come from small habits. As I have tried to create habits throughout my life, I have found that I have been most successful when I plan. Like actually sit down, and write out a plan. Food habits are no different. I know that when I don’t sit down and write out a plan for my food for the week, I end up buying food that doesn’t always make a meal, over estimate how much food I need, and end up eating out more and/or snacking on whatever is fast and not necessarily nutritious. Cue meal planning.
When meal planning, I always think through three components of a meal – the carbohydrate, the protein, and the non-starchy vegetable. Carbohydrates and protein primarily provide our bodies with energy and should comprise ¼ of your plate respectively. Eating a variety or whole, minimally processed carbs and proteins is best for our bodies. Non-starchy vegetables primarily provide our bodies with vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that help nourish our bodies and help it run well, and should comprise ½ of your plate. Eating a variety of colors of vegetables provide us with a variety of different nutrients, as their color often coincide with the types of nutrients they contain.
Let’s practice with my menu this week. Monday’s are always pizza at our house. So, for protein, we have the cheese and any meat that is on the pizza. For carb, we have the pizza crust. For non-starchy veggie, we have a green salad. Bam. One meal down. The next night, for protein we have BBQ turkey meatballs. For carb, we have the roasted potatoes. For vegetable, we have asparagus and green beans. And so on. After making the meal plan, I can grocery shop to make sure I have the ingredients in the house. Meal planning has been a game changer for me. It saves me time and money, and helps me feed myself and my family well!
Watch Promise Community Health Center’s Social Media pages as Amanda breaks down each concept and gives us tips on how we can start making some new healthier habits! And call 712-722-1700 to make an appointment with one of our Promise providers to get a referral to see one of our Promise Health Coaches today!
Our Promise Nurse health coaches work one-on-one with individuals and their families in the clinic setting to evaluate health needs, environment and barriers to better health. In doing so, they help their patients establish a plan and guide them and their families along the way to achieve the plan. They also work closely with local and state resources to ensure that each person receives the support that they need.
One of the services our Population Health team here at Promise offers is Health Coaching. We offer free, high quality health coaching for individuals and families. All of the health coaching centers around you as the patient – your goals, needs, and input. Another service we offer is Nutrition Counseling. The health coaches at Promise Community Health Center provide healthy eating counseling through education on My Plate, the Mediterranean Diet, and 5-2-1-0. One other service we offer is Weight Loss Support. The health coaches at Promise Community Health Center are here to provide focused, long term support to help you identify your why and help you reach your goals. Our Population Health team also offers High Blood Pressure Assistance. The Population health team at Promise Community Health Center works in collaboration with your provider care team and our Pharm D to ensure that your blood pressure is managed. Our health coach visits are free to you and allow you to learn what may be leading to your elevated blood pressure, how to monitor it in your home and what you can do to improve your numbers.
The Promise Community Population health team believes your health begins at home and is a family affair! Our Population Health team here at Promise offers Family/Kids Nutrition Support. Our team works closely with parents and kids to help provide education, resources and support on how to build a healthy lifestyle. Our Population Health team also offers Prediabetes Prevention/Education, along with Diabetes Care. Through collaborative efforts with the medical team, Promise Community Health Center is screening and identifying patients at high risk for prediabetes. When identified as having prediabetes, the Population health team will provide education, support and referral to Diabetes Prevention programs. The nurse health coaches at Promise Community Health Center work in collaboration with the provider care teams and Pharm D to provide you evidence-based education, support and access to the resources you need to live a long, vibrant life.
