With countless health fads and diets out there, it’s no wonder people get confused and give up attempting to be healthy. I’ve tried different superfoods myself and have come up with my own healthy food staples to share with you. (I am by no means a health professional. This post is about what has been working for me on a personal level).
My childhood food favorites
Being that my parents immigrated to the United States from Mexico, my diet was not the healthiest growing up. My parents did the best they could and to be honest, I don’t blame them for anything. They purchased foods advertised to kids that we asked them for.
Aside from traditional delicious Mexican food, I also grew up eating all of the well known sugary cereals (Fruit Loops, Cocoa Puffs and Frosted Flakes were our household favorites), instant soups (Maruchan, anyone?), fast food and of course, soda (Sunkist was my fave). I can’t even remember drinking water as a child or teen unless I was in school or something. There’s an old family picture of my dad with my siblings and I and my little brother had soda in his bottle at the family party. Again, my parents did the best they could.
Food eliminations
It wasn’t until I went away to college that my eating habits changed. I became a vegetarian during my first semester freshmen year in college. I haven’t eaten meat since. That was the beginning of my intentional healthy eating habits. I also gave up dairy in all its forms (ice cream was the last to go).
Since then, I’ve become very particular with what I put in my body. I recognize that you are what you eat. One of the foods I’ve had the hardest time eliminating is processed sugars. I can proudly say I have been succeeding with that endeavor and no longer reach for the donuts or pastries in the bakery section at the grocery store. It took a lot of dedication and work since those food are legit addicting but it IS possible.
I’ve also eliminated gluten which has been just as challenging as processed sugars. Bread just smells so good!! The crazy part is that I’ve literally seen the negative effects these foods cause my physical body (and mood) yet, I would still consume them because they taste good. Why do we do that?!
My current healthy food staples
Currently, as much as I dislike labels, I guess I’d say my diet is gluten-free plant-based. I aim to eat whole foods such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, beans and rice. My current staples are the following.
1. Organic celery
I drink around 16 oz of celery juice every morning on an empty stomach. I learned about the benefits of celery juice from the Medical Medium about a year ago. Once you drink it a couple of times, you’ll get over the taste lol.
- It has cleared my skin
- It has reduced bloating
- It has strengthened my digestion system
- It has minimized my seasonal allergies
2. Shrooms (a.k.a Mudwtr)
Just kidding :P, kinda. I used to drink coffee every morning (after celery juice) but I’d become dependent on the caffeine. If I skipped a day I’d get headaches and that’s what caused me to seek an alternative morning drink. That’s when I found Mudwtr.
- Mudwtr is an organic coffee alternative
- It consists of the following ingredients: healthy mushroom blend (reishi, chaga, lions mane and cordyceps), cacao, masala chai, turmeric, sea salt, and cinnamon
- It fulfills my morning beverage ritual while gaining natural energy without a lot of caffeine
- I mix a bit of honey and add some non-dairy milk to create a latte style drink
3. Orgain vegan protein powder
I’ve been using this protein powder for years now. At one point I tried to switch it up just because, but I came back to it. My favorite thing about it is that it doesn’t have stevia or added sugars like many other brands.
- It completes my lunch smoothie by giving me 10g of protein per scoop
- The chocolate flavor is my favorite and I can’t get enough of it
- It’s organic, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free and soy-free
4. Unsweetened nut milk
My go-to non-dairy milk is any (preferably organic) unsweetened almond milk but I switch it up and get unsweetened soy milk from time to time.
- I add it to my Mudtwr in the morning
- I use it as the base for my daily lunch smoothie
- If you’re looking to add protein to your diet, go with soy milk. It provides 8g of protein per serving
5. Chia seeds
This is probably my favorite seed to add to almost everything. From making overnight chia pudding to adding it to water or other drinks. It’s very versatile and it doesn’t taste like anything so that’s always a plus.
- I add them to my lunch smoothie, salads, oatmeal, pancakes, you name it
- They are full of antioxidants, fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, even protein
- Just a heads up, they become gel-like after absorbing liquid
6. Organic bananas
I felt the need to add a fruit to this list and bananas are my every day staple. I always keep a bag full of frozen pieces on hand for my smoothies. If I have ripe bananas around, I love topping my oatmeal or pancakes with them.
- They are my go-to ingredient when I’m looking to sweeten something
- They have antioxidants, minerals and fiber that help with digestion and heart health
- A special easy treat to make is banana ice cream! You literally just blend frozen bananas with nothing else. It’s delicious! (I top mine with cacao nibs or coconut flakes)
7. Organic baby spinach
This is another one of my healthy food staples that’s super versatile. Baby spinach doesn’t taste like anything so I love to incorporate it in my diet any way I can. I use a handful for my morning smoothie. I remember the first time I made a green smoothie. It felt so weird and almost gross because I wasn’t used to drinking something that color, but if you close your eyes while drinking, it shouldn’t be an issue because baby spinach doesn’t change the flavor.
- It typically comes triple washed already so it’s easy to use in smoothies
- It is filled with antioxidants that help lower blood sugar levels
- Also has potassium that benefits the heart
8. Organic Kale
Kale yeah it had to make it on this list (haha so corny, I know). I love kale because it keeps me feeling full. I make a tasty kale salad almost every weekday for lunch. Whenever I run out of baby spinach, I add a little bit of raw kale to my lunch smoothie as its replacement too.
- I drizzle avocado oil on top of raw kale and massage it in until it softens up for my salads
- It contains calcium, vitamins and minerals that support overall wellbeing
- It can also be sautéed or even baked to make kale chips
9. Unsweetened coconut water
This is one of my new staples. I’ve been experimenting with other smoothie flavors since I’ve been drinking literally the exact almond milk based one for years. Well, this is where coconut water comes in. I’ve been using it as the base for fruit smoothies when I get a craving for something sweet.
- I love drinking it chilled during hot summer days to stay hydrated
- I hear it’s a healthy alternative to sports drinks (without the food coloring and added sugars lol) so I drink it after workouts or nature hikes
- Whenever I want to change up the flavor, I muddle another fruit (strawberries or pineapple) in my glass before adding my coconut water.
10. W-A-T-E-R!
I couldn’t think of a last item to complete a list of 10 healthy food staples lol so I’m going with a no brainer. Water. I aim to drink at least 45 oz of water on a daily basis. I recently got a Berkey filter and I love it. I’m one of those people that is particular about her water so I bring my own everywhere I go!
Final thoughts
I hope my healthy food staples have inspired you to add some of them to your grocery list this week. Again, I’m not a health coach but I’d consider myself to be on the healthy side lol. Eating these foods on a consistent basis keeps me feeling great. I didn’t even mention anything about energy or frequencies in this post lol but plant based foods (fruits and vegetables) are alive and they have a high frequency which in turn, provide that for you too.
As I mentioned above at one point, you are what you eat. When we eat processed foods, we will feel different than when we eat plant based foods. I suppose the purpose of this post was to share what has been working for me. We only get one human body and I’m intentionally working to keep mine in top shape for as long as I can. I hope you are too!
Let’s work together!
- If you’re really ready to create the life you want
- If you want to increase your happiness and feel more confident in who you are
- If you want to trust yourself more and live on purpose
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