When you’re crushing Camp workouts and chasing progress, you need nutrition that works as hard as you do. Here are some of your questions, with answers from the Burn experts you trust. 

Q: Does it matter if I take creatine in the morning or at night? 

A: Nope! Morning, night, during nap time, whenever it works best for you. The key is just taking it daily. Consistency beats time of day, hands down.  

Q: Can I mix creatine and collagen into my coffee? Or is that not recommended? 

A: Collagen? Absolutely, stir it in and sip away. Creatine? Not the best match. High heat might affect its absorption, but if adding it to your coffee helps you remember to take it, consistency wins again. Showing up daily is way more effective than chasing perfection. 

Q: Of course, it is important to check with your doctor, but which nutrition products are usually pregnancy safe? 

A: Your doctor always gets the final say, but protein powders, especially whey, are usually okay and are a great way to boost intake. Just watch the caffeine dose in your Ignite pre-workout (the general guideline is under 200mg/day). As for creatine, there’s not enough research on its use during pregnancy, so definitely pause and consult before continuing. 

Q: Why would I want to drink Replenish over water? 

A: While water is essential for hydration, it doesn’t replace the electrolytes and micronutrients your body loses through intense training, like fitness classes, or sweat. Replenish provides a targeted blend of electrolytes, vitamins, and minerals designed to support optimal hydration, muscle function, and recovery. It tastes delicious, which helps you stay hydrated and train harder, recover faster, and perform at your best. 

Q: What are the benefits to taking Collagen? 

A: Collagen peptide supplementation helps maintain your skin’s elasticity and firmness, supports joint flexibility, promotes muscle growth, and enhances post-workout recovery. We recommend taking 10 grams of Collagen per day, which is our serving size, to see these benefits. 

A healthy pregnancy diet will promote your child’s growth and development. During pregnancy, the basic principles of healthy eating remain the same — get plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and healthy fats. Sound familiar? I thought so. However, there are a few MVP’s when it comes to nutrients that deserve a shout-out. Let’s dive in to look at which nutrients you need most and where to find them!

FOLATE & FOLIC ACID: Prevent Birth Defects

Folate is a B vitamin that helps prevent neural tube defects and serious abnormalities of the brain and spinal cord. The synthetic form of folate found in supplements and fortified foods is known as folic acid. Folic acid supplementation has been shown to decrease the risk of premature birth.

How much you need: 400 to 1,000 micrograms a day of folate or folic acid before conception and throughout pregnancy.

Good Sources: 

• Cereal. ¾ cup (15g to 60g) ready-to-eat cereal contains 100 to 700 mcg – choose an option that’s 50 to 100% fortified
• Spinach. ½ C (95g) boiled spinach contains 131 mcg
• Beans. ½ C (89g) contains 90mcg
• Asparagus. 4 spears contains 89mcg
• Oranges. 1 small orange contains 29mcg
• Peanuts. 1oz dry-roasted contains 27mcg
• Prenatal vitamins. These can ensure you’re getting enough of these essential nutrients. Just make sure it’s a vitamin supplement containing folic acid!

CALCIUM: Strengthen Bones

You and your baby need calcium for strong bones and teeth. Calcium also helps your circulatory, muscular and nervous systems run normally.

How much you need: 1,000 milligrams a day; pregnant teenagers need 1,300 milligrams a day

Good Sources:

• Cereal. 1C (20g to 60g) calcium-fortified ready-to-eat cereal contains 100 to 1,000mg of calcium
• Juice. 1C Orange Juice contains 349mg
• Milk. 1C skim milk contains 299mg
• Yogurt. 6oz. Low-fat fruit yogurt contains 258mg
• Cheese. 1oz part-skim mozzarella cheese contains 222mg
• Salmon. 3oz contains 181mg
• Spinach. ½ C contains 123mg

VITAMIN D: Promote Bone Strength

Vitamin D also helps build your baby’s bones and teeth.

How much you need: 600 international units (IU) a day

Good Sources:

• Milk. 1C skim milk with added vitamin D contains 115 IU
• Fish. 3oz cooked sockeye salmon contains 570 IU
• Juice. 8oz calcium and vitamin D-fortified Orange Juice contains 100 IU
• Eggs. 1 large hard-boiled egg contains 44IU

PROTEIN: Promote Growth

Protein is one of the crucial macro-nutrients for your baby’s growth throughout pregnancy.

How much you need: 71 grams a day

Good Sources:

• Cottage Cheese. 1C low-fat contains 28g
• Fish. 3oz canned pink salmon contains 17g
• Poultry. 3oz boneless, skinless, grilled chicken breast contains 26g
• Lentils. ½ C contains 9g
• Milk. 1C Skim contains 8g
• Peanut Butter. 2T contains 7g
• Eggs. 1 large hard-boiled egg contains 6g

IRON: Prevent Iron Deficiency Anemia

Your body uses iron to make hemoglobin, a protein in the red blood cells that carries oxygen to your tissues. During pregnancy, you need double the amount of iron that nonpregnant women need. Your body needs this iron to make more blood to supply oxygen to your baby. It will also help with fatigue.

How much you need: 27 milligrams a day

Good Sources:

• Cereal. ½ C quick oats fortified with iron contains 20mg
• Meat. 3oz roasted lean beef tenderloin contains 3mg
• Spinach. ½ C contains 3mg
• Beans. ½ C contains 2mg
• Poultry. 3oz roasted dark turkey contains 1mg
• Prenatal vitamins typically contain iron. In some cases, your health care provider might recommend a separate iron supplement.

The more you know:

The iron from animal products (like lean meat!) is most easily absorbed. To enhance the absorption of iron from plant-based sources and supplements, pair them with a food or drink high in vitamin C — such as OJ, tomato juice or strawberries. 

Supplements: Talk To Your Doctor

Even if you eat a healthy diet, you can miss out on key nutrients. Taking a daily prenatal vitamin — ideally starting at least three months before conception — can help fill any gaps. Your health care provider might recommend special supplements if you follow a strict vegetarian diet or have a chronic health condition.

Additional Resources – Pregnant & Fit:

Pregnant & Fit: Listen to Your Body

Pregnant & Fit: Best Exercises for Every Trimester

Habit #1: Ditch the scale

We’ve all heard that muscle weighs more than fat, right? But when we work out in order to lose weight and instead see the number on the scale rise, we quickly get frustrated. Don’t let the scale wreck your motivation to get fitter and healthier. It’s possible to become leaner and slimmer without the number on the scale changing, which means the scale isn’t the best representation of your progress.

Kyle Jason Lane, a Burn Boot Camp Elizabeth, NC trainer, says, “Get fitter and healthier by measuring your progress with pictures instead of the number on the scale.” Get into the habit of taking progress pictures one or two times a month, always wearing the same clothes. You’ll be much more motivated to push hard and eat healthier when you are able to compare your progress photos each month and see the actual changes in your body composition.

Habit #2: Keep your goals visible at all times

“A habit I always tell my clients to start doing to help them get fit and healthy is to write down their goals somewhere they will see them every day. Whether it’s on a mirror, a sticky note in your car, a whiteboard in your room, your refrigerator door or the wallpaper of your phone, making them visible helps you keep your eye on the prize!” suggests Burn Boot Camp Verona, WI trainer Cody Burns.

When you have a craving or want to skip a workout, your goals often slip your mind. Keeping your goals visible at all times will remind you of what you are working toward even in your weakest moments.

Habit #3: Schedule your workouts

Fit and healthy people don’t skip their workouts! If you struggle to make your workouts a priority in your life, Burn Boot Camp Columbus, OH trainer Becky Carnes Huff says, “Get into the habit of putting your workouts on your calendar. Once you have it scheduled, treat it the same way you would treat a doctor’s appointment or a work meeting.”

Would you skip a doctor’s appointment just because you didn’t feel like going? You probably wouldn’t. Before the week starts, make it a habit to sit down with your calendar and schedule your workouts for the entire week to help you become fit and healthy.

Habit #4: Close the kitchen

Fit and healthy people are not in the habit of eating around the clock. If you want to become fit and healthy too, you have to establish a designated time to close the kitchen. Creating these boundaries not only stops you from mindlessly snacking while watching TV. Waiting 12 hours between meals also has been shown to boost fat burning, increase digestion and promote a healthy gut.

Habit #5: Track your food before you eat

“Use the MyFitnessPal app, or any other food tracking app, to track your entire day’s worth of food the night before,” says Burn Boot Camp South Park, NC trainer Krysta Huber. While tracking your food is a great habit to get into when trying to get fit and healthy, tracking your intake after you eat may not be as helpful.

If you track your food later, you may realize after the fact that the food you consumed wasn’t as healthy as you anticipated or that you consumed a larger portion size than you should have. When you track your food beforehand, you are able to make adjustments to ingredients and portion sizes. “Tracking your food the night before also helps you commit to eating healthier because you have a plan to stick to for the entire day,” adds Krysta.

Habit #6: Surround yourself with tools that will help you get fit and healthy

“If you want to get fit and healthy, then surround yourself with things that will make you fit and healthy. For example, subscribe to a bunch of different health podcasts and play one every time you get into your car. You can also place fitness magazines in the bathroom, keep healthy cookbooks visible in your kitchen and follow nutritionists and personal trainers on social media.

Bombard yourself with a healthy environment,” suggests Burn Boot Camp Hainesport, NJ trainer Sandy Sweeney. When you start acting like you are fit and healthy by creating a healthy environment, you will become fit and healthy!

Habit #7: Get an accountability partner

It’s easy to set goals, but it is hard to hold yourself accountable to do what it takes to actually reach them. “A great habit to get into when trying to get fit and healthy is to always share your goals verbally,” says Burn Boot Camp Northville, MI trainer Tricia Wanish.

Find a family member or friend who can become your accountability partner. Share not only your goals, but also exactly what you plan to do each day to ensure you reach them. Meet them for a workout or coffee regularly to keep them updated on your execution of your plan as well as your progress. When you let it be known to others that you are working toward a fit and healthy lifestyle, you will be much more motivated to actually do it!

Habit #8: Eat greens at each meal

The key to getting fit and healthy isn’t working out more; it’s eating more healthy foods. The best way to ensure you are eating nutritious meals is by eating greens at each meal. Greens should take up half your plate, while protein and carbohydrates each take up ¼ of your plate.

If you struggle to get enough greens into your diet, add cooked kale or spinach into each meal. When cooked, the “green” taste is greatly reduced and the leaves take on the flavor of the rest of your dish. You can also try blending this delicious chocolate-flavored green powder into a protein smoothie each morning for an amazing extra boost of greens.

Habit #9: Start meditating

Fit and healthy people concentrate on their physical health as well as their mental health. Developing the habit of meditating each morning, even for just five minutes, will help you reduce stress, increase focus and productivity and create a more positive mindset.

A great meditation practice to start with is focusing on your breath. On each inhale, feel yourself breathe in new, positive energy and allow it to fill your entire body. On each exhale, feel yourself breathe out old, negative energy—all thoughts and feelings that are creating stress, anxiety, doubt or lack of confidence. Repeating this each morning for five to ten minutes will create a healthier mindset, which will give you more energy and motivation to get fit and healthy.

Water is required in almost every one of the different processes in the body. The human brain is 95% water, your lungs are 90% water, your blood is 83% water, your muscles are 76% water and your bones are 22% water—and we are 100% sure that staying hydrated is essential for optimal health. If fact, that may even be an understatement. Yet, Americans are chronically dehydrated. It is reported that nearly 75% of U.S. adults are dehydrated on a daily basis. It is no wonder that when we fail to prioritize drinking enough water, we also struggle to reach our health and fitness goals.

If you’ve ever had a health problem, you’ve probably been asked if you’re drinking enough water. Well, the same goes for weight loss. Not seeing the scale budge? Ask yourself if you’re drinking enough water.

When we’re on a health and fitness journey, we tend to focus on eating clean and working out—so much so that we often overlook water consumption. However, water plays such a huge role in weight loss that it could be the one thing holding you back from reaching your goals. Even if we are consistent with hitting the gym and dedicated to eating healthy, we still may not see the results we want to see if we are not consuming enough water. So, for the 75% of us who fall under the chronically dehydrated group, and for those of you out there who are working to lose weight, it’s time to better understand what role water plays in weight loss and some simple ways you can stay properly hydrated every day.

Reduced Appetite

Water helps us reduce our appetite in a few different ways. Your body struggles to differentiate your feelings of hunger and thirst, which means that sometimes when you feel hungry, it could be a sign that you are dehydrated. Have you ever felt hungry, eaten something that usually fills you up and still felt hungry afterward? It’s most likely because your body didn’t need food, it needed water. Thirst disguised as hunger is common for a lot of people who are dehydrated. The problem is, when we confuse the two, often we reach for a snack instead of a glass of water, leading us to consume more calories than necessary. While calories in versus calories out isn’t everything when it comes to weight gain and weight loss, and it certainly isn’t the only way to lose weight, it still plays a role. If we are constantly eating a surplus of calories and our goal is to achieve a healthier BMI, we most likely won’t see the results we are looking for.

Solution: The next time you finish a full, balanced meal and still feel hungry, try drinking a glass of water and wait 20 to 30 minutes before you eat more food. That’s about how long it will take for your body to process the water and for you to know if you are hungry for more food or not.

Bonus: When your stomach feels like it is full, it will send signals to your brain to stop eating. Water takes up space in the stomach, resulting in feelings of fullness, signaling to the brain that it is no longer hungry, therefore reducing hunger.

Fat Burn

Water is necessary to burn fat. It is required in the process of metabolizing stored fat and carbohydrates. Without water, your body won’t be able to convert excess carbs and fat into usable energy. This process is called lipolysis. Being dehydrated slows down your metabolism because it won’t have the water it needs to process what you are consuming.

Solution: If you want to keep your body in a consistent fat-burning mode, being properly hydrated should be a priority.

Bonus: Staying hydrated encourages you to drink water instead of sugar-filled drinks, so you’ll also be cutting out empty calories.

Energy

Dehydration is one of the main causes of daytime fatigue. When you hit that mid-afternoon slump or you feel like you don’t have the energy to work out, you don’t need to reach for a second coffee or energy drink—you may just need to drink some water! Staying hydrated is going to help keep your energy levels high throughout your entire day, ensuring you have the energy you need to push yourself to work out.

Solution: Put down the energy drink and try sipping on a cup of water. You may find that you don’t even need the extra caffeine anymore.

Bonus: If you do have the energy to work out, staying hydrated will help your muscles recover faster and reduce your feelings of soreness. So, you’ll be ready to go crush another workout sooner than you would if you weren’t properly hydrated.

Need-To-Know Water Facts

Something important to know is that when you feel thirsty, you are already dehydrated. You don’t want to wait to drink water once you feel thirsty. You want to avoid those feelings of thirst. Drink water regularly throughout your day to make sure you prevent dehydration.

Just as important: There is such thing as drinking too much water. In this case, more doesn’t mean better, and it won’t make you healthier, either. When you drink too much water, it can cause your body to expel essential vitamins and minerals you need, throw off your electrolyte levels and dilute your blood.

At Burn Boot Camp, we like to stick to the rule of thumb that you should drink your body weight in ounces of water every day. It may be difficult to suddenly start drinking that much water if you aren’t already regularly drinking enough. In that case, start with drinking half your body weight in ounces and slowly increase that number each week until you reach your water intake goal.

We also realize that drinking plain water isn’t necessarily “fun,” but there are a few ways to make water more exciting.

Tips To Make Water More Exciting:

• Squeeze a lemon into your water.

Bonus: Lemon water is anti-inflammatory, helping to reduce bloating.

• Add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with some cinnamon.

Bonus: ACV helps boost digestion.

• Sip on fruit-flavored herbal tea.

Bonus: If you prefer a sweet beverage, you can sweeten any of these with stevia.

• Switch it up with sparkling water, as long as it is free of artificial flavors and chemicals.

Bonus: Clean sparkling water is just as hydrating as regular water.

If you loved this post, we know you will also love…

The “Re-Fuel” Window

In the first hour after exercising, look to replace the important nutrients lost during your workout. Many people in the fitness world call this the “refuel” or “anabolic window.” The goal here is to replenish muscle glycogen fuel stores to help repair the muscles. Glycogen is what keeps you going when your body isn’t getting energy from food—we love glycogen. When you break it down, glycogen is made up of glucose molecules, which are the main source of fuel for our cells. The way your body makes glucose is through breaking down the food you eat. The human body is incredibly smart when it comes to storing energy. When you don’t need the energy from food right away, glucose gets put into storage in the liver and muscles to use when you’re ready. These guys hate being alone, so they huddle together and call their new group “glycogen.” Then, when you do end up needing a boost of energy—to crush your next camp, for example—the group of glycogen is broken apart to release each glucose molecule into the bloodstream to be used as fuel for the cells, leaving the glycogen “storage facility” empty. Our job is to fill that storage container back up, which requires protein and carbohydrates.

Not every workout is created equal—even Burn Boot Camp’s weekly protocol balances strength and high-intensity cardio days. That being said, it is something to consider when choosing your post-workout fuel. After an intense workout, you want to make sure to get protein and carbs with foods like smoothies or an apple and peanut butter. If you need inspiration, check out these recipes:

After a strength-based workout, adding a scoop of protein to some water or your milk of choice is a great way to make sure you don’t miss the anabolic window. Try to use a high-quality protein powder that is minimally processed for maximum absorption. Some key things to look for on the label:

• Contains zero artificial flavors, colors, sweeteners or preservatives 
• Non-GMO
• Grass-fed, non-denatured whey 
• More than 20 grams of protein per serving 

Two options we love that meet all these requirements : 

• Chocolate Protein Powder
• Vanilla Protein Powder

The International Society of Sports Nutrition suggests active people aim for an overall daily protein intake of between 0.64 and 1 grams per pound of body weight—for example, a 150-pound active person needs roughly 95 to 150 grams of protein per day. If you find that you are falling short of the recommended amount, a serving of AfterBurn protein powder will give you 23 grams per serving.

10 Ways to Use Protein Powder

• Coffee 
• Smoothies 
• Yogurt 
• Oatmeal 
• Pancakes 
• Cookies 
• Brownies 
• Shakes
• Added to Milk
• Waffles 
• Cake 

If you are feeling adventurous, these Burn recipes are so delicious, you won’t believe they pack a protein punch:

• Funfetti Afterburn Protein Bars
• Baked Maple Protein Oatmeal
• Protein-Packed Afterburn Pancakes
• Giant Triple Chocolate Protein Cookie
• Sugarless Sugar Cookies with Whipped Protein Frosting

If you like this article, you’ll also love….

What Are Amino Acids?

Let’s start by discussing what amino acids actually are, because to be completely honest with you, as much as I had talked about them, I didn’t exactly understand what they were. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein.

Your body breaks protein down into amino acids and then uses them for different processes and functions. There are 20 different amino acids, and they are divided into two main types: essential and non-essential. Nine of the 20 are classified as essential, as your body cannot produce them on its own, making it “essential” for you to consume them through your diet. The remaining 11 are non-essential, as your body is able to produce these amino acids on its own.

There is one more type of classification of amino acids, called conditionally essential amino acids. These amino acids are essential under certain conditions and in times when you’re unable to produce as many as your body requires.

Foods that contain all nine essential amino acids are considered complete proteins and are best for building muscle and seeing results from your workouts. Foods like meat, eggs and dairy products are all complete proteins. While plant-based foods contain amino acids, only a handful are considered to be complete proteins. You can check out this post for a few of my favorite plant-based foods that are complete proteins.

Nuts, seeds, beans and grains are considered incomplete proteins, but when you include a wide variety into your diet, they will combine together to form complementary proteins, which provide the same benefits of complete proteins. These incomplete proteins do not need to be eaten together at the same meal to form a complete protein.

What About Branch Chain Amino Acids?

The avid amino acid drinkers at the gym are not just supplementing with amino acids, but branch chain amino acids specifically, most commonly known as BCAAs. Out of the nine essential amino acids, three are classified as BCAAs: valine, leucine and isoleucine. They are called branch chain amino acids due to their structure, but what makes them so special is that they get broken down differently than the other amino acids. BCAAs go directly to your muscles to be broken down, rather than first being sent to your liver and then to your muscles. When being broken down directly in your muscles, BCAAs hold many amazing benefits!

Why I Supplement with Amino Acids

After much research, I came to the conclusion that I could really benefit from supplementing with BCAAs. Check out my top three reasons why I now always supplement with BCAAs:

1. BCAAs Boost Muscle Repair and Growth

The number one reason why I decided to start supplementing with BCAAs was because of the amazing effect they have on boosting muscle repair and growth. So you’re actually not building muscle during your workout. Believe it or not, you are doing the exact opposite.

When you work out, you are tearing your muscle fibers, literally breaking them down. Your muscles grow after your workouts and your body uses BCAAs in order to do so. One study showed that people who drank BCAAs after resistance training experienced a 22% greater increase in muscle protein synthesis, your body’s process of creating protein to repair your broken-down muscle fibers from your workout, over those who drank the placebo drink.

Basically, the better your body is at repairing your muscles, the better able you will be to grow your muscle and the more lean muscle mass you will have. And you know what more muscle mass means? Less body fat. Yes, please!

2. BCAAs Reduce Your Muscle Soreness and Recovery Time

Another amazing benefit of BCAAs is that they’ve been shown to help reduce muscle soreness, which helps reduce your recovery time between workouts. For me, there is no worse feeling than wanting to completely crush my workout but being too sore from the day before to give it everything I have. This is due to DOMS, or delayed onset muscle soreness, which normally kicks in about 12 to 24 hours after an intense workout, but the feeling can last up to three days! (I know you know what I am talking about and experience it regularly, but you probably didn’t know the scientific term for it.)

I’ll be honest: Since supplementing with BCAAs regularly, I have noticed a huge difference in my recovery time between workouts! Why? Because BCAAs help decrease the amount of protein that gets broken down during your workout, which causes less muscle damage, which means it takes less time to rebuild. You’ll want to supplement with your BCAAs pre-workout to really help speed up your recovery process.

3. BCAAs Increase the Intensity of Your Workouts

There is limited storage space in the muscles for glucose, which is usable energy from carbohydrates and also your main source of energy during exercise, especially during high-intensity workouts. BCAAs can be converted into glucose, so when your glucose storage runs out during an intense workout, if your muscles have available BCAAs, your body can use them for more energy to push harder and longer. For me, I regularly experience the “I just hit a wall” effect in the middle of my workout, and once I started supplementing with BCAAs pre-workout, I noticed this effect not only disappeared, but I was able to crush my workout even harder!

How I Supplement with BCAAs

Some people supplement with BCAAs pre-workout, while others supplement during their workout or post-workout. There are many articles out there arguing which is best. My philosophy is that people love to overcomplicate health and fitness, when it really doesn’t need to be that complicated! People get so hung up on the timing of when to eat, what to eat and what to supplement with, but in actuality, they’re getting hung up on doing things so perfectly that it slows them down or completely discourages them.

If you want to reap the benefits of BCAAs, just supplement with BCAAs; don’t overcomplicate it. I personally prefer to supplement with mine right before my workout using this pre-workout supplement packed with BCAAs. When I supplement with it right before I hit my workout, I feel it kick in right when I need that extra burst of energy to finish strong. I prefer mixing one scoop with eight to 12 ounces of water, which also helps keep me hydrated for my workout—another key player in muscle growth and recovery.

With all of this being said, BCAAs only work if you work! They’re a great supplement that supplements hard work. You won’t experience the perks of BCAAs without putting in the work behind it. Go ignite your workouts with BCAAs, crush it harder than you ever have before and see the best results you’ve seen yet!

Unlike sugar storage, fat storage is unlimited! So to work off the empty calories consumed from sugar alone, on average, you would have to hold a plank for two hours, do 30 minutes of constant push-ups or do 358 pull-ups! Is the sugar worth it? I think not—especially because sugar is void of all nutrients, does not satiate your appetite and actually leaves you hungrier!

Consuming too much sugar can also make your brain feel foggy, cause you to gain unwanted body fat and deplete you of energy. It’s time to get educated on the effects sugar has on your health and cut it out of your diet for good!

Sugar Addiction Is Real!

People joke about being addicted to sugar, but it’s actually a real struggle and not a joke. Added sugar provokes the release of dopamine, which is a neurotransmitter that works within the reward center of your brain and plays a crucial role in your feelings of hunger and pleasure.

Consuming high amounts of sugar leads to high amounts of dopamine being released, which then provides you with a feeling of amazing satisfaction. But if you consume sugar on a regular basis, your brain grows accustomed to this constant sugar satisfaction and begins to “need” this sweet taste to continue experiencing this feeling. When you continue to feed your brain its “needed” sugar, it then begins to require more and more to gain that same reward. This is due to your dopamine receptors becoming desensitized from all the sugar, requiring more dopamine to be released and an actual addiction begins.

Sugar, Insulin and Fat Storage

It is important to note that all sugar is not processed in the body the same way. When discussing added sugar, we are talking about processed, refined sugar. When you eat refined sugar, it goes directly into your bloodstream and causes a huge spike in your blood sugar. This causes insulin to then be released. The job of insulin is to remove excess sugar from the blood, store it in the body and keep blood sugar levels in check.

When excess sugar hits the bloodstream, you experience the well-known “sugar high” effect, where you feel extremely energized for a short period of time. This causes an overestimated amount of insulin to be released, removing more sugar than necessary from your bloodstream and causing the classic “sugar crash.”

When you experience the crash, your body thinks it “needs” more sugar, so you eat more sugar, and a vicious circle begins. Some like to call this the sugar roller-coaster. Naturally occurring sugar from fruit, meanwhile, is mixed with fiber and does not affect the body quite the same way. Fiber slows down the digestion process, resulting in the naturally occurring sugar being able to enter the bloodstream slowly and keeping blood sugar levels in balance.

Insulin is also a fat-storing hormone. While it is a necessity for proper functioning of the body, when in excess it becomes harmful. Insulin triggers a fat storage enzyme and, at the same time, represses the enzyme responsible for the breakdown of fat. Therefore, you are shutting down the fat-burning process when consuming refined sugar.

As explained above, excess sugar consumption causes insulin to remove too much sugar from your bloodstream, resulting in low blood sugar. When this happens, a stress signal is sent to the brain and your brain reacts by releasing cortisol, your stress hormone. This is bad news for you because cortisol energizes and increases your appetite, leading you to eat more than what your body actually needs.

Sugar Is Hiding Everywhere!

When it comes to becoming healthier and fitter, sugar is your greatest enemy in disguise. While some people know they are sugar addicts, others might believe they don’t have a sugar tooth. The truth is, sugar loves to sneak its way into our food any way it can. Food you consider healthy, and food that is not even supposed to be sweet, can be packed with this devious additive. So where is all of the added sugar hiding? Everywhere! Here is a list of common foods with shockingly high amounts of sugar:

• – Pasta sauce (Ragu), ½ cup – 12g
• – Yogurt (Yoplait strawberry), single serving – 27g
• – Granola (Nature Valley), ½ cup – 14g
• – Breakfast cereal (Raisin Bran), ¾ cup – 19g
• – Oatmeal (Quaker apple cinnamon), single-serve package – 22g
• – Baked beans (Bush’s), ½ cup – 15g
• – Trail mix (Emerald Breakfast On the Go) – 17g
• – Jam (Smuckers), 1 tbsp. – 13g
• – Maple syrup, ¼ cup – 47g
• – Fat-free salad dressing (Ken’s Steak House) – 13g
• – Vanilla almond milk (Silk), 1 cup – 13g
• – Tomato soup (Campbell’s On the Go) – 20g
• – BBQ sauce, 2 tbsp. – 15g
• – Energy bar (Cliff Bar chocolate chip) – 21g
• – Applesauce (Motts), 1 snack cup – 19g
• – Fruit cup (Dole), 1 snack cup – 18g
• – Jello, ½ cup – 19g
• – Soda, 12oz – 40g
• – Iced tea (sweetened), 16oz – 44g
• – Sports drinks (Gaterade), 1 bottle – 21g
• – Vitamin drinks (Vitamin Water), 1 bottle – 32g
• – Vanilla latte (Starbucks), 16oz – 32g

5 Steps to Kick Your Sugar Habit

Now that you know the effects sugar has on your brain, body and health, are you ready to kick it to the curb for good? If so, follow these five steps!

1. Read food labels. Sugar is hiding everywhere in your diet! Foods you think are healthy, like many yogurts, sauces, dressings, protein bars, oatmeal and coffee drinks, are packed with sugar. Never assume a food is healthy and sugar-free and always double-check the food label.

2. Eat whole foods. Even processed foods that do not contain sugar quickly break down into sugar. Avoid processed foods that will promote fat storage by consuming as many fresh, whole foods as possible. Whole foods will stabilize your blood sugar, decreasing your sugar cravings. Plus, no need to read the labels on whole foods—sugar can’t sneak its way into them!

3. Detox your kitchen. Look at the food labels on the items in your pantry and refrigerator to find where sugar is hiding in your diet. Toss out the items that are packed with sugar to help you successfully drop the sugar!

4. Buy unsweetened. Choose unsweetened options of foods like yogurt, oatmeal, coffee and plant-based milks. You can always sweeten them yourself with natural sweeteners like honey or stevia.

5. Go at least 21 days without sugar. Your brain can actually be addicted to sugar. The more sugar you eat, the more sugar your brain “requires” to feel satisfied. To break your addiction, go at least 21 days without eating sugar, no matter how much you are craving it! The longer you go without sugar, the less your brain “requires” it and the less you will crave it.

Top Tips to Battle Your Sugar Cravings

1. Drink more water. When you experience a craving, chug a glass of water before eating. Thirst is commonly confused for hunger, leading dehydration to be a common cause of your sugar cravings.

2. Combine protein, healthy fats and fibrous foods at each meal. This powerful combination will stabilize your hunger hormones and keep you full and satisfied for hours without causing any sugar cravings!

3. Eat more fat and less carbs at breakfast. A high-fat breakfast will help avoid  a blood sugar spike first thing in the morning, which can also prevent a sugar crash later and a roller-coaster of cravings throughout your day.

4. Don’t skip meals! Skipping meals leads to a drastic drop in energy. When your energy levels drop, your blood sugar levels drop as well, causing your brain to think it needs more sugar. Plus, when you are overly hungry, your willpower can weaken and it’s much more difficult to say “no”!

5. Cook food at home. When you prepare your own food, you are able to control all of the ingredients you use, making it much easier to drop the sugar.

6. Cut out the alcohol. Alcohol lowers your blood sugar, leading your brain to believe you need sugar to maintain normal levels. It also negatively changes the way sugar and carbs are metabolized in the body. Plus, most alcoholic beverages are jam-packed with sugar.

7. Reduce stress. Stress triggers hormones that increase your appetite, leading to dangerous cravings. It’s easier said than done, but decreasing your stress levels will simultaneously decrease your sugar cravings.

8. Get enough sleep. Lack of sleep causes a domino effect of chemical reactions in your body, altering your hormone levels and increasing your sugar cravings! And when you are sleep-deprived, you are much more likely to lack the willpower to say “no” to those cravings.

9. Eat fruit! There is a difference between processed sugar and naturally occuring sugar. Your body processes sugar from fruit more slowly due to its fiber content, so it doesn’t cause the same spike in blood sugar as processed sugar. When a sugar craving hits, grab a piece of fruit and enjoy the sweetness of natural sugar.

10. Ditch the fancy coffee. A Starbucks vanilla latte has 32 grams of sugar! Buy and brew your own vanilla-, caramel-, hazelnut- or mocha-flavored ground coffee beans. Mix together coffee, ½ cup of unsweetened plant-based milk and stevia to taste for your own homemade delicious version!

11. Avoid soda. It is a sugar trap!

12. Drink fruit-flavored herbal tea. Sugar craving setting in? Brew a cup of tea and sweeten it with stevia for a guilt-free sweet taste. Use two tea bags for a stronger flavor. Drinking tea also helps to keep you hydrated and not confuse your thirst for hunger.

13. Add a teaspoon of cinnamon. Try sprinkling cinnamon on coffee, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, apples and protein shakes. It has been shown to help control blood sugar levels.

14. Fight sugar with fat. Add more fat into your diet to overcome your sugar cravings. Healthy fats fuel the body, stabilize your blood sugar levels, cut hunger and keep you full and satisfied for hours.

15. Work out! Being active for at least 30 minutes every day reduces your sugar cravings.

When you are working out hard, you are breaking down your muscle fibers and you need protein in order to rebuild and grow your muscles.

Protein also helps boost your metabolism. Your body burns 20% to 30% of calories from protein during digestion, as opposed to roughly 5% of calories from carbs and 3% of calories from fats. Ramping up your protein intake will also ramp up your daily calorie burn without any extra effort!

Eating more protein also causes your body to release more leptin, which is your hunger-suppressing hormone. This has been shown to reduce your appetite, cut your cravings and reduce your desire for late-night snacking.

While that all sounds great, I know adding more protein into your diet isn’t that easy and eating a bunch of chicken at each meal gets boring quickly! And for me personally, eating a lot of meat tends to make me feel weighed down and causes me digestive distress. So here are my top three favorite and unexpected ways to add high-protein foods that aren’t meat into my diet!

Hemp Seeds

• – Serving size: 3 tablespoons

• – Protein per serving: 10g

There are a bunch of things I love about hemp seeds, but one of my favorite things is that it is a source of protein that doesn’t require any meal prep! On days I don’t have time cook, I never have to stress because I know I can sprinkle a few tablespoons of hemp seeds on my meal to ensure I am including protein.

Most nuts and seeds—and most plant-based protein sources, for that matter—are not considered complete proteins, as they do not contain all nine essential amino acids. These sources have to be combined with other foods to form a complete protein.

Hemp seeds, on the other hand, are special because they contain all nine essential amino acids and are considered to be a complete protein. What’s so special about having a complete essential amino acid profile? Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, which is ultimately the building block of muscle. If you want to become leaner and stronger, your body requires amino acids.

Hemp seeds are also a great source of fat. For me, it’s important to always include a healthy source of fat into every meal I eat. It helps keep me satiated, my blood sugar levels in check and my cravings at bay. So with one serving of hemp seeds, I am not only getting a great source of protein but I am also getting a great source of fat.

Hemp seeds are especially a great source of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-6 fatty acids are found in abundance in our diet, but omega-3s are more difficult to come across. When you consume way more omega-6s than omega-3s, you promote fat storing and not fat burning. Consuming too many omega-6-rich foods also triggers inflammation in your gut, joints and other parts of your body and can even be the cause of bloating. Incorporating more omega-3s into your diet with the help of hemp seeds can help you burn fat as fuel as well as keep your gut happy and healthy!

Hemp seeds add a great nutty flavor to any dish. I often incorporate them into salads, oatmeal, yogurt and even pasta. I actually haven’t come across a dish that I haven’t enjoyed with the addition of hemp seeds!

You can find my favorite hemp seeds here.

Nutritional Yeast

•  – Serving size: 3 tablespoons

•  – Protein per serving: 9g

Nutritional yeast is another high-protein staple in my kitchen. Like hemp seeds, it’s a source of protein that requires no time to prep and is a great addition to most meals.

You’re most likely thinking, what exactly is nutritional yeast? It is a deactivated yeast that provides an amazing nutty, cheesy and savory flavor. Nutritional yeast is extremely popular among vegans, as it’s a great replacement for cheese in many recipes. It’s also a  complete protein, which as I mentioned earlier, many plant-based foods are not.

Another reason nutritional yeast is popular among vegans is because most brands fortify it with vitamin B12, which is a vitamin you miss out on when you cut animal foods out of your diet. When you become B12-deficient, serious and permanent damage can be done, such as irreversible anemia. So if you are eating a plant-based diet, nutritional yeast is not only a great source of complete protein but a great source of vitamin B12. (Side note: If you do eat a plant-based diet, I cannot stress enough how important it is to speak with your doctor about the right supplementation of B12.)

Apart from providing you with 9 grams of protein per serving, nutritional yeast also gives you a boost of fiber. Personally, I am just as aware of my fiber intake as I am of my protein, fat and carbohydrate intake. With bad gut health now being the known cause of so many health issues, I pay close attention to eating foods that fuel good gut health, and with that comes eating enough fiber each day. We can increase the good bacteria in our gut all day long through probiotics, but without providing them with anything to feed off of, that bacteria will quickly die off.

Eating enough fiber each day ensures your gut contains prebiotics for the good bacteria to live off of. Many health experts suggest a minimum of 30 grams of fiber each day, and most of us are not getting anywhere near that! Long story short, fiber is important for optimal health and nutritional yeast can help you reach your daily fiber goal.

I love getting creative with nutritional yeast in my diet. I often sprinkle a serving of it over a salad with a tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt to replace unhealthy salad dressings. I also love mixing one serving of nutritional yeast with ¼ cup full-fat coconut milk and ¼ teaspoon garlic powder. This creates a cheesy-like sauce that is perfect for pouring over rice, pasta, roasted veggies and salads. I would also suggest mixing it into marinara sauce, hummus and stir-fries.

It’s important to note that nutritional yeast is not for everyone. Researchers have recommended that people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), glaucoma and hypertension avoid it, as it may make their symptoms worsen.

You can find my favorite brand of nutritional yeast here.

Tempeh

• – Serving size: 3 ounces

• – Protein per serving: 16g

Out of the three, tempeh is by far my favorite. It may look a little intimidating and not sound very appetizing, but let me tell you, it can be delicious! Tempeh has a very neutral flavor on its own and really takes the flavor of whatever you cook it with.

Tempeh is yet another plant-based protein that is considered to be a complete protein with all nine essential amino acids. Tempeh contains a higher amount of protein than both nutritional yeast and hemp seeds, with 16 grams per 3-ounce serving. It’s also a much better alternative if you are looking to replace meat on your plate, as it is has a similar texture to ground meat when crumbled.

Like tofu, tempeh is made from soybeans; unlike tofu, it is not highly processed and does not contain a long list of ingredients. Tempeh goes through a natural fermentation process, and generally soybeans are the only ingredient. It’s minimally processed and provides you with more benefits than just protein.

Since tempeh is fermented, it is a great source of prebiotics. As I mentioned before, prebiotics are essential for feeding the good bacteria in your gut and maintaining good gut health. And prebiotics provide more than just gut-healing properties—they are great for improving digestion, balancing hormones, increasing immunity, aiding in weight loss and decreasing inflammation.

Tempeh is also an amazing source of fiber, with an entire 7 grams per 3-ounce serving! If you are aiming for 30 grams of fiber a day, tempeh is a huge help for reaching that goal. Fiber is an essential part of your diet and, when included, you’ll notice you won’t need to eat as much to feel full and you’ll also feel fuller for longer between meals. Plus, if you struggle with digestive issues, incorporating more fiber into your diet can be extremely beneficial.

Tempeh doesn’t need to be cooked, and many times when I am on the go, I’ll quickly crumble it up into a salad and allow it to take the taste of my salad dressing. But there are many fun ways to cook tempeh, as it is interchangeable with ground meat and really embodies the flavor of whatever you cook it with. Take any recipe you would generally use ground meat in, toss in tempeh instead, and I promise you’ll love the flavor!

Celery juice is a hot topic in the health world right now, with health and fitness influencers claiming it is a miracle juice that we all need to be drinking first thing in the morning.

I’m not usually a fan of fad diets, but the thing I love about this trend is that it’s not some scam product that people are trying to sell you—it’s just celery! No one is trying to push a supplement that might be unsafe for your body. So I thought to myself, why not try juicing celery for 30 days to see what the fuss is about? What do I have to lose, really? Regardless of its amazing health claims, celery juice would be upping my vegetable intake each day, if nothing else.

What Makes Celery Juice So Special?

Celery juice is extremely detoxifying, as it flushes out old toxins and poisons that have built up over time. It can help kill viruses, bad bacteria, fungi and parasites in your body. This greatly helps to maintain a healthy gut, improve digestion and reduce bloating. Celery juice also increases your body’s ability to break down protein and fat.

Oftentimes, the protein and fat we eat go undigested in our stomach and just sits there to rot. This is what causes bloating and many other digestive issues, and celery works to break down that undigested food. So if you struggle with bloating, gas or constipation, celery juice just might be the cure for you. Also, juicing celery regularly may help boost energy levels, balance hormones, reduce inflammation and alleviate skin issues (like acne, psoriasis and eczema) and many other symptoms.

How Do You Gain These Amazing Benefits?

Experts say drinking 16 ounces of celery juice a day is a great starting point. (Although if you have severe or chronic issues, you may find it beneficial to drink up to 24 or 32 ounces a day.) So how much celery is that, exactly? A lot! One bunch of celery yields about 16 ounces of juice.

There are a few other considerations to keep in mind in order to gain the full benefits of celery juice. First, celery juice needs to be consumed 100% on its own, first thing in the morning. This means you need to drink it on an empty stomach—no food or coffee beforehand. A good rule of thumb is to wait at least 20 to 30 minutes before consuming anything else.

You will also want to avoid mixing anything into your celery juice. Anthony William, also known as the Medical Medium, claims mixing it with anything—like lemon juice, collagen or apple cider vinegar—will take away from its health benefits.

It’s also important to make the distinction between juicing celery and blending celery. Some people are blending their celery rather than juicing it—when you blend it, the fiber from the pulp also takes away from its health benefits.

If you don’t have a juicer and only have a blender, there is a way to blend your celery and remove the pulp afterward. You will need to a cheesecloth, which you can order from Amazon. Put your celery in the blender, blend it all up and cover the top of the blender with the cheesecloth and use it as a strainer as you pour out the juice. Then wrap the pulp in the cheesecloth and squeeze out any extra juice from the pulp.

While drinking celery juice first thing in the morning is extremely beneficial, it’s also beneficial to drink it immediately after you juice it. Juicing a bunch at a time and then storing it in the fridge for the entire week will also cause it to lose some of its health benefits. Once you juice your celery, aim to drink it immediately or at least within 24 hours.

Also, people are trying to make celery juice simpler by buying celery juice powder and mixing it into a glass of water. This, too, simply won’t give you the same benefits as freshly juiced celery will. It won’t cause any harm, but it won’t have the same effects.

Celery Juice and Bloating

Many people start drinking celery juice to help reduce bloating, although some of these people are realizing that it’s making them more bloated. As I mentioned above, celery juice works to break down all the old, rotting, undigested food in your stomach.

What does that mean for those who are experiencing more bloating? Celery juice may cause extra bloating in someone who has a highly toxic digestive tract and has a lot of rotting, undigested food in their digestive tract. Over time, if they continue to drink celery juice, their digestive tract will become less toxic and their bloating will start to disappear. So if celery juice is causing you to bloat, this may be a sign you have a lot of built-up toxins and celery juice is exactly what you need.

I Juiced Celery for 30 Days and…

I juiced celery for 30 days straight to see if there was validity behind all these health claims. The main benefit I was looking for was to alleviate my psoriasis, which I had heard celery juice could help treat. I have psoriasis on my scalp, and it has been something I have been living with for eight years. I couldn’t find anything to help treat it because I personally try to avoid putting chemicals, or anything unnatural, into my body. This means I refused to take steroids or toxic topical creams that my doctor suggested.

I also have been struggling with gut and hormone issues and have been working with a naturopath to heal. So, I was also looking to increase my gut health and rebalance my hormones through drinking celery juice.

It’s important to note that over these 30 days, I did not change anything in my diet outside of juicing celery. I also decided to ease my way into it by beginning with 8 ounces for the first few days before committing to 16 ounces each day.

Juicing celery every other day was a lot more realistic for my life. This way, I could still ensure I was drinking it within a 24-hour period. I generally would juice two days’ worth at a time, then drink 16 ounces immediately and save the other 16 ounces for the next morning.

My first few days of drinking celery juice, I felt absolutely amazing. My digestion was great, my bloating was going down and I felt so much more energy. But once days four, five and six hit, my bloating came back (it actually worsened), and I was completely backed up. I continued to juice regardless and am so happy I did because after those few days passed, my digestion, bloating and psoriasis became better than ever before. My psoriasis didn’t completely disappear, but it has been drastically alleviated.

One question I get asked the most is, “What kind of juicer should I buy?” I personally really enjoy my Breville juicer. With all the parts being dishwasher safe, it’s extremely simple to clean. Plus, it also has an extra-wide feeder chute that allows me to juice a bunch of celery in just five seconds!

My final consensus: I now swear by celery juice and continue to drink it every morning! Yes, it’s time-consuming to prepare, but the effects it has on my health make it more than worth it. I also record a podcast episode entirely about my experince juicing celery, so you can check that out here.

My top advice? Stay consistent! As with anything in life, if you want to see results and gain optimum benefits, you have to stick with it.

By filling your cart with basic staples, you’ll be ahead of the curve in making nutritionally balanced meals that are satisfying and taste great. But if you don’t consider food shopping a hobby (like I do), wandering the aisles of your supermarket can feel overwhelming.

That’s why I’m sharing some of my top dietitian-approved grocery store staples and what to do with them. Add these items to your shopping list (and cart) to boost your nutrition and even save money at the store.

1. Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti squash has a long season (fall through spring), so be sure to check the produce section for this cold weather staple. It’s a great low-carb pasta alternative, so you can enjoy your favorite comfort food flavors without feeling weighed down after dinner. Spaghetti squash has just 40 calories per cup (versus over 200 in traditional pasta).

Spaghetti squash is also incredibly easy to make. If you’ve never cooked it before, read this tutorial first. Then try my Veggie Fajita Spaghetti Squash Stir Fry or Spaghetti Squash Primavera with Baked Goat Cheese.

2. Rotisserie Chicken

If the thought of cooking overwhelms you, you can still build a healthy meal around a grocery store staple: rotisserie chicken! I like to take the meat off the bones early in the week and shred it so I can use it for lunches like collard wraps and salads (like this Asian-Inspired Chicken Cobb Salad), tacos at dinner and even a quick snack in between meals.

3. Canned Beans

You’re often told to “shop the perimeter” of the grocery store, but if you exclusively follow this advice, you’re missing out on many nutritious, convenient, versatile and affordable staples in the middle aisles, like canned beans. Canned beans can be easier to digest because they soak for longer than dried beans. Plus, they’re an easy plant-based protein to add to any quick meal, like a salad, vegetarian chili, stir-fry or even (gasp!) dessert.

Try these Black Bean Sweet Potato Burgers for a meat-free burger night, or satisfy your sweet tooth with this healthy cookie dough.

4. Nut and Seed Butters

Whether you prefer peanut butter, almond butter or sunflower seed butter (my personal favorite), having a form of healthy fats in your pantry is always a good idea for quick meals. Check the ingredients list to ensure your favorite nut or seed butter is made with ingredients you can recognize and without added sugar.

I especially love to use nut or seed butter at breakfast and in snacks, but even some dinner recipes shine with this added ingredient. Aside from spreading nut or seed butter on toast or pairing it with a piece of fruit at snack time, you can make a delicious salad dressing, snack bites, sauce for veggies or dipping sauce.

5. Frozen Vegetables

Take a stroll down your frozen food aisle and stock up—but not on TV dinners. Add a variety of frozen vegetables to your cart so you can fill half of your plate with veggies every night.

Frozen vegetables are picked at their peak ripeness and frozen immediately to lock in their nutrients, so they’re just as nutritious as fresh vegetables. Check the ingredients list to make sure there are no added sauces or sugar.

Frozen produce is getting more exciting thanks to fun shapes and twists on traditional cut-up vegetables. Look out for riced cauliflower, carrot spirals and even sweet potato toast! When you’re ready to cook dinner, you can sauté your veggies straight from frozen, like in this Easy Stir Fry, or roast them straight from frozen.

6. Eggs

Have you ever heard the phrase “throw an egg on it”? Eggs are a convenient, affordable and versatile source of protein, and they’re easy to cook and add to nearly any dish. From breakfast to lunch to snacks to dinner, eggs can find a place in any part of your day. Nutritionally speaking, 1 large egg contains 6 grams of complete protein and just 70 calories.

Here’s how you can include eggs in your diet from sunup to sundown:

• – Breakfast: High Protein Breakfast Muffins
• – Lunch: Salmon Nicoise Salad
• – Dinner: Quinoa and Lentil Power Bowl

7. A Variety of Spices

Every time I’m at the grocery store, I pick up a new spice. Spices are a shelf-stable way to add tons of flavor to your meals, without adding calories or fat. If you’re unsure of what spices to use with certain foods, just start experimenting!

I always make sure to have these spices on hand for taco night: cumin, chili powder, oregano and smoked paprika.

Try these taco recipes:

• – Simple Fish Tacos
• – 6-Ingredient Lentil Tacos
• – Easy Mushroom Tacos
• – Shrimp Tacos

8. Chia Seeds

Superfoods get a lot of hype, but they don’t all live up to their name. Chia seeds wear the superfood title loud and proud, and they have earned their place in this coveted group of foods.

With a combination of plant-based protein, healthy fats (including omega-3 fatty acids) and fiber, these tiny poppy seed lookalikes deserve a place in your shopping cart.

Chia seeds can be used as an egg substitute in some recipes, to make a breakfast or dessert pudding or even as a way to make low-sugar jam.

9. Bean- or Lentil-Based Pasta

The pasta-bilities these days are endless, which makes walking down the pasta aisle downright overwhelming. My go-to choice and recommendation for clients is bean- or lentil-based pasta.

These pasta varieties pack a much larger protein punch than traditional wheat pasta and will keep you full for longer. Just add veggies and your favorite sauce for a complete meal in minutes, or try this Vegan Pumpkin Mac n Cheese if you want to get more creative!

10. Chocolate

There’s no reason to deprive your sweet tooth when adopting healthy habits. In fact, research shows that if you overly restrict your sugar intake, it will likely backfire and you’ll then over-indulge in the sweet stuff.

I suggest stocking up on your favorite chocolate—milk or dark. Dark chocolate contains more antioxidants, but if it doesn’t satisfy your chocolate cravings the same way a piece of milk chocolate does, it’s not worth it!

In addition to a chocolate bar or chocolate chips, I suggest keeping unsweetened cocoa powder on hand to add chocolaty flavor to brownie oatmeal bowls, smoothies and more.

Of course, you can experiment with other shopping cart staples listed above to create some treats that are healthier sweets. Try these recipes:

• – Decadent Superfood Truffles (made with beans, but you’d never taste it!)
• – Chocolate Pumpkin Truffles (made with chia seeds and seed butter)
• – No Churn Salted Chocolate Chip Banana “Ice Cream”

These are just 10 items that frequently fill my shopping cart.  For even more pantry staples, be sure to sign up to receive your FREE Pantry Staples Shopping Guide.