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How’s your 2018 going so far? If you’ve let some of your new year’s intentions slide, that’s totally normal—it turns out 80 percent of New Year’s resolutions fail by February. It could be that the goal isn’t specific enough, is overly ambitious, or simply doesn’t fit in with your lifestyle. Whatever the reason, even the highest achievers among us can start to fizzle out right about now. The good news is, it’s not too late to turn your progress around!
In the lead-up to National Green Juice Day on January 26, mbg and Evolution Fresh will be offering small, actionable challenges to help you keep your clean eating intentions in check using—you guessed it—greens!
On top of that, beginning today, January 22, you’ll have the opportunity to win one of five Evolution Fresh and mindbodygeen prize packs by participating in the Evolution Fresh and mindbodygreen #GotMyGreens Instagram sweepstakes (rules here). Prize packs each include three mindbodygreen classes, an hourlong coaching session with an mbg expert, and an Evolution Fresh bento box with 10 free green juice vouchers. To enter, follow @EvolutionFresh and @mindbodygreen, tag two plant-loving friends, and use the hashtag #GotMyGreens.
Got it? Great—now let’s get into today’s challenge! Today, we’re kicking things off with one simple way to make sure you’re eating well throughout the entire day. We’re challenging you to get creative in the kitchen with all of those plants and greens.
Day 1 Challenge: Cook a meal using the greens in your fridge.
When you cook for yourself, you naturally reduce the amount of processed foods you’re eating in favor real, whole ingredients. Plus, not only will this goal get you eating any healthy produce you have on hand, but it will also reduce food waste—an important part of any holistic eating routine. Eating well isn’t just about your own personal ecosystem; it’s also about honoring the planet and its resources.
While cooking can seem difficult, this challenge is all about simplicity. Here are three steps to make it as easy as possible to prepare a delicious fridge-purge meal.
1. Take stock.
The greens we’ve shared so far this week form the perfect base for an everything-in-the-fridge meal, but what do you have to add in? Nothing is too minor. Got half an onion? A few eggs? Great. Now check your pantry to find supporting role foods like cans of chickpeas, black beans, or tomatoes, quinoa, or spices. If you have a couple of these things, you have a base for a satisfying meal.
2. Make a plan.
Once you have two to four main ingredients that you’re ready to work with, it’s time to figure out what you’re going to make. You don’t have to overthink it—it could be as simple as sautéing your greens and some beans in olive oil with cumin and garlic. You can also make a leftover vegetable chili with canned tomatoes and black beans, spices, and some kale or Swiss chard. Cook up a green veggie scramble with some eggs, or if you have a few different vegetables waiting to be cooked, make an end-of-the-week vegetable soup.
If you’re stumped, just Google the ingredients you’re working with or search for them on Pinterest and see what recipes are out there.
3. Get cooking.
Turn on a playlist and get in the kitchen. Chop, season, roast, and stir. Enjoy the process of making something on the fly. Again, cooking doesn’t have to be difficult; you just have to have a bit of a plan. Trust your senses—pay attention to how your food looks, smells, and tastes as you go, and you can’t go too wrong.
Committing to a consistent Monday fridge clean-out meal that prioritizes greens will make you feel great because you will sneak a few more real, whole foods into your week AND prove your resourcefulness in the kitchen, which is a pretty cool (and useful) quality to have.
Got a before-and-after shot of all those leftovers? We want to see! Be sure to tag all of your photos from the challenge with #GotMyGreens to keep us updated on your progress. And don’t forget to enter the sweepstakes on Instagram, too. Check out the rules here. Tune in tomorrow for your next challenge.
