I’m a huge advocate for living a healthy lifestyle, but not when it has to be so darn hard. That’s why I like to keep things as easy and pain-free as possible when it comes to food. Here are my top 5 tips for simple healthy eating for you to incorporate into your day now. Plus, I’ve got a pretty sweet giveaway for you! Read on, my friends…

1. Keep it Real: Eat Real Food. Period. I know it sounds silly, but if you truly strive to eat real food (food that you can recognize and clearly tell where it came from), everything else just falls into place naturally.

2. Don’t compare your plate to everyone else’s: Eat what makes you feel your best self.

3. Be Adventurous: Explore new foods (even those you used to HATE as a child), experiment with new recipes and keep an open mind when it comes to what you put on your plate. Whether it’s going out for Thai food or buying a funky new vegetable you’ve never tasted before, find a way to be daring! You’ll never grow bored this way, and you can keep healthy eating fun!

4. Know Your Body: As you begin to listen to your body and learn which foods work for you, you’ll start to need less of what you once thought you needed “more” of. For instance, if you once needed two portions of chicken casserole to feel satisfied or could easily down a bag of potato chips, you may now realize you only need a small portion or heck, may not even want those things anymore at all. I highly recommend starting a food/mood journal to learn what works best for Y-O-U.

5. Get Rid of Your  “Perfect” Mindset: You don’t have to be perfect to live a healthy lifestyle. It’s all about finding balance! Fuel your body with nourishing, real foods most of the time, and allow for occasional indulgences or “slips.” It’s important not to beat yourself up for treating yourself every now and then. You don’t need to buy 100% organic, eat only raw, juice every day, give up chocolate, fit into your teenage skinny jeans, ban coffee or go on a restrictive diet to be healthy. Take it one step at a time, and I promise you’ll feel much better that way (with much less guilt too).

Bestowed Box

OK, I know I said I had a giveaway for you and I promise it’s coming! A few weeks ago, I was given a Bestowed box to review from the lovely folks at Bestowed. Founded by Nutritionist Heather Bauer, the company strives to take the hassle and confusion out of health food.

Each and every month, Bestowed members receive a box delivered straight to their door filled with 5+ hand-picked healthy product samples (from supplements to nutrition bars). Not only does this keep things simple for the consumer, but it also introduces them to new brands they’ll love! Memberships are $19 a month or $209 a year, and you may cancel anytime.

My sampler box contained:

• Oloves Hot Chili Mama Olives
• Nature’s Bakery Fig Bars
• Nature’s Earthly Choice – Easy Quinoa Lentil Soup Mix
• Happy Family – Happy Squeeze Smoothies
• iTrain $25 gift card
• Artisana Coconut Butter
• Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts

What I loved: Who doesn’t love an adorable little surprise box filled with goodies delivered to their front door? I really liked the nice variety of items, ranging from savory quinoa soup mix to a protein-packed fig bar. I especially loved the crunchy, energizing hemp hearts (perfect to top on a salad, smoothie or yogurt) and coconut butter (great in green smoothies and nearly anything you’d put butter on). I also dig that each month you’re graced with a different assortment, introducing you to new snacks, brands and flavors!

What I didn’t love: My only complaint (which isn’t necessarily a complaint) is that since I’m not a huge fan of packaged food, some of the items I could have done without. Being a whole foods junkie, I often make most of my meals and snacks in the comfort of my own kitchen and get a weird high out of grocery shopping. I’m also not really a fan of sweets or protein bars, although I know lots of people who are so that solved that “problem”! All that aside, I ended up finding some great new brands and snacks to recommend to both friends and clients alike!

The Verdict: I’d definitely recommend Bestowed for anyone looking to expand their palates, while enjoying a healthy lifestyle. The service is especially great for those who don’t like to cook, go grocery shopping or spend time researching the latest health trends, as all of that is pretty much done for you. For those of you who love to snack but find yourself gravitating toward the office vending machine every afternoon, Bestowed Box is for you! Who knows, you may find your new go-to product along the way! Did I mention it’s perfect for ladies who love surprises?

Now it’s giveaway time! I’m giving away a Bestowed Box for one lucky reader to try for herself. To enter, please do one or all of the following. Be sure to leave a comment on here for each task completed:

1. Simply tweet the following: “Healthy made easy! @bstowed & @Healthy_Chicks are giving away a Bestowed Box filled with wholesome goodies https://healthy-chicks.com/2013/05/12/5-tips-for-healthy-eating-made-simple-plus-a-bestowed-box-giveaway/”

2. Leave a comment here listing your go-to snack of choice. Do you crave salty? Crunchy? Savory? Sweet?

3. Like Healthy Chicks and Bestowed on Facbook

4. Sign up for my FREE “A Day in the Life of a Healthy Chick” weekly newsletter!

I will choose a random winner by Sunday 5/19 at midnight EST. The giveaway is for US-based readers only. In addition to the giveaway, Bestowed would like to honor $5 off every box for all Healthy Chicks readers! Simply use promo code 5OFFBSTOWED01 at checkout.

P.S. Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there! You are all AMAZING!