Let’s start with a story

Tell me if this sounds familiar. It’s time to go to the grocery store, and you make a list. You fill it with healthy food options and recipe items from your favorite cookbook. You go to the store with the best of intentions, but by the time you get to the checkout aisle, you look down and see a cart filled with things that you had no intention of buying.

Frozen, processed foods for the nights where you just don’t have the time or effort level to cook. Snacks and candy for the kids (and secretly for your own “cheat days” that turn into every day). Donuts and ice cream bars that your husband didn’t ask for, but you know he wants. As you’re leaving the store and packing the car, you’re left with several extra bags of unhealthy food, a huge grocery bill, and a headache from trying to understand what exactly happened. 

By the time you finish grocery shopping, running errands, and picking up the kids, it’s 8 pm and you’re much closer to falling asleep than you are to working over a stove top for an hour. You immediately reach for the phone and call your favorite delivery or takeout place. You’ve vowed to pick up the healthy eating initiative on Monday, but before you know it, the week has gone by and you find yourself throwing out the cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers that have started to rot.

You wasted your hard-earned money, and even worse, you cheated yourself out of an opportunity to live a healthier life.

Did any of that sound familiar?

Changing my life for the Betr

Now let’s fast-forward a bit. It’s Saturday morning. I’ve already planned out my family’s meals for the week, and we’re currently looking for fresh produce at the Farmers Market. After that, we head to Costco or Trader Joe’s to pick up our meats for the week.

On Sundays, we spend some time prepping salads and other easy sides. I’ll cook two large portions of protein, which I section off and use throughout the week for different meals. 

The school and work weeks can get hectic with extracurriculars for three kids and two active parents, so the fact that my family and I can shop and prep our food together on the weekend is a blessing. It not only relieves some stress during the week, we genuinely enjoy going through the weekend routine as a family! 

Why I chose to make a change

Looking back on my lifestyle before Betr Health, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what was holding me back from making healthier choices. I always made a point to make sure my kids were fed a fairly wholesome diet. We never made a habit out of fast food, and tried to stay away from processed and frozen foods as much as we could. However, I love to bake, and coming from the Midwest, most of those ingredients came in a can. What we were eating was low in carbs, but HIGH in saturated fats. Lots of bacon, cheese and meat. I suppose I made those choices because the food made me feel good… Until it didn’t. 

Compare that to how I eat now. My family and I have a weekly subscription to a fresh farm box, which keeps all five of us fed for almost the whole week. We supplement that with a weekly trip to the local farmers markets to pick up any other food that we’ll need. Our children eat what my spouse and I eat, which cuts out the need for “short order cooking”. They love opening the farm box every week, and they love helping me find the best deals on their favorite items. It’s so convenient to have everyone eating the same meals. The fact that those meals are wholesome and healthy just makes it that much better! 

Creating a… “Betr” Budget

So, let’s compare lifestyle budgets. Before, my family and I were spending between $200-$250 per week on food. After moving through the Betr program, we have managed to cut that number in half! Our fresh farm box costs us just $19 per week.

We only spend an average of $50 per week at the farmers markets, and even with a few grocery store expenses and the occasional night out, our weekly food budget rarely goes over $125. That’s for a family with three hungry kids!

Even though I’ve graduated from the program, we still enjoy some of the Betr recipes. Our absolute favorite is the Egg Roll in a Bowl, made with beef rather than chicken. We load the top with sliced green onions, and it’s absolutely delicious! We also really love the meatballs and marinara sauce over edamame noodles or level 2-friendly spaghetti squash.

Betr Health not only gave me the chance to lose weight and feel better about myself, it gave me the tools to create a sustainable healthy lifestyle that actually saves me money in the long run. Our structured plan means that hardly any food ever goes to waste. We’re scheduling our meals out, we’re making smarter choices, and we’re feeling the effects of those choices. I have more energy and more time to spend with my spouse and kids, and family life as a whole has never been better.

Paying It Forward

I’d be lying if I told you it was easy. Life-changing decisions are always going to be difficult, especially when it comes to breaking habits and fighting short-term conveniences. However, my family and I are experiencing a new level of happiness now that we’re healthy, motivated, and energized. I get to enjoy more simple pleasures, like going on walks with my dog more often. To top it all off, I’ve lost 50 pounds, I’m sleeping better, and have much more energy. 

Fast-forward a bit more, and I’m now a Betr Health coach! I’ve gone full-circle and I now take joy from showing other people who were just like me that this paradigm shift is possible. I have a rewarding job that offers me flexibility and opportunity. I’ve already set aside a good chunk of money that will help pay for a future vacation!

I hope my story can help inspire you to make a new story of your own. The first step is always the hardest, but Betr Health’s positive and inclusive community is truly there to help with whatever you may need. I’m just one of the many success stories that have come through the Betr Health program, and I hope that you will be the next!

-Katy Bonneau, Betr Health Coach