A Week of Healthy Eating with Z.E.N. Foods and My Energy is Back
Full disclosure. Every day I hit a 3pm slump and it’s totally upending my routine. I’ve tried all the things (going to bed earlier, working out longer, mid-day jumping jacks, etc.) but come 3pm I. AM. SO. TIRED.
I know it’s my eating habits, which is the one thing I hadn’t yet tried to change, and the one thing I know I should.
I’m not a huge cook, but more of a quick-and-easy eater. A heat-it-up-and-go type of gal, so when I started playing with the idea of a meal delivery service I was attracted to ease, freshness, and flavor… and meals that were nutritious and energizing.
While there’s no shortage of meal delivery programs out there, it can be very easy to get lost in the sea of options.
You’ve got the national services that try to mold you into a professional cook, sending you exact ingredients and recipes for you to make on your own, only to find yourself with an overflowing pan and an even messier kitchen. And then you’ve got the meal prep companies that stock you up with a week’s worth of food at once, everything threatening to spoil every time you open your fridge.
Not wanting to slave away in the kitchen learning a new skill, and not wanting to throw food out after it expires under my watch, I decided to go with LA-based Z.E.N. Foods which stands for Zero Effort Nutrition (aka: easy!) and has daily delivery options throughout Orange County. What attracted me to Z.E.N. was their selection of all-natural meals prepared daily by expert chefs delivered fresh to your doorstep in a cooler each and every morning.
With Z.E.N. Foods you know exactly what you’re eating that day, how much, and that it’s going to be fresh AF.
Offering different programs like Z.E.N. Weight Loss, Z.E.N. Vegetarian Select, Z.E.N. Healthy Lifestyle and even Z.E.N. Elite Athletes (not me… yet), I ended up going with the 5-day Weight Loss program where I got breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even a snack and dessert for good measure. With dishes like Blueberry Ricotta Crepes for breakfast, Ahi Tuna Nicoise Salad for lunch, and Honey Chicken Stir Fry for dinner it did not feel at all like any sort of diet, but boy did it work like one!
I felt more energized after the very first day. (Healthy eating and limiting sugar works wonders for me.) I closed all my circles on my Apple watch each of the five days and even earned myself a new badge for all you Apple fanatics out there. I felt more confident in my body, woke up earlier — naturally — and 3pm came and went without the need for any mid-day siestas.
Each meal is calorie-controlled and selected based on your dietary preferences.
Before your week starts Z.E.N. has you fill out a questionnaire with your likes and dislikes, allergies, etc. as well as talk with one of their nutrition consultants who will work with you to meet any specific goals you’re looking to accomplish.
Picky eater? You can log on and check out that week’s meals and, if you’re not feeling one, the website makes it very easy to swap it out with another selection, ensuring that each morning you’ll have a cooler full of food you actually like at your doorstep.
A week of healthy eating definitely helped my energy, but it’s also a mindset thing for me.
Knowing that I was eating a healthy, calorie-controlled meal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, while even allowing myself a mid-day snack and small dessert didn’t make me feel I was “dieting” or that I was missing out on anything. And that’s a diet I can continue for a lifetime.
*Also, not having to shop, cook, and clean for a week definitely helps restore your energy as well.
Lindsay DeLong is the Editor-in-Chief of Laguna Beach Living and the Founder of the City Living Network. A brand strategist and web designer, she specializes in building brands from the ground up, establishing online identity, and setting up a game plan to make your business run smoothly. Reach out to her at lindsay@lagunabeachliving.com or on her personal site, iLikeLindsay.com.