Healthy Eating Habits: How They’ve Changed My Mindset (and My Sweet Tooth Struggles!)
- Alexa Layne-Stratton
- Feb 11
- 3 min read
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Over the past few months, I’ve been on a journey toward healthier eating—not out of perfection, but out of intention. I’ll be honest: it started with my recent diagnosis of gestational diabetes, which was a wake-up call for how much I needed to prioritize what we were putting on our plates.
At first, I was overwhelmed by the idea of completely changing our family’s eating habits. But as I’ve leaned into this new season, I’ve realized that healthy eating is about so much more than physical health—it’s about mental clarity, motivation, and trusting God with even the small details of our everyday lives.
The Power of Healthy Choices
One of the biggest surprises for me has been how much more mental clarity and motivation I have since switching to healthier options. Cutting out overly processed foods and focusing on whole, organic options has given me energy and mental clarity I didn’t even realize I was missing.
And while self-control is hard (especially when pregnancy cravings hit, and everything chocolate looks irresistible!), I’ve learned that every small step toward healthier choices makes a difference.
“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” – 1 Corinthians 10:31
For me, eating healthier isn’t about restrictions—it’s about stewarding my body and my family’s well-being in a way that honors God. And guess what? There’s so much freedom in that.
What We’ve Changed
We started with small, manageable swaps—and honestly, that’s made all the difference!
Pantry Staples: We switched to organic whole grains, clean snacks, and natural sweeteners.
Snacks: I’ve replaced sugary snacks with healthier, organic options that still satisfy.
Fruits & Veggies: We’ve focused on buying fresh, organic produce, especially for the kids’ meals.
Processed Foods: Slowly but surely, we’ve cut out many of the highly processed items we used to rely on.
One of the biggest tools that’s helped us stick to these changes is Thrive Market. I love it because it’s affordable, convenient, and makes finding organic, healthy products so easy! I’ve been able to stock our pantry with clean, high-quality staples and snacks without the stress of hunting through different stores.
The Reality of Self-Control (And Why Grace Matters)
Let’s be real for a second: even with all these changes, self-control is still hard—especially when my sweet tooth kicks in! Some days, I want to eat all the cookies, and it takes a lot of prayer and intentionality to stick with my goals.
And that’s okay.
The beauty of this journey is that God doesn’t ask for perfection—He asks for faithfulness. Every healthy choice is a small act of faith and self-discipline, and His grace fills the gaps on the days when we fall short.
Encouragement for Fellow Moms
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the idea of changing your family’s eating habits, let me encourage you: You don’t have to do it all at once.
Start small. Swap out one processed snack for a healthier option. Try adding an extra serving of veggies to dinner. Focus on progress, not perfection.
And on the days when it feels hard, give yourself grace and remember that God sees your efforts, no matter how small they feel.
What’s Next?
I’m excited to share more about our journey toward healthier eating, including:
Healthy snack ideas the whole family will love
Simple meal prep tips to make healthy eating easier
Gestational diabetes-friendly recipes that are actually delicious
Stay tuned for those posts—and feel free to share your favorite healthy snacks and recipes in the comments! I’m always looking for new ideas.
A Closing Prayer for Moms on a Health Journey
Lord, thank You for the bodies You’ve given us and the opportunity to care for them. Help us make intentional choices that honor You. Give us strength when it feels hard and grace when we fall short. May every small step toward healthy living bring us closer to You and the life You’ve called us to live. Amen.
Do you have a go-to healthy snack or pantry staple? Let’s chat in the comments!
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