7 Tips For Healthy Eating
Regain you nutritional balance
If you've ever felt a little lost about how to start eating healthy, you're not alone. There’s a crazy amount of information on the topic, which can be confusing and even overwhelming. But here's the thing: eating healthy is a cinch because it really just consists of good daily habits, smart choices, and some self-control.
Try implementing the following strategies to improve your diet and overall approach to healthy foods:
1. Throw Out The Junk Food
Some studies suggest that junk food alters the brain in obesity-prone humans, similar to what happens in addiction. Processed food is intentionally manufactured to encourage repeated purchases (such as adding excessive sugar and salt).
To start your healthy eating journey, eliminate junk food from your home to avoid temptation. Instead, stock up on nutritious whole foods. Bringing healthy snacks to work is an excellent way to avoid giving in to cravings:
Fruits and vegetables are staple sources of vitamins, minerals, and fibre. This includes apples, bananas, carrots, celery, grapes, oranges, and watermelon.
Nuts and seeds are a good source of protein, fibre, and healthy fats. Some examples include almonds, cashews, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds. Nuts can be high in calories though, so keep them in moderation.
Plain yogurt is a good source of protein, calcium, and probiotics. Ideally, look for unsweetened 2% fat options and add your own DIY sweetness with fresh fruit.
Hard-boiled eggs are a good source of protein and healthy fats.
Popcorn is a healthy whole grain that is low in calories and fat. Popcorn can be made even healthier by air-popping it and topping it with butter, salt, pepper, or herbs.
2. Keep A Food Diary
Apps like "My Fitness Pal" provide a lot of accountability by helping you review your daily behaviour, see how it impacts your food choices (for example, a bedtime snack), and keep you on track. They also allow you to increase your daily calorie allowance, which can help with motivation when you don't feel like going to the gym or taking the dog for a longer walk.
3. Keep A Grocery List
Preparing a grocery list ahead of time is crucial for maintaining a healthy diet and staying on track with your nutrition goals. By planning your meals, you can ensure that you have the necessary ingredients to make nutritious dishes throughout the week. What’s more, studies have shown that using a list while grocery shopping can lead to healthier food choices and even weight loss (J Nutr Educ Behav)
Create a recipe board detailing the meals you want to eat for the week, including breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks. Determine the ingredients needed for each meal and add them to your list, specifying the quantity of each food item you will need. You can also choose a few new healthy foods each week to add to your list to avoid impulsive buying. (healthline.com)
4. Understand Food Labels
Before you even head to the grocery store, make sure you’re not hungry. A growling stomach makes it near impossible to make wise food choices. The best foods (produce and raw proteins) still reside at the corners and edges of the grocery store. If you do head to the middle aisles, you’ll notice more processed and canned foods that carry a lot of advertising tricks. For any items you buy here, read the nutritional information panel on the back of each item beforehand.
Food labels provide information about calories, macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein, fats), and the percent of daily values supplied per portion of the food. Changes to labelling in Canada and the U.S. have made labels easier to use. Look for preservatives, sugars, fats, salts and other chemicals and additives in descending order of predominance. This way you can see whether or not something has been processed with chemicals as opposed to being prepared organically or sustainably.
5. Prep Meals Ahead
A simple trick I use with clients is to prep meals ahead of time, preferably early in the week, to solidify what your diet plan will look like for the other days. This removes the temptation to grab take-out during a work break or buy a meal on a whim, and it also saves you time and money!
Dedicate a day to cooking an entire week’s worth of meals. You’ll never have to come home worrying about what to eat for dinner again or feel tight on time because there’s always a delicious and wholesome meal waiting for you in the fridge.
To take meal prepping one step further, always pre-chop fruits and vegetables once they’re taken home from the grocery store and package them in containers.
Several other reasons why you may want to consider meal prepping:
You’ll save time
You can better manage your portion sizes
You’ll become more confident handling healthy foods
You’ll create a better relationship with food
You’ll inspire the entire family
It might become a favourite new habit.
6. Cook In A Healthy Way
Now that you’re buying a lot of healthy foods, how are you preparing it? Nutrition can easily be lost with practices such as deep frying, overcooking, adding unhealthy ingredients and so on. Try sautéing, steaming, baking, or grilling meals, and then adding spice combinations for enjoyable flavours.
Some examples used in cooking:
Cinnamon can be used in both sweet and savoury dishes.
Basil is an herb that can be used in pasta dishes, salads, and sandwiches, or added to marinades, dressings, and sauces.
Bay leaves are often used in soups and stews, as well as in marinades for meat dishes. They can also be added to rice dishes and vegetable stir-fries.
Black pepper is used to season meats, fish, vegetables, and grains.
Chili powder is a blend of spices used to season meats, fish, poultry, and vegetables.
Garlic powder is a flavorful spice that can be used in pasta, rice, and vegetable stir-fries.
Ground ginger can be used in both sweet and savoury dishes.
Red chilli peppers can be used in salads, sandwiches, and snacks.
Rosemary is an herb that can be used on meats, fish, and vegetables.
Paprika can be used on meat, fish, and vegetables, or added to sauces, dressings, and marinades.
Sources: nutritionletter.tufts.edu. and food.unl.edu.
7. Keep Meals Simple
Healthy eating does not have to be complicated. The best basic rule to follow is to eat a plate with lots of vegetables, and smaller portions of whole grains, healthy protein, fruits and fats. For example, your meal might consist of grilled chicken, steamed vegetables, whole grain rice, and a small fruit bowl, and a glass of water on the side.
Simple meals are healthier for several reasons:
You have control over ingredients: This allows you to use fresh, wholesome, and natural foods.
You control the portions: This can help stabilize your weight and reduce the risk of unnecessary weight gain.
It’s cost-effective: Simple meals can be less expensive than eating out or ordering in, especially when you use budget-friendly ingredients like vegetables, grains, and healthy sources of protein. This can help you save money while still enjoying nutritious meals.
It’s time-saving: Cooking at home often takes less time than it takes to travel to a restaurant or wait for a delivery. This allows you to enjoy a healthy meal without sacrificing your schedule.
Healthier habits: Regularly preparing home-cooked meals can make healthier choices more habitual, as it encourages the consumption of fresh, natural foods and helps to avoid the pitfalls of processed and fast foods.
Another excellent article Jorg!
You nail it every time!