Healthy eating is not tough. If your current diet is off the charts, the trick is to start with little changes. Instead of giving up everything at once, you increase the changes with time. When one change becomes a habit, you add one more and so on.
Here’s how you go about healthy eating:
- You make sure all five food groups are in your meals.
- You cut back on eating out.
Healthy Eating Focuses On 5 Major Food Groups
- Vegetables
You can eat raw or cooked vegetables along with legumes for dinner, lunch or snack. Think salad vegetable in sandwiches, vegetable soup for lunch, stir-fried veggies for dinner and vegetable patties for an evening snack. For on the run snacks, try raw vegetables chopped up in small portions like celery sticks and carrots. Try cut-up raw vegetables with hummus – they make for perfectly filling meals.
- Fruits
Fresh fruits are always better than fruit juice or dried fruits. Include them in your breakfast or as snacks throughout the day. An apple along with morning tea is fantastic. Berries in your yoghurt during lunch is another option. Bananas in your cereal is one more thing you can try!
- Grains
Add rice or pasta or noodles to your meals. But whole grains or cereals are the best as they add more fibre and nutrients to your body and keep the digestive tract healthy.
- Proteins
Lean meat, eggs, tofu, fish, nuts, seeds or poultry are all great options for protein along with legumes and beans. Nuts are fantastic for snacking, while lean meats are ideal for sandwiches. Soups and stews are the best way to incorporate beans and legumes in your diet.
- Dairy
Cheese, yoghurt and milk should be part of your meals. Have cereal with milk in the morning. Use cottage cheese to fill a lunch sandwich. Add some yoghurt with fruits as a side to the sandwich. Shave some parmesan on a salad or steamed vegetables.
Cut Back On Restaurant Meals
Besides adding the five major food groups to your meals, you also need to cut back on takeout meals to be healthy. Here are some tricks that will help you get started on the path to eating healthy:
- If you order a meal, then do it without fries.
- Try to pick a dish with bread in it like kebabs, wraps or hamburgers.
- Do not order pastries or deep-fried dishes.
- If possible, choose salad and extra vegetables.
- Limit your portion size. The best suggestion is to share a meal with someone else or just order smaller portions.
- Never upsize the order. Do so only when you have the salad along with it.
- Stay far away from high-fat trappings like mayonnaise, cheese and fatty meats.
One last thing is to drink a lot of water before the meal to take the edge off your hunger. It will prevent overeating.
Start Small On Eating Healthy
When you start on the road to eating healthy, it is daunting because there are so many things to change. Keep in mind that it will take you time. Learn what you should buy and how to prepare healthier food.
Soon you will get used to it, especially if you start slow and with small changes. Here are some more suggestions on how to cope better:
- It is not an all or nothing approach. Eating healthy doesn’t mean never treating yourself. Do so, occasionally.
- Eating better doesn’t have to be expensive. Compare prices between junk food and healthier options before you buy to get a clearer picture.
- Cook fresh meals. They taste better than soggy chips. Try experimenting with recipes to work out what goes best for your palate.
- There are some fast options, even with healthy food when you are pinched for time. Try fruits, pasta, muesli, whole grain muffins, breakfast cereal or bread made of whole wheat.
We leave you with one advice – every little step counts. A small step is still better than doing nothing.
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