6 Tips for healthy eating

 

Do you want healthier food choices but need help knowing where to start? Eating healthy can be challenging; you have to put the work in to become mindful of the foods you are eating, and finding ways to incorporate nutritious options. With some simple planning you'll find it easier to get on track to a healthy eating lifestyle and it doesn't have to be overwhelming.

We've outlined six tips for making better nutrition choices that lead to a more balanced diet. Discover how by making minor adjustments in your eating habits, such as preparing meals in advance and choosing nutritious snacks high in protein or fibre, you can control what you eat and ensure your body gets all the nutrients it needs. Read on for helpful tips that will help make maintaining a healthy lifestyle more straightforward than ever before.

Plan ahead

Planning your meals ahead of time can help you make healthier decisions and achieve your health goals. By planning your meals for a week in advance, you know what foods to buy, which pre-preparative steps you need to take to ensure fast and nutritious meals throughout the week, and what recipes are available if you're looking for variety. Planning also allows room to avoid unhealthy foods and snacks that can quickly derail a healthy diet.

Drawing up a master grocery list helps to save time by quickly knowing what items are needed. Planning takes all the guesswork out of eating healthy – it's like making an investment in yourself that pays off in the long run. Read our mother of macros review for a more in-depth look into meal planning and macro tracking. 

Get familiar with nutritional labels

Nutrition labels provide valuable information about the food you're consuming. Knowing these labels will help you make informed decisions and more accurately assess a specific product's health. Nutritional labels show nutritional facts, such as serving size, total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, sodium content, and carbohydrates, along with the percentage of daily values for those nutrients.

It can be helpful to look at the label before purchasing any products to compare different brands or foods to each other in terms of their nutrient content. In addition to understanding what goes into your food through nutrition labels, it's also essential to consider what isn't in your food; artificial colours and preservatives are often added to processed foods and should be avoided whenever possible.

Choose lean proteins

Protein is a vital part of any healthy diet, and it helps build and maintain muscles, which increases metabolism and promotes weight loss. When choosing proteins, lean cuts of meat such as chicken or turkey breast, fish, or plant-based proteins like tofu or tempeh. These are high in protein but low in fat and calories, making them ideal choices for weight management.

Whether you're vegetarian or vegan, you can also try other protein sources, such as lentils, quinoa, chickpeas, and nuts. Adding a variety of these foods to your diet will help ensure that you get all the essential amino acids needed for proper cellular function.

Swap out processed carbs for whole grains

Whole grains such as oats, brown rice, and quinoa are excellent sources of fibre and other essential nutrients, and they can help keep you full for longer, which helps with weight management. Replacing processed carbohydrates like white bread or pasta with whole-grain options is an easy way to boost your intake of essential vitamins, minerals, and fibre while enjoying your favourite comfort foods.

The key is to ensure that the first ingredient listed on the label is whole grain; if it's not, it may contain refined carbs instead. Also, look for added sugar in products labelled "whole wheat" or "multigrain," as these can be just as unhealthy as more traditional processed carbs.

Up your fibre intake

Fibre is a carbohydrate the body can't digest, so it passes through without breaking down. It means it helps aid digestion and prevents constipation. Eating more fibre-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes can help keep you feeling full for longer, which helps with weight management.

Fibre also helps to regulate blood sugar levels by slowing down the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream. It's recommended to get 25-35 grams of fibre per day, so aim to incorporate more high-fibre choices into your diet, such as beans, nuts, seeds, and leafy greens.

Eat the rainbow

Eating a variety of colourful fruits and vegetables is visually appealing and ensures you're getting all the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants your body needs. Eating the rainbow means choosing a wide range of colours, from reds to purples to greens; each colour represents different nutrients that contribute to overall health.

Research has shown that people with diets high in fruits and veggies tend to weigh less than those without. So make sure you eat at least one serving of produce with every meal or snack.

 

Healthy eating doesn't have to be complicated. By following these six tips, you can make small changes to your diet that will add significant health benefits over time. Eating healthy foods and controlling portion sizes is the best way to maintain a healthy weight and reduce your risk of chronic disease. Remember everything in moderation.