If your eating habits are like most people and you are looking for the simplest healthy eating advice, it would be to eat more vegetables, fruits and whole grains.
If you’re more serious about healthy eating, one of the best things to do is to cook more at home. Restaurant food is almost always high in calories and sodium, whereas when you cook at home you control the ingredients. Plus, you get to make what you like! Here are 10 tips to make home cooked meals healthier.
- Plan for it
Throwing a meal together without thinking about your health can trap you in unhealthy cooking habits. For some people meal planning means writing down a detailed menu, while for others it may look more like jottings on a scratch paper—sandwich night, soup night, pasta, stir-fry. Whatever your preference, having a plan sets you up for healthy cooking because it gives you time to think about and decide on healthy ingredients.
- Make fruits and vegetables a priority
Very few people eat the recommended quantities of fruits and vegetables. More than 80 percent of people don’t enough of these. Fruits and vegetables are rich in inflammation-fighting antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and fiber. It’s recommended to eat 2 cups of fruit and 2.5 to 3 cups of vegetables every day.
When thinking about cooking, make vegetables the star of your meals. Grab a bowl of fruit in morning or a big salad for lunch or stuff spaghetti with mixed veggies at dinner. Try to make half your meal of fruits and veggies. Snacks are a great way to sneak in extra healthy food, like baby carrots, apple slices, dried fruit or vegetable soup.
- Eat a variety of protein
Meat is the best source of protein. A serving of protein is 3 ounces cooked or 4 ounces raw, about the size of a deck of cards. Eat fair amounts of meat, fish and poultry, while fill up the rest of your plate with healthy vegetables and whole grains. And it doesn’t have to be meat. Secondary protein sources include lentils and legumes, and you can make delicious soups with them.
- Go with whole grains
Pick whole grains over refined grains at least 50 percent of the time. Whole grains like brown rice and whole wheat cereals have their bran intact and thus have more fiber, B vitamins, magnesium, zinc and other nutrients. Try quinoa, whole wheat pasta, oats, and barley as side dishes, sprinkled on salads and in soups.
- Add healthy fats
Recent research shows that fat is not all bad. It is filling and also helps absorb nutrients, vitamins A, D, E and K. And, it tastes good! Choose unsaturated fats like olive oil, avocados, nuts, more often over saturated fats such as butter.
- Beware of added sugar and salt
Most people eat more than the recommended amount of added sugars and sodium or salt. Consistently excessive consumption of these creates risk for health like high blood pressure or heart disease.
Minimize consumption of white sugar, brown sugar, honey and maple syrup. Check ingredient labels on products and use sweeteners sparingly when cooking.
Sodium is found mostly in processed foods, so you’re likely to eat less with home cooking. Cook with fresh whole foods as much as possible, and use herbs, spices and vinegar to add flavor and minimize salt.
- Cook with global flavors
Some of the healthiest foods from around the world, like Mediterranean or traditional Japanese or Chinese, are rich in vegetables and grains and exclude processed foods. Using spices, like curry powder, and herbs, like basil, help flavor your food without adding salt. As a bonus, foods like Thai curries and Greek salads are not only healthy, they’re also delicious and not too hard to make!
- Mind the portions
Even healthy foods, when consumed in large amounts, can be too much of a good thing. Being mindful of healthy portions before you fix your plate can restrain you from eating more than you intended.
- Treat yourself!
Yes, treat yourself. Just because you’re cooking and eating healthier does not mean you should not enjoy what you eat, including dessert. Treat yourself to chocolate after dinner or a cookie as a snack. Dark chocolate is good, but if you don’t like it, there are plenty of other desserts to satisfy your sweet tooth. Be mindful of portions because most desserts don’t add nutrients to your diet.
- Be attentive and enjoy
Mindful eating can be overwhelming if you’re used to eating on the go. Being mindful doesn’t mean siting down and savoring every bite leisurely. Mindful eating in today’s life may just be about making more conscientious food decisions. With practice it will become second nature. Enjoying what you eat is important to feeling satisfied and decreasing stress about your diet.
healthy eating ,healthy eating activities for kids ,healthy eating activities for middle school ,healthy eating activities for preschool ,healthy eating advisory service ,healthy eating after xmas ,healthy eating and exercise ,healthy eating and mental health ,healthy eating apps ,healthy eating articles ,healthy eating assembly script ,healthy eating australia ,healthy eating background ,healthy eating basics ,healthy eating bbc ,healthy eating behavior ,healthy eating benefits ,healthy eating blogs ,healthy eating books ,healthy eating breakfast ,healthy eating brochure ,healthy eating bulletin board ,healthy eating campaigns ,healthy eating campaigns uk ,healthy eating canada ,healthy eating cartoon ,healthy eating challenge ,healthy eating chart ,healthy eating children ,healthy eating choices ,healthy eating clipart ,healthy eating cookbook ,healthy eating day ,healthy eating definition ,healthy eating diet ,healthy eating diet plan ,healthy eating disorder ,healthy eating display ,healthy eating display board ideas ,healthy eating documentary ,healthy eating during pregnancy ,healthy eating during the holidays ,healthy eating early years ,healthy eating easy ,healthy eating easy read ,healthy eating edinburgh ,healthy eating education ,healthy eating effects ,healthy eating essay ,healthy eating essentials ,healthy eating examples ,healthy eating eyfs ,healthy eating facts ,healthy eating facts for kids ,healthy eating food ,healthy eating for beginners ,healthy eating for children ,healthy eating for diabetics ,healthy eating for kids ,healthy eating for picky eaters ,healthy eating for teens ,healthy eating for weight loss ,healthy eating gadgets ,healthy eating games ,healthy eating games for classroom ,healthy eating gif ,healthy eating gifts ,healthy eating goals ,healthy eating grocery list ,healthy eating guide ,healthy eating guidelines ,healthy eating guidelines australia ,healthy eating habits ,healthy eating habits essay ,healthy eating habits essay for class 3 ,healthy eating habits for adults ,healthy eating habits for kids ,healthy eating habits for teens ,healthy eating habits poster ,healthy eating hacks ,healthy eating hashtags ,healthy eating hub ,healthy eating ideas ,healthy eating images ,healthy eating in college ,healthy eating in pregnancy ,healthy eating in schools ,healthy eating index ,healthy eating infographic ,healthy eating information ,healthy eating instagram ,healthy eating ireland ,healthy eating james ,healthy eating jamie oliver ,healthy eating january ,healthy eating japan ,healthy eating jeopardy ,healthy eating jo ,healthy eating jobs ,healthy eating jokes ,healthy eating journal ,healthy eating journey ,healthy eating keto ,healthy eating kids ,healthy eating kindergarten ,healthy eating kitchen gadgets ,healthy eating ks1 ,healthy eating ks1 powerpoint ,healthy eating ks2 ,healthy eating ks2 video ,healthy eating ks2 worksheets ,healthy eating ks3 ,healthy eating las vegas ,healthy eating leaflet ,healthy eating lesson ,healthy eating lesson plans grade 1 ,healthy eating lesson plans ks1 ,healthy eating lifestyle ,healthy eating list ,healthy eating logo ,healthy eating london ,healthy eating lunch ideas ,healthy eating made easy ,healthy eating magazines ,healthy eating meal plan ,healthy eating meal prep ,healthy eating meals ,healthy eating meaning ,healthy eating meme ,healthy eating menu ,healthy eating motivation ,healthy eating motivation quotes ,healthy eating near me ,healthy eating new orleans ,healthy eating new year ,healthy eating newcastle ,healthy eating news ,healthy eating newsletter ,healthy eating nhs ,healthy eating nutrition ,healthy eating nyc ,healthy eating nz ,healthy eating on a budget ,healthy eating on a budget recipes ,healthy eating on the go ,healthy eating on the go bars ,healthy eating on the road ,healthy eating options ,healthy eating options near me ,healthy eating organizations ,healthy eating out options ,healthy eating over 50 ,healthy eating over xmas ,healthy eating pdf plan ,healthy eating pictures ,healthy eating places near me ,healthy eating plan ,healthy eating plan for men ,healthy eating plate ,healthy eating poster ,healthy eating poster for schools ,healthy eating presentation ,healthy eating pyramid ,healthy eating questionnaire ,healthy eating questionnaire for students ,healthy eating questions ,healthy eating questions and answers ,healthy eating questions for a quiz ,healthy eating quiz ,healthy eating quiz pdf ,healthy eating quiz printable ,healthy eating quotes ,healthy eating quotes funny ,healthy eating recipe book ,healthy eating recipes ,healthy eating reddit ,healthy eating research ,healthy eating research report ,healthy eating resources ,healthy eating restaurants ,healthy eating rhymes ,healthy eating routine ,healthy eating routine to lose weight ,healthy eating schedule ,healthy eating shopping list ,healthy eating singapore ,healthy eating slogans ,healthy eating snacks ,healthy eating song ,healthy eating starts here ,healthy eating statistics ,healthy eating statistics uk ,healthy eating strategy ,healthy eating times ,healthy eating tips ,healthy eating tips for teens ,healthy eating tips for the holidays ,healthy eating topics ,healthy eating tracker ,healthy eating trend statistics ,healthy eating trends ,healthy eating triangle ,healthy eating twinkl ,healthy eating uk ,healthy eating under 5s ,healthy eating unit ,healthy eating unit grade 4 ,healthy eating unit grade 5 ,healthy eating unit grade 8 ,healthy eating unit plan ,healthy eating universal orlando ,healthy eating usa ,healthy eating usda ,healthy eating vegetables ,healthy eating vegetarian ,healthy eating vegetarian recipes ,healthy eating vending machines ,healthy eating video ,healthy eating video ks1 ,healthy eating videos for kids ,healthy eating vouchers ,healthy eating vs dieting ,healthy eating vs unhealthy eating ,healthy eating websites ,healthy eating week ,healthy eating week 2019 ,healthy eating week plan ,healthy eating weight loss ,healthy eating wheel ,healthy eating while pregnant ,healthy eating word search ,healthy eating worksheets ,healthy eating workshop ,healthy eating year 1 ,healthy eating year 2 ,healthy eating year 3 ,healthy eating year 4 ,healthy eating year 5 ,healthy eating year 6 ,healthy eating york ,healthy eating young adults ,healthy eating youtube ,healthy eating youtube channels ,healthy eating zadar ,healthy eating zagreb ,healthy eating zaxby's ,healthy eating zen habits ,healthy eating zomato ,healthy eating zone ww ,healthy eating zucchini ,healthy eating zucchini recipes ,healthy eating zug ,healthy eating zurich ,tedx healthy eating-
Share
-
2 -
2
I am extremely inspired along with your writing skills and also with the structure on your weblog. Is this a paid theme or did you customize it your self? Either way keep up the nice high quality writing, it’s rare to peer a great weblog like this one today.
Thank you