A healthy diet does not have to be complicated, keep it simple and take it step by step.
1. Eat Your Veg
Give vegetables a main role on your plate, accompany each portion of protein with a portion of delicious vegetables, after all it is recommended to eat 2-3 cups of veggies per day and focusing on filling your plate will help you hit that target. Vegetables derive their color, among other things, from naturally occurring substances that contribute to our health. Each color represents different nutritious elements. Orange vegetables, for example, contain beta-carotene, which is converted in our bodies into vitamin A. Green vegetables are rich in iron and folic acid. To get the best variety of nutrients make sure you ‘eat the rainbow.’
2. Eat Healthy Fats
Fat is a source of energy, vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E and essential fatty acids (such as omega 3 and omega 6), good fats will help lower your cholesterol level. A good way to get in your healthy fats is to eat a small handful of unsalted nuts per day, put fish on the menu every week and eat avocado more often.
Fish
Oily fish are an excellent choice for a healthy heart. They contain unsaturated fats that are good for cholesterol levels. For a good balance, it is recommended to eat fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, herring or sardines once a week. These fish are an excellent choice for lunches or light bites. Smoked salmon is a perfect breakfast option. Avocado
This fruit is also a perfect source of unsaturated fats, which contributes to the maintenance of healthy cholesterol levels in the blood. But we also eat avocado because it is so delicious in salads, guacamole or simply on toast.
Nuts
A handful of unsalted nuts every day can be a great afternoon snack. The unsaturated fats in nuts are associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. You can eat them over salads, pasta, stews or just as a snack.
For a healthy individual seeking a balanced diet, then 30% of daily caloric requirements should come from healthy fat.
3. Stay Hydrated
An adult needs 1,5-2 litres of fluids every day, and the best thirst quencher is of course water. Why is water so important?
We lose fluid all day long in different kinds of ways. Therefore, it needs to be supplemented. In addition, drinking 2 litres of water per day helps, among other things, controlling the body temperature, transporting nutrients through the body and participating in many chemical reactions. Juices such as orange juice also contribute to daily requirements, yet it is not the most sensible choice. Fruit juices can contain a lot of hidden sugars. Be also aware of the distinction between fruit juice and fruit drink. Fruit drinks often contain hardly any fruit and large amounts of sugar. Fruit juices must consist of 100% juice.
Some suggestions if you struggle hitting your water intake due to water’s lack of flavour!
- 1 jug water + 1 sliced lime + 5 slices fresh ginger + handful of raspberries
- 1 jug water + half sliced cucumber + 1 sliced lemon + handful fresh mint
- 1 jug water + half sliced orange + handful blueberries + handful basil
4. Buy Consciously and Cook Homemade Meals
For a healthier diet, you can consciously prepare your meals and it doesn’t need to be complicated…
- Whenever possible eat at the table, avoid eating on the go or in front of the TV. Make each meal a pleasurable experience, where you can concentrate on the taste, texture, and smell of your delicious food.
- Take your time. Pause briefly between bites; this will not only make eating a better experience but also kick-start the digestion process.
- Chew carefully. Depending on the texture of the food it can take up to 30 chews to properly chew your food.
- Take smaller mouthfuls. This will increase the taste stimuli in your mouth. Don’t take a new spoonful unless the previous one has been swallowed.
- Avoid distractions during the meal. Put your phone away and enjoy what is on your plate.
- Eat only what is on your plate. Make sure you have only one portion to avoid overeating.
5. Introduce a Non-Meat Day
Overeating red and processed meat can result in health risks. Processed meat is meat that has been salted or smoked, or has gone through a different process to achieve a specific flavor or shelf life (such as schnitzels, hamburgers, sandwich fillings, sausage or pâté). Red meat is that of cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs. White meat comes from poultry such as chicken and turkey. Eating meat-free for one day a week will have positive effects on yourself and the environment (By avoiding meat 1 day per week, you can save about 7% of the share of the greenhouse effect). Fortunately, there are many tasty ways to replace meat… the top meat substitutes are: falafels, legumes, eggs, nuts and lentils.
6. Reinvent Breakfast and Lunch
Eat smart, swap those boring toast and sandwich meals for more varied meals. By keeping variety in your diet, you get a bigger selection of nutrients. Get more vegetables in your diet by opting for a salad. Prepare extra green beans, broccoli or zucchini in the evening. The next day add some lettuce or raw vegetables, some legumes and nuts and you have a salad ready in no time. There are so many healthy options so be creative! Treat yourself to a good breakfast that will give you 10 to 15% of the nutrients that you require every day. What does a good breakfast consist of? Fibre-rich carbohydrates (wholemeal cereals, fruit, vegetables), protein (low-fat yogurt, cheese, egg) and good fats (avocado, nuts, seeds).
Take Note Of Your Bread
Rye bread, spelled bread, brown bread… Name and color do not say much about the fibres in it. The bread is not brown because of the kind of flour that is used, but because of other additions such as roasted malt. What should you pay attention to? Check for whether the bread is made from wholemeal flour, as this bread is rich in fibre.
7. Avoid Hidden Ingredients
Many products contain more sugar and salt than you think. Even products that you would not expect. Sugar, like starch and fibre, is a carbohydrate. We receive from 40% to 70% of our energy from carbs. But what we do not need at all are added sugars such as those in soft drinks or coffee. Our body does not need salt but does need sodium, a mineral that is found in salt. But be careful, as too much sodium causes high blood pressure.
Cutting down is merely a matter of getting used to less sugar and salt. If you start eating less salty foods for a while and skip the sugar in your coffee, you will be surprised how quickly your taste buds get used to it. You can, therefore, train your taste buds, which will take a few weeks until they have adjusted.
It is not always easy to read the label to see how much added sugar a particular product contains. That is because there are dozens of different names for different types of sugar. You can unmask most of them by looking for words that end with -ose, -syrup, -honey, or -nectar. These are the most common sugars: corn syrup, fructose, galactose, glucose, lactose, maltose, sucrose, agave nectar.
