You may have all good intentions of maintaining a healthy diet, but can you stick to it? Do you earmark healthy meals in recipe books that you hope to make, but never get round to?
Everything that you eat affects your health as well as how you feel. Your dietary pattern dictates whether you live a healthy lifestyle. Eating healthy foods needn’t be difficult.
So, what type of things should you be including in your diet?
Here’s how to eat healthier.
Take Small Steps
The first thing to note is that if you want to make a positive change to your diet, you’ll need to make small movements in the right direction. If you try to make a lot of change very quickly, you’re likely to fall flat on your face.
Take small steps at first. Start off by changing your eating habits one ingredient at a time.
Eat Lots of Fruits and Vegetables
Including lots of red, orange, and dark-green veg in your meals will help you eat healthier. The more colors of the rainbow you can get on your plate, the better the mix of minerals, vitamins, and fiber you’ll be getting.
For dessert after each meal, try and eat at least one portion of fruit.
Drink Low Fat Milk
Both low fat and fat free milk have the same level of calcium in them as whole milk. There are, however, fewer calories and even better, there is less saturated fat.
Whether you’re drinking milk on its own, or taking it in your coffee, opt for low fat.
Eat a Variety of Lean Protein Foods
Protein can be found in more than just meat. You can find it in beans, peas, seeds, nuts, and eggs. Try to get a balanced selection of protein in your diet from a variety of sources.
If you want to know how to improve your diet and you’re eating meat, choose the leaner cuts of meat such as chicken or turkey breast.
Watch Your Salt Levels
Check the back of the label to find out about the sodium levels in your food. Look for items that have reduced sodium, or no added salt.
Too much salt can cause your blood pressure to rise. It can also cause problems with your heart and your kidneys.
Drink Plenty of Water
Drinking water will help you to reduce the amount of calories you consume in sugary drinks. Soda, sports drinks, and energy drinks have a lot of added sugar and are high in calories.
If you want to know how to liven your water up, try adding a slice of lime, apple, or lemon.
How to Eat Healthier
Now that you know how to start eating healthy, you’ll be able to gradually put the changes into action. Knowing how to eat healthier is essential for everyone, and we all have a duty to ourselves to take better care in what we eat.
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