5 Tips to Make Eating Healthy Easier
For some, eating healthy can be a drag. Cutting your favorite snacks or sweets from your diet may be challenging and adding foods that aren’t appetizing can be even more difficult.
Depending on where you live, your nationality, how you were raised or even how busy your days are, specific food groups may not be a major focus for you. Cost of living and cost of food may also play a role in avoiding foods like fish or vegetables. Packaged foods like frozen pizzas, fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, etc. are quick, easy and often cheap, but they’re certainly not good for you. And they won’t contribute to the success of your fitness journey.
You may dislike greens altogether. Maybe you’re a vegetarian or vegan with a strict diet. You could be a single mom or dad working two jobs and not have time to cook elaborate meals. Sure, each of these scenarios may require extra steps to eating healthier, but there is always a way.
5 SIMPLE STEPS TO A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE
Maintaining simplicity when you are adding to or altering your food intake is key and using one pot or pan to cook is possible. Avoid making things more complicated by overthinking it. Keep it simple, basic and consistent when narrowing in on eating clean.
Here are a few tips to get you started.
Get comfortable with your kitchen appliances. Are you really used to using the microwave? Start subbing in the stove or the oven. Food can be prepared a number of ways that won’t make a mess. Find a way to get to know your applicances that’s easy for you and work it into your weekly routine.
Cut up fruits and vegetables right away. When you come home from the grocery store, plan for extra time to wash and cut into your fruits and veggies. This will save you time later and avoid wasting or forgetting about food.
Consume a protein, carb and fat in each meal. You’ll need all three to maintain a healthy diet. Plan ahead of time which combination of foods you’ll cook that includes each of these food types. Spinach tomato frittata, tuna and cheese wraps, salmon salad with avocado, chicken, potatoes and asparagus are just a few meals that meet these criteria.
Meal prep. The word “preparation” sounds like it takes a lot of time and effort, but in reality, meal prepping will save you more time in the future. If you’re always prepared with a meal, you won’t have to dirty new dishes nightly, stress about what to eat or overindulge in something that won’t benefit you.
Use seasonings and sauces. Dress your food and make it tastier with sweet, savory and salty spices and sauces. Sure, there’s often a lot of sugar in sauces, so you’ll want to use them in moderation. But eating healthy doesn’t have to be boring. You are allowed to make bland foods taste better.
Need help with your nutrition? Contact us at AIM Performance to schedule your free nutrition assessment.