Small Changes & Choices for Healthier Eating
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Everyone is always looking for healthier choices to make when it comes to their food. Sometimes it’s not about making huge changes to what you eat but it’s more about making small changes to foods you continue to enjoy. Sometimes what simply matters isn’t the nutrient facts related to one specific food but the amount of which you’re eating. Here are 7 changes to make to your food that you can apply everyday.
Let’s begin with coffee. The health benefits of coffee are increasingly being uncovered but we end up covering them up when we add cream, sugar and the like to our cups in the morning, afternoon and night. Researchers who published a 2017 study in Public Health found added calories from creamers and sugar in coffee could easily amount to weight gain over time. If you drink more than 1 cup of coffee per day, consider drinking the majority of your cups black and having one cup with your favorite accompaniments.
Don’t get confused by “healthy fats.” Think avocados, olive oil, nuts and even dark chocolate – there are foods considered healthy fats but they often get misused and consumed in far to great of quantities. Portion sizes are still important when it comes to healthy fats, if not the most important!
Think beyond the grain in your dishes. Eggplant parmesan, zucchini pasta, spaghetti squash are all good examples of foods that leverage vegetables in place of the grain but still can taste yummy!
Less takeout, more cooking. A 2013 study in the British Medical Journal found consumers significantly underestimated their calorie content from fast foods. The simple truth is when you cook, you control more of what’s in your food.
Eat a smart breakfast! Trade in that pastry for eggs, hearty grain toast, fruit and black coffee! Another great morning trick is drinking hot lemon water to wake up your organs and metabolism, cleansing you for the day to optimally perform.
Don’t drink your calories. Stay away from sugary juices, coffee blends and yes alcohol for a month. The challenge is on!
More green in your side dishes. Think less about potatoes and more about yummy veggie options like broccoli rabe, swiss chard, sauteed spinach and tri-color carrots.