Nutritious eating is something so many of us aspire to do. The difficulty is in actually doing it. Complicating matters a bit, healthy eating for you and your health may not be the same as healthy eating for someone else. We all have different goals and health conditions we may be handling.
A major reason why so many people eat in an unhealthy way is because they wait until they’re hungry to make something. This is where meal plan delivery services like Meels can work great. Alternatively, simply cooking dishes in big batches and putting them in the fridge or freezer for days or weeks is a good way to stay on top of healthy eating habits.
Eating more nutritiously boils down to following a few adaptable rules. Here are ten ways to eat more nutritiously in your diet:
1. Portion Control
The amount of food you eat per meal should be reasonable. If you pack your body with too much all at once, the nutrients won’t be able to be absorbed in the same way. It will put too much stress on your body trying to process everything at once.
2. Unprocessed Foods
Eat whole foods. The less processing there is, the better. For example, instead of sugar-added apple sauce, go for plain, unprocessed apple sauce. Instead of opting for your favourite sugar-ridden breakfast cereal, try for some whole wheat cereal instead. The more whole foods you consume, the more nutrients you get. The more processed a food, the fewer nutrients they contain.
3. Eat for Your Health
You may need a special diet based on your health condition. If you have high cholesterol, you may have to exclude some otherwise nutritious food simply because it doesn’t work for your cholesterol.
The same can occur if you have issues with your weight, a chronic pain condition, digestive issues, stomach issues, or something similar. Eat for you. If you have a chronic health issue, speak with your doctor about what the right meal plan would be for you.
4. Eat for Long Term
Some people have short-term goals to hit. Short-term weight loss goals are very common. A restriction of food, even if it’s temporary, is not the way to go. Healthy, nutritious eating is to eat for the long term. Remove the bad stuff. Put in the good stuff. Stick with nutrient-dense, whole foods that are going to give your body what it needs to function.
5. Try a Meal Plan Delivery Service
Even if you aren’t a very good cook and/or don’t know where to start in managing a more nutritious diet, a meal plan delivery service makes it easy. Everything’s already prepared. You just have to cook the meal. In a matter of minutes, you can have a beautifully-done, restaurant-quality meal ready to be devoured that is healthy and nutritious.
6. Eat Enough Protein Per Meal
Protein helps maintain bones, muscles, and skin. Protein can be found in lean meats like chicken and fish as well as in legumes, nuts, seeds, tofu, fortified soy beverages, eggs, low-fat milk, low-fat yogurt, and low-fat cheese. Protein will keep you full for longer. Make it a point to have protein every day will ensure your body has one of the fundamental building blocks it needs.
7. Whole Grain
Always opt for whole-grain foods when you can. Whole grain brain, brown rice, quinoa, and oatmeal all count. They are made using whole grain with fiber, protein, and B vitamins to enjoy. A processed or refined white bread, white flour, or white rice won’t necessarily contain the same amount of nutrients. They will be stripped of it. Choose whole grain.
8. Fruits and Vegetables
Plant-based foods are healthy. More vegetables in your diet are very, very healthy. More fruits certainly are extremely healthy as well, although they contain sugars which you have to be aware of. The more vegetables you eat, the better. Things like broccoli and leafy greens are very nutrient-dense.
Anything plant-based that is not ultra-processed is also worth having a look at. In fact, about half your plate should be either fruits or veggies with any given meal – including snacks.
9. Low-Fat, Unflavored Dairy
If you are a lover of dairy products, they’re a great way to get some protein and certain vitamins. Try to opt for low-fat, unflavored dairy or options that are less calorie-heavy. The fat content is particularly worrisome with dairy. You don’t necessarily need it. Something like Greek yogurt is also a great alternative to regular yogurt, with more nutrients and fewer calories packed in.
10. Cut Out High-Salt and High-Sugar Foods
Highly processed foods often contain large amounts of either salt or sugar. The same can be said about fast food. Why these foods taste so good is because of the processing and high amounts of salt and/or sugar. This is also why a lot of people get a tummy ache after eating certain meals. These are habits that can be enormously difficult to change but will be well worth it.