A lot of people think of boring and bland diet foods when they hear the word nutrition. Do not be tricked into believing that a healthy diet is a bland diet. Nutrition can take you on a journey of new foods and tastes. Remember when reading the following advice that food is ultimately what fuels your brain and body.
Fill up on vegetables during lunch and dinner versus fatty foods. You can eat over twice as many vegetables while still cutting down your calorie intake. This way, you are full and still under your calories for the day. You can add vegetables to any meal to have a larger meal without increasing the amount of fatty foods.
Be aware of how many nutrients are lost in the processing of your food. A whole-grain wheat bread is a much better choice than a multi-grain processed bread, for example. Even items that seem to be high in good foods, such as a bowl of vegetable soup, are not as healthy as an unprocessed counterpart.
To help you make the best nutritional choices, always read the labels before buying pre-packaged foods. These labels clearly lay out the positives and negatives of the item you’re about to eat, including such important factors as calorie content, saturated fats, sodium, and vitamins. The ingredients can also be helpful if there’s a specific food item you need to avoid.
When choosing foods, think about nutrition. Green beans seem nutritious, for example, but broccoli is a knockout in terms of nutrients, so it is better to pick broccoli for dinner. Potatoes are yummy, of course, and quite innocent, when they’re not slathered in butter or cream, but if you want to pack a truly nutritive punch, swap them out for sweet potatoes from time to time. They’re jam-packed with vitamin A and C and fiber. It’s said that sweet potatoes (NOT sweet potato fries, sorry!) are so nutritious, that you could survive on them alone.
Even artificial sweeteners can raise your blood sugar and insulin levels in much the same way as sugar. Although they may be lower in calories, they are not necessarily any more healthy. Instead change on how much you depend on sweet things. Start by cutting your sugars in half and work you way to not needing them at all.
As you can see, eating a balanced, nutritious diet is easy and fun. There is a lot of room for creativity in the world of food, so it is a wonderful way to enhance your quality of life without limiting yourself. These tips are only the beginning to a new, healthier you!