8 Ways To Healthier Eating

by Beverly Mazza

1.      Don’t Drink Your Calories!

Cut out the sodas, sweet teas, and all other high calorie beverage. Drink lots and lots of water! If you do not want water at every meal try other varieties of tea such as unsweetened ice tea, green tea, herbal fruit tea, etc. If you want sweeter beverages try flavoring your tea with natural fruit juices. Don’t switch to artificial sweeteners such as splenda, equal, etc.

2.      Swap Your Meats!

Try eating less red meat such as pork and beef and eating more lean meats such as turkey, chicken, and fish. Instead of pork bacon try turkey bacon. Try swapping ground beef for ground turkey or ground chicken (ground chicken is my favorite). 

3.      Make Some Meals Meatless!

Not all of your meals need meat in them. Try a whole grain such as brown rice, quinoa, or whole-wheat pasta with vegetables. You can get creative with the types of vegetables and the way you cook them.  You can still get protein by eating nuts, beans, humus, seeds, spinach etc.

4.      Eat Less Butter!

Butter can make a healthy meal unhealthy pretty fast. Try swapping your butter for olive oil when cooking. If you add butter to your veggies such as a baked potato get creative try adding salsa or olive oil and your favorite seasonings.

5.      Make Your Grains Whole Grains!

If you are going to eat grains make them count! Make sandwiches with whole wheat bread or even better whole grain. Switch white rice for brown rice or one of my favorites mix brown rice and quinoa. The less processed food the better! White bread, pasta, and rice are more processed than the whole grains and whole-wheat versions of the same product.

6.      Eat Less Processed Foods!

When it comes to snacking do not open the most convenient thing and eat it. Try eating fruits and vegetables. If you are craving something sweet eat apples or bananas with natural peanut butter. If you want something salty try humus with bell peppers or carrot sticks. Get creative with your snacks and switch to “real foods” i.e. it came from the ground not a factory.

7.      Less Salt!

In almost all of the food we eat we are getting salt. Restaurants are the worst about over-salting foods. Most people get the recommended intake of salt from the food they eat without adding salt to their meals. When cooking get creative and try other seasonings or use fruit juices for flavor. Less salt does not mean less flavor but less salt does mean less bloating and water retention. 

8.      Let Yourself Splurge Sometimes!

 If you are used to drinking many sodas a day and quit cold turkey chances are you will end up downing a 2-liter of coke. Make your changes slowly and keep them consistent. Every once in awhile let old habits slip in. Make it an occasional treat not an every day habit. Your treats should be healthier verses of old treats such as frozen yogurt instead of ice cream or dark chocolate and fruit instead of candy bars. For any diet to work you have to be able to stick to it, not feel hungry, and enjoy the food you eat! 

Are you or someone you know in need of help? Do you need someone to listen to your struggles with weight loss? Visit www.homefront.fitness and talk to Christian.