In a society where convenience pervades every part of our lives, eating healthily is no longer as simple as it once was. Why spend an hour cooking when you can get something for $5.00 at a fast-food restaurant without even leaving your car? This provides you with one compelling argument — health!
It’s no secret that the foods we eat have a profound effect on our health, happiness, and lifespan.
While occasionally getting a simple lunch to-go is not inherently harmful, making it a daily habit may hinder you from improving your health and fuelling your body with the necessary nutrients.
Contrary to popular belief, it is possible to maintain a nutritious diet despite leading an excessively busy lifestyle. One such method is to stock your refrigerator and pantry with a few nutritious staples from which you can quickly prepare meals and snacks. The following seven components can assist you in doing this.
Consume a variety of fruits and vegetables
Every day, it is advised that you consume at least five pieces of a variety of fruits and vegetables. They come in a variety of forms, including fresh, frozen, tinned, dried, and juiced.
It’s easier than it sounds to get your 5 A Day. Why not sprinkle a banana on top of your breakfast cereal or substitute a piece of fresh fruit for your typical mid-morning snack? 80g is the weight of a serving of fresh, tinned, or frozen fruit and vegetables. A piece of dried fruit is 30g (which should be reserved for mealtimes).
A 150ml glass of fruit juice, vegetable juice, or smoothie also counts as one serving, but restrict yourself to one glass per day, as these beverages are high in sugar and can cause tooth decay.
Prepare more of your own meals
Cooking more meals at home can help you take control of what you eat and keep a closer eye on the ingredients in your cuisine. You’ll consume less calories and avoid the chemical additives, added sugar, and harmful fats found in packaged and takeaway meals, all of which may make you feel fatigued, bloated, and irritated, as well as increase symptoms of depression, stress, and anxiety.
Avoid snoozing on leafy greens
Leafy greens such as spinach and kale should be included in your weekly grocery list. Utilize leafy greens in salads or sauté them and include them into pasta meals. They are nutrient-dense, plant-based foods that nourish your body.
If you’re not a fan of the flavour, you may even incorporate spinach into a fruit smoothie. You’re unlikely to notice it, but you’ll increase the total nutritional content. Leafy greens are the fourth item on the list of foods to add to your grocery list if you’re seeking to boost your nutritional intake.
Consume less salt: adults should consume no more than 6g each day
Consuming an excessive amount of salt might result in an increase in blood pressure. Individuals with high blood pressure are at an increased risk of developing heart disease or having a stroke. Even if you do not season your meal with salt, you may be consuming too much. Approximately three-quarters of the salt you consume is already contained in the food you purchase, such as morning cereals, soups, breads, and sauces.
Utilize food labels to assist you in reducing. More than 1.5g of salt per 100g indicates that the dish is salty. Adults and children aged 11 and above should consume no more than 6g (about a teaspoonful) of salt per day. Children under the age of three should have even less.
Consider the beverages you consume
Water is always the greatest option. Why? It’s free from the tap, healthful, environmentally friendly, and beneficial to your health. Each day, you require 6–8 glasses of liquids. Several of these may be obtained by food, coffee, tea, and milk, as well as through water.
Other beverages frequently include empty calories – and they do not satisfy as well as meals. Cordials, fruit juice, sports drinks, and carbonated beverages are all high in sugar – a 300ml glass or bottle of carbonated beverage has eight teaspoons of sugar! Alcohol also contributes calories — a 350ml can or bottle of beer contains 155 calories, while a 150ml glass of wine contains 124.
Learn more
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