We all know we’re supposed to eat healthy. In fact, if you’ve taken a look at Canada’s Food Guide recently, you’ll notice that fruits, vegetables, protein, and whole grains should be on the menu every single day. While many of us understand this in theory, we often face one major difficulty: putting it into practice.
Indeed, a lot of people have a hard time making healthier choices. Sometimes grabbing a burger and fries is just easier than preparing a nutritious meal at home. And don’t forget about that delicious taste!
While indulging in fatty, processed foods is fine every once in a while, it becomes a problem when they’re a part of your regular eating habits. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an unhealthy diet can increase your risk of obesity, heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and even some cancers. So, if you want to get your health back on track, you may want to work some nutritious foods into your diet.
Not sure how to develop healthy eating habits? Check out our tips below.
Do Some Meal Planning
Meal planning can be a great way to improve your eating habits. By taking the time to plan out your meals each week, you won’t have to make last-minute decisions that may result in unhealthy choices.
It’s even better if you make some of your meals ahead of time. For example, you can make big batches of healthy meals, separate them into individual portions, and throw them in the freezer. That way you don’t even have to cook - just heat them up and serve! If you can get into the routine of planning out healthy meals ahead of time, it’ll make developing healthy eating habits a whole lot easier.
Find Healthy Alternatives
If you’re really attached to certain comfort foods in your life, then you may want to consider seeking out healthier alternatives. Yes, they probably won’t taste quite the same, but they may be better than nothing!
For example, you can swap your favorite brand of spaghetti for zucchini noodles. As long as your go-to-sauce is still healthy, you may not even notice much of a difference in the taste! This can also be a great way to sneak some extra veggies into your diet, as some people seem to struggle the most with this important food group.
Make Water Your Beverage of Choice
Soft drinks, energy drinks, fruit drinks, and 100% fruit juice may quench your thirst, but they’re not great for your health. These kinds of beverages tend to contain a ton of sugar and little to no nutritional value, so you’re essentially drinking empty calories. Even the 100% fruit juice often contains more sugar than actual fruit, so don’t think you’re making a healthier choice here!
If you really want a healthy beverage, then stick with water. It may not be the most exciting drink out there, but it can do a lot of good for your body. For example, water can help with digestion, protect organs and tissues, and regulate body temperature.
The best thing about water is that it's so readily available. To up your water intake, try investing in a reusable water bottle and take it everywhere with you. That way you’ll always have a healthy drink on hand, and you’ll be less tempted to buy one of the sugary ones.
Looking for some delicious, healthy meals to get you started? Check out our menu at Press Market, and drop by for a bite today!
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