You don’t have to break your bank to eat healthily. Given the rising cases of lifestyle diseases, maintaining a healthy diet is critical in reducing the chances of developing stroke and heart diseases.
If you haven’t been eating right because you think it is expensive or requires you to do what with most of the food you love, you are mistaken. With smart choices, you can adopt a healthy dietary pattern.
Here are a few simple tips to help you maintain a healthy diet:
5 Tips for Healthy Eating
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Focus on High-Fiber Starchy Carbohydrates
If you are taking starchy carbohydrates such as cereals, bread, potatoes, or rice, you should ensure that they are only one-third of the total quantity of food you eat.
Make sure your recipe has a starchy food element; they aren’t as fattening as many people think, especially if cooked with moderate cooking oil.
It is recommendable to consider wholegrain and higher fiber varieties like brown rice, whole wheat pasta, and unpeeled potatoes. Such options have high fiber content compared to refined or white starchy carbohydrates. Check out Umami Foods for a variety of unique and healthy food tastes.
2. Increase Your Veggies and Fruits Intake
Do you know the proverbial saying, a fruit a day keeps a doctor away? It makes absolute sense to take various types of vegetables and fruits each day. The recommended quantity is about 5 portions of vegetables and fruits each day.
If you take the time to learn how to cook healthy foods, you will find it is easy to stick to this arrangement. Start with a banana for breakfast alongside your cereal. Or, you can opt for fresh fruit for the mid-morning snack.
3. Consider Fish in Your Diet
Maintaining healthy eating habits means knowing what to take and not take every day. Your body needs minerals, vitamins, and proteins. Fish is an excellent source of these minerals.
Your weekly dietary plan should include 2 portions of fish, with an additional portion of oily fish. It is advisable to go for oily fish because it contains omega-3 fats, necessary in preventing heart disease.
4. Reduce Your Consumption of Bad Fats
Not all fats are bad for your body; at least, you need to include a significant amount of fats in your body. However, it would be best to be attentive to the type and quantity of fat you take every day.
Taking a lot of saturated fats increases blood cholesterol putting you at risk of heart diseases. For women, the maximum amount of saturated fat to take each day should be 20g, and 30g for men, while the children between 5 -11 years should take food with low saturated fat.
5. Minimize Your Sugar Intake
You are likely to suffer from tooth decay and obesity if you take too much sugar – whether in drinks or foods. Sugar gives your body a high amount of energy and, thus, can lead to significant weight gain.
Cut down free sugars – any sugar you add to drinks or foods and stick to natural sugars such as the one available in milk and fruits. Use food labels to help you avoid taking foods containing more free sugars.
Final Thoughts
Changing your eating habits is necessary if you are to maintain a healthy eating plan. Nevertheless, this won’t be an easy task, so it is advisable to make small changes each day. You will be surprised how such an approach works in the end.
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