In the age of fast food and delivery services, it’s easier than ever to eat whatever’s expedient. But heavily processed foods are not good for your body and can negatively impact your health.
Fortunately, there are plenty of things you can do to make eating a healthy diet both simple and convenient. From drinking your greens to making effortless ingredient swaps, here are five easy ways to introduce more healthy foods into your diet.
1. Drink Your Greens
Most people know how important it is to consume vegetables every day. But many vegetables aren’t exactly what you’d call convenience foods. They often have to be washed, peeled, chopped, and cooked before they’re palatable. This multi-step process requires time and effort, which is probably why many people opt for fast food instead. As a result, they don’t get enough greens in their daily diet to support good health.
If you frequently skip out on greens because you don’t have time to make a nice salad, there are other options. Drinking your greens is one of the quickest ways to ensure you get enough nutrients into your diet. A high-quality super greens powder makes it a breeze to boost your nutrient intake without worrying about chopping and cooking veggies. All you need to do is mix the powder with water and drink it at your leisure.
2. Hide Your Veggies
For some people, the taste or appearance of vegetables is highly unpleasant. The thought of soggy broccoli or pungent Brussels sprouts on their plate is enough to ruin their appetite. If you’re one of these people, you’re probably worried about nutrient deficiencies because you tend to avoid healthy foods. But there’s good news! You can trick yourself into eating healthy foods by “hiding” your veggies.
With a little ingenuity, you can sneakily add vegetables to your diet so you don’t even taste them. If you don’t believe it, try this test. Finely grate some zucchini or carrots into your next cake mix or banana bread recipe. Or finely chop broccoli and onions and add them to your hamburger patties. Start by hiding a small amount of vegetables in your meals. Over time, you may find that you can add more without it bothering you.
3. Add More Nutritious Foods Slowly
Have you ever noticed that when you have an all-or-nothing attitude about lifestyle changes, you tend to get discouraged and give up? When it comes to incorporating more healthy foods into your diet, a slow and steady approach is generally best. Don’t try to make drastic changes all at once, or you’re more likely to become overwhelmed.
Instead, start by making one positive change to your diet at a time. You might begin by having a piece of fruit at each meal. Or you might decide to eat one meal each day that’s rich in fiber to boost your digestive health. Once you’ve successfully turned one positive dietary change into a habit, you can add another. Over time, your diet will naturally become healthier, and you’ll feel much better than you did before.
4. Make Your Meals Naturally Colorful
When it comes to optimizing your health, it’s important to consume a variety of nutrients. Often, people get stuck in a rut of eating the same thing every day because it requires very little forethought. But your body is complex and requires a wide range of foods to function at its best. To ensure your body gets the nutrients it needs daily, make your meals naturally colorful.
The colors of fruits and vegetables give clues as to what nutrients they contain. For example, orange and yellow foods contain carotenoids, which help reduce inflammation and boost the immune response. Red foods contain lycopene, which increases brain function and improves heart health. Green foods contain many nutrients, including immune-boosting antioxidants and bone-building vitamin K. When you make your meals colorful, you give your body a wide array of nutrients that support optimal health.
5. Make Healthy Ingredient Swaps
Sometimes the hardest thing about making healthy food choices is giving up your favorite foods. Who wants to go through life without partaking in the edible joys it has to offer? Fortunately, there is a way to enjoy indulgent foods without negative health repercussions. With a few stealthy ingredient swaps, you can continue to enjoy your favorite comfort foods without guilt.
If you can’t live without your nightly bowl of ice cream, you’ll be glad to know you don’t have to. Just swap the high-fat, heavily sweetened kind with the lower-sugar, higher-protein options in your grocery store’s freezer case. You can similarly exchange buttery mashed potatoes for a healthier version made from creamy cauliflower prepared in your food processor. To satisfy your sweet tooth, reach for fresh or dried fruit instead of a candy bar. Healthy swaps like these remove the feeling of deprivation that can cause so many people to fall off the wagon.
Eating a healthy diet doesn’t have to be complicated or unpleasant. Whether you dislike the taste of vegetables or you don’t have time to prepare them, follow the tips in this article. You’ll soon discover that eating well can be rewarding and enjoyable. It can also be done in a way that doesn’t require a huge investment of your time.
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