Eating nutritious food is one of the best ways to improve your overall health. It is important to get the right nutrients to keep your body working properly. We all know a healthy diet consists of the right amount of vegetables, whole grains, fruits, lean proteins and healthy fats. There are simple switches you can make to make your meal a little more healthy.
White, processed foods, fried foods, foods high in calories are the ones you want to try to substitute. Instead of choosing white processed flour, breads, and pasta, make the better choice and substitute them for whole grains. Whole wheat bread and whole wheat pasta are the better option for your health.
Another way to improve your healthy eating is by changing the way you cook your food. Turn the fried foods to baked foods. Put your chicken and French fries in the oven to bake rather than cooking them in grease. Instead of boiling your vegetables, steam them. Steaming will also keep more nutrients in the vegetables while boiling can leech out some of the better nutrients.
You can also limit the amount of processed meat and red meat you eat and choose a healthier option of chicken, fish or tofu. Some studies have linked an increase risk of colorectal and stomach cancers with eating large amounts of processed meats.
Try substituting items in your meal so you don’t consume as many calories. For example, you don’ t have to skip out on the macaroni and cheese dish you love so much, pick healthier ingredients instead. Make your dish with skim milk, less butter and light cream cheese rather than using whole milk, butter and full-fat cheese. You can also mash up some cauliflower to replace mashed potatoes. Mashed cauliflower has only a fraction of the calories of potatoes and if you do it right, nearly impossible to taste the difference.
A lot of the time you can change how healthy your meal is by changing up a couple of the ingredients all while keeping the main meal intact. Here are some substitutions to try:
Egg Whites = Whole Eggs
Applesauce = Butter and Oil in cooking
Nonfat Greek Yogurt = Mayonnaise or Sour Cream
Mashed Avocado = Butter or Oil in cooking
Mashed Bananas = Sugar, Butter and fats
Nuts = Croutons in salads
Rolled Oats = Bread Crumbs
Soda Water = Tonic Water
Whole Wheat Flour = White Flour
Zucchini or Spaghetti Squash = Pasta
Black Beans = Flour
Marshmallow Fluff = Frosting
Evaporated Skim Milk = Cream
Stevia = Sugar
Cinnamon = Cream and Sugar in Coffee
Popcorn = Potato Chips
Red Wine = White Wine
Ground Turkey = Ground Beef
Eating healthier does not have to mean skipping out on your favorite dishes. Make some of these changes and even research some other ideas so you can still enjoy your meal without all the negative effects.
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