6 TIPS HAVE A HEALTHY BUT STILL DELICIOUS DIET

Food should be a pleasure, and that’s still true even if you’re trying to eat healthily. Although some diet plans focus on negatives, implying you have to cut out everything you like, that doesn’t have to be the case. These are 6 tips to have a healthy but still delicious diet.

1.More of the right things

Eating more may seem strange if you’re trying to lose weight, but eating at regular intervals (three nutritious meals a day, plus snacks if needed) and eating more of the right things can help. Don’t focus on what you can’t have, focus on what you can have – fruits and vegetables, white and oily fish, wholegrain and high-fibre starchy carbohydrates. This will leave less room for foods like fatty or processed meats, and salty or sugary snacks and drinks.

Doing this will help balance your diet, which should mean you get all the nutrients, vitamins and minerals needed for good health and the right amount of energy, making it easier to maintain a healthy weight.

2.Fill up on fruit and veg

Having at least five portions of fruits and vegetables each day – google image

Having at least five portions of fruits and vegetables each day can help protect your heart and reduce your risk of dying from a heart attack or stroke. What’s more, the fibre content will fill you up and reduce temptation from unhealthy foods.

Eating more fruit and vegetables is easy. Add stewed fruit, sliced banana or berries to yoghurt or porridge for breakfast. Put extra veg in soups, stews and sauces, or just have an extra portion or two alongside your main meal. Fruit is an obvious snack, but don’t overlook vegetables – cut sweet peppers, carrots, celery or cucumber into batons so they’re ready when hunger strikes, or simply wash cherry tomatoes and radishes. Adding pomegranate seeds, grapes or apples to salads can make them look and taste more exciting.

3.Plan ahead, but give yourself options

Everyone’s busy. If you plan ahead, you can make meals for the week, separate them into portions, and grab-and-go as needed. This applies even if you haven’t cooked the meals yourself—if you’ve stocked your freezer with healthy options from the frozen-food aisle, don’t just grab one on the top—instead, give yourself 30 seconds to think about which one you prefer to have that day. It’ll make you feel more satisfied, because you’ve made a choice about what you want to eat.

4.Take deep breaths

Your mealtimes should include a “mini-meditation”- google image

Eating well requires focus, which is something you can harness just by paying greater attention to your breathing. Your mealtimes should include a “mini-meditation”, in which you take a deep breath before taking a bite of food. This allows you to focus, and also forces you to take a break before eating more, prompting you to think about whether you actually need or want another bite. Plus, eating slowly is good for digestion.

5.Go for fish

Aim to have two portions of fish a week and make one of these an oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, trout or fresh tuna (not tinned). Oily fish is a source of protein and provides omega-3 fatty acids, associated with reducing your risk of heart and circulatory disease. Adding fish to your diet can help reduce your meat intake and the saturated fat and salt that can come with it.

6.Colour it in

Making meals colourful increases their appeal- google image

Making meals colourful increases their appeal. Add a variety of coloured vegetables such as tomatoes, spinach, yellow peppers, beetroot, carrots and sweetcorn to make your meals look great on the plate, and more nutritious too. It’s also good from a nutrition perspective to eat a range of colours, as different fruits and vegetables have varying nutritional benefits.

There’s even evidence that using coloured plates (or cups or straws) can influence your perception of foods. Pink and white striped straws create an illusion of sweetness, making vegetable-based smoothies more palatable. Likewise, eating leafy green vegetables like spinach or broccoli can be more pleasant from a red plate.

Source: Quartz, British Heart Foundation