With a new diet trend hitting every now and then along with a wide variety of superfoods hitting the aisles of groceries- it becomes extremely difficult to choose what’s best for our bodies. Plus, a gazillion of other questions also swirl in the mind when it comes to selecting nourishing and wholesome foods. Tweaking the diet could be an overwhelming process because of the ever-changing food trends but making smaller changes instead of bigger ones can simplify your regular diet while enhancing the nutrition profile. Simplified nutrition is likely to be more manageable as it begins with one thing, rather than doing everything at once. Here is a quick list of small changes that will save you from the never ending rulebooks of health & wellness, ease out your regular diet with maximum nutrition.
✔ Choose healthy cooking oil: Cooking oil plays a vital role in deciding your health. Right cooking oil not only affixes a unique flavour to your food but also makes your meal healthier. Highly processed seed /vegetable oils are a well-known cooking staple in almost every house. But such oils are linked with various chronic conditions like heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, and autoimmune disorders. Choosing healthier alternatives of cooking oil like cold-pressed olive oil, coconut oil, sesame oil and groundnut oil is one of the simplified ways to enhance your nutritional profile.
✔ Tweak your cooking method: Cooking methods can drastically alter the nutritional profile of your food that will further impact your health. Deep-frying bulks up the food items with calories and fat while putting you at higher risk of developing chronic diseases. Swap your cooking method to grilling, baking, slow cooking or air frying to simply make your food more nutritious.
✔ Always shop with a list: Grocery shopping with a list will save you from impulsive buying, reduce your expenses and help you to keep a tab on your time frame. Plenty of superfoods available in the store can easily confuse you and you might end up stocking unnecessary food items in your pantry that will harm you like no other. So, planning beforehand is a paramount way to simplify what exactly you put in your body and help in tossing out unhealthy foods from your pantry.
✔ Go for protein, preferably with each meal: Amongst all the nutrients, protein is recognized as the king. It has extraordinary superpowers that will strengthen your muscles, keeps you satiated and aids in weight loss. Adding some source of protein with your every meal is the most straightforward way to reap the maximum benefits. You can also add good sources of protein to your breakfast for effective results. Lentils, legumes, pulses, dairy products, nuts, eggs, beans, and lean meat are considered good sources of protein.
✔ Water above everything: In-between sports drinks and plenty of different varieties of diet beverages available- you might get all muddled up about what to choose but water above everything is the simplest way to boost health. Drinking enough water everyday helps in flushing out toxins from the body, keeps the mind active and supports weight loss.
✔ Cook food at home: When you cook food at home, you know exactly what ingredients you are adding to it. You don’t have to worry about hygiene, any unhealthy ingredient or wonder about the type of oil used in the preparation. As per the studies “Cooking at home is linked with decreased risk of various health ailments like obesity and better diet quality.”
✔ Maintain distance from “diet” foods: Diet foods or foods that have a label of “fat-free,” “low fat,” “fat-reduced,” or “low calorie” are quite misleading. Such foods are filled with preservatives, sodium, sugars and other harmful ingredients that can hamper your health. Always read the labels before buying such products and try to rely on whole foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables for ideal health and optimum nutrition.
About the author -
Dietitian and Founder, Nmami Life