Healthy Eating Rules from a Nutritionist

A healthy balanced diet is not a new concept for most of us. We have been taught about it since a young age by both our parents and teachers. But very often, it proves impossible to find a way of incorporating a balanced diet into our lifestyles. 

The concept of a diet itself may sound daunting. But since it is essential for a healthy lifestyle, here’s a nutritionist’s take on what are some healthy eating guidelines that will help you get the nourishment you need. 

Table of Contents 

• Stuff your plate with vegetables
• Have a balanced breakfast
• Do not starve yourself
• Be cautious when you eat out
• Hit the grocery store with a plan
• Limit processed foods
• Control sodium and sugar intake
• Calories are not everything
• Choose whole grains
• Enjoy what you eat 

Stuff your plate with vegetables

Vegetables are a no-brainer when it comes to healthy foods. Thus, an easy way to build a healthy plate is to fill half of your plate with vegetables.

Choose some crunchy veggies like broccoli, green beans, brussel sprouts, and leafy greens like kale and swiss chard. Avoid consuming processed foods like French fries, in the name of vegetables. 

In the remaining portion of your plate, add whole grains or legumes in one quarter and one serving of healthy, lean protein in the other.

Have a balanced breakfast

A healthy breakfast is an absolute necessity as breakfast has long been known as the most important meal of the day. 

A balanced breakfast helps kick start your metabolism and improves cognitive function. Also, a good nutritious breakfast helps you avoid untimely eating and thus improves your food choices throughout the day. 

An ideal morning meal should include protein, healthy fats, and some complex carbohydrates.

Do not starve yourself

A widely used but usually backfiring food habit is fasting or in other words, starving yourself. While you may manage to skip your meals throughout the day, with some unwavering resolve, chances are that you will go on an eating spree at night. 

You might want to reward yourself with a delicious treat for being a nice monk during the day. But doing so with a calorie-packed snack, like a piece of cake or ice cream, will only end up worsening your case. 

Thus, you should avoid starving yourself and take the required amount of calories. 

Be cautious when you eat out

While you may set out from your home with the intent of eating healthy, restaurants often have their ways of deceiving you.

Menus are often very misleading as even the seemingly healthy dishes might be stuffed with heavy sauces or brimming with butter. 

Thus, you need to take more control of your orders. Enquire about the details of the cooking procedure, request for the sauces and dressing on the side. Also, ensure that you communicate to the server that you need a simple and healthy meal.

Hit the grocery store with a plan

When you don’t have a plan you are likely to get lost and grocery stores are designed to amplify and feed on your confusion.

If you reach the grocery store without a shopping list, you are likely to purchase packaged foods rather than fresh foods.

Thus, it is best to go with a complete list of the items you need, based on the meals you want to cook in the upcoming days.   

Limit processed foods

Not every packaged food is harmful to you. But it is necessary to read the nutrition labels carefully. 

You should try to pick healthier options that will aid you in making nutritious meals, such as frozen veggies and canned beans. However, it is best if you avoid the packets stuffed with preservatives, hidden fats and excess sodium and sugar.

Control sodium and sugar intake

Avoiding that salt cellar on the table and leaving the sugar aside in a coffee shop is a great initiative. But our major salt and sugar intake comes from somewhere else. 

Most packaged foods are crammed with sodium and sugar, be it pasta sauce and mac and cheese or rice mixes and soups. 

Thus, you need to start checking the nutrition labels on your food items. Packaged food such as breakfast cereals can have up to 20 grams of sugar per serving.

Calories are not everything

Each calorie is not the same as the other. Eating a 100-calorie snack doesn’t necessarily mean that you have consumed just 100 calories. You also have to take into account the sugar and fat you consume with those calories. 

Thus, a better approach is to shift your focus to nutrient-rich foods that are naturally low in calories and carry essential vitamins, minerals and fiber. 

Choose whole grains

Whole is better than a part, especially when it comes to grains. Whole-grain foods like whole wheat, brown rice and oatmeal are far more nutritious than their processed counterparts. 

Not only are they high on complex carbohydrates but also carry a higher amount of fiber. Appropriate fiber consumption helps you reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease. Apart from this they even help your stomach stay full for longer durations. 

So, instead of avoiding carbs for weight loss, try to replace the white options with whole grains.

Enjoy what you eat

It is a common misbelief that healthy eating habits and enjoyment are incapable of co-existing.  

If you focus on working towards a healthy lifestyle with a long-term vision rather than running after diet trends and finding temporary solutions, you can find fulfillment.   

So, to achieve a healthy lifestyle, find nutrient-rich foods that you enjoy. Remember that your food should always be something more than just fuel.

Conclusion 

Creating a healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to be a complex process. The above-mentioned healthy eating guidelines are easy to follow and can help you stay healthy. 

Thus, you just need to fill your plate with the right ingredients, read nutrition labels carefully, look beyond the calorie intake, avoid starving yourself and finally enjoy what you eat. For more of such informative and interesting reads and a wide range of healthy products visit- https://vikrammills.com/.