Eating healthy is a goal for many people, but most of us give up on this goal without even trying. You might think that healthy eating takes a lot of time and money and it’s so overwhelming. Moreover, if you don’t want to lose weight, you might think that you don’t need to stick to a healthy eating plan. In fact, there are many benefits of eating healthy and it’s a sure way to live longer. No matter your age and shape, it’s important to incorporate more healthy food into your diet. However, you don’t have to leap in all at once, take small steps and remember that small changes always make big differences. As your small changes become habit, you can add more healthy choices to your eating plan. Here are 10 tried and true tips for cleaning up your diet. Start making small diet changes right now.
1. Breakfast
No matter how busy and hectic your mornings are, you should never skip your breakfast. There are many easy and fast breakfast ideas to try these days. To save more time in the morning, prepare your breakfast the night before. If you are a big fan of smoothies, then prepare all your ingredients a night before. It will take less than 3 minutes to chuck them in a blender in the morning and you will have a super healthy breakfast. Overnight oatmeal with almonds and blueberries is another healthy option. Just boil the oats in the water for about 1 minute, cover your saucepan and let it stand overnight at room temperature. In the morning, cook the oats for about 10 minutes, top with the chopped almonds and blueberries, and sweeten with brown sugar, if needed. Yummy, healthy and quickly! Remember, eating a healthy breakfast leads to healthier choices all day long.
2. Keep healthy food handy
Most of the time we eat what we have handy and usually it’s not a healthy food. One of the most effective ways to clean up your diet is to keep healthy snacks handy so that when you get hungry, you won’t make bad food choices. I have a lot of healthy food at home; this helps me eat healthy any time of the day and boost my health all day long.
3. Fresh herbs
Fresh herbs such as sage, oregano, mint and basil can flavor your meals without adding any harmful to our health chemicals. But, often we buy a large bunch of oregano or basil, use only several sprigs, and throw it away since it’s not fresh. Luckily, it’s possible to make fresh herbs last for a longer time. Just remove the leaves from the stems, place them into airtight glass jars, and put it in the fridge. Herbs should be completely dry. This way, sage and mint can last up to 2 weeks. Cilantro, oregano and basil can last from 7 to 10 days.
4. Veggie noodles
Perhaps, you think it’s not tasty, but it’s actually incredibly tasty and healthy. Sure, wheat pasta might be tastier, but it’s processed, mucus-forming and it contains gluten. Pasta isn’t good for your digestion as well. That’s why I suggest you to replace your pasta with vegetable noodles made of cucumber, carrot or/and zucchini. Simply cut your veggies into a flat noodle shape, mix with a healthy sauce and enjoy a healthy meal.
5. Make your own salad dressings
Store-bought dressings are loaded with chemicals, preservatives, and bad fats, so the best option is to make your own salad dressings. You can store them in glass jars or bottles for more than a week. One of the easiest and fastest ways to make a salad dressing is to place all ingredients (for instance, fresh herbs, freshly squeezed lemon juice, olive oil, some pepper and salt) in a glass jar and shake until everything has mixed together.
6. Use oat flour instead of white flour
White wheat is devoid of essential nutrients and it contains gluten. Many of us use it without knowing that it’s unhealthy. One of the best ways to clean up your diet is to use oat flour instead of white flour. Just process dry oat flakes in a coffee grinder, blender or food processor and you’ll have your own oat flour. I usually use oat flour in a great variety of baking recipes to add a tasty, nutty flavor and dense texture to my baked goods. If you are sensitive to gluten, you need to buy gluten-free certified oats. Although oats naturally don’t contain gluten, they’re often cross-contaminated with a tiny bit of barley, rye and wheat.
More: 5 Great Gluten Free Breakfast Recipes
7. Freeze ripe bananas
Have you ever tried to add frozen ripe bananas to your smoothies? Frozen bananas have absolutely different taste and they make any smoothie more delicious and give it a fantastic creamy texture. If you have very ripe bananas, peel them, put them into a container or a zip-lock bag, and freeze. You can blend them with a food processor or a high speed blender to make an incredibly tasty ice-cream. I also love to add raw cacao or some berries to my banana ice-cream.
8. Ditch dairy products
Nowadays most dairy products are loaded with antibiotics, pesticides, and hormones. Ditch dairy products today in order to clean up your diet. If you’re lactose-intolerant, this is another reason to avoid dairy products. Almond milk (or any other nut milk) is a great substitute for cow’s milk. You should also consider replacing your butter with avocado. Butter contains a mixture of saturated fat, sodium and cholesterol, which clog your arteries and it can lead to a heart disease. I think avocado tastes much better and it’s much healthier.
9. Cauliflower
Creamy soups, mashed potatoes and smooth sauces are all delicious, but they are usually packed with unhealthy fats. Cauliflower is a super vegetable that is low in fat and calories, but high in nutrients and fiber. Add the lightly boiled or steamed cauliflower to your sauce or a soup, and blend it. You will get a thick and creamy texture in no time! Mashed cauliflower is also a perfect substitute for mashed potatoes. It’s lower in calories, easier to digest and tastes almost similar.
10. Ditch soda
Soda and other sugary drinks have been proven to cause numerous health issues, such as weight gain, heart disease and diabetes. Ditch the sugary drinks and try to make your own flavored water instead. You can add some citrus juice, such as orange or lemon, some fresh herbs, such as mint, and vegetable and fruit slices (orange, strawberries, ginger, cucumbers.) I love to add mint and lime to my water.
More: 10 Ways to Sneak in Healthy Eating
It’s important to eat healthy to have more energy, a slimmer body, and a longer life. Poor nutrition can lead to a number of serious illnesses and it’s one of the major causes of chronic fatigue in women. Stick to a healthy diet, exercise, stay positive and live a longer, happier life.