Hey guys, so this is the part two of my healthy eating guide. If you haven’t read part one, make sure you read that too. Anyway let’s continue.
A Handful Of Berries A Day
You know how they say an apple a day keeps the doctor away? It’s more like something that berries are capable of doing. An apple, for example, has 60 units of antioxidants. Whereas a cup of berries offers 650 units. And that’s why you should try to have at least a handful of berries each day. Either on our oatmeal, on a parfait and smoothies or just as a snack.
So this little tip is just a reminder to up that berry intake if you can. And I know that berries can be expensive when they’re not in season. So in the colder months we opt for frozen berries. But I have another side kind of tip. If you are lucky enough to have access to berry picking in the summer months wherever you live. Load up on that stuff. Cut it up and put it in the freezer to enjoy in the fall and winter months.
Incorporate Herbs In Your Food
Second to berries, herbs and spices are the foods highest in antioxidants. And I’m going to talk about how we can make healthy foods even more wholesome by just spicing it up. A bowl of whole wheat pasta with tomato sauce and broccoli, for example, has a 150 units of antioxidants. But if we had just one teaspoon of dried oregano that number doubles up to 300. That goes to show how powerful spices can be.
Freeze Your Fresh Herbs
Now we’ve talked about the nutrient density of spices. And many spices come from fresh herbs. You’ve likely noticed we use a lot of fresh herbs in our recipes. And I think it’s a good idea to grow your own spices. And keep the pots in the kitchen. So you can pick up some fresh herbs right from the plant whenever you want. But sometimes they just die. For certain dried out ones like rosemary and thyme you can just pick off the branches and use as a spice. But you can also salvage some of the living leaves by picking them off the plant. Chopping them up and then placing them in an ice cube tray with some water.
Alternatively you can also add them to a food processor. With equal parts oil and water blend it. And then add that to the ice cube tray. Once it’s frozen then transfer the cubes into a Tupperware container. Now the herbs they’re not going to freeze in a way that’s going to retain its former glories. But it’s going to retain its flavor and nutrient profile if you enjoy it within a 1 to 2 month period. You can then add these cubes to soups or stews or pasta sauces. It’s a great way to reduce food waste. And add some flavor to dishes plus some extra vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
Add Raw And Cooked Vegetables To Your Meals
Here’s another hack on your guide to healthy eating. This is something I’ve been doing lately which I never used to do before is adding spinach to my cooked meals. And I do it in super huge quantities. Because within just a few minutes the big pile of greens cooks down to a super small amount. And it hides perfectly well in dishes like curries stir fries its soups and more. As with other veggies there are pros and cons to both the raw and cooked form.
With spinach for example the raw form offers higher amounts of certain nutrients. Whereas the cooked form offers higher amounts of other nutrients. So enjoy both the cooked and raw versions. But don’t shy away from cooked. It’s just such an easy way to get a whole bunch of greens onto your plate. And into your body with loads of nutrients to accompany it.
Ideas For Three Quick Snacks
We’ve all been there feeling like you’re hungry for no reason. But you just want something to snack on or maybe you’re legitimately hungry. But you don’t have the energy or patience to figure out what you want to make. So there’s one tip I can give is to have 3 snack ideas in your arsenal. That take 2 minutes or less to put together. That way they serve as alternatives to something that might have been a little less wholesome. So for example three quick snacks can be:
- Medjool dates filled with nut butter an apple that you can dip into plant yogurt
- Sometimes you can put the cinnamon or maple syrup and some hummus on crackers
- Rice cakes topped with cucumbers tomatoes and arugula
Having an arsenal of crazy easy wholesome snacks it’s not only going to limit decision fatigue around snack choices. It’s also going to give you a nutrient-dense energy boost.
Plan Your Weekly Meals
There is no doubt about it planning our meals helps us make more wholesome food choices. And it helps to decrease the food waste. And it’s 100% natural to not be able to stick to it 100% of the time. But if we plan your meals like a week in advance chances are more that you’ll stick to it. Record the meals you would like to enjoy in a week. Make sure you have all the necessary ingredients on hand to stick to the meal plan. Post it on the fridge and invite your partner or family members to contribute to it as well and this will serve you as your weekly guide to healthy eating.
Add Your Own Wholesome Contributions To Holiday Treats
In holidays we all indulge a little bit more often than we usually do and I think that’s absolutely wonderful. But if you’re feeling like you’ve just had enough of the treat foods one event after the next I recommend whipping together your own wholesome contribution that others can also enjoy. Whether it’s a huge batch of filling and comforting soup or a platter with dips crackers fruits or veggies or hummus pinwheels and it’s always a crowd-pleaser everyone always appreciates contributions. And I think you might appreciate having something that you can fill up on that helps you feel a bit more balanced
So, that’s it, I hope that you learned something new today through this guide to healthy eating. And I hope you enjoyed it.