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Thursday, April 5, 2012

8 Tips for Healthy Eating

I am having fun with this A to Z Challenge, but I have to admit, "E" has been tricky. I have been searching for ideas, and after some internet browsing, I have come up with a plan.

Eight tips for healthy eating.


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I came across this page, and was really inspired by some of the pictures, and am thinking of using them in class next year when I go over nutrition.

I am not a nutritionist or dietician, but here are a few tips I have that might be easy to remember when trying to eat healthy. *Check with your physcian or health care provider regarding dieting and nutritional information

Let's get started, shall we?



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1. Eat foods from all 5 food groups, preferrably with each meal (protein, fruit, vegetable, dairy, and grains) (whole grains, of course are a better choice)

2.  Moderation is key in a healthy diet. This is true especially of things like sugar, salt, and fats. A simple way you can limit your salt intake is to try your food before adding salt. Example: When you order chips and salsa/ queso, take a bite of a chip before you add salt on top of the basket. Majority of the time, there is already plenty of salt added.

3. Watch your portion sizes, and don't over do it. Need a quick reference? Check this out.

(Source)

4. I too love me some mayo on my hamburgers or mixed in with ketchup for my fries, but it is one of the most fattening condiments! I'm learning to make healthier choices, as I may opt for mustard instead.

(Source)
5. Baking is a much healthier way to prepare foods than say foods that might be "crispy," "smothered," or "fried." Not only can we bake meats and proteins like fish and chicken, but we can also bake healthy snacks! Baking is also a great activity to get the kiddos involved. A few of my favorite baked snacks include zucchini muffins and oatmeal raisin cookies. Check out some of these healthy snacks for kids.

6. Drink plenty of water throughout the day. It is now recommended that for every pound of body weight, you need about a half ounce of fluid intake per day.

0.5 ounces X Body Weight in Pounds = Daily Fluid Requirement in Ounces

Not so good with math? Here is another quick calculator  which also takes into consideration amount of exercise and environment. 

7. No, not skittles. I apologize if you just got a little excited for a second. Variety is another key to a healthy diet. What easier way to remember that you need a variety, than thinking of a rainbow? By "tasting the rainbow," hopefully we have this thought in mind, we should have as many colors on our plate as there are in a rainbow.

Well, what the heck does that mean?

Well, for example, let's say you're eating a salad. Instead of lettuce and tomatoes, maybe you say ok I need some orange, yellow, and purple. You might add carrots, or orange bell peppers, squash, and purple onions.

Need some inspiration for foods of the rainbow? This site not only has a lot of food choices for each color, but also explains the importance of each color, and their nutritional value in your diet.

8. 5:1 No:Yes Rule will help you try and turn down some of the things you can't help but eat, even though you know you should probably pass. For the food of choice, be it brownies, cookies, chips, etc., say NO five separate times before you allow yourself to say YES.It will take some will power, but you can do it. Just think of the amount of empty calories you will not be eating.


Those are my quick tips for eating healthy, what are yours? Any healthy recipes you want to share to help us add moderation/ variety/ healthy deliciousness into our diets?

1 comment:

  1. This was such a great post, I've been very unhealthy lately and am trying to get back on track. I always try to 'eat a rainbow' it's one of the best tips I've heard :)

    Drinking herbal/fruit tea is another personal favourite :) Happy weekend!

    Nikki – inspire nordic

    ReplyDelete

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