A healthy and balanced diet includes a good portion of fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole grains. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables not only help to keep away those extra kilograms but also helps to keep you away from lifestyle diseases such as cancer and other chronic diseases. However, you may often be puzzled as to how could you increase your intake of fruits and vegetables in your daily diet.
Here are some effective ways of adding fruits and vegetables to your daily diet and manage your weight:
1 . Start The Day Right With A Good Breakfast
As has been suggested by all nutritionist across the globe, make sure you do not skip your breakfast. Instead you should make a conscious effort to have a healthy breakfast. Cut down the amount of cereal in your breakfast bowl and include fruits such as bananas, peaches or strawberries. For options such as an egg omelette, add more veggies (spinach, onions, kale or mushrooms) to the bowl.
2 . Eat Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
Try and include fruits and vegetables to your diet in their most natural way. You can choose to steam the vegetables and add beneficial herbs and spices for flavour. However, do not team them with high calorie foods or toppings such as high-calorie dressings. These additives shall only add to the calorie count of the salad.
3 . Avoid Canned or Frozen Fruits and Vegetables
Frozen and canned fruits and vegetables are preserved in high calorie preservatives and added sugars. Most commonly they are preserved with cream sauces and other artificial ingredients. Unlike fresh fruits and vegetables, they are not left with enough nutrients and vitamins and therefore rendered unhealthy. Instead the preservatives only make it more unhealthy by adding more calories to it.
4 . Choose Whole Fruit Over Fruit Drinks/Juices
Fruit juices may taste better than the whole fruit, however, it is important to know that they do not offer the same health benefits. The juices loose onto the fiber content which is the key ingredient that fruits give us. Surprisingly, a single serving of orange juice has about 85 calories compared to a medium orange that has 65 calories. Therefore, it is best to pick the whole fruit.
5 . Add A Bowl of Salad To Your Daily Meal
Post your breakfast, there is a good gap before you have your lunch. Make sure you have a bowl of salad which is rich in raw or sautéed vegetables and fruits. It shall help you keep away from mid meal snacking and also provide you good nutrition. Daily intake of salad will keep you full for longer and will not let you overeat during lunch.
6 . Substitute Unhealthy With Healthy
As we all are aware of, fruits and veggies also contain a good amount of calories, therefore only having fruits and veggies in addition to the meals is not right. Instead, substitution is the key. Substitute your small snacking with fruits and veggies. Make sure you are able to balance the overall calorie intake by substituting your unhealthy options.
So, try these ways and add color and flavor by adding different fresh vegetables and fruits in your daily meals and keep a check on your waistline. Eat Healthy, Stay Happy with 1mg!