A considerable number of individuals yearn to get in better shape for the summer. Most want to look good on the beach and boost their health and confidence. Naturally, accomplishing these goals is a trying task. Better eating habits could have a huge positive impact on different facets of people’s lives.
Since food is the fuel for the body, people must make the sacrifice of switching their daily fuel if they expect good results. After all, whether or not you’ve started your new exercise campaign, it won’t help if you continue to feed your bodies full of junk. Below is a list of things anyone can do to eat healthy throughout the day.
1. Measure what you eat. Invest in a food scale and/or measuring cup.
2. Figure out serving sizes. According to Dr. Clifford, everydayhealth.com, compare sizes to familiar objects. For a reference, a ½ cup is the size of an ice cream scoop, and an ounce of cheese is the size of a domino.
3. Control portions with dish size. Select smaller bowls, plates and cups to determine what they can hold.
4. Dish out servings separately. Laying all the food out at once encourages everyone to go for seconds.
5. Break down bulk items. Pasta, rice and cereal can be bagged so you can see exactly how much you consume and enable you to adjust it accordingly.
6. Add milk before coffee or tea. How else can you gauge how much you poured?
7. Measure oil correctly. Although some oils are healthier than others, they all carry tons of calories.
8. Control portions when eating out. Give splitting a meal a chance. Likewise, ask for salad dressing on the side. Dip your fork into the dressing and then into the salad; don’t pour it all over the salad.
9. Add veggies. Add vegetables to casseroles and sandwiches to add substance to meals. Low-calorie vegetable soup before a meal is also a good habit to have.
10. Listen to your gut. Eat when you’re hungry and stop when you’re comfortably full. Dr. Clifford says, “Try to gauge when you are 80% full and stop there.”
Potato Chips vs. Lentil Chips/Soy Crisps/ Crystal Light
According to nutritionist and New York Times best-selling author, Lisa Lillien, there’s approximately 10 grams of fat in a bag of chips, and boardwalk chips come in at around 350 calories—close to the allowed limit for an entire lunch. Lentil chips are a great replacement for chips; they’re high in protein and vitamin B1. Soy crisps are low in saturated fat, making them a smart snack choice. Crystal Light comes in at five calories per serving while can busts through the roof with 100 in just one can.
Nachos vs. Light Nachos
Nachos with cheese, ground beef and peppers add up to over 500 calories. By switching out sour cream for Greek yogurt and adding high-fiber beans, nachos are still delicious and health conscious, as said by Ester Carlstone, in spoonful.com.
Deep-Fried Fries vs. Oven-Baked Fries/Wedges
The most popular fast food chain on Earth medium fries has a whopping 380 calories. The oven-baked variety can easily cut that number in half.
Funnel Cake vs. Cotton Candy
What could possibly be wrong eating a doughy pastry with powdered sugared falling off of it? Well, everything. Funnel cakes carry nearly 600 calories a clip, not to mention 25 grams of fat. Cotton candy is surprisingly a better choice. A small bag of it has about 100 calories.
Protein vs. Lean Protein
A five ounce cheeseburger has 630 calories, 41 grams of fat and 735 milligrams of salt, which will send you right past the average limit for a day’s intake before you can find a chair. Six ounces of pork tenderloin has 328 calories, 11.5 grams of fat and 95 milligrams of salt. Additionally, pork tenderloin has thiamin, a B vitamin that converts sugar into energy.
