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There is a lot of conflicting advice to eating healthier which is confusing to many. While many swear by ‘xyz diet’ others are die-hard fans of ‘abc diet’. I am not here to condone any particularity. The objective here is to introduce some small changes in our daily eating patterns which will over a period of time build up and substantially change the way we feed ourselves, without getting into a lot of maths and nitty-gritty of it.

Eat Mindfully.

Eating has become a mindless act, often done quickly. 

If you eat too fast, the fullness signal may not arrive until you have already eaten too much. This can be problematic since it takes your brain up to 20 minutes to realize you’re full. This is very common in binge eating.

By eating mindfully, you restore your attention and slow down, making eating an intentional act instead of an automatic one.

Mindful eating helps you distinguish between emotional and physical hunger. It also increases your awareness of food-related triggers and gives you the freedom to choose your response to them

Eat All The Vegetables On Your Plate Before You Eat Anything Else.

Preventative measures: Fill up on the healthy stuff and then only eat as much junk as you have room for. Adding a regular salad course to your dinner every day is a great way to do this.

Use At Least Half Whole-Grain Flour In Baking/Cooking Recipes.

A life without cake and bread is no life at all. But you’d be surprised at the number of treats that taste just as good (or better) with whole-grain flour as they do with plain old all-purpose flour/maida. You’ll get more fiber, more protein, and less of an empty-calorie crash.
That said, baking is tricky; changing flours can change the structure and texture of what you’re making, so start by substituting just part of the flour and see how it works. Also play around with flours that aren’t made with wheat (corn, oat, rye, etc) or not even made from grain (almond or coconut).

Eat Seasonal.

Something is comforting about eating a mango in the harsh Indian summers, or a juicy orange in the winter. Nothing is better (or more economical) than walking out to the garden and picking the ingredients for your next meal. Recall the crisp, sweet taste of bhutta/challi/corncob or boiled/grilled sweet potato that you get at a roadside stand in mid-August; sometimes you don’t even need dressing because it’s so fresh. The wholesome, taste, and nutrient richness of this treat are at their peak because the corn is picked right from the stalk as a seasonal, late-summer vegetable. Even in the age-old Indian science of Ayurveda, eating according to the season is strongly advocated, and it was termed as Ritucharya.

Seasonal Food is healthier, tastes better, and is cheaper, to say the least. It also supports your local farmer and is good for the planet.

Related Read: All about Eating Seasonal

Eat Proteins and Vegetables For Breakfast Instead Of Carbs and Sweets.

Click Here: Showdown on Carbohydrates

Eating refined carbohydrates and sugary breakfast may feel great, but that is just that. Along comes the ‘glucose crash’, when the energy is released quickly by the body and you feel hungry again before the clock hits 11. Also Nutrient Depleted.
Learn to substitute them for high protein and vegetable carbohydrates breakfast which will keep you satiated for much longer is nutritious and also has a significant impact on post-meal glucose and insulin levels especially in obese people.

Eat As Many Colors As You Can Every Day.

Bright colors in fruits and vegetables usually signify concentrated nutrients (vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, etc.), which are very good for you. The more different colors you eat, the more diverse the range of nutrients you’re getting.

Click Here: Colorful Broccoli Salad Recipe

Make Smart Ingredient Swaps.

There’s nothing like a delicious sandwich or sprouts and cottage cheese salad, but chances are that salad is mostly mayo. Make your own version at home and swap the mayo for tahini, hummus, or avocado, all of which provide a similar flavorful, creamy effect.

Sneak Seeds Into Everything.

Flaxseeds, Chia, Hemp, Sesame, Pumpkin, SunFlower seeds are all super-healthy. Depending on the type of seeds, and whether or not they need to be cooked or ground before using, you can add them to your smoothies/milkshakes, add them to your dessert, make a pudding, add them to your cereals or sprinkle on top of your salad.

Related Read: Healthy Ways To Eat Seeds

Also Read: Easy Ways To Eat Seeds Everyday

Substitute Fruit Juice With A Piece Of Fruit.

For any reason whatsoever, Fruit juice is not a great substitute for whole fruit; first, the fiber has been removed, and second, liquid calories are not as filling as calories from solid food, so you can easily go over your calorie threshold when you drink fruit juice. Also, fruit juices ofter have added sugars, contributing towards the total calories consumed.
As mentioned earlier fruit contains fiber, which will keep you feeling fuller longer and has other heart benefits, and antioxidants, and other vitamins that could be destroyed in the making of juice.

So skip the juice and eat the real fruit instead. If you’re thirsty, supplement with water!

Try to Eat Meals That Are At Least Half Vegetables.

Simplify healthy meal planning by filling half your plate with veggies. That’s an easy way to know you’ll get the recommended amount of vegetables each day without worrying about the math. This approach ups your nutrient intake increases fiber intake and promotes weight loss.
Make your plate look like this.
1) Fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables
2) Reserve a little over a quarter of your plate for grains and make them whole at least half the time
3) Give protein a bit less than a quarter of your plate
Making your plate veggie-focused will also make it lighter since nonstarchy vegetables tend to fill you up on fewer calories. By the way, this basic formula-mostly veggie, smaller amounts of whole grains, and meat can be used in combination dishes as well.

Also Read: Eating Carbohydrates The Right Way

BONUS TIP:

Use Smaller Plates.

It’s a perspective thing.
Science says: Large plates make you think you have a relatively smaller amount of food, so you’ll feel less satisfied and want more. So game your own brain by serving rich food on little dishes.

You can use these ten hacks as daily challenges, as in Day 1 Challenge- Eating All The Vegetables on your plates before you eat anything else and so forth. The cornerstone of a healthy diet should be to replace processed food with real food whenever possible. Eating food that is as close as possible to the way nature made it can make a huge difference to the way you think, look, and feel.

Recommended Read: Intermittent Fasting All You Need To Know

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