1. Healthy snacking
Snacking doesn’t have to always be bad. Nor does it have to be all about goji berries, nuts and chia seeds. Instead of potato crisps pick up some wholegrain pita chips, delicious with hummus and instead of oven chips bake some swede, beetroot or turnip chips, just as tasty!
And you can still enjoy a sweet snack. Dates and figs are naturally sweet and go great with nutritious goats’ cheese or cottage cheese. Instead of milk chocolate reach for the dark chocolate. It contains more cocoa with the added bonus of cleansing antioxidants which lower the risk of heart disease.
2. Variety is the spice of life
Keeping mealtimes interesting and varied can help us eat better. Trying new recipes means we eat lots of different foods that provide a greater range of vitamins the body needs and keeps dinnertime interesting. Not knowing what to cook or not having the time to plan and shop for meals often leads us to grab ready-made meals or launch the takeaway app on our phones.
If you’re looking for kitchen inspiration, there’s lots of healthy recipes out there online and on social media. Or, of course, order yourself a Yorkshire recipe box delivered direct to your door and let us take care of all the hard work for you!
3. Add flavour, not fat to your food
Put the butter back in the fridge and avoid adding high salt and sugar ketchups and sauces to bring your food alive. Look out for fresh cut herbs and spice mixes to bring some colour and flavour to what you eat.
Check out Amaali Spice of Skipton and Asharun Spices, Harrogate, both of whom are independent Yorkshire producers offering incredible hand-blended spice mixes you can buy online.
Not sure what to do with those lemons and limes still lying around? Add citrus zest to your food when cooking or sprinkle some on your finished dish for a lighter, more refreshing taste.
4. Swap white for wholemeal or brown
Try to avoid eating foods that contain white flour such as white bread and try eating more nutritious wholemeal, granary or brown bread instead.
It’s the same principle with rice, noodles and pasta too. Brown rice, noodles and wholemeal pasta may take a little longer to cook but they contain far more fibre, protein and healthy nutrients overall that our body needs.
5. Eat veggies for breakfast
What’s that? You’re too lazy to make breakfast? Yeah, we’ve been there. We should all eat more fruit and veg, 5 a day and all that good stuff. Get a head start by eating veggies at breakfast time. Starting the day with greens will not only keep you satisfied until lunchtime, it will also gently cleanse your body and set a fresh, healthy tone for your day.
Crispy bacon and soft-boiled eggs make anything feel breakfasty, including a big bowl of spinach or kale. Add some sliced avocado and a handful of sunflower seeds, and you’ve got a veg-heavy breakfast that’ll fuel your body for hours.
